Thankful Thursday: Choir, College Studnts, Unity, Jesus!

I'm sure I have done a post about the Word before, so I won't spend too much time talking about it, but seriously, IT'S SO GOOD! I was just thinking last night in choir, people make comments all the time about our choir about the true worship that happens as we stand up on those risers in front of everyone. People comment about how the Lord uses all of us and that we truly lead worship. I began thinking last night during practice about how much different it is to actually spend time with people who love the Lord and spend time in the Word, and that give their whole hearts not just in song, but through song to the Lord. It makes such a difference when I'm spending time in the Word and then I hear the songs we sing. The truth in some of them is like singing a devotional or something. I love and am thankful for our choir. We are so blessed and I hope that I never take that for granted. God has truly put His hand on us. I think about things as a choir we have been through. It's crazy how the Spirit moves and works and makes us all united. I can remember last year there was just a season of pain and hurt for some and just a heaviness that surrounded us, but we praised our wonderful Savior and God together every Wednesday and every Sunday. We have had some awesome times of joy and peace and excitement too! The Spirit moved in all of us and He was faithful in both times. We sing a song, we actually just did it last Sunday and the words that run though my head all the time are, "Even in the valley God is good, even in the valley He is faithful and true. He carries His children through like He said He would, ever in the valley God is good!" We have been in valleys and on mountain tops as a whole as a body unified and drawn together by Jesus, and it is amazing to be a part of. All of it to the glory of God!

Then we have the college group, I never imagined a group like that! College students sold out for the Lord. College students that homework, studying, etc. they make time to come together on Tuesday nights and worship and fellowship and pray and spend time learning and growing and being the body of Christ. Lifting each other up, bearing in each others burdens, and loving each other regardless of a background or a past or in some cases a present. Students who accept each other right where they are at. I have been amazed lately by the girls especially. There is always drama when you get a group of girls together (it's like inevitable, right?) but in the midst of girl junk and drama. They all seek to glorify God and to do what the Lord would call them to do. They are willing to be called out in areas that they aren't doing right in (I admire that in them, I fail at that sometimes, who am I kidding most of the time). Just last night I got a phone call at 12:32 a.m. from one of the girls because of some junk that we are all kind of going through right now. But it wasn't a phone call to gossip, it was a phone call because she was genuinely concerned and wanted to act according to the Word and ask if she had been in the wrong. She just wanted to glorify God through her actions and reactions towards others and ask how to do that in this particular situation. I don't know if any of the rest of you think that's cool, but I'm just saying college girl drama situations that they want to give to God and allow Him to work through and make them more like Him, that is pretty stinking cool!

I just love both of these groups of people and parts of the Body of Christ. I am truly blessed beyond what I could ever imagine, just getting to be a part of them. I am thankful for the unity through the Spirit that we have and I am thankful for the true worship that I am humbled to be a part of that happens when wonderful people who's goal is to bring His name glory and make Him famous come together. It changes things. I think it's why people make comments about the groups so much. When people who truly love the Lord get together to bring praise and honor and glory to Him and love each other and care and bear with one another in our burdens and in our joys, it's noticeable. The coolest part though is not even that, it's that if you were to ask any of those people about it. They would tell you the most honest and genuine answer which is simply that it is all because of Jesus! It isn't us, but it is Him and it is His Holy Spirit moving and working through lots and lots of submissive and open vessels to and for and through Him and His glory.

So, that's what I am thankful for today, two wonderful groups of people, two wonderful parts of the Body of Christ, that spend time with Him and in His Word and then come together with a common goal and purpose to bring glory to His matchless name. Ah! I am humbled and blessed and in awe that I even get to know this joy here on earth. God is so good!