When God "unloads"...

Do you ever just feel like you are learning so much in your life? Its like this feeling like you constantly think "oh yeah!" or "ah ha!" or "wow!! Ok, thats a thing I need to apply in my life" where its back to back and you feel like you can't keep up!? well my friends, you are not alone! I feel like this has been my season since August 7th when I left for Cali to start this job! I've been learning so much on how to love others, not judging, patience, stepping out my comfort zone, all that! Honestly, its like I have a new perspective on life, on God's grace! It seems like everything I was learning inside the "Bethel bubble" (those of you that go to Bethel know what I mean, its pretty much a bubble where you are surrounded by bros and sis's that believe the same thing you do and its like a "safe place", which is good, but also can make you sheltered). I've had an amazing summer with friends and we diligently were seeking after the Lord and now all that I attained is challenged! Let me tell you, we need to be challenged in order to grow! We need those "storms in life" in order to become a stronger person! Its like this: In order for plants to grow, they need the rain, they need the storm. After the storm, the sun comes out, and the plants grow! They become more colorful, taller, healthier! The joy is the sun after those storms of trials! There is JOY in every trial! We are the plants, when we go through times that are challenging, we can know the suns gunna come out..the joy is about to come and we become taller, stronger, colorful..we become more like Christ! The process of photosynthesis is like God's grace..we need that to become stonger, colorful, taller! When we go through trials, it bring perseverance, character, and then hope (Rom.5:3). God's grace is so sufficient. Its not about what the trial is, its about how we respond to the trial! We can overcome it with our Spirit God has placed in us! We are at battle, guys! Everyday when you wake up, its war..war between your flesh and your spirit! Like I said in my last blog, the spirit can fight off the flesh, if you side with the Spirit! I always thought I guess for along time that God was this "Big man upstairs" watching us and if we do wrong, he is gunna smite me with the mighty thunderbolt! Umm..he's not Zeus! He's the Alpha and the Omega, Yahweh, a Loving Father, Savior, King! He's there to pick us up when we sin. When we come, sit on his lap, confess our sins, open our hearts, he shows mercy, he shows compassion, he picks us up, puts the bandage on and kisses us on the forehead and says, "I love you, kid!" Its a hard concept to understand because we either, if you are like me, we sulk in our sin we committed, or we don't come before the Father thinking, "eh, he wont catch it" either one, we need to know who are Lord is, and he's a forgiving Father! There's nothing we can hide from him! so I encourage you guys, to know that, its not about how "perfect" you handle the trial, its where your heart is at, your attitude, your response! Seek him in the trial! He will show you, even when you mess up, He will know where your intentions lie! He shows us mercy, because we are not perfect..and with mercy..he gives us grace! Therefore, we should show mercy towards others, no matter how they wronged us, because we all wronged people in our life, we all need mercy! Yes, we are all stupid and mess up! But through God, we become stronger followers! Keep the faith guys! Run hard after Christ. Love on Him, fall in love with Him, spend time with Him! Be the follower that is right behind him, not the one either gettin distracted, trying to keep up, or the one in the back of the line, ready to ditch when he's not looking! Seriously, the more you get to know Christ, the more you'll fall in love! Go Jesus..mmm...so good!