twenty-one

Well, this post will be posted a day late because the power and Internet are out for all the dorms on campus! But honestly, it led to one of the most wonderful birthdays I could have asked for. Instead of ending the day in a hustle of people doing their own thing and passing each other in the hallways as they cram for finals, the power went out. Within seconds we were all in the lounge, more of us all together at one time than ever before. And because no one could focus on research anymore, we just stayed together. We watched “Friends” until the Internet died, and then we found a guitar. I played a little, then we started singing worship songs in the dark around a single candle. And it was beautiful. I was so happy to spend the last bit of my 21^st birthday with these girls who are now family, singing to Jesus. And then… a group of the girls walked in with their arms full of take-out Chinese food just to surprise me! It was so special, so exactly what I would have asked for if I’d thought to ask. I love these girls.

And with that, I’m 21. The past year has felt like half a decade. When I began the 20^th year of my life, I was just over half-way through the first semester as a full-time English teacher at Dandelion. I read through my journal today and was reminded of all the lessons I’ve learned about life in the kingdom of God, the now and not-yet. I’ve been exposed to the Holy Spirit in more reality than ever before, and I’ve learned to hear God’s voice like I honestly never expected. I remembered when friends prayed healing over my neck… and the pain vanished. I remembered when I went to bed discouraged about my lack of understanding of prayer, put in a podcast, and was greeted with the words, “I just want to talk about how to pray.” I remembered when I cried to God that there wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do in and for my students in Beijing, and He said, “There is enough time.” These tastes have only made me eager for more.

This year, my desires are simple. I want more of God. I want more of His Spirit. I want more of Jesus and His power evident in my life. And I ask for these things in confidence because I know that God wants to give them to me even more than I want them myself. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. I want to heal, to hear, to speak, to interpret. I ask in expectance, for I know He will do great things.

I want to end my 21^st year the same way I’ve just begun it: praising God for all He’s done, and asking for more.