How you view God, is never wrong

Hi guys, me again. It seems as though life has become more crazy but at the same time the most still it has ever been. From still working full time, around the clock, 24/7 for five days a week at summer camp, to prepping for this amazing trip I am left feeling the most filled I ever have in my life. I suppose I strive in a chaotic environment. 

Last night I was asked to do a devotional for the staff here at my summer camp and without hesitation I accepted. I never use to feel qualified to teach others about God, but lately, honestly since training camp, it’s all I want to do. So when I sat down to ask God what he wanted to say through me I got a clear picture in my head. 

Let me take you a few weeks back so eventually my story can come full circle, at TC I was apart of a Beauty for Ashes session where I fell head over heels in love with that ministry. Anyway, during the session we did an activity where we were asked how we view God. We were given paper and crayons and we all drew such different things. I drew a marine, because I viewed God has my protector and I come from a military family. We then presented why we chose the drawing and a discussion followed. 

Well when I asked God what He wanted me to teach on I thought of that training and I thought of how impactful something like that could be for a staff that is overwhelmed and exhausted. I also heard Him say, “Don’t plan, just trust.” So there I was, at 10:30 about to start my devotional in front of a staff of 24 (the others were doing night watch at the cabins) with just some paper, markers and a speaker. 

God did not disappoint, let me tell you. I started off with humorous jokes to make everyone feel happy and ready to receive God in a loud, fun way. Then, I explained my drawing (which surprised me because it had changed from TC, this time I drew a sun) and I let them run wild. Seeing grown men get excited to color about God almost brought my heart to burst let me tell you, but the confused and almost doubtful faces caught my eye more. So I started my worship and prayer in the middle of the room. I heard God so clearly tell me to tell others that the way they see God is not wrong. So I looked up and saw my co-worker and something in me (God) told me to tell her she is not wrong, so I did that. Her face lightened up and her crayons started flying across the paper. Once everyone was done, I asked if anyone wanted to explain what they had drew, and a few people were brave enough to share.

After those who had shared finished, I went into a little teaching about how we all view God differently, but that doesn’t mean how we view Him is wrong or less than someone else. In the middle of my rant I felt a hand on my shoulder and a whisper that said, “Stop. Talk about you.” I was confused because I had nothing about me to say, until He whispered again, “I was stranded.” If you read my previous blog post, you get the reference, if not go check it out!

So I told the story about how I ran out of Gas and I called on my mom instead of God, and that God reminded me that in moments in life, to call on Him and He will answer with delight. So I told the story and I honestly didn’t really know where it was going, but boy am I glad God knew the entire time. I got to the end of my story and suddenly I had a point where I was headed and where I wanted the point to end at. 

For me, I drew God as my protector. So when I feel unsafe, who do I call on? Do I call on my mom, my brother, perhaps friends or things? If I view God as my protector and if I don’t feel safe, why is He not the first thing I turned to? If you view God as your guide, and you feel lost, do you turn to Him, or do you turn to worldly things? If we view God as something that we are lacking in our own lives, shouldn’t He be the one we turn too? Well, the answer is easy, yes. 

Twenty-four photos were colored and labeled with how that staff member viewed God, all beautifully drawn artworks of our King. I told them I would turn it in to a quilt like decoration and put it were we take all of our breaks, so we can always see it. So we can always remember who God is to us. Everyone wrote different things, some the same, but mostly different. So I said, “If you view God as your safety, but you are having such a hard day, and you feel so lost (or whatever emotion you are feeling/lacking) look at the quilt, one of your family members (co-workers) view God as something you lack, so pray to Him and ask Him to show himself to you in different ways, to fill you for that day.

As I was putting up the photos on the wall today, so many people stopped to talk to me about it, saying how beautiful it was, or how cool it was and every single time I stopped them and had deep spiritual conversations about how we all view God, and how we all view Him so differently, but at the same time, as well as the same. God is so many different things, to so many different people and the way you view Him, whatever way, is never wrong. 

God has the ability to reveal himself in the areas of our life where we might lack in, whatever that is, my advice; call on Him in those moments and allow Him to reveal himself to you as something you are not familiar with. 

I love my job, I love all the opportunities it has given me in my faith, but most importantly, I love the fact that I can hear God so clearly, and that I have the privilege of being an extension of His voice. Allow God to be everything and anything to you, and I promise He will move your mountains.

xo,

Kenz