Hope is NOT lost

As is the usual, last night was small group night with my high school girls and my awesome co-leader, Lynzie.  Something has happened with our group this spring and it's been so exciting!  The Lord has allowed them to open their hearts and have conversations that are very very real.  Walls have come down and opened the door for some pretty awesome talks.  They've been the kind of discussions that many adults (even many church-going adults) would struggle to be open and honest about.  I have enjoyed listening to their hearts and how completely transparent they are about their faith, their convictions and their sometimes-struggles with both.  Last night didn't disappoint. 

In the last couple of months, our conversations have covered these (and many other) topics:

Are people married in heaven?
Do we blame Satan for sin or humans?
What is heaven really like?
How do I reach others around me most effectively - by simply living the life and not pushing them or with a more conscious decision to have conversations about the gospel?
At what point on the scale are people cold, lukewarm or warm in their faith?  Where does on fire sadly turn into being lukewarm?
Is it a sin to be homosexual?
What baggage from my past do I bring to my relationship with the Lord?
Faith vs works
true inner beauty
Women's role within the church/home/family

Tough stuff - many things that I don't have the answer for or at best feel the Lord has taught me through His word.  I urge them to seek the truth out through scripture and prayer instead of relying on my word for it's surely not the standard by which to live. 

Thanks, Lord, for putting me in a place of ministry that blesses me 10x the amount I put in.  I don't deserve to be in their presence in the place you've put me!

Their generation is hurting, no doubt, but Wednesday nights give me hope!  All is not lost - they long to stand firm and stand tall for the Lord.  There is hope!

So much to be said, not enough paper...

...literally.

I was reading the last part of John this morning and I noticed something that I'm sure I've read many times, but simply never really grasped.

In John 21:25 in the English Standard Version after Jesus sits down with his apostles for one of the last times before his ascension it says, "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

This verse falls right behind John stating that he bore witness to all things written about in his book, and that each account is valid.  But I love how he just couldn't help but tack on these words at the end.  Like he wanted to write more but there was simply no possible way to recall and capture it all.  It is almost a noticeable change of tone.  John switches from the usual "scriptural" tone here into one that is more diary or journal in style- he even speaks in first person - he just can't help himself.  

As to what he said in this one short verse?  It speaks volumes!!!!  Jesus did so many things in his short ministry that John felt the need to describe their number and magnitude as too big to be held in all the books that could be written in the world!  Wow.

Th curious person in me wants to know so badly what some of those things were.  Was it many more miracles?  Was it more times simply being with his apostles and sharing the faith with them?  What all did they get to witness about our Savior?  I want to know more.

I hope in heaven that we get to see all these things. To somehow witness firsthand his life - every minute of Jesus' precious life. Every single thing that could have been written about.  If only there were enough books in this world to contain all he did.  But in light of his grace, that would simply be impossible, wouldn't it?

Amazing...