10 year reunion
Psalms 126: When the Lord RESTORED the fortunes of zion, we were like those who dream. Our mouths were filled with laugher and our tounges with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations the Lord has done great things for them, the Lord has done great things for them!
The Lord has done great things for us, we are joyful. Restore our fortunes oh Lord, like streams in the negev. Those who sow in tears shall reap with SHOUTS of joy, thoughs who go out weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves!
The Lord has done great things for me. Has He for you? Can I just get a glory shout. I don’t think I have ever had such an awesome oppertunity to reflect over the GREAT things He has done in me then I did this Saturday night at our High school class reuion. Could it really have been 10 years ago that I sat in that very same restrauraunt (actually 11) for my junion prom wearing a corsage as long as my arm (my date, who I paid to go with me, was in a contest with another guy to get the biggest one!) eating before prom. That night I know I must have looked like a princess, but unfortunatly I did not believe it. I felt like an ugly ol’ catipillar 11 years ago, nothing like a butterfly. I knew Jesus, knew Jesus loved me. But during those sometimes painful years of high school and middle school I was not sure I loved me.
Why can’t I be pounds skinnier. Why are those girls so mean to me? will I ever be popular, noticed ect. These are all things I think the typical high school girl struggles with. Maybe something you still struggle with.
Fastforward 10 years to this saturday night. God has done so much in my life. On His arm I have conquered fear, took my first plane ride to Japan, which turned into another plane ride and another, which turned into traveling to over 14 different countries with Jesus.. glory! God has taken me around the world and back. .. through grad school and now back.. through an incredible 4 years @ wesleyan.. to a new stage in life where I am an aunt to the most awesome nephew ever.. so many journeyies in 10 years (not to mention if you had told me 10 years ago I would have run a marathon when I went back to my reunion I would have laughed in your face)
But the biggest thing that changed? ME! Somewhere along the line God convinced me. He convinced me that I was not an ugly catipillar, but a beautiful butterfly, who was created to fly. He declared me beautiful! He gave me the tools to fight the lies of the enemy with the TRUTH. He called me to be the WALLflower turned into a WILDflower for Him.
Michelle and I floated into that high school reunion. I felt gorgeous ( and michelle looked like a knockout model in my opinoin). We “floated in” and I think people were like woah. We mingled and mingled some more. I’m talking from 6 oclock to 11:30.. we were the last to leave. In high school we would have stayed in a corner with maybe one person we were comfortable with. This night we worked the room. I made it a point to talk to everyone.. even the MEAN girls from high school. And I loved it. I loved being the butterfly new creation in Christ Jesus. I saw people thinking… wow the Lord has done GREAT things for them.. even if they did not know how to articulate that! and well.. HE HAS….
So if the enemy tells you you are an ugly ol’ catipillar you throw back @ him 2 Corinthians 5:!7– I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, the old has gone the new has come.
I had my Zachariah 9 moment: verse 16 and 17:
And the Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they are as the stones of a crown… sparkling in His lance. For what beauty will be theirs!
Go sparkle guys!
Write a comment ( i love reading comments) and share How God has shown you you are a new creation in Christ
Jenn,
I looked at your birth year and realized just how young in years you are! I can say that because the year you and your sister were born, I had just finished my BS in Nursing! You are wise beyond your years in your walk with the Lord. It's wonderful to read about your relationship with Jesus!
Yes! Oh, how I remember those days of junior high before I knew the Lord. As a Mom of a 15 year old daughter, I can tell you that the mean girls still exist. The high school culture has so much more to navigate than I ever did with the technology of the internet and smart phones. The bullying can be vicious, and I mean vicious. Thankfully, my daughter has been able to avoid being a mean girl (she is not perfect by any means, none of us are.).She has compassion for those that hurt emotionally. With that said, very few of us dare to allow Jesus to be our Lover.
It is evident that Jesus is indeed your Lover, you are so beautiful!! You challenge me to allow him to be my lover, even now where I am in my journey (which is over the hill and on my way down going home! Amen!)I desire to be more alive in Christ. The journey continues…
grace,
Lisa
You looked beautiful at junior prom. We had such a great time together. I still remember your white dress with yellow and white daisies and the yellow daisies in your hair. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to go without dates! Remember I cried because I didnt want to go with my date.
Jenn,
Love the pics. By the time I met you, I think you were more popular than you know, or even remember. I am so glad about the wonderful healing God has done in you, and the best thing about high school for me, was getting to know you and Michelle! Love you!
Hi Jenn, I am blessed to hear your testimony again. Yes, you are really a wonderfull lady used by God to touched the lives of many women arround the world. I remember our time togetehr in Neepal. God bless
Jenn, I have been right there in that same place you were 10 years ago. I too never felt like I belonged in high school and even beyond that. I will have to say that no one was ever actually mean to me, but there were certainly people who acted like they thought they were better, smarter, prettier, whatever than I and others were. I even had times like that after I was married–matter of fact for a looong time after I was married and a mother. God has finally worked in my life and convinced me that I am me and wonderfully made by Him and that I don't need to worry about those things anymore. I still don't feel very beautiful mostly due to the fact that I am overweight, but He has finally also convinced me that I need to work on that for me and formy health and the longevity of my life, not because someone else thinks I should or tells me I should or whatever. I can finally walk into someplace and not feel inferior. I have found that a lot of the people who "seem" to be so much "better" than we are are really fighting their own battles with their inner selves. I've learned to try to give people the benefit of the doubt. We just don't know sometimes what others are going through. If we just shine for Him and let others see Him through us, we'll be just fine. And, by the way, you were never ever ugly–you and your sweet sister have always been beautiful and still are–both inside and out! I love you both! You are both very special to me!
Jenn!
I love you and miss you so much! I'm so proud of you! You are such a brave woman to follow God around the world like you have. I didn't know you in high school, but in college, it seemed like you knew everybody! Everybody loved you! I think all of the new friends I met at TWC were through you and Michelle. And, let's not forget that without you, I might not have met my future husband because I would have been too shy on my own. I was always jealous at how many people you knew and how easy it seemed for you to meet and talk to new people. God has used your beautiful self to reach so many people, and now you have gone worldwide! So proud of you! Did I say that already?
Tara
I loved that comment about MIchelle looking like a knockout model:)hmmmm…YOu are my biggest fan though. I loved reading your post. I am going to print it off and use it to remember where God has taken us. Glory! You put into words exactally what I was feeling that night. Love you