This past weekend I had the wonderful opprotunity of going on an Antioch retreat. I am a Protestant, and this was a Catholic retreat. I was a little scared at first, but after my car being mugged of my things by a group of guys, I felt that this would be a fun and exciting weekend.
Since I am Protestant, I decided I wanted to go to confession and ask the priest some questions I had about Catholicism. He answered a few of my questions, gave me a blessing, and I left. As I was sitting in a pew, one of my good friends David came up to me and told me I should be prayed over. I didn't know wether I should or not, since I was not of this particular faith. But finally I decided to go through with it and be prayed over.
I sat down and there were five girls and one guy around me. They asked what I've been goin through that they should pray for. I explained my confusion about God's plan for my senior year; either go to Ecuador for missions, or study abroad. They began to pray. A few people were speaking Latin. The oldest woman stopped praying and told me she believed God wanted me to start praying constantly. Even small prayers, just throughout my day. I said okay, and they kept praying.
Next, another girl stopped and told me God had placed an image in her head that she needed to tell me. She said she saw me kneeling at the feet of Jesus, focusing on all of the plans He was holding out for me. She said I was so focused on the plans He was holding that I was missing His face. She said that all He wanted was for me to focus on his face, and the answers will come in time.
That was the most liberating thing that has ever been said to me.
At this point I was already overflowing with emotion, when Maggie stopped. She said that God just wanted me to surrender. He wanted me to put up my white flag. At that statement, I froze. My family has always kept a picture of a white flag taped to the refrigerator, where we always had out verbal battles. That's when I knew what I had to do.
At that moment, I surrendered all of my plans for my senior year to The Lord. I know He has the perfect plan, and I have no place to try to control it. Two days after I returned from the retreat, I received an email. It was Jeff, the man I was talking to about the thought of returning to Ecuador.
He said to forget the idea of school in Ecuador; I already would have all high school credits completed. He had the idea that I could work in the project of Carmen Bajo for 3-4 months and teach English, art, ect. He said if I wanted a 6-9 month trip, I should get in touch with a missions team around that area.
I feel like God is calling me to the project for 3-4 months, and a missions team for the other 4-5. Where I would go is still in God's hands. Nothing is confirmed, and in my opinion, that's the best way to have complete and utter trust in The Lord.
"For I know the plans I have for you." Declares The Lord,"Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
Since I am Protestant, I decided I wanted to go to confession and ask the priest some questions I had about Catholicism. He answered a few of my questions, gave me a blessing, and I left. As I was sitting in a pew, one of my good friends David came up to me and told me I should be prayed over. I didn't know wether I should or not, since I was not of this particular faith. But finally I decided to go through with it and be prayed over.
I sat down and there were five girls and one guy around me. They asked what I've been goin through that they should pray for. I explained my confusion about God's plan for my senior year; either go to Ecuador for missions, or study abroad. They began to pray. A few people were speaking Latin. The oldest woman stopped praying and told me she believed God wanted me to start praying constantly. Even small prayers, just throughout my day. I said okay, and they kept praying.
Next, another girl stopped and told me God had placed an image in her head that she needed to tell me. She said she saw me kneeling at the feet of Jesus, focusing on all of the plans He was holding out for me. She said I was so focused on the plans He was holding that I was missing His face. She said that all He wanted was for me to focus on his face, and the answers will come in time.
That was the most liberating thing that has ever been said to me.
At this point I was already overflowing with emotion, when Maggie stopped. She said that God just wanted me to surrender. He wanted me to put up my white flag. At that statement, I froze. My family has always kept a picture of a white flag taped to the refrigerator, where we always had out verbal battles. That's when I knew what I had to do.
At that moment, I surrendered all of my plans for my senior year to The Lord. I know He has the perfect plan, and I have no place to try to control it. Two days after I returned from the retreat, I received an email. It was Jeff, the man I was talking to about the thought of returning to Ecuador.
He said to forget the idea of school in Ecuador; I already would have all high school credits completed. He had the idea that I could work in the project of Carmen Bajo for 3-4 months and teach English, art, ect. He said if I wanted a 6-9 month trip, I should get in touch with a missions team around that area.
I feel like God is calling me to the project for 3-4 months, and a missions team for the other 4-5. Where I would go is still in God's hands. Nothing is confirmed, and in my opinion, that's the best way to have complete and utter trust in The Lord.
"For I know the plans I have for you." Declares The Lord,"Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
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