How Being on EDGE is a Lot Like Being in a Relationship

So in case you didn't know, I am currently in FLORIDA headed into my last day of what has been a week-long conference for my job with The Navigators. How blessed I feel to be spending time in a warm and beautiful place with hundreds of others who are doing the same work on campuses all over the nation! It has been an encouraging and challenging week as I've heard speakers, attended workshops, and caught up with friends from Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, and all over the US!

As we were given some time to reflect on the things we had learned from our year and a half on EDGE Corps so far, I had one burning thought- being on EDGE is a lot like being in a relationship. Let me break it down for you.

My time spent on staff with The Navigators has been incredibly refining.

Whew! If there's one thing I've learned on EDGE it's that I am a sinner and I NEED Jesus. Every. Stinkin'. Day. Doing full-time ministry has exposed my selfishness, my desire for control, and just how much I need God's grace. I have seen both my pride and my insecurities clearer this past year and a half than ever before. I have been more aware of my weaknesses and shortcomings. But I have also seen clearer how much God loves me and wants to take me further than I am right now. 

I have learned that it's not about me.

Like I said- full-time ministry has exposed my selfishness. It has exposed my desire to serve self. To be comfortable and have it easy. But it's not about me. Life isn't about me. It's not about people loving me and serving me and being as comfortable as I can. It's all about loving Jesus, and loving people. If I'm not doing either, then any of the work I do is just a noisy gong. As a follower of Jesus I am called to lay down my life for others, as Jesus did for me. And I think I have realized that calling even more now that I am vocationally doing ministry.

I have been forced to trust and depend on the Lord more than ever in the past.

Again. Jesus. I need Him. Being on EDGE has presented circumstances that have grown my trust in God immensely. [Two words- support. raising.] I have had to depend on Him in a very real way for my livelihood. I have had to rely on His power to make any of the work I do be productive for His Kingdom. I have had to trust that He would work in students' hearts even when things seemed to be at a standstill. I have seen God come through for me in huge ways and my dependence on Him has deepened.

These lessons I've learned while on EDGE seem eerily similar to lessons learned in relationships. Maybe that's just life. Maybe God chooses to refine us and teach us and humble us through the circumstances we find ourselves in. Maybe He uses whatever means He wants to reveal Himself to us. And those means are happy and hard and joy-filled and uncertain and wonderful and messy all at the same time.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Happy winter! Although the first day of winter is still a good month and a half away, I feel justified in this greeting. Yesterday I woke up to a car covered in leaves (that I had to brush off with my ice-scraper) and today I woke up to a nice layer of ice. So it seems that the seasons have changed overnight and we are now in that season that us frozen chosen live for - winter! Construction will be done soon and we're headed into months of indoor activities- such as reading, cuddling, and watching seasons upon seasons of TV shows. So, without further ado, I bring you a few of my favorite things... inspired by the changing of seasons!

Candles. I have been obsessed with candles the last few days! Especially the WoodWick variety. It's a crackling candle. How could you not love that? One of the few pros of the change in weather is that it's perfect for cozying up with a good book by the fireplace (or clump of candles in my case).

White Collar. Ok. This show has always been one of my favorite things. But I just discovered there's a new season playing! And I seriously cannot wait until I have time to (cuddle up by my clump of candles) and watch the new episodes. If you're looking for a quality show, this is it. Humor, thievery, enduring friendship, and loads of white collar crime action.

Mystic Topaz. How cool is this stone? One of my friends has a ring and I fell in love instantly! It's different from every angle you look at it! AND fairly cheap. Win-win.

 

Quillows. A quilt that can fold up into a pillow. Who knew this was a thing?? After looking for a photo on Pinterest I realized that they are apparently usually geared toward kids, but I say pish-posh to that. Best. Invention. Ever. Also, you can stick your feet into the little pocket and your blanket won't slide off you!

Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Just read it. I've only read the first book, but let's just say I devoured that sucker and am so excited to (again) have enough time on my hands to get into the second in the series! (But the real question is... will I go for White Collar or this first??) Plus, Divergent will be coming out in theatres in March so you should probably read it before then so you're not one of those sad people who is a fan of the movies but has never read the book.