"To make much of You"

Another day in the week is over! And tomorrow's Friday. I love Fridays! They're such a lovely break, a reward for making it through the week.

I actually did something rather out of character for me this morning. I decided to sleep in through chapel, and then I actually went ahead and also skipped my environmental geology class. I know, awful, isn't it?! But I had gotten little sleep the night before (and the night before that), so I finally decided I needed a slow-paced morning. I did go to choir and the rest of my afternoon classes. When I got out at 4:00, Kirstin let me print out something on her printer, and then I ended up staying to watch the last half of a Gilmore Girls episode with her. That was fun! Then we met Christina--that awesome girl!--for supper. Since then, I spent a little time in their rooms talking, and then I've been working on observations of a passage of Scripture that I have to write an exegesis for in my Methods of Biblical Interpretation Class. It has taken me at least an hour or two! It's such a detailed process to find details.

And THEN...I had such a lovely surprise! I had a call from an old friend, probably one of my oldest and dearest friends: Terri-Lynn! Most of you know about her, but for those of you who don't, she and I have been friends since we were 9, and we went through most of school together. We hadn't talked in a several months, so it was wonderful to catch up with her. She's starting nursing school now to get her RN, and I'm so excited for and proud of her! It was a blessing to talk with her and see how she is and what God's doing in her life. Old friends--and any friends, for that matter!--are gifts from God.

Speaking of friends, I just took a break from writing this and went up to Kirstin and Christina's room again to look at an awesome collage they did on their door. On the door to their rooms, they have a bunch of pictures of them and their friends. It was so fun! Those girls are both so beautiful, with great hearts. I am blessed to have them as my friends!

Ah...life. It's hard sometimes, but it can also be so amazing. God is constantly working in beautiful, unexpected ways. I think God delights in doing the unexpected. He delights in giving us things that amaze us and surprise us with his goodness. I can just imagine him weaving out beautiful plans over our lives. And, no, we may not be able to see them yet...but they're there, and he's there. All he asks us to do is wait and trust in the unseen. It is hard to wait, and hard to trust. It is hard to be patient for or unafraid of an unseen future. But it is our joy to wait expectantly, even when we can't understand what God's doing, to see the beautiful future God holds for those he has called.

I've been listening to a CD by Stephen Curtis Chapman, and one of the songs on there is called "Much of You." It's about living our lives to make much of God. Really, that's what life is about. Every day, every action, every thought, needs to be about how I can pull back into the shadow of the cross and lift up the glory of who God is and what he's doing in our lives. What a beautiful purpose in life! I would love for people to look at my life and only see a lifting-up of God's glory. That's what this song is about, and I thought I'd close by sharing the chorus with you:

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

May God make you confident and sure of the beautiful future he holds for you. And may that confidence and hope allow you to live a life that makes much of him.