Broken Vessels- Youth Blog Articles

At AYC Saturday, I came in crazy. It had been one of those hard weeks. Do you ever have those? It wasn’t that anything had necessarily gone wrong, but it just felt like a roller coaster.  I was on the verge of a pity party all week, but knew that God wasn’t a God of mistakes or tormenting me just for the fun of it. I had a choice to make, I could either trust Him or not. Now at the time, it did not seem like that clear of a choice, because when emotions are raging, when does anything seem simple. Never the less, from small decisions and little annoyances, to life changing decisions and earth shattering news we have a choice: Do I serve God for naught? Do I choose God because of what He can do for me, or because of who His is?   

What is interesting is that I didn’t even realize that this is what he was teaching me until I walked into AYC crazy and realized I had come to enter His rest. I’m sure many would question my sanity that coming to a place to be with a lot of teenagers would reveal God’s rest to be, but it did. I walked in that night and knew exactly that was where I was supposed to be. I have been given the privilege of serving God in His house. I get to dwell among God’s people, teaching them about Him and striving to lead others to live lives honoring to Him. What is better than that? The calling on your life is probably not to enter rooms filled with teenagers, but it is mine, and I am grateful for it.

The Psalm that I quoted to myself that night and have for the past week is Ps. 73. I have treasured this psalm for years and that night it reminded me again about where my focus lies. I could choose to compare my troubles to everyone else, but I won’t find answers there.  Comfort isn’t found in comparison, it is found in surrender.  I surrender my will, ambitions, desires, hopes, disappointments daily to him and in Him find my rest, no matter what that looks like.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge, I will tell of all your deeds.  Ps. 73:25-28