Reminiscing...

Sometimes, I wish I could go back to a time when I was happier, when things weren’t as stressful. But you know, those were the times when I was really having a problem in my relationship with God. So maybe, I don’t want to go back to those times, maybe I just want to have that happiness. And really, there is no reason that I’m not happy. I just over think things too much, which makes this road so much harder to walk along. So let’s try and think of a time when I was happy, and when my relationship with God was looking up.

I guess the time I like to remember, would be around the summer before my senior year. I was really having problems, and I was this close to truly giving up and let’s just say that I had some really truly horrible plans for myself for right after prom. I didn’t follow through with them though. And looking back, the reason for not was stupid, but I’m glad I didn’t. (On my bad days I’d disagree, but today is a fairly good day) Anyway, I had been noticing some announcements at my church about this group that was going to be there all summer. I’d seen them perform once or twice, and I had heard about the main singer, and I knew somewhere we had one of his CDs. It looked like it would be fun, especially as a way to hear about and worship God in a contemporary way without having to wonder who Jeejus was. So Tuesday nights, we headed to church to experience Overflow: the movement. It was soooo good, I invited/dragged friends. It was amazing to me to see people around my age at my church, and even more amazing to hear someone a little older than me talk about God in a way that any age group could understand and appreciate. What was even more amazing is what happened on the last service.

Now, I knew God, and had as a child loved Him and asked Him to be in my heart. But I’d had some trouble and my faith had lost that childlike innocence. It had been very hard for me going through conformation, but I was confirmed and tried to be a member of the church. (To this day, they still don’t really recognize me as a member; it wasn’t until years later after my younger sister was confirmed that they even started sending me information about tithing. Oh well.) So my faith was far from strong. So that final night in August, we get there a little late, because we forgot we were supposed to pick up my one friend. My dad sets up the camera, and begins taping a service I’ll never forget. For the most part, it was the same; good music, cool slides, and the usual message. After the message though, with the keyboard playing a few chords, they said a prayer, saying that if we had felt we had been touched by God, to say it with them. I was defiantly feeling something that night, and saying the prayer with them, I asked Jesus into my heart. And even though I knew He had always been there, I could feel the overwhelming presence of His love.

I cannot describe that feeling. But I think... everyone feels it in their own way.

After that night, I know things really started looking up. I was happier, and I know now that my relationship with God is the most important thing in the world for me. What makes that night even more special is that I have it on tape. And I watch it all the time.
I don’t think I could say “thank you” enough to the members of Overflow. Because of them, I have been changed for good.