Thrive Retreat and Onward!

It's from the Thrive scavenger hunt. I promise.

The Thrive Retreat is a a two day annual event that Covenant Fellowship church (that's mah church) puts on for the college age ministry which is called, surprise, Thrive. Friday night was a bit of a conflict of interests for me, as not only did the Thrive Retreat start but there was also a party for Drexel Students for Christ. This is essentially like walking through the candy aisle for me, too many good choices. However, I feel called to be faithful to my church, first, so I decided I was going to Thrive. Here's the problem, my analogy was missing one component, I was like a kid in a candy aisle... Without any money. However, I gathered up the candy I wanted and went to the cash register, and it was only upon reaching the cash register that I realized I didn't have any money, which meant I hung my head and shame and returned the candy to the shelf for the next day.
What am I trying to get at, you may ask?

I had homework. Lots of it.

In fact, the project that I needed to finish took me more time than I had expected. I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be going anywhere that night. However, the funny thing is that I didn't really begrudge the inconvenience, aside from a few mumbled comments. My heart was not distraught by the inability to go to the first session, which is unusual for me. If anything can get me, it's when God says, "nope" to me hanging out with friends. Yet, here that wasn't a struggle. I actually ended up helping my mom with submitting a common app for one of her students. Maybe that's why I was home. I'm not sure. What I do know, is that I had peace with God's will that night. That, in and of itself, would be enough to praise God... but this was only the beginning.

Saturday morning was the beginning of the Thrive retreat, for me at least. Honestly, the thought occurred to me how strange it would be to come to this retreat the day after if this wasn't my church... But I love my church, and my church seems to love me, for some apparent reason that is beyond me. The Thrive Retreat was a lot of fun. Scavenger hunts. Ping pong. Mario Cart. Ga-ga. (If you think this is about Lady Gaga, click here.)

Some great messages were preached too. God makes me increasingly thankful for the pastors of my church as I grow older. This story isn't about the pastors, ga-ga, or even the messages preached, though. This story is about the power and majesty of our Heavenly Father, faithfully loving his children.

Despite that last sentence, ironically enough, it started with ping pong. After being convinced not to play Super Smash, which was no easy task, one of my friends suggested Round Robin. I agreed and as we were playing our first round, one of my friends Jeff walked up. Or I should say he hobbled up. Jeff had a bandage wrapped around his knee because he'd been injured playing Ga-ga the night before, or so I was told. He sat and watched us while we started to play a practice round, as for some of us it was our first time. Seeing him sitting there, I felt myself drawn toward him. In light of God's previous grace in healing, my natural instinct was to walk over to Jeff, so I told them to keep playing and did just that. I sat down next to Jeff, and we talked for a little bit, really just an exchange about how he was feeling. I then asked him if I could pray for his knee. He said I could, so I started to pray. It was a simple prayer. In fact, prayers for healing are pretty structured for me, because there are certain things that I always feel must be acknowledged. I admitted our weakness, our inability to heal, our thankfulness for His love for us, asked Him to build our faith, requested His power, and then reaffirmed that He is a good God, regardless of the outcome.

That was it. I prayed for him and we sat there for a few seconds in silence. As I watched, Jeff began to remove the wrapping. I didn't say anything while the first few layers came off, then Jeff broke the silence: "Might as well take a step of faith."

I smiled, "Of course."

As I watched, Jeff finished unwrapping his knee brace and climbed to his feet. He began to move his leg around. I watched as he raised his knee into the air and kicked outward, gently. He bounced back and forth between his feet. "I can bend it... I couldn't do that before! It would hardly even bend before!"

My heart swelled with thanksgiving, as I continued to watch him. "That's amazing!"

"I don't know how to respond," Jeff continued stretching his legs, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't know how to respond."

"With praise!" I said, hugging him. And that was that. We began to inform people that God had healed him. How could we not? God had done an amazing thing. The part that gets me, is that I didn't even really know anything was going to happen. Not a clue. I just thought I should pray for him, so I did. After that though, this image of God was in my mind, of Him eagerly awaiting our next prayer.

