One Week, and All Eternity

It has been a week. One beautifully crazy, busy, insane, life-changing week. The kind of week that reminds me of my travels and foretells future comings and goings.

I drove 673 miles in the BluVader. Without air conditioning.

I spent 45 minutes sharing with a Muslim customer that Jesus Christ is, indeed, fully God and fully man.

I slept one night on a couch, three nights on the floor in a church sanctuary, one night sharing space with a girlfriend, and two nights in my own bed.

I ate four meals at home, five at Starbucks, one in Wal-mart, and one in a gas station.

I watched God withhold sufficient preparation (in both time and content), and then place words in my mouth as I shared with 50 girls that Christ is always good, always faithful, and fully satisfies, even when His goodness feels like pain.

I participated in our annual shaving cream fight, directly followed by a plunge into a nasty pond.

I prayed for my mentor who underwent open heart surgery in the physical realm while I underwent it in the spiritual realm.

I saw God draw a precious 12-year-old girl to Himself as she surrendered control of her life to Christ.

I danced in my chair to the "Numa Numa" song.

I smiled as God actively rearranged my priority lists. I only took 400 pictures, only wrote 14 pages in my journal, and only spent 120 minutes with my cell phone to my ear... but spent at least three hours every day in heart-level, face-to-face conversation with the real people in front of me.

I smiled at and captured portraits of girls who, firmly confident of their position as daughters of the Most High King, applied make-up, primped and dressed up, and walked in gentle beauty because of that princess position.

I saw God make beauty from the ashes of pain in my heart. I saw Him tenderly and faithfully break what sin had built and heal what sin had broken inside of me.

I spent a lot of time with good friends. I tackled and wrestled Meredith in wet grass. I jammed with Holly. I laughed and reminisced under the stars with Kathryn. I saran-wrapped a car with Natalie. I washed Jenn's feet, and sobbed for joy at the precious privilege of sharing such friendship. I spent a whirlwind 24-hours with Christina in coffee shops, playing with Canons and Macs, and enjoying our random kindred-spirit relationship. I enjoyed a ride from and to DC with Jonny. I spend many precious moments on my knees in prayer with Linz. I finally had a phone conversation with Sara. I ran into friends at coffee shops, picked up friends at airports, talked until 1:30am with friends in my kitchen, took pictures of friends, took pictures with friends, and enjoyed the mutual fellowship that comes from mutual pleasure in God.

I worshiped God with my eyes closed, my hands raised, and my heart open.

I watched God captivate my heart.

One short, crazy week in our time. But who knows what this week meant for Eternity.

Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. -- Psalm 84:5