Time for a catchup. Today I sat down and started looking at pictures from Israel. Pictures have become almost like a photo journal in remembering what I was thinking at certain moments and what season I was in.. smells and songs seem to have the same effect. It was a cool reminder to look at where the Lord has moved in my life over the last few years, let alone the last few months. Every time I sit and remember His faithfulness I am blessed, and tonight was just that.
Summer is coming to an end and students are coming soon. :) Summer is flying on by! After leaving Israel, I had a quick few hour stop in San Jose before moving to southern California where I began my job at the conference center at the Bible College. I get to work in housekeeping, where our highlight of the day consists of driving the golf carts around campus and a daily competition of who could find the most fallen change on the floor by the end of each retreat. There are the occasional pillow fights and games we can sneak in, but the biggest blessing of all has been this last retreat from "Joni and Friends," a week long retreat for handicap and special needs friends. My heart melted as one morning we were doing our daily activity of cleaning and one of the boys from the retreat found joy in borrowing our vacuum to vacuum the floor himself. It was one of those contagious joyful moments where I think of how our heavenly Father would be thrilled to see the joy of his son. I think that's what the Lord has been teaching me this summer... what brings joy to Him. It's such a beautiful thing that the Lord enables us to be able to serve Him, but the most beautiful thing to Him is not our service but our heart behind it. I know the Lord was pleased in seeing this retreater's service because He saw right through to his heart.
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22
God delights in seeing the motivation in our heart. It was another reminder that as a Father His first priority isn't for us to serve, but that we would have relationship with Him and enjoy intimacy with Him. What a sweet thing that we can bring a smile to the face of God by delighting ourselves in Him!
