Sparks

Where do I begin?  I don't even know.  This will likely be all over the place.  So much to write and so little time.  


Ever have one of those days (or weekends) when things just start happening like crazy?  Today was one of those days for me.  I've been waiting for it for almost 2 years.  The 6 am blaring alarm sounded off very, very early.  Note: I am NOT a morning person.  Once I was ready to leave, I opened the garage to notice my car was blocked in, so it came quite early for my daughter as well when she had to move her car to let me out.  Oops!  Then, the car was conveniently on E.  I raced to the gas pump to quickly put enough fuel in to "get me to the church on time" and headed down the interstate.  By this point, I should have expected the unexpected, but I hadn't awaken completely yet.  


Finally!  I made it to church.  How I missed being a Greeter, and I didn't even know it.  I had taken a break over the past many months but had recently returned to the list.  Today was my first day back.  Simply being there to say good morning, welcoming those entering the house with a smile and opening the door for them... it just felt good.  A fellow Greeter shared her story with me (seems to be a common theme for me this weekend) and it gripped my heart.  So many people outside of the church are hurting as well as INSIDE the church.  Encouragement poured forth from my own recent walk, and we entered the doors with a promise to be praying.


From there I met a friend dealing with family issues for coffee.  How I love coffee!  We visited and shared our hearts before randomly running into one of the worship leaders at our church.  He began sharing his thoughts with her as I listened.  At some point during the conversation, he started talking about his love for youth and WHAM!  Out of no where, the passion for youth ministry ignited.  It's like turning on your gas stove.  You can turn it on all day long, but without an ignition source, at the end of the day you only get a smelly house.  [If you've read my blog over the years, you have likely realized I've been in a wilderness for the past 2 years (which is a story within itself).  God took away my desire to plug in anywhere so I'd have no distractions or excuses for drawing near to Him.]  Anyway, at that exact moment, God pulled out the Holy flame clicker and ignited the passion to serve the youth right there in the coffee shop.  Who would have thought September 27th, 2009 would have held such a day for me?  I composed myself until I got in the car.  I drove home in tears praying for God to speak loudly.  I needed to know if it was "Connie" wanting to serve or "God wanting Connie" to serve.  


Fast forward approximately 7 hours...  So tonight, I dove in head first.  I put on my old high school shirt (Vision Night's theme), walked into our church with my eyes pointed up, expected the unexpected and by the time I left, I felt as if the Heaven's had truly opened and sparks were flying.  Lord knows that old school shirt may have seen it's "glory days", but it had never experience God like it did tonight.  I assure you, I was worshiping something back in the day, but it wasn't God.  You know, I think that shirt might have even gotten saved tonight, but regardless, I'm all in.  It's all or nothing.  


I cannot wait to see what God's about to do.  The goal is to see the unexpected.  I don't want to miss it.  I know it's going to be incredible.  I'm super thankful for the Wilderness experience itself and grateful to be released from the Wilderness.  I believe those 2 years of Wilderness prepared me for something great to come.  If not anything else, just to be closer to Him.  I'll take it.  Look out world, I've been released!