the oldest person

Growing up I never completely understood the importance of rules. I was confident that they were put in place to break. I heard a quote a long time ago, “The young person knows the rules, and the old person knows the exceptions.” Now looking back on all of the lessons that I have learned, I would have to say that person is wrong. There is a very important part left out. Not the old, but the oldest person knows why the rules were put into place. Last night in our X-Factor teaching Pastor Chilly mentioned something along the lines of traditions. He said, “Do not tear down the fence until you know why it was put in place.” We need to realize that goes along side with the subject of rules. We shouldn’t question to disobey rules until we know why they were put in place. When we know why they are in place, we still shouldn’t choose to disobey them. They are in place and that is all we need to know. When rules are not needed anymore they will be taken out of place. That is the importance of rules.

Rules that are in place were lessons that were once learned the hard way. In the past few weeks I have realized the importance of rules. They keep us safe, and teach us things. I would rather have rules in place then to learn a hard lesson any day of the week.

Adjust, learn, love, embrace: My story of adjusting to shoes.

My Story of Adjusting to Shoes:

Adjusting to shoes says so much more to me than adjusting to shoes. I moved from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois to the great town of Hamtramck, Michigan. Which is a two by two-mile city surrounded by Detroit. It is over flowing in the nations of the world, and it’s tiny city if I hadn’t mentioned it with about 23,000 people. It has opened my eyes and made me feel at home at the same time. It has it unique differences as well, which I love. I have been here for three weeks and what can I say? Being here I have been on the path of adjusting to being adjusted, learning to learn, and loving to be and to love.

Adjusting has been a trip. I have always been excited when I hear from God, but when he said, “Something new, and different.” He meant go to X-Min, and learn what Pastor Chilly has for you to learn. I didn’t realize how chilly the Detroit area was going to be, and how just totally awesome Pastor Chilly, and his team were. I thought it was going to be easy adjusting. One thing I had to adjust was my footwear. I despise shoes. I had to leave my flip flops behind, but just as Crystal Allen always says, “Embrace it, just embrace it!” So I did. It will be my all time motto. I will embrace and love whatever God puts my way. Shoes were his way of saying you are going to have to adjust to being adjusted.

I have been on a path of learning to learn. I have to be teachable. We have all heard it before, but how many of us have actually taken “be teachable” into practice? I hadn’t, ever. I thought I did, and that was my problem, I’m still working through it. I have learned so much in such a short, short amount of time. The other X-Min students and I are learning to die to ourselves. A month ago I didn’t think that was going to be first thing we learned, let me tell you, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I learned this past week how to be quick to apologize, to forgive and really forget. Realizing issues that were tucked away deep in your heart, burning, and creating bitterness are a lot easier to deal with when you give them to Jesus than I thought, hints why they were never dealt with. I leaned that it’s so relieving when we give them up, and forget. Jesus is rocking my socks off, literally.

I’ve had to tell myself every day, “Suck it up and love and serve like Jesus!” This past week was the Real Church five-year anniversary. In the midst of all of the craziness, that I would have no other way, Pastor Chilly had the Bible read through. I only knew it could be done on account of it being done before. 24/7 the word of God was being read out loud, and it was so good, and powerful, and just awesome. The last night we read through the remaining books it got more and more powerful, and each one of us took a chapter in Revelation. After we were done we all fell flat on our faces in awe. God met us in such a way that I have yet to encounter. He spoke to me and it was at that moment that everything I had been dealing with didn’t matter anymore. I realized that it has nothing to do with me; I had been making myself bigger and Jesus smaller! I needed to make Jesus the only focus and everything else will figure itself out.

So it all comes down to I love being here, I love learning, and I love the presence Jesus. Everyday so far I realize how great God is. I have found that in the morning I praying, “Today is not about me, Jesus let me serve like you.” All I had to do was adjust to shoes.

So adjust to your shoes, forget about yourself and put Jesus first.

(This is the only blog I will ever do that is this long. :) Thanks for reading.)