Thursday, March 7, 2013

Funtastic Friend Friday: Sarah Velten

Today's friend comes from a very special group of people. She is the first housemate or fellow McMansioner to write a guest post. Sarah brings laughter and love to our house and she has honestly one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. She is sometimes mistaken for my twin and she is always the first to volunteer for an adventure. Sarah has taught me that there is never a bad time for a dance party and that giving is better than receiving. It has been an absolute blessing to live with Sarah the past two years and I am going to miss her zeal for life when we are no longer under the same roof.




Sarah's post is on something that comes to my mind often and something that I have struggled and wrestled with for some time now. She shares from her heart one of the biggest fears of being a graduating senior, chasing after Jesus, getting ready to move into that that big, bad thing, known as the "real world." I am confident that the Lord has a hold of Sarah's heart and I cannot wait to see where the Spirit leads her. Her post reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of Scripture: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:38-39 O, praise Him! 

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I felt like it was easier to trust in God’s plan when I had no idea what it was.

This whole year I have been applying for different things, interviewing, and trusting and knowing that God had a great plan for me.  I honestly was confident in that.  And surprisingly, I was very peaceful with this floating unknown plan God had for me, because I was confident it would come and just hadn’t revealed itself yet.

Only when those plans started to come to fruition did I begin to have a minor freak out.  The future became much more real.

I am going to move on.
I am going to be somewhere new.
I am not going to be surrounded by my community.
I won’t be living in the McMansion.
I won’t have as many friends.

But those were small fears, hiding behind a much bigger issue.  I realized my being scared of the future had nothing to do with a new city and starting a job.  I was excited for that.  When I began to wrestle with decisions I might have to make, I realized that the fear that was weighing down on me was my fear of falling away from the Lord after college.  I’ve seen what life looks like when that happens, and it is a life I want to run as far away from as possible. While at UNC, I have been beyond blessed by the people God has put in my life, and I can honestly say I couldn’t have asked for better friends that love me and push me towards the Lord.  And I know how much they have influenced me.

Now, I am not usually that serious of a journaler, but on my way back from an interview in Atlanta, my flight was delayed several hours, and boy did I journal.  Hardcore.  I just poured out all my fears to the Lord, and pleaded with him over and over again, “Keep a fire lit in my heart for you, don’t ever let me lose my passion, please help me to always make you my first priority, how can I be a light in my office?  Lord, PLEASE don’t let me fall away from you after school.”

I desperately want to live my life for you.  I don’t just want an easy life.

And then I came across this.

Psalm 34:4I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

And through that I was so comforted.  I was worrying about falling away from the Lord, and He has just been telling me, “seek Me, and you will find Me.  Don’t worry Sarah, keep seeking Me, and be confident in that.”  He will deliver me from my fears, and I am confident in that.

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

So, that is what I have been learning.  Take hope.  The Lord is good.  He loves us, he has a plan for us, and he wants to cast out all of our fears.  All we have to do is let Him. 

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