Zaxby's

So, a funny little story about this summer: Upon our last couple of days in myrtle beach and at Zaxby's, my roommates and I were thinking back to when we first started applying for jobs. None of us had prayed about it, and we all had hoped to get a cushy job at Ocean Creek, a hotel and resort, or at Wal-Mart. Sure they had busy days but they also had days where they did absolutley nothing. We threw in a fast food restaurant for the heck of it because we had to choose 3 places. We applied to Zaxby's, Wendy's and Wal-Mart. Little did all of us know we would be getting a not so cushy job at Zaxby's.
When we went for our interviews we were asked our preference in where we would like to work. Me, Katlyn and Chelsea all requested to work up front while Mary and Lindsay requested to work in the kitchen. We arrive for our first day of work and discover that this was not the case anymore. The manager had decided that Chelsea, Lindsay and Mary would be working up front and Katlyn and I would be working in the kitchen. Boy was I shocked/terrified/worried and so many other things. I just knew this was not going to be good. And I still felt that way after the first day: Memorial Day, which meant we were super busy and there was a million people working and I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing or how to do what I was supposed to be doing. After a couple of days and finally some training, I began to feel slightly more comfortable in my job but there was a new problem: our coworker. We all were sure she hated us. Whenever we asked her a question she would give us looks that made us feel dumb, she never wanted to talk to us, she intimidated us more than I knew someone could intimidate me! But, little did I know that God is faithful and his plans are perfect. By the end of the summer I loved working in the kitchen, I had a hard job but I loved it. And our intimidating coworker grew to like us! I even got to share with her our last few days. Now I am just trying to trust that God is still faithful and his plans are still perfect since we had to leave so soon after getting to share with her and building our relationship. I have seen God begin a good work in her and I am praying that he will finish it. My prayer is to trust that maybe we were only meant to plant the seed and not to water it, but whatever the case may be I pray that God puts other laborers for Him in her path, that I can continue this relationship with her, and that one day I will see that she calls Him Lord.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

A phrase my friends have used a lot this summer is the more we see of our own sin, the more we see God's grace. I think God may be slowly revealing to me what that really means. I think it means that the more our sin is revealed to us, the more we realize just how sinful and deceitful our hearts are and therefore how big God's grace is to be sufficient for us. But at the same time I also feel that I will never truly be able to claim complete comprehension of God's grace.

This past week was really good and really hard. It was really good because I asked a girl at work who has really intimidated me and all of my roommates the whole summer to hang out with us that night. We have been able to hang out with her a little bit, chat with her more through texts and learn a little bit more about who she is. It was cool to see that the next day at work, after chatting with her on Tuesday, that she was a lot more comfortable around me. One question she asked us was how we could like her and still want a relationship with her even though she does things we don't necessarily agree with. It was awesome to see that even though she didn't know it, she saw Christ in us! I looked back in my prayer journal I have been keeping and saw that the last week of June I had prayed that whole week to share something I had learned with my coworker by the end of the week. Well the end of the week came with no opportunities to share. So although that was sort of frustrating, I realized that God's plans are perfect and his timing is perfect because this past week I felt more secure about sharing with her, more confident about asking her bold questions, I think she was more confident in asking us questions and I truly believe she was more ready to hear the gospel this past week than a month ago. But of course the next day I became frustrated at the fact that we have to leave so soon after sharing with her and I didn't have more time to spend with her and talk with her. I went from trusting in the Lord's plans to doubting and not trusting his plans in just one day! But my room leader encouraged me to see God's grace after recognizing my doubt. And so I wrote down verses about grace and fighting sin to claim:

"But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror of the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor 3:18

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22

"Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new ever morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly will I boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Cor 12:9

A Little Bit of LP 2010