Wholehearted, Part 2.

It's a Monday morning, and my heart is overwhelmingly full.

For lots of reasons--but seriously, mostly because the past few weeks have felt like "Spiritual Renewal Week"....we used to have Spiritual Renewal Weeks at Taylor, but they were never really spiritually renewing for me...and it was annoying because the coffee shop always closed and activities were cancelled and I felt guilty not going to Spiritual Renewal Week, which made it actually rather draining....but now, I have reclaimed the title and am calling my life "Spiritual Renewal Week," even though we're currently at the 10 or 12 day mark of my "Week." I have recommitted my heart fully to the Lord, and I have been spending every morning before work reading His word and praying at the park before I come into the office. It is revolutionizing my whole life. Seriously.

My heart is also full for an obvious reason--that I just returned from a 3-day weekend in Chicago, in which I got to celebrate the engagements of two different friends and relish my wonderful friendships with them. I know some of the most amazingly brilliant and wonderful people in the whole world, and for 3 days, I got to hang out with them and feel so cool by association.

My heart is also full for a less praiseworthy reason--last week, I was approached by a student acquaintance, and she asked me for counsel in help in regards to her best friend, who had decided to abort a pregnancy. My heart cried out to the Lord on behalf of this girl, whom I've never met, and I prayed, "Why have you appointed me to this place? I don't know or understand any of what these girls are going through." But I was just so filled with a love and desire to serve, that I was pouring energy into this girl without thinking twice--NOT to the point of my own emptiness, but out of my overwhelming overabundance. And I thought--this is where we should always be in full-time ministry...It seems to be much more effective and like it's actually accomplishing something besides burnout.