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Hey guys! It’s me, McKenzie! I am kind of anxious about my first blogging experience. Somehow I managed to get out of it last summer! But I am ready to face my fear and do it today.
Today we said bye to a group from The Crossing of Columbia, MO. As I was spending time with the group this week, I realized what an outstanding group of kids the leaders had brought down. They had such great attitudes about working in the hot sun all day, and even better attitudes toward each other. Many of them are following Jesus so closely that I felt as though they were teaching me about trusting the plans God has for my life. If I was a parent of one of these kids I’d be sure to get my child a really awesome treat, or maybe just tell them how great they are. They were truly an impressive group of kids.
The summer staff was back at the Harmony House before noon. We arrived to see the roof torn off of the store and construction beginning on the new addition. Because I am in charge of the store this summer, I was pretty excited to see this construction taking place. I found out that a window is being taken out so that there will be more shelf space, and the new cement roof is going to make it so much cooler! AHH!!
The six of us then took off to help the community put a new layer of paint on the Harmons Medical Clinic. Unfortunately, many members of the community weren’t able to be there but we had a great time giving the clinic a new look. I still have a lot of paint in my hair and in my eyes, but it was definitely worth it. After painting all afternoon, we returned home to relax and hang out with each other.
Earlier this week I was looking at some Bible verses that were listed on this paper I received at the end of the school year from my college ministry that I am involved with. I’m not sure if many people even kept the list of Bible verses, but I thought I would bring it to Harmons – in case I got bored or something. I have started looking at them every day because I kind of liked the first one a lot, and I have not been able to stop thinking about one. It’s James 1:2-3. It says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” It is kind of crazy how God knows what we are going through, and somehow it just happens that we come across verses like this when we really need it in our lives. I mean, it isn’t like I have a ton of trials in my life right now (I am in one of the greatest places on earth), but it was kind of like a firecracker exploding in my head. You know, like, sometimes God allows bad things in our lives to happen in order to force us to persevere and grow closer to Him. It sounds so simple, but I am still wrapping my head around it. So after I had been struck with this verse, I was reading this old book that the staff is reading together. It’s called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. The title is kind of self-explanatory. A man who used to be a shepherd describes the parallels between a shepherd and his sheep and God and his followers. At one point, Keller says, “We are often quick to forget our blessings, slow to forget our misfortunes. But if one really believes his affairs are in God’s hands, every event, no matter whether joyous or tragic, will be taken as part of God’s plan.” I am striving to trust that no event in my past was an accident, whether it was a great time or an awful time. I am learning to recognize in both situations that God is allowing me to draw closer to Him. It takes hard times to build character. I never want to ask God for a tough time in my life, but they are bound to happen to all of us. So, I am challenging myself to look to God with an attitude of gratefulness when tough times occur, and in turn I know that I will develop perseverance, as well as a closer relationship with Jesus.
That’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading our blog and for your continued support.
Peace my friends!
