Huddle

It's been a long time since I've written anything here.  I guess there's some reason for that but right now I can't think of it.  Anyway, today I was thinking about our Huddle experience.  Huddles are groups of high school students that meet on Wednesday nights at our church.  As Huddle leaders we start out with the freshmen class and we walk beside them through their senior year.  We got started in August.  I love it.  I love these kids.  They have completely stolen my heart.  I think, in our little group of 25 or so teens, we have a great cross section represented.  They are gifted and talented in many arenas - music, drama, sports, academics, etc. and some of them may still have no idea what they do best.

The last few weeks we've been slowly introducing ourselves by couple (there are 4 couples leading).  Geoff and I are going last.  I sat and listened to each story, knowing it's not their whole story, but what they chose to relate as an introduction of themselves.  All 3 couples grew up in the Church of Christ.  All 3 attended Abilene Christian University.  All 3 met their spouses there.  All 3 currently have 2 children (two couples are young enough to have more).  Then there's us - the Gilbert's.  We've been wondering why they let us be Huddle Leaders.  What were they thinking?  Neither of us was raised in the C of C.  I don't even think of myself as Church of Christ.  Neither of us attended ACU.  In fact, I am the lone huddle leader that didn't attend college at all. We certainly did not meet there or in any college setting.  And we have 1 amazing boy.  Our story is our story and we're sticking to it.  I love that God can and will use anyone, if you just let Him.

And that's what I want to convey to these students.  I lived most of my life knowing about God.  My life didn't get really interesting and fun and free until I knew Him - until I began to realize that He wants to have a one-on-one relationship with me.  He interacts with me.  He has something to say to me personally and He wants to hear what I have to say, too.  I think that's what we're missing.  We're missing the part about relationship.

Ok, here I go with the dictionary.  Relationship:  "the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected"  If I know about God, He's simply a concept I may or may not be inclined to think about at any given moment.  But when I have a relationship with Him, we are connected.  It's like knowing about Madonna.  I never think about Madonna.  (Why she popped into my head just now I have no idea.)  But if I had a relationship or friendship with her she would be a part of my life.  That's a huge difference.  It's the same way with God.  If we know about Him, it's simply that - a concept or person we know some stuff about.  But if I KNOW Him - then we have a relationship.

So what does it look like to know Him?  For me it means I see Him everywhere I go, everywhere I turn, everywhere I look. I hear Him all over the place - in the wind, in the birds, in things I read or hear.  He's everywhere.  He is with me.  (Did you know one of the names of God is Immanuel, and it means "God with us". Very cool.)

It's time for my magnet story!  About 7 years ago, maybe 8 by now, Geoff went out of town for a business meeting in St. Louis.  I was cruising the internet and had found a website of things like pictures, coasters, magnets with inspirational quotes on them.  One magnet in particular stuck out at me and the whole time he was gone I left it up on my computer screen.  Every time I walked by the computer I would click the mouse and there it was.  It said, "Don't fear tomorrow.  God is already there."  It was a drawing of pine trees and mountains with a big gold star in the sky.  For some reason it felt like God was trying to tell me thru that magnet not to be afraid - of anything.  When Geoff came home on Sunday afternoon he was unpacking and he told me he'd gotten me something kinda different from the hotel gift shop - not the usual t-shirt.  He tossed me a small bag and I opened it up.  I pulled out the very same magnet that I had been looking at on the internet for two days.  The very same one!  At that very moment, if I did not believe God cared or was interested in my everyday-ness, now I believed.  I was speechless.  I tried to tell Geoff the significance of the magnet.  It just didn't translate. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I was telling my story in a class we attended that he understood. He sat there with tears pouring down his cheeks - really getting it.  What a sweet moment!

I will tell that story until the day I die.  It is my story.  Don't fear tomorrow.  God is already there.  He knows you.  He wants you to know Him.  More than anything in the world - He loves you.