May Musings

Dear friends,

It has been quite a while since the last time we talked, huh?

2023 has been a busy year so far, but one full of new experiences and lessons. Though, the time seems to be move faster and faster with each day. It feels like just yesterday we were saying “Merry Christmas!” Yet, here we are, almost halfway through the year.

The past 5 months have been interesting, to say the least. There have been ups and there have also been downs. However, through it all, the Lord has remained the same and I’ve grown in many ways. Ways that I didn’t know I needed to grow in.

I’ve had a lot of post ideas and also numerous posts written, but it didn’t seem like the right time to publish. It finally does now, and I look forward to sharing what the Lord has put on my heart within the next few weeks. But for now, I want to share some miscellaneous thoughts and hopefully words of encouragement. 💖

Dealing with Difficult People

For a couple of months, I was stressed and annoyed. I had numerous encounters with a very difficult person within my school’s Student Council, and it seemed like she wouldn’t stop. She always liked to play “devil’s advocate” and as a result, I had to witness one too many arguments among my peers. Oftentimes, I would feel frustrated after our meetings and wanted to give up. You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell our advisor that I wanted to quit.

Through it all though, I learned how to turn the other cheek.

Despite her getting under my skin a lot of the times, I never showed that. Instead, I was still kind to her. If she said something snarky, I would be straightforward, yet gentle. You better believe that it was extremely hard at times, but as Christians, that’s what we are supposed to do.

Whether someone is nice to us or not, we must show them the love of Christ. Just because they act a certain way, that doesn’t give us the right to act in the same manner. We are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, and the only way that we can glorify Him with our actions is if our actions are a reflection of Him. Luke 6:27-28 says,

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

Our words are to be seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6), so that they give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29). Even if someone is tearing you down, you build them up. No matter what the other person does, we must remember Who we are representing and Who we’re living for.

Beauty in the Body of Christ

For about three years, my family has been without a church home and finding Biblically solid churches in our area had been a struggle. However, on Christmas Day last year, my sister and I decided to try a church she discovered online and we fell in love. After telling our parents about it, we decided to visit together as a family sometime in January. Ever since then, the Lord has allowed us to faithfully attend.

I discovered the beauty of community last year during Bible Bee, so it’s been fun to experience once again, but in-person this time. Quite literally, my entire weekend is filled with being at church: youth group on Saturdays, then attending Sunday School along with both the morning and evening services on Sunday.

Just last week, I was telling my mom that being at church so much has been rather refreshing. It’s a way for me to stay focused on God and learn with my fellow brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and to fellowship with others. What I also love is having more people who want to pray with and for me or encourage me when I need it. Who’ll check in with me each week to see what the Lord has been teaching me or the little blessings God has provided me with.

It’s community that can encourage us to continue keeping the Lord first and direct us back to Him always.

Don’t Be Afraid to do Hard Things

In early April, I discovered that an old friend of mines was at the youth group I have been going to. I was quite ecstatic since we hadn’t talked in 5 years and longed for us to reconnect one day. I reached out to her one day before my youth group went to camp over spring break, telling her who I was. She so happened to remember me, and I wondered if during camp our friendship would blossom again…but it didn’t.

To be honest, I was disappointed and a bit discouraged. It made me wonder if that desire was just one-sided. Of course, I didn’t want to “intrude” on conversations she was having with her friends, and being somewhere I didn’t belong, but I was hoping she would come up to me at the least. Though thankfully, the Lord allowed me to build stronger relationships with others, and that truly was a blessing.

Though, earlier this month, I thought I’d send her a message. Telling her upfront that I wanted to rekindle our friendship, but if she didn’t want to, that was fine. I was concerned that I shouldn’t have said anything since she never responded; however, I saw her a few days later, and she asked if we could talk.

It was then that she told me “sorry” if she appeared as if she didn’t want to be friends, and that she didn’t try harder to make me feel more welcomed. I was flabbergasted, to say the least, and also touched. If I hadn’t of reached out, despite how nervous I was to do so, that would’ve never happened. And now, we talk quite regularly during the week outside of youth group.

There are a lot of things that require us to get out of our comfort zones, but it’s during those times that we have to ask the Lord to help us do them. And even though it may be a hard thing, we shouldn’t be afraid to them because we have the Lord by our side. He’ll help us make it to the end.

God Can Use YOU

I won’t talk to in-depth about this as I have a post ready to be published regarding this story; however, I was showed last month that God can use you, even in mysterious ways. I had the chance to encourage a friend of mines, even though I wasn’t fully sure if something was bothering him. It was one day when I was praying for him, and the Lord just filled my mind with words to write to him in a letter.

When I was younger, I used to have promptings from the Lord to encourage my peers, but I never went through with it. Merely, it was because I was afraid of how the other person might react. But this time around, I didn’t shy away and that was because I was constantly consulting Him about it. And if I hadn’t followed through with His prompting, the Lord wouldn’t have been able to use me to encourage him in the way he needed.

God can use you wherever you are, and with the gifts He has bestowed upon you. We are to encourage and build each other up (1st Thess. 5:11) that point back to our Heavenly Father. It looks different for each and every individual, but don’t neglect the nudge from the Lord. The only way that you can be used is if you’re willing to act and obey.

There have been many more lessons learned, which I can’t wait to share with you all soon. But before I conclude this post, I wanted to share some songs that have encouraged me, especially recently.