A Boundless God in the Presence of WeaknessBy Jillian Chupp
Well, you can get about fifty seven different amazing stories of experiences and things learned from that week that we were shipped off to
Looking back through my journal from that week, something that I see written over and over again, is that GOD CANNOT BE BOUND –BY ANYTHING. The recurring theme of the week for me was God and Love –God’s love for me and others, and the way He works through me as He teaches me to love others. That is a terrific thing for a week to be about.
As we rode in the darkness during the first stretch of our journey, God was even then preparing our hearts for the things we’d need to do and the people we’d be interacting with. Even as I gazed into the darkness in front of me, feeling unsure if I was prepared for the week ahead, God was holding it all in his hands. Friends were dozing all around me (and on top of me), and in the background noises of crackly voices on walkie talkies were mingling with “Star Wars”. God was reigning sovereignly over all of this. He knew the outcome of it all, and had promised that He would glorify Himself, and that He wouldn’t leave me to venture into anything on my own.
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” –Psalm 46:10
The first evening in Bay St. Louis it was such a relief to just be there. It was great to get a shower, and at dinner that night we celebrated the presence of corn on our plates, which signaled that we no longer had to rely on McDonalds for our sustenance. That night and Sunday were both awesome. We had lots of time to just hang out and do whatever, and run around like animals after being caged in for so long in the vans. A lot of us spent every free moment playing some games which were maybe just a bit too insane, being later banned after some broken chairs and a little blood.
We went to the beach a few times throughout the week –the
“steady waves,
beautiful sands,
exceptional dunes…”
(a direct quote from Pastor Steve)
…just the sort of thing one would do with their true love. Pastor Igo is a poor substitute.
Luckily there were better things to do than beach walking with the pastor. The water was warm and great for swimming until one day jellyfish invaded us. And where there is sand, of course a burial or two is in order. The beach even made a great backdrop for debriefing one night. Singing “Amazing Love” and “Heart of Worship” with the sound of waves behind you, and the ocean breeze blowing your hair in your face is exhilarating.
Our teams parted ways during the daytime beginning on Monday to go to our separate worksites, painting, roofing, chopping, and hauling for victims of Hurricane Katrina. We drank so much that week -attacking our work with vigor and then running back to the van to chug Gatorade or water out of any bottle available lying around on the ground. By the second day, you just didn’t care whose mouth had been on the bottle you were now drinking from. You would just hope no fire ants or giant spiders had wandered into it.
Every night after work we met for debriefing. I loved having this time together. We had a devotional, sang a lot, and talked about what we’d done that day. I was one of the guitar players for our singing during debriefing. I was kind of nervous about this, because I hadn’t had much experience with that kind of thing. Once I really messed up while playing, and I was worried what people would think of me, to an extreme extent that didn’t even make sense. Sometimes our insecurity can keep us from doing things for God. I was headed straight down that spiral, when my negative thoughts were interrupted by the memory of a Bible study that one of my team members had led earlier in the week. Our study had been taken from Mark 10, and was about surrendering your all to God. That meant ME. That meant MY worry, MY insecurity. All that was to be offered up to God, for him to handle. And it was -because he is able and I am not. This team member had been really nervous herself, about leading the study, and yet God used her through that study, to help me keep going. Even in her weakness!
“As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another,” says Proverbs 27:17. And so God uses one person in their weakness and struggles and imperfections to help another person in theirs.
Something that Pastor Igo said during debriefing totally hit hard for me, though not until a couple days later. He said that GOD DID NOT CLEAN US UP AND FIX OUR FAULTS BEFORE LOVING US. Having this in my head during the week and applying it to the way I treated people made a huge difference in me. The freedom of being able to love people, and look beyond their faults all because of Jesus, is incredible and unbelievable. On a mission trip you cannot escape from people. They’re everywhere. Constantly talking to you, singing at you, peering over your shoulder trying to read your journal… it’s great. Everyone’s imperfections are revealed, and you overall get to know people better than anyone in their right mind would ever wish to. It was so easy to begin doubting if doing what was right was really necessary. But then God would seem to gently write on my heart the reminder “Never tire of doing what is right”. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)
Another great thing I learned about people was not only to realize that they aren’t perfect, and not expect them to meet up to all your standards, but to see the sometimes small or simple good things in them and take joy in it. There are so many crazy things hidden in every person that sometimes seem so random. And you can only wonder at the extent of everyone’s minds, and feelings, all which are just as complex as your own. For me the people were the hardest thing. Not their constant presence, or that they were necessarily hard to deal with, but just the fact that you know so much is going on inside them too, and when you just can’t help but love them. God throws those people into your life, and then you need to figure out how you’re going to handle it. With love comes not only freedom, but also a huge burden. That doesn’t seem to make any since at all, but Jesus’ life is a great example of what I am not capable of explaining. I really experienced the intimacy and power in prayer. God touched my life, showing me the perfect example of the love I needed for others.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” -Romans 12:9-12
After God answered a prayer and worked in a great way when I wasn’t at all expecting Him to, and I realized how unfaithful I really am, the whole week became a battle in prayer, because I then knew that my God is a faithful God. I began continuously bringing people before God in prayer, caring so much that it hurt. That is not at all how I would have imagined being used on a mission trip. Maybe I’d grow in prayer at home sitting in my room, but not in
Psalm 121:5,6 - “ …the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you…”
God did so much that week. And I am a witness of His power and love.
Psalm 40:5 “Many O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”
NOW GO AND PRAISE YOUR GOD!
