Empowerment of the Spirit
So I was at the Mix’s fall retreat this weekend. The theme was Seek. I am going to be honest, what better theme then that. To be honest, I have been wanting to teach since I got back to the States in June and I have been a bit bummed since I have not really be able to teach much, aside from Sunday School.
I was at the retreat and Jim was teaching the morning session on Saturday. It was on the things that keep us from seeking God with all our hearts. He started out the session with an exercise. He split the students up by room and then tied up and/or blindfolded the rooms. I then took the teams out into a low ropes course and had the room adults lead them through it. These things represented different things that held them back. The ties represent relationships and, depending on where they were tied, it was either good or bad. We had some tied at the wrists, some by their ankles, some were tied back to back and one group was actually tied by their wrists in a circle as well as blindfolded.
About half way through the course, Daniel runs up to be and says that something has just happened and that Jim will not be able to teach and debrief with the group. Daniel has a single page of notes, front and back, and we have to teach. I grab the notes, tell him to run and find Jesse to let him know as well. I read through the notes, get an idea of whats going on and I went into the woods and started praying my heart out. Daniel and Jesse are awesome guys, but Daniel isn’t much of a teacher and I wasn’t sure if Jesse would be able to really get the idea across that Jim and I had talked about before. I also just felt at “peace” with taking up the challenge. I was uneasy and nervious because I had no preparation time, but I was sure that I should deal with it. I got my guys together and asked Daniel to just debried what happened quickly and asked Jesse to just discuss what some of the things meant and such. I was going to take up the challenge section.
We debriefed shortly and Jesse talked a bit, can’t really remember what it was. I was way too nervious and was still trying to figure out some stuff. Jesse finished up what he was saying and I grabbed my Bible, went up and read Hebrews 12:1-2. After I read this Scripture, Jesus started speaking. Honestly, I remember about 2 things I said. I talked about how one of the things in my life that was holding me back was gaming. I tied a road to an alter and then my my wrist and showed them how it matter what I did, as long as I was involved in gaming, I would not be able to kneel at the cross. I also shared about how relationships will sometimes, if not most of the time, will hold people back from seeking God with all their hearts.
I was finishing up and felt God just asking me to send them off for a few minutes to seek out what was holding them back. I took that opportunity to just figure out what just happened. God moved through me in ways He never has before. I have never spoken that well before. I did not stutter. I did not hold back. I did not get mixed up. It was incredibly intense. I mean it, I have never had God pour through me in such an intense way. I walked over to Jim, who had just come up, and Chaille and was just blown away. I was in shock. I really was. I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do next. The only time this has happened to me before this was when Kateen showed up during debrief week.
I was so blown away. I firmly believe that God was speaking some conviction directly to a few students. I am not sure who, although I have some ideas.
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