Summer 2014: tragedy, loss, heartache, pain, destruction, divorce
Summer 2015: new beginnings, Oxford, fresh start, Pinelake
Summer 2016: Panama City, Sports Camp, MathCamp, Matamoros, Passion Camp, Kids Camp
All three summers changed my life in their own way. God has used all three summers to shape me and mold me little by little into who He created me to be. Every year as we return to school, I get asked the same question... How was your summer? For the past two summers, that was an easy question.
Summer 2014: Terrible.
Summer 2015: Chaotic.
However, this year's answer is so much more complex, yet so simple.
Summer 2016: Life-Changing.
As I sit in my new house on this last day of July (my last day of summer), and I look back on this summer. I'm truly speechless. Through this summer, the Lord has broken me, He has healed me, He has spoken life and victory over me, He has allowed me to witness life transformation, and He has changed my life. This summer could not have possibly been any more perfect. The Lord is sovereign in all things, and I'm so thankful that He orchestrated the events this summer in a way that maximized His glory and changed me from the inside out.
Here's a glimpse into all that was summer 2016.
In Panama City, I was able to relax, un-wind, and re-charge with family. Through this week, the Lord challenged me to put off the frustration, the doubt, the fear, and the stress from the 2015-16 school year and to begin to truly trust and believe that He works all things together for His glory and our good.
At Sports Camp, I spent three days worshipping, playing, and digging in the Word with this sweet sweet group of Kindergarteners. We had an amazing time singing and dancing in worship, playing soccer, and just talking about life. The Lord used this time to show me that the Gospel is simple enough to be understood by Kindergarteners, yet complex and deep enough to bring dead hearts to life, to atone for our sins, to pay our debt, and to bring us into fellowship with God.
At MathCamp, I was given the opportunity to work with 4th and 5th grade math learners to revive their sense of excitement and passion for learning in mathematics. Through this week, I saw many light bulbs, heard many giggles, saw tons of smiles, and had tons of fun. Through MathCamp, the Lord renewed the sense of passion for teaching (specifically teaching math) that He instilled in me when I first began teaching in 2012. He opened my eyes to the fact that each student in that classroom is not just a warm body taking a seat, but a life-- a life that is precious in His eyes and should be nurtured, cared for, believed in, and loved.
Matamoros... Oh, sweet Matamoros... Well, it already has it's own blog, so I'll keep it short and sweet. In Matamoros, I worked with a God-sent team of people to serve, play with, and care for precious kids at the children's home. What I thought was a chance for the Lord to use me to change lives, turned out the be the pivotal turning point for the Lord to change mine. During my week, in Matamoros, the Lord spoke healing and life back into a worn and weary soul. He took my broken heart filled with guilt, shame, un-worthiness, and defeat, and He spoke the truth of His forgiveness, love, and restoration over me.
In itself, Matamoros was life-changing; however, I truly wasn't prepared for what came next. When I pictured myself at Passion Camp, I saw myself as a chaperone/small group leader there to serve my precious high school girls and to pour into them. That happened. But that's far from all that Passion Camp 2016 was. In Daytona, the Lord took what happened in Matamoros, the beginning of the healing journey, and He spoke over it, IT IS FINISHED. It was nailed to the cross. There is no more shame. There is no more guilt. I am not longer a victim of my circumstances or the "hand I've been dealt" but I am a VICTOR in Christ. I'm not dead. In Christ, I am ALIVE. I am not perfect. But in Christ, I am HOLY. I am not worthless. In Christ, I am CHOSEN. As the Lord, poured my identity in Christ over me, I felt the shackles, the shame, the guilt, the defeat, the expectations, the heartache, flow away. The Lord replaced these things with an identity rooted in Christ and His character and all that He is. The girl who felt unworthy to serve the Lord, now was able to stand and walk in victory and proclaim the Gospel boldly for Christ. As if this newfound freedom and identity were not more than life-changing already, in Daytona, I was also blessed to be given the opportunity to see life change, to see salvation, to see the Lord move and work and to see His name glorified above all else in the lives of 4,000 teenagers and adults. It couldn't get much better.. could it?? Just wait.
Kids Camp... If I'm honest, going into this week, I was excited, yet apprehensive. Coming off of two phenomenal, yet tiring trips, moving my apartment into storage, and just life in general had physically and spiritually exhausted me. I was running on fumes at this point, but, because I made a commitment, I stuck with it. If Hannah (children's minister) had called and said, "Hey! I need you to stay home", I wouldn't have argued one bit. However, I prayed for strength, supernatural energy, endurance, and to see the Lord work in incredible ways in and through this camp. As I prayed, I felt the Lord re-assure me that He had wonderful things in store. I pushed through the exhaustion and showed up Wednesday to board the bus. I am so thankful that I did. This week at kids camp was, again, life changing. I had an amazing time getting to know a precious group of girls with an extraordinary heart for Jesus. These little world-changers had an awesome time, worshipped their little hearts out, dug into the Word, and learned so much about the character of Christ and who He is. This week at camp, we learned that Jesus is... the promise fulfilled, the Lord of Everything, the rescuer, and with us. Through this week, the Lord taught me that I don't have to have control because He is sovereign and He is in control. He has rescued me, and He is with me. These kid-friendly lessons spoke life into me as an adult too.
All in all, this summer has been phenomenal, extraordinary, and life-changing. I will forever remember summer 2016, and I look forward to all that the Lord has in store for this school year and beyond.
For His glory,
Kayla
No comments:
Post a Comment