The author is a member of Harvest Presbyterian Church (OPC) in
By Jillian Chupp
Well, you can get about fifty seven different amazing stories of experiences and things learned from that week that we were shipped off to
Looking back through my journal from that week, something that I see written over and over again, is that GOD CANNOT BE BOUND –BY ANYTHING. The recurring theme of the week for me was God and Love –God’s love for me and others, and the way He works through me as He teaches me to love others. That is a terrific thing for a week to be about.
As we rode in the darkness during the first stretch of our journey, God was even then preparing our hearts for the things we’d need to do and the people we’d be interacting with. Even as I gazed into the darkness in front of me, feeling unsure if I was prepared for the week ahead, God was holding it all in his hands. Friends were dozing all around me (and on top of me), and in the background noises of crackly voices on walkie talkies were mingling with “Star Wars”. God was reigning sovereignly over all of this. He knew the outcome of it all, and had promised that He would glorify Himself, and that He wouldn’t leave me to venture into anything on my own.
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” –Psalm 46:10
The first evening in Bay St. Louis it was such a relief to just be there. It was great to get a shower, and at dinner that night we celebrated the presence of corn on our plates, which signaled that we no longer had to rely on McDonalds for our sustenance. That night and Sunday were both awesome. We had lots of time to just hang out and do whatever, and run around like animals after being caged in for so long in the vans. A lot of us spent every free moment playing some games which were maybe just a bit too insane, being later banned after some broken chairs and a little blood.
We went to the beach a few times throughout the week –the
“steady waves,
beautiful sands,
exceptional dunes…”
(a direct quote from Pastor Steve)
…just the sort of thing one would do with their true love. Pastor Igo is a poor substitute.
Luckily there were better things to do than beach walking with the pastor. The water was warm and great for swimming until one day jellyfish invaded us. And where there is sand, of course a burial or two is in order. The beach even made a great backdrop for debriefing one night. Singing “Amazing Love” and “Heart of Worship” with the sound of waves behind you, and the ocean breeze blowing your hair in your face is exhilarating.
Our teams parted ways during the daytime beginning on Monday to go to our separate worksites, painting, roofing, chopping, and hauling for victims of Hurricane Katrina. We drank so much that week -attacking our work with vigor and then running back to the van to chug Gatorade or water out of any bottle available lying around on the ground. By the second day, you just didn’t care whose mouth had been on the bottle you were now drinking from. You would just hope no fire ants or giant spiders had wandered into it.
Every night after work we met for debriefing. I loved having this time together. We had a devotional, sang a lot, and talked about what we’d done that day. I was one of the guitar players for our singing during debriefing. I was kind of nervous about this, because I hadn’t had much experience with that kind of thing. Once I really messed up while playing, and I was worried what people would think of me, to an extreme extent that didn’t even make sense. Sometimes our insecurity can keep us from doing things for God. I was headed straight down that spiral, when my negative thoughts were interrupted by the memory of a Bible study that one of my team members had led earlier in the week. Our study had been taken from Mark 10, and was about surrendering your all to God. That meant ME. That meant MY worry, MY insecurity. All that was to be offered up to God, for him to handle. And it was -because he is able and I am not. This team member had been really nervous herself, about leading the study, and yet God used her through that study, to help me keep going. Even in her weakness!
“As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another,” says Proverbs 27:17. And so God uses one person in their weakness and struggles and imperfections to help another person in theirs.
Something that Pastor Igo said during debriefing totally hit hard for me, though not until a couple days later. He said that GOD DID NOT CLEAN US UP AND FIX OUR FAULTS BEFORE LOVING US. Having this in my head during the week and applying it to the way I treated people made a huge difference in me. The freedom of being able to love people, and look beyond their faults all because of Jesus, is incredible and unbelievable. On a mission trip you cannot escape from people. They’re everywhere. Constantly talking to you, singing at you, peering over your shoulder trying to read your journal… it’s great. Everyone’s imperfections are revealed, and you overall get to know people better than anyone in their right mind would ever wish to. It was so easy to begin doubting if doing what was right was really necessary. But then God would seem to gently write on my heart the reminder “Never tire of doing what is right”. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)
Another great thing I learned about people was not only to realize that they aren’t perfect, and not expect them to meet up to all your standards, but to see the sometimes small or simple good things in them and take joy in it. There are so many crazy things hidden in every person that sometimes seem so random. And you can only wonder at the extent of everyone’s minds, and feelings, all which are just as complex as your own. For me the people were the hardest thing. Not their constant presence, or that they were necessarily hard to deal with, but just the fact that you know so much is going on inside them too, and when you just can’t help but love them. God throws those people into your life, and then you need to figure out how you’re going to handle it. With love comes not only freedom, but also a huge burden. That doesn’t seem to make any since at all, but Jesus’ life is a great example of what I am not capable of explaining. I really experienced the intimacy and power in prayer. God touched my life, showing me the perfect example of the love I needed for others.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” -Romans 12:9-12
After God answered a prayer and worked in a great way when I wasn’t at all expecting Him to, and I realized how unfaithful I really am, the whole week became a battle in prayer, because I then knew that my God is a faithful God. I began continuously bringing people before God in prayer, caring so much that it hurt. That is not at all how I would have imagined being used on a mission trip. Maybe I’d grow in prayer at home sitting in my room, but not in
Psalm 121:5,6 - “ …the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you…”
God did so much that week. And I am a witness of His power and love.
Psalm 40:5 “Many O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”
NOW GO AND PRAISE YOUR GOD!
The author is a member of Harvest Presbyterian Church (OPC) in
