One session that really stood out to me was the class on Resting in God. I realized that I have never participated in a full Sabbath! God makes it clear that we are to observe the Sabbath day. It's one of his commandments! But why do we so often give it less value and significance than all of the other commandments?
"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..." (Deuteronomy 5:12-14)
The Sabbath is important to help remind ourselves that we are not God. As a college student, I often sacrifice my sleep to finish homework. I like to complain about being busy because it makes me feel accomplished; busy-ness has become a badge of honor. Therefore, I realized that time is an idol that I have. Instead of being busy with things to further myself, I want to be busy with the things of God. And to do that, I need rest. Getting enough sleep is evidence that we know that we are not God. It reminds us that everything sits upon God, not us. Most importantly, we need to rest and find our rest in God in order to enjoy our relationship with Him and everything He has created for us to have.
Another session that I really enjoyed is learning about prayer! The primary purpose of prayer is not to get something from God, but rather to get to God. It is the means by which we experience and express intimate communion with God. I am guilty of talking to God like a 7-year old approaches his dad- always complaining and asking for more. My prayers reflect God as my servant, not my master. I learned that there are four parts of prayer: Adoration, Confessions, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. I definitely have the supplication part covered where I'm aways asking for specific things, and I'm not saying that praying specific requests is wrong. In fact, God desires for us to be dependent on Him. It's just that before I tell God about my circumstances, I should be elevating His character - I should be adoring God. Then, I should be confessing my sins and asking for forgiveness. Also, I should be thanking God for all that He has done in the past, is doing in the present, and will do in the future. I shouldn't just be thanking Him for what He has done for me personally, but also for what He has done for the Church, in history, and in the world. To improve my prayer life, the Pastors recommended that we make a list of praises. We called it the 'Adoration List,' similar to a list of prayer requests, but it should be list of characteristics of God, and specific praises and thanksgiving.
During my internship with CEF, I have spent the last couple of weeks hosting tennis camps and bible camps for kids living in intercity Durham neighborhoods. Our primary goal was to tangibly show Jesus' love to the kids by encouraging them and to intentionally share and present the Gospel in a clear way. God grew me in patience for the kids. Many of them were not disciplined and would do that exact opposite of what I told them to do. But God gave me a heart to see the children through His eyes. He laid it on my heart that He loves them the same, and that He desires to save them. It brings me so much joy to know that God chose to use me to share the Gospel with the kids - what a privilege!
We had different events every night of the week. On Mondays, we either had the night off or we would be asked to babysit for some families of the Summit Church so the parents could go on a date night. On Tuesdays, we had small group meetings where we studied the Word together and held each other accountable. On Wednesdays, we had evangelism where we were assigned different neighborhoods to go prayer walk or strike up conversations about the Gospel (much like New York City). On Thursdays, we had something called Family Groups where we spent time with a group of guys and girls and cooked dinner together. Yay for Fellowship! On Fridays, we had the night off!
On Sunday evenings, we had social events for the entire City Project group! The first night was a 90s skate night! The second week was a dynamic duo dance party- my partner and I were dressed as teenage mutant ninja turtles! And my favorite social was the dodgeball tournament! (Peep at the pictures below!)
All in all, the four weeks in Durham have flown by! The biggest take-away I have learned so far is to intentionally meditate on the Gospel throughout the entire day. To wake up with Jesus on my mind, and to abide in Jesus was my daily goal. Knowing that a successful day is a day spent with Jesus has completely changed my perspective!
Tomorrow, we are headed out to our respective international locations! I cannot wait to explore South Africa! Please pray for safe travels and everyone's health. Please pray for team unity and accountability. Pray that we will be a blessing to the long-term missionaries there and that I would lay down my preferences and expectations. And most importantly, that I would see and know Jesus more and that I would fall more and more in love with Him!
Much love,
Sumi
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