Expect the Unexpected

Hello there! I'm Madeline from Sojo session 6 and am really excited to share with everyone about the amazing experience God has given me this past week, so here goes...

Last week was amazing. I went into it wanting to remember that God is all-knowing, and he understands what I'm going through 100 percent. The week had been going great and I felt like I could feel God around me everywhere I went, I was unstoppable. However, that Thursday me and a friend of mine were in shock as God turned the tables on both of our lives. Our dear friend who acted in our community theatre group had been in a coma for the past several weeks, and he had passed away Tuesday morning July 6, 2010. I wasn't sure why God had decided to bring me the news on what was supposed to be the greatest week of my year. But once I thought about it, I realized that it was a blessing that I was surrounded by a cabin of such great girls and four amazing counselors to be with the both of us.

#1. God knew exactly what he was doing... and He revealed to me about how He knows everything I'm going through.

So I had to miss the closing ceremony Saturday in order to make it to the funeral on time. Walking into the church, I was expecting everything to be sad-most funerals are. However once we sat down, the pastor immediately said how today we weren't going to mourn, but celebrate the life of Zach how he would have wanted it to be celebrated. It was the most beautiful celebration I've ever witnessed. They had a time where they worshipped and on the third song Zach's mother, who had lost both her husband and her only son within two years time, continued to sing and praise God with a smile on her face that brought tears to my eyes. How someone who had lost two of the closest people in her life could still stand up on stage in front of everyone and shout praises to our Lord will forever amaze me. She later spoke to everyone about what happened after he passed away. She told us how angry she was that God would take away her one and only son, but then she heard God say to her,

#2"I understand, remember that I have been through everything you are going through right now. " And that is what gave her joy, and God revealed himself to me once more.

So I got everything I asked for when I showed up the first day at Sky Ranch. God answered my prayer two different times, and now I know how He truly does understand every situation in life.

I hope my story inspired you in some way. And heres one more thing, Job 12:13

~Madeline