August 27, 2019
This past summer is a bit indescribable to me. As cheesy as it sounds, I really don’t have many words for it. If I were sitting down with you, you could probably read the emotions on my face to get a better understanding than what I am going to lay out in these next sentences. However, the Lord has been way too good to me, way too faithful to me to keep it to myself. This past summer was a transformative time I didn’t even know I needed. It was definitely the most transformative time I’ve experienced up to this point in my life, and I can only accredit it to a loving, all-providing Heavenly Father. Praise Him! My summer began with travel that I talked about back in June’s blog. The special time I had with my family primed my heart for what was later to come. I returned home to a faith and culture class and time spent volunteering for my dad’s men’s recovery, Vision Warriors, through creative writing. I sat in a lot of thought-provoking conversations in both those contrasting, yet similar, environments. In faith and culture, we covered Romans from the first to the last chapter. I had never studied Romans specifically, and if you haven’t, I encourage you to find a group to do so quickly. It was the most challenging but heart-inspiring book in the Bible I have had the opportunity to really study. So inspiring that I am participating in another more-detailed study of it throughout this school year. Anyways, my heart broke, in the best way, as I wrestled with how I could carry Christ’s story of perfect redemption, providence, and love that He has shared so closely in my heart throughout my whole life, and specifically in the last few months. This thought about how I could share Him, His story, and my story of His faithfulness to me has rang loudly in my heart since that class. In that same time, as I was volunteering in my dad’s office about 2 or 3 times a week, I had the privilege of pressing into my faith even further. I felt like my heart was going through the fire a little bit with a lot of poking, prodding, and pressing, but I wouldn’t change one minute of it as each one was a continuation of Christ’s faithfulness (Sidenote: I can’t help but feel so grateful as I am writing this… He is good). Also, somebody may need to hear this: sometimes, the most pressing times for us are the most influential times of Christ’s work in us. Embrace those times as a place of leaning in and pushing forward into the rich life He wants and has planned for you. Flash forward, it was time for me to hop on a plane to Washington, DC to go to Girls Nation to represent all the young women of GA Girls State. That week was another sign of His great faithfulness. To think that I had never even heard of Girls State, let alone Girls Nation, a few months ago, yet I then had the privilege of going to both absolutely blows my mind. Girls Nation superseded my expectations. It was everything I needed but not much of what I expected or thought I wanted. The most beautiful overall part about that week was the incredibly unique opportunity to be surrounded by 2 girls of every state that all had such different passions and reasons for getting out of bed each morning. The intellect of every young woman, while impressive, paled in comparison to the great care that each girl showed each other, a care that collectively created an inspiring environment. However, the most transformative time of that week for me was the great privilege we had of spending 30 minutes with the VP Pence. Being totally honest, I wanted to have the clout of meeting the president and shaking his hand, but God was a bit more forward-thinking than me, as always. Reminder, He wants the best for us, and sometimes, often times, that best is not what we think we need or want. I cannot describe the feeling I had as tears ran down my face sitting in the same room as the VP. My tears were not because of his title or reputation but solely because of my renewed faith in public service as a result of his prophetic words. He answered each of the Girls Nation girls’ questions with warm concern and genuity, a refreshing response to hear in today’s divisive political climate. More importantly though, the way he wove his faith into his words will never leave my mind. Growing up, I have innately desired to lead others. It’s how I feel I can love and serve others well. However, when I have mentioned fulfilling this desire in public service, many asked me: “Now why would you want to do that?” I think this response is only natural due to Americans’ perspective of the current political climate today. It is far too easy to look at our country and feel lost, as if there are too many issues to even begin trying to solve. Yet, that day and everyday moving forward, God knew I needed to be reminded of the cracks in this type of thinking. There is hope for our world, and it comes embodied only in one name, Jesus. I am just overwhelmingly grateful to be a part of bringing this hope to the world. I don’t deserve the privilege of carrying His banner, name, light, or love in the smallest way. I can do nothing apart from Him. This conundrum of experiencing the greatest freedom and independence from earthly entrapments only by radically becoming dependent on God is really scary to me. It is also the most liberating and praiseworthy part of my life, that I may only experience full life when I have surrendered mine at His feet. Now, you may be saying to yourself: “That’s great, Cambri, that God has been so faithful to you, but I haven’t seen Him do much in my own life.” And that thought right there is where I want to hang out for a minute. I write this to share that I was in the same place as you. I had become essentially numbed to the “Christian walk,” recognizing its great vividness in others but feeling lackluster in my own spiritual life. I was confused by people who could just cry at random out of joy, and I never understood the actual depth of how people felt so much love, so much gratitude for a guy we’ve never seen. Yet, here is where His faithfulness marched in because just when I started to get comfortable into a faith that didn’t challenge me, Christ revealed Himself to me in a way I can only possibly recognize as a Holy gift, a special blessing. To experience this, You simply have to believe in His ability to do the same for you. I did nothing to deserve His love and blessing, but I believed it to be possible. I have gone through and will continue to go through seasons of unrest and lackluster, but I now can see these seasons through an enlightened lense, a lense that knows He has proven Himself before and He will prove Himself forevermore. In His timing. In. His. Timing. No, I did not feel like I was being blessed back in May when I did not get a leadership position that I had really poured my heart into wanting. I was confused in His plan for me then. Now, on the other side, I see His blessing instead. I see the doors He has opened through the closed one. And, let me tell you, the many opened doors doesn’t make the shut one less hard, yet it proves His faithfulness once again. I am just so grateful. I share all of that to share this simple message, two words: Praise Him. What you think in your mind, will eventually become the patterns of your heart, if you believe He is capable of making that transition. In months and seasons where I feel heavy (and there will be many more of those), I rest assured that He has proven Himself to me before, and He will be faithful in proving Himself again. You can rest assured in that. No, we are nowhere near deserving of His faithfulness as we weren’t even deserving of the ultimate sacrifice at Calvary. He simply pursues us out of His love and adoration for each of us. He pursues you. The Heavenly Creator of the UNIVERSE is pursuing you today and every day of your life. Lean into that pursuit, and praise Him for it because He loves us so well. Two words: Praise Him!!!!!
With love,
C