Have you filled out your bracket?
Yep, I’m talking about the NCAA’s baby! This year I’ve got my team going all the way. Yep, I’ve picked the University of Colorado to make it to the NCAA championship game. I always pick my school to win it, which hasn’t been possible due to the fact CU hasn’t been in the NCAA tournament in nearly 10 years. This doesn’t mean deep down I expect them to win, I just hold out hope.
I am extremely excited about my team, but to be honest I haven’t been able to pay much attention this year. I always hope for CU to do well, but this year they have blown past my expectations. I figured they would win a game or two in the Pac12 tournament, but not much more. So I was floored yesterday when I saw that they’d won the tournament and were lacing up their dancing shoes for the big dance.
As excited as I am about all this, something much greater has been going on this last week.
I’ve been out of the country.
Over the last week I have been serving on a short term mission trip in Guatemala. After almost 9 months away from Guatemala I made it back for the Inter-American School’s Spiritual Emphasis retreat.
Last week was amazing and I am not quite ready to fly back to the states. But what I am ready to do is share about all the crazy things God did in our lives. He not only worked in our lives, but he used my dad, Mike and Stacey Davis, and Me.
Two students in high school made statements of faith and 30 in elementary asked to know Christ.
Let that sink in. That is so much bigger than CU making it to the NCAA’s. Kids lives were changed and God let me be part of it!
This is the real madness. Over the last couple of months I’ve been preparing for this week. I wanted it to be perfect. Almost every night I’ve had a dream about Guatemala, most of the time my students are like characters out of Harry Potter, but they’re my students just the same. And so as I dreamed of my return, I also made sure I did my best to include God in on my plans. I didn’t want to come back to IAS just to see all my friends I missed, but to challenge my students to grow in Christ. But just like I hoped CU would make the NCAA tournament, never really expecting them to win the Pac12 Championship to make it in to the big dance, I never expected God to do so much during my time leading the retreat.
It’s amazing how, when we have an open heart to all he is doing, he blows past our expectations. He truly is greater than we give him credit for. But I guess that’s what life is like when we live spiritually.
I believe that God did so much this week because my team and I came down to Guatemala with open hearts to all he had for us. It is only when we are open to him that he uses us. Before the week began we each prayed that we would be open to all God had for us this week and man, he had an extravagant amount for us. I have so many stories of how he moved and am very excited to share them all once I have time to write them down. Just be prepared to be changed, because when you read them, if you read them with an open heart toward God, you wont be the same.
As we fly home my prayer is that the students who felt Christ move in their lives will be able to find someone who will be able to help them grow in their faith.
I promise I will write more about the trip to Guatemala. God showed up on my adventure this week and I am very excited to share it all with you, but right now I need to get to bed.
Please pray for a safe flight.
Adventure With Brendan 