text messages/ emails/ jesus

Its so amazing how a few months ago I wrote a post about texting, how quickly girls reveal their hearts and souls through texting and I totally stand by what I said.

I have talked about Stephanie before, she and I met this year at Tropical Smoothie and I asked for prayers for her that she would feel passionate about Christ. Oh my gosh how the Lord has moved in her, I can't even think about her without crying she is so precious to me. While at camp I just saw Stephanie bloom, her passion for Christ changed it became intimate and sweet, she became intimate and sweet with me and shared her heart and her fears and our relationship has never been the same. Since we got back from camp every week day we have invited kids to come to the young life office for their quiet times, she came everyday at 8:30am. She and I would sit side by side spending time with the Lord. I always write down my prayers and as I would watch her close her eyes to come before our savior I would write furiously that the Lord would protect her that she would feel Him near and my goodness how she has.

Stephanie is getting ready for cheerleading tryouts, she is petrified she and I have talked multiple times about her fears of standing back handsprings, which I know nothing about except through her, and how she wants to make this team bad. Last year she tried out and didn't make it, a gift for me and what seemed like a curse for her. If she had made cheering she wouldn't have ever come to young life or fall weekend she wouldn't have started this relationship with Christ this year. She is so nervous... I told her I would go to tryouts with her would pray with her before and no matter what she is going to be used for God's glory... she knows this now... I am so thankful for that.

I wanted to share this text with you from her I pray she doesn't mind but it has blown my mind the change in her:
s- Katie, I'm getting major butterflies!
k-Oh Steph! What are you the most nervous about?
s- I'm scared that I'm going to be too comfortable with everything and not make it. I trust that God has a plan and if I don't make it then I wasn't meant to be but I'm worried that I think I did well and I will feel heartbreak like I did last year.
k- aww sweet girl, I totally understand. Don't feel like comfort is bad it could be really good! Rest that you are literally so different than you were last year your whole life is different. It's so natural being nervous though, if you weren't I'd be worried. Steph the Lord is going to be so sweet to you I just know it. If you make it you can love those other girls and show them Christ if you don't than you have a whole school to love. Either way He is going to alter this year, you have changed.
s- That means so much it really does. Sometimes I think about if I had made it and I probably would be a completely different person than I am now. I never would've met Kendall or Bridgette who brought me to YoungLIfe so I could meet the Lord. But I know that last year I had selfish intentions of making it but I really wanna make it because I love to do it and I wanna build more relationships through Christ.
k- Oh stephanie I'm crying in my bed. You will no matter what! Girl the Lord has instilled in you a passion that no one can take away tryouts or not you are so incredibly special. THis year is going to be so sweet.
s- Aw Katie, this means so much you have no idea and I can't wait for this year!
k- I can't either steph love you so much I really mean that
s- love you too I'm glad I have you
k- Oh you don't even know

as I typed this I am crying. Hickory has been hard so incredibly hard. I just wanted for girls to have the heart that Stephanie does, I wanted it to be instant and I wanted it to be now but the Lord had HIs timing He knew that I would be sitting in my bed at midnight on a sunday in July texting with a girl who was once lost and is now found.

Honestly I never know what to share in my blog and whats ok and not ok but if Stephanie could soften my heart I know she could so easily soften yours.

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Fast forward a couple of days, I am getting ready for my august assignment where I am sent to Rockbridge to be a work crew boss. Stephanie decided she wanted to apply to work crew its wednesday I leave sunday for Rockbridge, she has tryouts Thursday. Thursday afternoon I went to cheer tryouts and found Stephanie crying... she didn't land her backhand spring. Later that night she found out she didn't make cheer tryouts. As I sat crying in my kitchen knowing that this could easily cause her to fall because her faith is still so new I prayed the Lord would give her work crew that it would be His will for her life 15 minutes later I sat at my computer and got an email telling me Stephanie had made work crew. I sat sobbing... the Lord was so sweet to us... Steph and I went to Rockbridge together and she and I returned so changed. This girl is going to rock her school... not for herself not for me not for anyone but for her Jesus. This is just a glimpse of her story and maybe its more for me than for you but how could I ever deny Jesus after experiencing this... I can't.