But that's not the end of the story.

WAIT. WHAT. Yeah. God just got REAL.

That night Cajua, who I've mentioned before, told me he wanted to talk to me about something. I was, frankly, terrified out of my wits, because that usually doesn't bode well. So the next morning when I saw him, I asked him about it and he just wanted to ask me to pray for his knee. It had been injured a while back and was still giving him problems, but God had given him faith through Jeff that he would heal him. I said I'd be happy to, though the service was starting soon, which I expressed as a concern, he said, "Well, God doesn't need much time to work, now does he?" I smiled and agreed and we began to pray. Somewhere part way through Grant joined us. I began to pray a similar prayer to the one I prayed for Jeff, asking God to work in Cajua, to restore to him what had been broken. I think I also prayed for the up-building of his church in faith because of his healing, though that could have been a different prayer. We finished praying and the service started promptly. We all went to our seats, which are in various parts of the auditorium. I was sitting next to some friends when part way through worship, I feel someone tackle me from behind just as a song is starting. I thought at first it was Grant, the way it happened, but I looked at the arms and they were black. (context: Cajua is black; Grant is white.)

"NO WAY. NO WAY. HE DIDN'T!" I said, stunned. Cajua sobbed into my shoulder, nodding. He kept holding me for a good two minutes. The other people in my row looked at me strangely, "God just healed him," I told them. Some of them didn't understand me until after the service. It didn't matter. God just healed my friend. GOD JUST HEALED MY FRIEND. The two of us thanked God for his faithfulness, joining in worshiping our mighty God.

"Upon His grace I'll daily ponder, and sing anew His praise
With all adoring wonder, His blessings I retrace
It seems as if eternal days, are far too short to sing His praise."

I said to Cajua while we sang, "Not too far to retrace!" How faithful to His people is our God! How merciful and mighty and kind! He is greater than all our troubles.

But. That's. Not. The. End.

Let me just say, let's pray for a REVIVAL, SHALL WE? He can and will be faithful to His people!

Thrive community group. This is basically the college age small groups for Covenant Fellowship Church. I went in expecting to spend time studying the word of God. I expected God to open my eyes to His word. Both of those expectations came true, but so did far more. 

We spent time in Ephesians and it was good. Spending time in the community of God was good. It always is, honestly. After the meeting we took time for prayer requests. A couple people gave their prayer requests, then two people made prayer requests. Both Kaitlin and Isaac had been struggling with pain. Kaitlin had been experiencing chronic back pain and Isaac hurt his back randomly, preventing him from going to work. As soon as we were done, I climbed down the ladder and she and Harrison were just about to pray anyways. I asked to join them, and they said I could. 

So we prayed for her back to be healed. As soon as I finished, I went over to Isaac and started praying for him. As I was halfway through praying for him, I heard her go “It’s gone. The pain is gone!” I was mid-sentence in prayer for Isaac, but my heart leapt for joy at those words. I finished praying for him, and checked to make sure what I thought had happened, did happen. Kaitlin was healed; her pain was gone. Isaac, on the other hand, was not. I’m not sure why God healed Kaitlin and not Isaac, I honestly don’t know. God has a reason for it, and His ways are greater than ours. Who am I to question Him? I think sometimes God specifically rewards the faith of His children in His power, but with Isaac, I think God just has better plans in mind for Him with his pain. What those are… It’s hard to say. But I know those things are good. It’s not a punishment; that much I do know. Kaitlin, on the other hand, God decided to heal, and he built my faith in Him in both circumstances. It was a solid reminder that it's God who decides who is healed. He is the one who deserves the glory. He is the one that I surrender myself to.

I can't help but mention that God filled another of my friends with His spirit when we approached His throne of grace. I debated putting this one in here, because it was a solemn time before our Father. Just remember that God is listening, hearing our prayers...

So God is faithful, is He not? If you have stories you'd like to share, send me an email, or leave me a comment and I can have them posted up here. Let's remind ourselves of the faithfulness that God displayed over our lives. He is what we live for. He is by our side.

Let use rejoice as His sons and daughters!