OCSM'19- Diving In And Setting the Pace

Today marks two weeks being in Ocean City and if I’m being completely honest it feels like it has been two months. From meeting 50 new people to evangelism training to finding a job to sharing on the boardwalk. A lot has been packed into these past 14 days, but I would not have it any other way because God has already done so much in this short little time. 

I remember a couple people who spent the summer here last year telling me that the first couple weeks are the most uncomfortable and they are absolutely right, but because we have Christ at the center of this community it was easier to push through the awkwardness of jumping into ministry with people I had only known for a couple of days. I am already so grateful for these 50 people. 

Preparing for this trip, I really looked forward to being able to go do something as a student and not as a leader. These past few years have been so fruitful for me leading girls at camps and retreats, but I soon found out that I had neglected my own heart for a very long time. I got so caught up in doing ministry and communicating the gospel to the people I was pouring into that I never gave myself chance to let words from sermons and bible studies shape my own heart. My discipler back at school challenged me to be more open and vulnerable this summer and I knew that in order for me to grow in the Lord I was going to need to lay everything on the table. I figured I would take is slow and have opened up to a couple girls by the end of the summer, but God had other plans. Four nights in, all the girls gathered together in one of the staff’s living room. One by one we all started pouring our hearts out to each other.  All of us sharing things we had never shared with even the closest people in our lives. I had never experienced a night quite like this one. So much brokenness yet so much peace as we all rallied around each other to pray and be reminded of the gospel. For the first time in a really long time I allowed myself to be broken and I allowed myself to take in the gospel and renew my soul. 

This past semester, spiritual pride was pointed out to me and it is something I am still continuing to work through. The Lord pointed out to me that I have been selectively vulnerable with people in my life because I want to be accepted and I don’t want them to see me differently. None of the girls treated me differently after that night. If anything, we grew closer and accepted each other more because we are all broken. A couple days later one of the staff members taught on God’s mercy and how we often think of it as shallow. We continue to try and do things to receive his mercy when it has already been paid for by Jesus. I felt like I finally viewed myself as someone who was able to receive God’s mercy and let it wash over me. 

Sharing on the boardwalk has been another challenge itself. I guess I always thought that people in America had all heard a gospel message at one point and would be annoyed to have people come up to them on the boardwalk. I was wrong. So many people love talking about life after death and love to share their opinions. So many people have never heard the gospel either. I remember walking up to a group of seven girls with a friend and then having five more join us ten minutes later. These girls were juniors in high school and had gone to catholic schools all their lives. They knew facts about Christianity, but no one had taken the time to explain to them why believing is so important. Getting to share the gospel with these girls was such a joy as they had never heard before that your salvation is not based on works. I felt the Lord give me more compassion for the lost and the boardwalk that night. 

If all of this can happen in just two weeks I am excited to see what the next 8 weeks are going to hold.