This is How We OVERCOME

With today feeling like the first day of true spring (even though technically, the first day of spring is sometime next week), I decided some major spring cleaning was in order. One of my favorite parts of a good deep cleaning has always been discovering things I had forgotten about. I am the kind of deep-cleaner who likes to go through and read every piece of paper before I throw it away, stop to look at old pictures or flip through scrapbooks, and dance around to good songs I hear on the radio. Needless to say, cleaning today has been an all day job.

I have a spiderman backpack that I got over a year ago for fall semester (I also got a Spidey lunchbox but that is simply irrelevant). I haven't needed to use ole Spidey this year because the majority of my classes have all been online and I have not had to tote a ton of things around campus. However, Spidey saw me through some great times...and also through some rough times.

Upon opening him up today (him being Spidey, Spidey being my backpack...not the lunchbox-clearly) I discovered a ton of papers and a few books and a notebook and pens galore. I dumped it all out and began going through the papers piece by piece. What I discovered on those papers was not leftover homework and to-do lists and birthday cards and trash (which yes, I did find all of that in there) but it was so much more. It was my entire life-over the past year-hidden away in a backpack I had all but forgotten existed.

So, what did your life look like the past year? You may be asking. This time last year I was a very new Christian. I was in a foreign country, Berlin, Germany, on a school trip and struggling to find my new place in this world as someone who devoutly loved Jesus and was still holding onto the things of this world. I was just getting involved at Southwest Church (via their Easter musical I was in). I had just finished up a play, Snow White-which was my very first lead. I was entering what would be a few months of utter darkness, which would build strength and character for me and ultimately, bring me closer to my lover and creator Jesus Christ. Last summer I was a camp counselor at a Christian camp, for the very first time in my life, and I adored every second. I made lifelong friends and got to see what it was like minstering to youth and relating to them on a level that only God Himself could have His hand involved. I was recovering from heartbreak-heartbreak that had haunted and taunted me all the days of my life up until then. I was meeting new people, who would forever impact and change my entire life. In the fall I became extremely involved in ministry oppertunities at my church, and surrounded not by other members, but by my new FAMILY.

All that, and so much more, happened over the past year. And as I opened Spidey, and read the papers inside, I realized how much I have grown over that time. Notes which held thoughts and quotes and scriptures from someone so HUNGRY for the Word of God-were all inside the bag. Memories from the plays and the camp and the people I have met along the way-were all inside the bag. Books and devos and pens and highlighters which all lent a hand in my transformation, were all inside the bag. Most importantly, all of those things were together, inside the bag-my JOURNEY is what the bag held. My redemption, my transformation, what God was doing in my heart before the bag came along and what He will continue to do in me all the days of my life were ALL INSIDE THE BAG.

My mind was blown. To realize I did not recognize the person I was once. To see the change happening to me as if I was watching a television show. To read the words of this broken hearted person, this new Christian, this hungry for Jesus young girl, this...ME....was, awe-inspiring.

God is so good right? So so good. SO good, that even in the MIDST of a 'forever-transformation' He is allowing me to see how far I've come, where I've been, and both of those will help me to trust Him in where I am going.

What an incredible path I have been on. Thank you Spidey, for holding it all together for me and waiting for a great spring cleaning to reveal to me all you have been waiting to do. Thank you Jesus, for giving me Spidey and the inspiration to clean! haha I hope you all have a wonderful SPring Break-and in the middle of family vacation or road trips or parties or what have you, that you remember to stop and thank God for Rescuing you, and for guiding you along your journey!

In Him,

Meg

Life After 2012

So I just got back from watching the movie 2012 (and if you havent seen it then continue reading no further). This movie blew my mind...and now, 2 hours after its over, at 2am, I am STILL thinking about it. But I am not thinking about the actual movie persay, I am more thinking about what life would be like after the world ends.

In the movie they build these indestructable ark/submarine deals to protect people from the end of the world, which it inevitably does. On the ship they brought precious artifacts and one of a kind works of art (i.e. Mona Lisa), they brought 2 by 2 of animals (you know how that one goes), and then there were tons of people-people of all ages, all origins, all walks of life. Some of the worlds richest billionaires were on the ark, as well as royalty (i.e. the Queen of England). There were nobodys on there like the chinese workers who helped construct the arks. Some of the worlds smartes scientists and the worlds greatest leaders were aboard the ship. Apparently, at the end of the movie the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa was not under water, and thats where the captain was sailing the ark.

The end....Um...ok? So where does that leave my imagination? Running wild (as usual). So picture me this:

It is clearly a whole new world, no business, no homes, no society, nothing. Except these people have something the first pioneers of the world didnt...wisdom. They know the ins and outs of technology, as well as society, economy, government, EVERYTHING! They get a second chance to do it right this time. I would like to see the world leaders come together and decide mutually how a government should be set up. No corruption, no secrets, nothing to be scared of, simply a set of people governing rules for a new world. I would like to see the Queen of England still have power as honorary chair of this new cabinet of leadership. They would all pull together the best parts of their working government to create an unstoppable system.

The new people of this society would be wiped clean of the past, for they literally did survive the ending of the world. They are whats left, and it would be nice for them to see collectively that they should make the most of this second chance. They could come together and as a unit create a new society. Where those who are good at mechanics do mechanics, those who are teachers open a school, those who are doctors open hospitals, those who are artists create forums to do art. They can do anything and be anything they want to be because everyone is alike in that they are starting from the ground up. There are no institutions to follow, no set religions, no rules on how to behave in a classroom, no way to fail because there is no such thing as "wrong"...everyone has the chance to do right.

I would like to see everyone get the chance to build their dream home, and it might not be much at first but it would be theirs and it would be free, everything would be because there would be no money (assuming it was all destroyed). So no one is better then another because of money because there IS no money. Those who brought diamonds or jewels on the ark wont even be able to trade them in because there is nothing to get out of them. Instead, the will donate them to the new government to set up a money system or currency for this new society. Everyone will bring their own culture and heritage into this new mixing pot of people. If a chinese boy wants to learn Arabic he can because his new best friend will teach him. If a German doctor wants to learn Russian she can because her new scrub nurse is from Russia. The sky is the limit...

Things that failed the first time have the chance of succeeding this time. Inventions that can be improved get the chance to be. History gets to be re-written and not only that, but gets to start with day 1 of month 1 of year 0001. It isnt often people get to see history in the making but this group of people gets to be the ones making the history theyve only read about in past history books.

For the animals, new breeding, new population, new species of all kinds is possible because they will be set free into this new land and will never be held captive again. They survive with us side by side and are no longer here to amuse and entertain humans but here to remind us of the beauty that once was and can be again.

I think life after the end of the world can be a beautiful, wonderful place.