Last week, a group of college students from Auburn traveled to Port St. Joe, Florida, to serve the Lord's people through construction, cleaning, yard work, and just simple and meaningful love to those in the community. I was blessed to go back again after going last year, and I am so excited to see all of the changes made in this community in just a few years. I wish I had been able to go in 2008, the first year the group went. For those that have, I bet it is amazing to witness all of the changes made and barriers broken down in the community!
It is so cool driving through the town and seeing so many houses being worked on, so many wonderful people being ministered to in the streets and kids being loved by college students. I can't fathom, after seeing what we all saw last week, how any of us could neglect serving in the future! Knowing that God is using our talents and abilities to help those in need is so wonderful, and I don't intend for it to stop there! Everything I am, and have, is God's, and that includes my time, money, and ambition. Worldly things are not important, but the love of God is eternal, and His name of utmost importance. How can I sit idly by while people struggle with poverty, drugs, alcoholism, depression, loneliness, and every other problem humanity faces on a daily basis? I've been blessed to have all of my needs met, and it is about time I let these blessings overflow from myself unto others who desperately need the sustenance of Jesus Christ's love in their life.
Apart from working with the community and seeing the fruits of God's work, we also had an amazing time of fellowship and bonding within our own group. I absolutely loved working with my construction crew! We had a lot of fun and serving others with them was such a blessing to me. Seeing how they diligently gave up their time to serve was really convicting to me and inspired me to put so much more effort into serving. Watching the group building the porch right next to our job was particularly awesome! They never gave up, and formed such a great team. Through loving work like that, there's no reason to believe we can't change the world for the sake of the Gospel.
I also had a fantastic time with the group in my house. Though I didn't talk very much (yea guys, I'm overall a pretty silent person around new people), I did enjoy their company and particularly studying the Bible with them. They had such great insight and personal testimonies, and really opened my mind and heart to what God tries to tell us all on a daily basis. Contemplating some really big questions with them was awesome, like the moments of silence as we all just sat and thought about how mind-blowing God is after we'd talk about something. So fantastic!
I did make a lot of new friends on this trip, a few of whom have already made a great impact on me! I really look forward to getting to know them better in the future, and I hope we'll have a ton of future opportunities to serve others and learn more about the Lord.
God really put me in my place when I witnessed the sunset on Monday night. Thinking about how big everything is and how small I am is such an important thing to remember. He doesn't need me, but I desperately need Him! He's created so much, and so many fantastic and perfect things, yet He loves me and wants me to love Him back--how amazing is that! We don't deserve anything He gives us, yet He freely gives anyway! If only there were a way we could truly return His love. Spreading that love to others is a great way to start though, and I always want that to convict me into action.
To everyone who helped make this trip a possibility, I thank you! I love you guys and it was an honor serving with you!
- Jarebear =) (possibly the best nickname I've ever been given)
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