NMB Entry 6: All For One, Work Updates, and Lots of Learning

It's been a little while since the last post, sorry! Things have been very busy down here.

The weather has been in the 90's most of the week and very very scattered showers.

This past week was labeled "All for One" week and at first many of us did not understand the concept.

We had just finished "Killing the Giants" week in which all of us were challenged to face our current giant. For some it was talking to their parents about their faith, for others it was to show grace to a difficult co-worker, for yet others (including myself) it was to be more bold in sharing the gospel with members of the same sex. Whatever the giant we learned that faith in Christ can always bring us through. That our "giants" in this life are insignificant when we have the Holy Spirit with us.

Philippians 4:13 states:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

And Romans 8:31 echoes this sentiment:

"What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

In this life all of us will encounter struggles. In this life they will seem overwhelming to us every time unless we have learned to submit ourselves to Christ's power for in Him we have complete and total victory over the darkness!

So coming off the Killing the Giants week it was an interesting transition to All for One.

Staff members were exceedingly elusive when asked about what was going to happen on Saturday (our main group activity night) saying merely; "What one person knows, everyone knows."

But as the week unraveled select members of project received clues about what was going to take place, and in response our project needed to rely on communication amongst ourselves to figure out as a group what our activity was.

The event was a project softball game. Staff versus Students.

We were pretty much left on our own to figure out what it was that the staff was hinting at in the clues as far as rules, and requirements went.

Let me just say this; communication is a LOT tougher than it seems especially when it comes to a project that numbers about 94 students who are all working slightly different schedules full time!

And that was the whole purpose of the week.

The staff will be leaving soon and we as project members will be stepping in and filling the roles for community, outreach, prayer, operations, worship, and weekly meeting teams.

If we do not learn how to effectively communicate with one another and have a unified "heart beat" as a project we will become ineffective in the communities in which we are placed.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 speaks of the body of Christ:

"...The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Gary, our project director, made reference to this after our game on Saturday. The reason that we as project members need to communicate among each other is not just so that we can co-ordinate student performance at a softball game against the staff but rather so that we can have a good understanding of where each and every brother and sister is at physically, spiritually and emotionally because when one person's walk is not secure it affects all of us (and just the opposite is true; if one person is walking securely in Christ that has an effect on the body as well).

We as believers need to learn to be transparent, vulnerable and honest with one another or we will never be unified.

As far as the game went lets start with the basics:

We needed a team name so...
Our team name was the Hineini Cru (Hineini is Hebrew for "Here am I"), many servants of the Lord say that in the Bible. It is a sign of being completely submitted to God in every way shape and form. Many times people (and I am guilty of this as well) will spend a quiet time with God but they will not really be fully emotionally or spiritually present. As a result they may not experience the closeness that one who is "completely there" will experience in their relationship with God.

God doesn't just want us to be physically present when we spend time with Him, but rather He wants our hearts to be listening for His leading and our spirits ready and eager to carry out His will.

Our team colors had to be different from the staff's black and red so...
We picked blue and white.

We needed to make up team cheers, a banner and come to the game as a team.
Another interesting aspect of this game was that since some project rules on some nights had been broken (ex. being back on project grounds by curfew) by a few people, throughout the game we were given penalties at the discretion of the staff.

This was to illustrate how when one part of the body suffers we all suffer.

BUT, there were also parts of the game in which we were shown grace by the staff and given gifts that we didn't deserve. This illustrated the grace that Christ showed every single person on this earth.

Through the penalties and the blessings our team was to deal with it with a good attitude for this is what disciples of Christ are called to do in all things.

At the end of the game I'm proud to say that Hineini Cru won with a score of 21-16. :)


Now for work updates.

I am also happy to say that despite the economy our project students (expanded from the original 60 to a project of about 94), have all found jobs that offer full time hours!

Praise Him!

I continue to work at Chick Fil A which has been a great experience! The employees there are just like a family; for example in the kitchen we work with Miss Hattie who pretty much looks after us like a mother hen, and Fred the GM looks out after us like a father, the other co-workers we have are like brothers, sisters, cousins, you name it! They get together outside of work and many of our day crew has come to our Thursday night meetings.

This is not to say that work is easy all the time.

Chick Fil A does more business in 6 days than other businesses in our area do in 7. Thousand plus dollar hours are the norm and the kitchen gets very hot and the environment can become stressful...if we choose to let it.

Something that God has really been teaching me is to appreciate these experiences and to look for the lessons in each one. Sometimes I have struggles relating to co-workers (whether it is the way they choose to speak to me, or things that they do that I personally don't like), sometimes I have struggles with a complaining heart.

But Christ wants us not only to endure these times but to praise Him and glorify Him in the trials.

This is something I've been working on a lot lately.

We as a fellowship need to encourage those around us in all things and to bring each other up.

About the tongue it says in James chapter 3:

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

If I profess to be a Christian, then in all things that I do I must strive to tame my tongue.

This is a huge work in progress in my life right now so bear with me.

And when workplace stress was mentioned I also found in James chapter 4:

"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it."


Prayer Requests:

Please keep my best friend in your prayers as he faces the loss of his mother. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give him peace and comfort in this trying time.

Please pray that the rest of my support will come in (About $800 is still needed).

Please pray that God would continue to work in the project members' lives and continue to grow our unity and our ministry among the high school students and residents of North Myrtle.

Most Humbly in Christ,
Josh