Training Day

The day started like a typical Monday. I'd wake up at 650am and make it just in time for MP.

(Great stuff really. Going to miss it after I leave this campus. The older folk here who move off campus always tell us the difficulties of finding a place/group/the time to just pray like that.)

Normally, I'd walk to the church where MP is at, but lately, I've been driving there instead. I get there, park, pray with my summer small group, then head back to the car. I then proceed to turn the ignition key, expecting the engine to turn over, but there was no sound.

Prior to entering the car JohnKim remarked, "Hey, that's a good car." Responding with a shrug, I didn't think much about it. Lo and behold the car didn't start. So I did what every rational American does- freak out and call pops! I ended up leaving the car at a meter for a good six hours.

Yup, during this time I was pretty annoyed.

Graciously, God has blessed me with some awesome friends. Both Sharon and Bum offer their services. BLahBlahBlah car worked on and off throughout the day, got lost after shopping for noodle ingredients for small group, half an hour late for work, stuck at another meter after work, and stranded with a small group member at a local grocery store with the car-that-refuses-to start, tons of errors made leading praise, cleaned a mountain of dishes, took out bags of trash, and gah! Just thinking about all of it!

Man. What a baby.

I title this entry training because that's exactly how I felt today was. I am confident that everything God does, everything I'm put through has it's reason(s). They may not be known to me now, but God will reveal it in his time. AND I, being the "instant gratificati" that I am, really want to know right away!

However, that is not the point. This is- do I see my work- studying, ILL Runner, friend, roommate, summer school volunteer, small group co-leader, whatever- as GOOD?

By GOOD, I mean the way God intended it to be in Genesis 1:27-28 --> Work then was meant to image God, but because of sin into this world, I tend to focus more on 3:16-19 in Genesis...where am I going at here? No idea! That's why this is a blog.

Faithfully doing work the way God intended will be my goal.

Today through all the turmoil and what not, the moments that hit me the most were-
one: getting change for the meter I went to the local gas station. The clerk there was SO nice. She greeted me right away with a "Hi", and I responded similarily and asked for a few quarters in change. A few observations on the amount of change they had, etc and I leave. Being as curtous as I am (haha) I say, "Thank you very much" with no expectaions whatsoever ( I even think it was just out of habit- didn't reallly mean it, just came out)-with a big smile on her face, she then replied "You are SO welcomed."

I honestly believe she was faithfully doing her job, just doing her best in whatever it was. I have no idea if she was a believer or not. If she was "Praise GOD!" What an encouragement! If she was not, man....what a rebuke and Praise God. It's so difficult to articulate the joy, excitement, the whatever I felt through the clerk's simple task of taking my money! Through their actions of faithful work, I was so blessed! No idea why God worked in that way, he just did.

Few more stories but there are too many to type out! Hope I won't forget them.

God is so good. Though the day was one of the toughest I've had in a while, I felt as if the Lord was training me just to have faith. With that faith am I able to see the GOOD inherent value in the work he has provided for me? Don't know. I will try my best!

Thoughts:
There is ZERO conherence in this thing, but I guess it's good to try and articulate the day by whatever means.
I hope God reads this.
Must work on condensing these entries.
Image God in whatever work he has given you. Stay faithful to the end!

Therefore I do not run aimlessly, nor fight like a man beating the air. But I beat my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, in the End I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Something like that from 1 Corinthinans 9...

DO WORK as it was MEANT TO BE DONE.