Burning Blessings

While I sit at Arsagas on Dickson sipping on a double shot cappuccino, surrounded by the exposed brick walls, the trendy music blaring from the speaker, and the group of college students studying for tomorrow's test, I can only think of how blessed and encouraged I am by this city and the people that inhabit it.

For instance, my roommate Anthony, who is currently sitting across from me, is deep in the Word and is constantly giving me an update about Abraham and Sarah and how God purposely named Isaac.

Or tonight, how I will go home and share a room with Jacob. A man of God who not only inspires and challenges me physically, but a one who challenges me spiritually and morally in every aspect of his life.

Or my group of friends who was randomly placed in my life last semester. Connor, Matthew, Bryant, Julie, Annie, Lauren, Erin, Avery, Elle, and many others, who inspire me daily to have have a burning passion for people and for Jesus.

Or the Napier family and their abundance of love toward me. They have become my second family, and God is clearly using them to bless my life every single day. There is a certain kind of love that a mother gives, and after losing mine, God sent Mrs. Napier to me to bless me in that area.

And one of the biggest blessings about living in NWA is living super close to my brother and his wife. Gregory and Mary Kate are the perfect example of love to me. They vibrantly shine Jesus' love and joy in everything they do. Before making any decision, they consult Him first. They are so mature, in every aspect, for their age. I've learned so much about relationships just from spending time with them.

I say all this to express a very serious lesson that I have learned.

God moved me back to Arkansas from NYC because I wasn't ready to live by myself indulged in a city full of sin and darkness. When I got here, he placed all of the blessings I previously stated in my life. I began to instantly grow as a believer. More than ever before. My heart began to burn with a furious passion, and I had so much joy. I was so encouraged everyday by my friends, and would even sit with them at any given moment and talk about how I saw God in my life that day. Don't get me wrong, these are all great great things. But I had soon let my single torch of fiery passion become engulfed in a bonfire of other people's passions. I was riding on other people's passion.

My own flame had blown out, and I began finding warmth in other people's flames. My burning desire for Jesus was dictated on how much time I spent with these incredible people.

Then, a new semester began and everyone's schedules became skewed. I no longer was able to spend time with those people. I began to find that I was just dry bones. I found that my once beautifully lit flame had been quenched. It was then that I was humbled before Jesus and He lit my torch once again. He sent me those people as blessings, but I allowed Satan to take control and turn the entire situation into fiery chamber of sin without even knowing it.

Fellowship and encouraging friends is a beautiful blessing from Jesus. But be careful not let Satan take control of your torch. He wants to do nothing but separate us from our Beloved.

2 Timothy 1:6 says, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands."

My mom use to tell my brother and I every morning to "Let you light shine." How could I have ever forgotten to let "my" light shine, and not somebody else's.

Here's to a glance at a day in my life,
Derick