At the end of January, I traveled down to New Orleans for a youth director’s conference. It was a lot of fun to be with other youth directors from around the country. Needless to say, we are all big kids ourselves and it was a riot.
While in the “BIG EASY!” My friends and I decided to take a break from the conference and go on a two hour bus tour of New Orleans. (I should warn you if you every go to New Orleans, when they say a two hour tour, plan on double that!) The tour took us all over New Orleans, down the French Quarter, the Garden District, and also the Ninth Ward. The Ninth ward was the most featured during Katrina. It was a very eye opening to still see the devastation nearly 4 years after the hurricane.
As we were on the tour, we had the opportunity to stop at one of the cemeteries in New Orleans. A lot of the cemeteries in New Orleans are above ground because of the sea level. As we were walking around, I came across a statue of Mother Teresa. On the bottom of the statue was this quote…
“If you pray, you will have faith
And if you have faith, you will love
And if you love, you will serve
And if you serve, you will have peace.”
This quote really hit me hard. While I was down in New Orleans, my friends and I were talking about our calling in life. A lot of people have told me over the years that I should think about going to seminary and becoming a Pastor. So far, I have really dug my heals in and not went. One of the reasons I haven’t gone to seminary is because I don’t have that peace that one should have before taking a huge step.
I have thought about this quote almost every day since I have gotten back from New Orleans. I would like to share what I have discovered about my life through this quote.
If you pray, you will have faith…
Almost everyday, after I read my Bible, I pray by writing in my journal. One of the greatest things about journaling is that you can look back and see what you prayed for and what has happened since you prayed. It reminds me every day that you can’t see God, but you can see the effects that he has. Just like you can’t see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind. I see evidence every day that God is there for me, which only makes my faith stronger.
And if you have faith, you will love
And if you have love, you will serve…
I have gone on a lot of different service trips throughout the years of my ministry. I can’t help but smile when I think about the people that I have come in contact over the years through different mission trips. What I have found out about serving in those capacities that a lot of time, I get so much more back from the people that I have served than I give. The love that they share with you is something I can’t explain. I can only pray that I have blessed them as much as they have blessed me.
And if you serve, you will have peace.
There is that word again, PEACE. It is something that everyone strives to find. Some find it and some will always search for it. I have discovered however that I may not find that peace to take the next step that I need to go to seminary. But I do have a great sense of peace for what God is going in my life right now in this place. I treasure the place where I am and the people that I serve. I am finding that just like when I go on one of those many mission trips, I too am receiving more than I am giving from the youth and congregation of OSEL.
Dear God –
May we all find the peace that only you can give. Guide and direct us where you would like for us to go. AMEN!
While in the “BIG EASY!” My friends and I decided to take a break from the conference and go on a two hour bus tour of New Orleans. (I should warn you if you every go to New Orleans, when they say a two hour tour, plan on double that!) The tour took us all over New Orleans, down the French Quarter, the Garden District, and also the Ninth Ward. The Ninth ward was the most featured during Katrina. It was a very eye opening to still see the devastation nearly 4 years after the hurricane.
As we were on the tour, we had the opportunity to stop at one of the cemeteries in New Orleans. A lot of the cemeteries in New Orleans are above ground because of the sea level. As we were walking around, I came across a statue of Mother Teresa. On the bottom of the statue was this quote…
“If you pray, you will have faith
And if you have faith, you will love
And if you love, you will serve
And if you serve, you will have peace.”
This quote really hit me hard. While I was down in New Orleans, my friends and I were talking about our calling in life. A lot of people have told me over the years that I should think about going to seminary and becoming a Pastor. So far, I have really dug my heals in and not went. One of the reasons I haven’t gone to seminary is because I don’t have that peace that one should have before taking a huge step.
I have thought about this quote almost every day since I have gotten back from New Orleans. I would like to share what I have discovered about my life through this quote.
If you pray, you will have faith…
Almost everyday, after I read my Bible, I pray by writing in my journal. One of the greatest things about journaling is that you can look back and see what you prayed for and what has happened since you prayed. It reminds me every day that you can’t see God, but you can see the effects that he has. Just like you can’t see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind. I see evidence every day that God is there for me, which only makes my faith stronger.
And if you have faith, you will love
And if you have love, you will serve…
I have gone on a lot of different service trips throughout the years of my ministry. I can’t help but smile when I think about the people that I have come in contact over the years through different mission trips. What I have found out about serving in those capacities that a lot of time, I get so much more back from the people that I have served than I give. The love that they share with you is something I can’t explain. I can only pray that I have blessed them as much as they have blessed me.
And if you serve, you will have peace.
There is that word again, PEACE. It is something that everyone strives to find. Some find it and some will always search for it. I have discovered however that I may not find that peace to take the next step that I need to go to seminary. But I do have a great sense of peace for what God is going in my life right now in this place. I treasure the place where I am and the people that I serve. I am finding that just like when I go on one of those many mission trips, I too am receiving more than I am giving from the youth and congregation of OSEL.
Dear God –
May we all find the peace that only you can give. Guide and direct us where you would like for us to go. AMEN!
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