from darkness to light

(a little long but worth the read...)

So we woke up Tuesday morning to poop on our kitchen counter.  Yes, I said poop!  Apparently we have a mouse or rat.  UGH!  Seriously, can one more thing go wrong with this house? ...probably...   We had to run off to work-- but when I returned from lunch... more poop... not just on the counter but in our cabinets & drawers!  OH I AM SO GROSSED OUT!!!!!

This is where I lost it.  We have had so much drama with this rental I can hardly stand it.  I think its one thing when you are fixing your own home, taking care of issues that come up... its another when its someone else's home you are continually putting time & effort into making it better.  Its hard, we want to make this place nice, for us, for the students who visit, for friends... and even to leave it better for our landlord (which we already have by 100%).  So after the fleas, the mold...and now the poop... it was the last straw.  I was at my end.  I'm exhausted, its on of our busiest weeks on campus-- we don't even have time to deal with house issues anymore.   I had nothing left inside of me.

A blessing from the Lord...

I was talking with my mom right before I left my lunch break to go back onto campus, and she so quickly chose to come up to Oxford to clean our kitchen & dishes/silverwear (of course we don't have a dishwasher anymore in this rental, perfect timing) & to buy products & traps to help get rid of our rodents.  I don't know what we would have done without her!!  THANK YOU!!!!!

As I wiped away my tears, I got in my car, and I heard these words playing on our cd... 

"grace, grace, God's grace.  

Grace that will pardon & cleanse within.  

Grace, grace, God's grace.  

Grace that is greater than all our sin."   (lyrics)

(my favorite version of this song by Summit Church worship band)

OOH I needed to hear that!!  God's grace is sufficient for me!! His grace is greater than anything.  His power is made perfect in my weakness... and let me tell you, I am weak right now!!!  [2 Corinthians 12:9-10]

So with a glimpse of hope in my soul, I went onto campus with Beth L.  

We were following up all the surveys students have filled out the past couple days on campus-- going to the students who want more information on either a Bible study or they want to know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus-- or both!  We headed to an upperclass dorm & knocked on Alanna's door.  We began to share with Alanna about Campus Crusade for Christ & what we are all about.  She was very interested, said there had been a lot of things in her life lately that have been leading her to want to get involved with something like this.  So of course, we began to tell her the gospel.  

Beth L, Alanna & Kristen (me)

As the three of us sat in the hallway of her dorm, we talked through what the Bible says about Jesus & what He did for us on the cross.  When we read Revelation 3:20 about Jesus knocking on the door of our heart, Alanna told us of a dream she had...

...God called her on her cell phone but she couldn't understand Him, so she gave her phone to her mom... but He wouldn't tell her mom, He wanted to tell her... and she never heard what God wanted to say..... 

But as we continued, it began clear what God wanted to tell Alanna.  He wanted Her to know how much He loves her no matter what! And that He wants to have a personal relationship with her!  Alanna said that was the desire of her heart!!! And she prayed with us right there... Alanna entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Tuesday afternoon.  She moved from darkness to light.  And her life, her heart will never be the same!

See, what's so amazing about God is how He works in mysterious ways.  Another Beth N. was Alanna's RA last year... and Beth N. and I had been praying for her dorm all year!  We had been praying for Alanna, and I had never met her until now, till the day God had prepared her heart to begin a relationship with Him.  And right before Beth L & I had gone to Alanna's dorm, Beth N had called me, she had been thinking of me & knew she needed to call me.... crazy!!! I called her back & told her the good news about Alanna!  

The Bible is true, I know it with all my heart.  When I am weak, He is strong.  His power is made perfect in my weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9-10].  I was so weak this day... I had nothing to give anyone.  I was even debating to not go on campus.  But the Lord knew, He gave the a little bit of strength, and I went & was able to be apart of seeing someone trust Christ & invest in eternity.  

That's what's so amazing about our God!  

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly 

of my weaknesses, 

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

 [2 Corinthians 12:9b]