We interrupt the normal programming for a quick jump to Ephesians..... I'm sorry! I know I said I was doing this in order but today God (and Paul) needed to teach me a different lesson.
The second day in my apartment, and one of the promises that I feel God made to me in this transition is that He has a new faith community planned for me. So after some google searching last night for churches, I settled on an Episcopal Church down the road from me. My big debate in this entire decision is that I want a church with a 20/30s small group so I can meet people, but I also like a traditional service and a smaller congregation. So this church fit those criteria (how well I didn't know) but I thought I would give it a try. So I wandered into their contemporary service this morning and was very discouraged when no one introduced themselves to the new girl, and when I saw no one my age, just a lot of families (which is great don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for college all over again but maybe just a few friends). And that's when God called me out. He told me that I wasn't only worried about a small group to grow my faith, but I was more worried about finding one because I believed that's how I would meet friends, and hey maybe even a boyfriend (typical christian girl, guilty I know, I'm making myself cringe). But I realized that He was completely right AND that my decision on where I go to church should not be centered on where I may potentially meet someone to date. That is SHOULD be centered on where I am going to grow closer to God, where I can get involved in a congregation and share my skills, where I am going to have people to love and support me. And so it was a blessing when after church and older gentlemen introduced himself to me and asked if I was about to start a new school (according to him I looked like I could be in high school......really?!), and I laughed and said no but tomorrow is my first day at my new job, and so he began to inquire where I moved from and introduced me to a handful of people. And their genuine interest, even though they weren't my age, was truly exactly what I was looking for.
And although revelations like that can be hard (aka get your act together, I - God- am more important than a hypothetical boyfriend), God also gave me some great encouragement from His word. The sermon at church today revolved around Ephesians 6:10-20, about putting on the armor of God especially in the change of a new school year, or a New JOB. They literally said or a new job and a new place, and I felt like God took my hand and said see look you can breath I am still here. And I loved the words that Paul used because he said {6:12} "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". Change like this isn't just hard because of all the new things, but also because we are often fighting some internal spiritual warfare because the enemy uses our anxiety against us. And so God gave us an armor to put on, so when those days of evil come we can stand firm. And even when that seems to much when the belts of truth, and the breastplates of righteousness, and the helmets of salvation aren't enough we have the Holy Spirit that will lead us to pray in ALL occasions.
So, although I am still a little nervous about meeting and making friends (of both genders haha), and my first day of work, instead of succumbing to the lies the enemy is telling me, I am going to put on my Armor of God and head into my first day ready to stand firm.
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