Tramp for the Lord

If you have heard me talk about this book you know how it has changed my life. Well, today is my day away and I finally finished it, not because it was long but because I had to put it on my shelf for a while.

Today as I read in this small "hipster" coffee shop in Norfolk I sat quietly listening to songs about His glory and this frail man slowly,and I mean REALLY slowly meandered in. He had a soaking rain coat and a huge gray moustache and he sat beside me. I watched as the barista took great care of him. She brought him his muffin and coffee and spoke tenderly to him as he smiled without words. She walked to the "condiment bar" and brought back a sugar packet and said "I'm sorry ____ we will have to use a sugar packet today. I've opened it for you are you ready to pour it in together?" He nodded she helped him pour his sugar in his coffee. "Ok, set it aside... right there yes, set it next to the cup so great ____ you are doing wonderful today. Ok, are you ready for some milk? Why don't you do it this time... yes, thats perfect. I'm so glad you have your raincoat today its pouring out there. I'll be back in a second to check on you ____."

 I cried, I may be extra emotional today but I just couldn't believe it, she was so careful and had such grace and love. This man could have lived a life of service, he could have taken care of so many people and he sat in this coffee shop and was encourage to "do the milk this time" and I couldn't hold it in. How often do I want to feel the grasp of the Lords hand and although He never leaves me sometimes he tells me sweetly ok Katie you do it this time, he is there and he is guiding me but he declares that its my turn. I was touched by this scene for so many other reasons but I just had to share it with you.

 I read in my book about this woman who had multiple sclerosis, her hands were gnarled from the disease and her body was broken both from working hard for her God all her life but also from this illness. The chapter talked about how Corrie visited the woman in Lithuania. Her husband had taken great care of this woman who had fought battle after battle for Jesus and was now forced to sit upright in a chair covered in pillows and only had control of one finger. ONE FINGER! What can you do with one finger? Her husband would sit with her every morning and would read scripture to her and then would sit a giant old typewriter in front of her and with that one finger she would translate the Bible and Christian books into her language so that the people of her town could know Jesus. During this time it was illegal in her country to practice the Christian faith so there were no books declaring Christ and none were in her country's language. So with that one finger she wrote, page after page in hopes that one would fall in love. Here I sit in a coffee shop feeling overwrought and weary unsure of why the Lord has called me here because I can't do it and I read of this woman with one finger she professes Christ... I have all ten. What are my excuses? They seem dry and broken now... thank you jesus that they seem dry and broken!

Before I started my day away I had a bible study at starbucks... I invited girls and Stephanie texted them all for me. This morning at 7:30 at a starbucks in Chesapeake I had 16 girls sit before me eager for Christ not only eager but thirsty. One girl said "I was so jealous of those great bridge boys who had a bible study in the morning, thank you Katie." She was jealous to be in scripture together! WHAT THE HECK? When I was 15 I was jealous of someone's UGGs I don't deserve this Jesus... I can't do this Jesus is what I said to myself. I don't know what He is doing with me, or this, or Hickory but I pray he keeps doing it. Please see my humble heart in this... because I am sitting in shock of all of it.

 I want to leave you with this quote from an unknown author, I plan to paint it on my wall to remind myself of this story of this man of this woman of this unreal morning I woke up to find girls waiting for His word.

 "When she enters the beautiful city and the saved all around her appear, many people around will tell her; it was you that invited me here" Don't you want Jesus to ask you to invite them? I do.

Being Behind & Fall Weekend

Hickory Team

Hallie, Brooke, Brielle, Steph, Elyssa, Me

Carolyn and I at the football game!

Anne (cut out sadly), Riane, Sydney... me

Anne, Riane, Sydney

All the hickory girls!

I hate being behind, I hate feeling like I can't keep all the plates that I need to have spinning in the air spinning but in a weird way I love it at the same time. I love it because it causes me to see that I am broken, I am not perfect I can't do this without jesus I could never do this life without him so why do I try so often? Oh right because I am drenched in sin. 

 November 4th we took about 230 kids from Chesapeake to Rockbridge for our fall weekend. This was Will's (our new area director) first camp trip with Chesapeake and it was CRAZY. We had 100 kids sign up overnight, we had to order another 47 passenger bus last minute to make a total of 5 busses, we didn't have enough leaders... amazingly sweet problems to have. I was thankful I couldn't handle those plates only Jesus could but I tried to during that week and I am ashamed to say that here.

From Hickory I took these amazing girls to camp and I don't want to say that flippantly they were amazing: Anne, Riane, Sydney, Julia, Haley, Emily, Elyssa, Cady, Morgan, Brooke, Brielle, Stephanie, Hallie, Bekah & Francesca. Friday afternoon I was so excited to finally be with these girls and be able to share Jesus with them some for the first time.

Then we had problems... bus problems... and that is when I hate being on staff secretly. All I wanted was to sit with girls on the bus and laugh and I had to call rental companies to track down a 47 passenger bus for us because our "late bus" cancelled as we were on the way to Rockbridge. We had another bus driver flip out on our leaders and kids and refuse to drive them in the midst of losing the bus and we arrived at camp over 2 hours late so 230 kids missed all of club but praise our jesus we arrived just in time for the first club talk. All I wanted was to be a leader to 15 girls and the Lord had me help Will be a leader to 230 and I was selfish and I was sad. Thats when I heard Him say to me, give it to me Katie give this all to me, stop taking control let me be in charge of it all. My heart broke, I realized I had lost sight of my Jesus in the midst of problems in the midst of paperwork I forgot Him and I realized how desperately I missed Him.

 From Friday night on the weekend was absolutely beautiful (minus the fact that our bus broke down on the way home but thats another story for another day.) Girls wanted to stay up until 4 for cabin time. Saturday night I sat in the lobby and invited girls to come down and ask questions if they had more after cabin time and one by one girls quietly walked to the lobby of our dorm and had questions that were real and beautiful and 4 sweet amazing girls stood up at the end of the weekend and invited Jesus into their hearts for the first time. I pray that those moments never get old or expected. I was amazed that Jesus allowed me to be there, and I am so thankful he humbled me I needed that and still need humbling. Thank you for praying if not for girls by name thank you just for praying for me. I am so thankful for each one of you, more than you know.