The Presence of Influence

I guess it's about time i put in an actual post, huh? I agree.

Okay. So i thought i would start off this post about something that's impacted me greatly in these past few months. This thing that has impacted me is influence. The influence of other strong, fired up, Christians. I can honestly say that the impact that a spirit-filled individual has on others is immense.
      When i went to winter camp during February of this year, my youth group and another went together. Little did i know just how much these few people could change my perspective on things!
 This weekend getaway was only 2 nights, just to put that in perspective. I was basically not too excited to go, but i knew my relationship with God was a bit dry and distant. Not where i wanted it to be. I had been struggling for months on end on how to change my attitude, and mend my relationships with loved ones. (I was constantly losing it and breaking down and doing the same thing over and over and getting upset about it. Let me tell you, it was very frustrating!)
   So, at our first evening chapel, i noticed something that caught my eye. When it was time for worship, my youth group gathered up into a big group next to each other, and the other youth group spread out and got their own spaces to themselves. I couldn't help myself but look around at all the other kids during the worship. Almost everyone of them had their eyes closed, were on their knees, or just lost in complete worship. I thought,  wow. Now why aren't we doing that? It really moved me. I just wanted to get out from where i was and get my own space. One of the girls particularly caught my eye. I knew she didn't know me very well, and neither did i know she. Once it was long into worship, everyone was gathering into groups and just praying or singing together. I went to the girl that caught my eye and saw that she was balling her eyes out. It was either because the presence of God was so great on her, or something was wrong. I decided to just put my hands on her, and coax her and pray. After a while, she took my hand and prayed over me, which was just what i needed. I knew this girl had so much more in her relationship than i did, and i have to admit at that time i was a bit jealous. She just seemed so perfect, seemed like she had it all under control and her words were like gold when it came to talking about God and the Word. I wanted to be just like her! I think i just felt so insecure about myself, and i couldn't stand how i called myself a Christian but i felt i wasn't really showing my love at all.
     I think it was that point that my whole perception of everything flip flopped. This girl ended up being in my cabin which i liked a lot. I just kept observing her, and the others in their youth group. Why isn't OURS like that? I kept wondering to myself. Pretty soon i decided that I'm not gonna worry about where others are right now, I'm only going to worry about myself. From then on, once i arrived back home, i became more involved in the Word than i ever used to be, and i started going to that other youth group more frequently. I gained so much from that youth group, and made a lot of new friends, including the one from my cabin. God is awesome!
   Just from hanging out with these girls, they have influenced me in ways i never thought possible. I have never been so close with God. I still have major struggles, in fact my walk with God is as bumpy as ever at the moment. I apologize if i sound like I'm sugar coating what a relationship with our Lord is like. It's amazing, but far from perfect. :)
   Anyways, my final point is, is that if you surround yourself with Christians, or you see something in someone that you want, go after it! God has put him or her there for a particular reason and i know he did that with me. If i never would have met that youth group, I'm not sure where I'd be now. But these individuals that i met have basically changed my life for a long time. They don't even realize it, cause i guess i haven't really officially told them.
    This is just the beginning of my learning process. I'll share more in other blog posts about other items I've learned.

God Bless,
Rachel Clausen