The Spring

It is hard to believe that two months of orientation have come and gone. Being at training has changed me in a way that is very difficult to explain, and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like before I went. All I know is that every morning as I woke up to a breathtaking Virginia sunrise, I thanked the Father over and over for allowing me to be there. That place was a little bit of heaven on earth. Isn't that what the body of Christ is supposed to be like? My friends challenged me to memorize more Scripture, to pray more, to speak uplifting words, to be a servant, to share boldly, to love deeply.

As thankful as I am for that season, the reason it was so precious is largely because it was only temporary. Because each person that I grew to love like family has been charged with the same task: to take the love of Christ to the ends of the earth. The unique way in which each individual or family has been equipped and called to do that is beautiful. One of my friends helped me to recognize that while it is hard to leave this kind of community, we have the awesome privilege of modeling that to brand new believers in every part of the world.

But what am I going to do when I leave here and don't have all these wonderful people pouring into me? my selfish side protests. During orientation I was constantly encouraged and challenged by everyone I met-- from the company President to the volunteers to my five-year-old quad neighbor. Can I keep growing and learning and stretching without these people?

The key is drinking from the spring. A well can provide water for a time, but eventually it can dry up. That's what happens if I depend solely on my friends for spiritual sustenance. But the LORD is the Spring of Living Water  (Jeremiah 2:13), and I will never go thirsty when he is the one who fills me. He is my source of wisdom, of strength, of LIFE.

And that is good news for me. I am going to some spiritual deserts, and what a joy it is to pour into others what the Father pours into me. But I cannot be their source, because I fall short, and I am weak, and I am only there for a short time. What a privilege to point them to the true source, the Giver of all good things.