I'm sure that everyone is aware of the government shutdown last week. Or is it still shut down this week? Does anyone know the current status on that? I guess I'll have to Google that one. Anyways... I'm betting very few of you know the real reason the government shut down. No, it wasn't because of funding disputes, or fighting between political parties, or the fact that so-and-so is wrong and such-and-such is right. Actually, the reason behind the government shutdown is much much larger than a little political debate. It was so Chase could go to church with me on Sunday.
Now I know what you're thinking. "The government did not shut down so you could see your boyfriend, you narcissist," and my response to you is, you're right. The government did not shut down so I could see my boyfriend. It shut down so he could go to church. And not just any church, but the church I was also attending. Because God makes all things work together for our good.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT
For those of you who don't know, my boyfriend, Chase, just returned home from basic training for the National Guard and was wanting to come visit me at school this last weekend, but he was going to have to go to drill. In light of the government shutting down, however, his drill was moved to October 26th, allowing him to come down to Kentucky for the weekend. He left early Saturday morning and arrived around lunch time, giving us most of the weekend to just hang out and be together.
But God had much bigger plans for the weekend than we did.
God has been working on Chase's heart since he left for basic training, and I've been blessed to be a part of that transformation. The more we talk about it, the more I see Christ revealing Himself in Chase's life, and it's been really exciting to watch.
Since leaving for college, I've been super excited and anxious to get to Chase to attend church with me at Quest. Our home church is great and we both love it, and I love Quest, so I figured Chase would love it, too. As it turns out, this week was baptism week, so Pastor Pete preached about the importance of being baptized after accepting Christ into your life and starting your relationship with Him. Throughout the service, I could really feel the Holy Spirit moving in Chase, convicting him, telling him to make his next step, but I could also tell that Chase's next step was not getting baptized at Quest.
Chase accepted Christ into his life this Sunday, October 6th, 2013, and was born again, adding to the Kingdom of God and causing celebration on earth and in heaven.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
I am eternally amazed by God's awesome plans for us in everything we do, from taking the wrong turn at a stop sign to shutting down the American government. I have never been so convinced that everything happens for a reason, and I think salvation is a pretty good reason.
I am so happy for you, Chase. You continue to amaze me every day, and I love the new person you're becoming even more than the old one that's gone away. I am so excited to see God continue to work in you and through you, and I'm so blessed to be a part of your journey.
Thank you, God, for letting me be a part of Chase's story, and thank you for giving us stories to tell in our ministry. Help me lead more people to know you. And thank you, Father, for designing and ruling our lives, because without You we could do nothing, but in You all things are possible. Amen.