This morning started off beautiful. The weather reminded me of home, with the morning mist making the ends of my deep brunette locks curl. I was walking to the caf to meet with an old friend, whom I haven't actually spent time with until...well...today. As we caught up in the caf, I realized how much I enjoyed his company, and how much I wanted to pursue friendship this year in my own life.
It is crazy to me how much my friends have changed over the years. I have probably had the widest range of friends...starting with the nerdy re-enactment kids in kindergarten, to the popular clique in middle school, to the surfers, the boarders, the pot heads, the preps, the pretties, and the drama geeks up until junior year then it was the choir kids, the jocks, the asb students, and ending with the Kendra you know (and hopefully love) today.
What an incredible testimony to who God has created me to be. I can honestly say that I haven't been feeling truly used by the Lord in my life since my rafting ministry this summer. Roughly 6 months ago I started an internship at Yorba Linda Friends. It was well into the small group year, meaning that I would be stuck taking on a group of mismatched kids from high class suburbia and low class urban culture. The pairing that one would usually find a burden turned out to be one of the most beautiful arrangements that God could have chosen for me.
Tonight we were discussing "Salvation", the first lesson in our new series at church. Two of my Cypress Street girls (the urban area) were struggling with grasping the concept of a Savior. That is when the Lord began to speak, and thank God for His interruption. I told the girls to close their eyes and envision watching the Lord be whipped to near death in front of them. (I avoided being overly graphic, but still tried to make a point). I explained to them how the whips were made in those days, how Jesus was barely recognizable through His wounds and blood.
As I recalled the story, the girls expressions marked utter fear and pain for what He was going through. When I finished, I explained to them how Christ did it FOR them. (For me) I didn't want to do the tradition reciting of a prayer together, so instead I prayed a prayer over the girls and then went on to sharing that if they wanted to except Christ they could repeat after me in their own hearts, not having to say anything out loud.
My two girls, the ones whom I've been struggling with since day one accepted the Lord tonight.
As if that wasn't incredible enough, one of my students began sharing with me of the struggles she has been facing in her life, bringing me to tears by the end of her painful journey through the broken intimacy and love she has experienced.
Today's dare was simple: Vulnerability. Isn't it interesting how often we avoid being plainly open with one another? Instead we put so much pressure on playing these games. I often view this as relational flirting. No, I'm not just talking with someone of the opposite sex. I'm talking about flirting with the reality of who we are as individuals. We love to better our own appearance for the pleasures of others and even ourselves.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a world where sarcasm was vanished, and vulnerability flourished? Where if you wanted to date someone you would merely ask them to dinner...not manipulate your way into their heart? Or where friendship was no longer a process of getting to know someone to the point where you constantly fight as a way of protection against going any deeper?
Tonight my girls showed me the power of vulnerability. It is incredible to me to see such strong witness from two girls who haven't even celebrated their 15th birthdays yet! So I challenge you...who are you? Who are you really? Are you living accordingly? Think about it.
Dare for tomorrow: Fly home to Oregon :) Pray me through!
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