SIXTH (AND FINAL!) RETREAT CHALLENGE

 

 

Good morning, Ladies. I'm getting jazzed about next weekend's retreat (March 2, 3, 4) If you haven't heard about it or need a refresher, take a look at this past Monday's post for all the details. While I'm away on vacation (Panama City, Florida, baby!), I'm still thinking about you coming up with your pizza creation and writing poetry and stories, taking photos, doing drawings and paintings, and meeting the last five challenges. We are going to have an awesome time. It'll be worth coming home for!

I have one more challenge for you. Actually, YOU are going to come up with the challenge, for each other. Here's what I'd love for you to do in your comments.

1. What is the HARDEST thing about witnessing, evangelizing, sharing your faith (whatever you usually call it) -- what's the hardest thing about doing that WITHOUT saying anything? In what area that we've talked about is the toughest for you to actually DO in an attempt to show what Jesus is all about? To make it easier, these are the areas we've discussed so far:

    What do you have to leave behind in order to be a living testimony?

How can you be a light in your own house or your own small community of kids?

Who do you need to work something out with before you can really represent our Lord Christ? 

What do you swear by that has nothing to do with God?

Are you loving your "enemies?" (who could be the very people you're trying to "reach" the good news TO!)

2. What ELSE do you see in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) that is a challenge in this whole thing of sharing the Bread of Life without using words? Let's see how many you can come up with. Feel free to get into a discussion (as long as you follow the guidelines, which you are masters at anyway)

YOU will create these last challenges for each other. I can't wait to see what you come up with. You'll get MY responses when I get back! Thank you for challenging ME.

 

Blessings,

Nancy Rue

Comments

[Melody]

For me the hardest challenge so far is being a light in my own small group of friends, I spent several years at my dance studio actively trying hide the fact that I loved Jesus and trying to make-up for three years in one is hard.

So another challenge I see is the section about judging others. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2 We can't hope to share the bread of life without saying anything, if we're silently (or not-so-silently) judging everyone we meet. If our first thought when meeting someone new is "Wow though jeans look awful, she needs to brush her eye, look at that pimple!" we're not going to be a very good light.

I'm really bad about judging people, and it's something I'm working on. Instead of judging people, I try to put myself in their shoes, even if that means making up a background story for them if I don't know anything about them. That helps me focus more on the person and how I can be light for them instead of what they look like.

[Liz]

Well, for me, the hardest thing is being Christ-like in general. Being patient. Having self-control. Not screaming when my little sister pulls my hair. Showing love to those around me--especially within my friends and family ( some of whom are not saved).

So, I guess my challenge is this: be patient and loving. Show everyone you care and show them just how much you mean to them.

[Melody]

So a few years ago when I was really depressed someone (maybe Alisha?) posted a comment saying something to the affect of "you are not an island, you don't have to go through everything alone". At the time that had a huge impact on me and I still remember it. Yesterday I found out that it's a real quote by a poet named John Donne. I just wanted to share it with you, "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."

It had a huge effect on me back when Alisha? said it, and it still effects me today. When I felt so alone it reminded me that there were people who care about me. Today it reminds me that there are people around me I need to care about. Just a thought.

[mimi]

I guess for me the hardest thing is being a light. I go to a Christian School (sometimes I think about switching) so its easy to just blend in with the crowd. Most of my friends there are christians but a lot of them I think don't really have like a good personal relationship with God. So often I find myself acting kinda fake, and not who I really am. At my school, God is a subject discussed in Bible class only, so its really easy for me to just go with that and not think about who I really am. I need to remember to be a light with my actions, thoughts, opinion and my words.

Melody, what you said about judging people is definitely something I struggle with. I am trying to work on it, what you said about putting myself in their shoes is helpful. I've never thought about doing that, and it takes place of some of the judgemental thoughts that can creep into my mind. thanks

oh and great quote! thats so true!

[Nicole]

Wow, Melody, amazing quote!! Love it. And, again, thanks SO much for the link...I'm going to continue to refer to that for my reports, it really helped - thanks! ;)

Haha, Liz, being Christ-like in general...yeah, that can be pretty tough sometimes. ;) BTW, are you new? Or did I miss something? :)

Hmm...I gotta say being a light to my family and circle of friends is really hard. Also, I realized today that I often look at people and immediately evaluate whether they would be someone I would like to get to know, like if they're too girly, or too sporty, or too immature - usually just based by the outside appearance!! Ugh.

And, OK, I just wrote this whole long rant that I think I'm either just not gonna post or I might post on my blog, but basically my question is...why is it SO hard for me to be like Jesus when Jesus is in me? And, I think what He's showed me is that it's because I'm not striving to be like Him, to be like Jesus. Instead, I'm obsessing on trying to be perfect. There's a huge difference.

So... I'm praying for you all. Love y'all...you girls are amazing. Just knowing there's others who struggle as I do but continue to fight the good fight...so encouraging. Thanks, girls, thanks Mrs. Rue. Thanks, God. :) God bless. <3

[Caitlin]

I love that quote Melody. My hardest is also judging people. For some reason, I've pretty much mastered it. I've been trying to stop.

[Melody]

So this is kind of off-topic but whatever :) Today in youth group our teacher was talking about how other people see us. He talked about how people should be able to see God in us. He posed the question "If you asked a friend to describe you in a paragraph, would the sentence "a great christian" (or some variation of that) be there?" I decided to take that challenge to heart and I just facebook messaged ten random friends and asked them to describe me in a few sentences. I'm not expecting all of them to reply, but I'm very curious what they think of me. Do my friends see me as a Christian? I guess this isn't really off-topic at all because if I've been sharing the bread of Christ, then they should be able to see Christ in me. So, if anyone is brave (or just completely curious like me) I challenge you to ask some of your friends to describe you in a paragraph. I think this could be a good measuring stick of sorts on how we reflect Christ.

[Therese]

I think the most challenging thing for me is to be a light in my family. Being a good example by not complaining and trying to be cheerful when life is tough. I really think I've failed this one this past week. I found myself feeling dismal and filled with self-pity. I felt so selfish for feeling that way when there are others who have it much worse, I need to be thankful and happy for what I have. Being happy and showing thankfulness is part of being a light in my home and to others who are non-believers.

Melody, that's actually something I think about occasionally. How do people see me? I would hope to be an example of Christ's love but am afraid I'm not always that, I try but my thoughts and emotions get the best of me and I act in anger or pride or judgement, without thinking about the other person's feelings or how other people watching me are going to see me as a Christian behaving.

[God'sgirl/Abi]

The hardest thing for me is being a light with my family, at home.
Out we all act nice and stuff, and people comment on how well behaved we are. But at home a day doesn't go by without an arguement, it drives me crazy. I've tried to start being better about praying as soon as I wake up, and it is helping my attitude. I hope that change starts with me! I'll let you know how it goes. (if I remember)

[God'sgirl/Abi]

Girls, I have a prayer request. My dad just got transfered to somewhere that is an hour and five minutes away. The way gas prices are, at about $3.70 a gallon that is about $160 on gas a month. This job he does is probably going to get privatized, and my dad doesn't think that is good at all. I'm really worried about this whole thing. Also my dad is under a LOT of stress. so please just pray. Thanks!

[Mimi]

Ya I often think about how people see me. It's different with the whole Christian school thing, but I want people to actually see me as a Christian not just assume I am because I go to a Christian school.