Submerge

Yes, the rumors are true....I did indeed attend Summerfire 2011 :)  And needless to say, I enjoyed it haha.  It didn't become really enjoyable until about Wednesday, but it's whatev.

Anyway, the theme of this year was "Submerge" , and basically just about getting deeper into a relationship with the Lord and diving further into your faith.  The Lord really spoke to me this week, particularly on Wednesday night.

Basically, He told me that even though my world is falling apart, He's got me in His hand, He knows what's going on and in His own perfect time, He will provide.   My family is in a reeeeal financial struggle right now, among other things, and there have been times when we don't know what our next meal will be, but somehow by some crazy miracle, we get it - and that has been God providing for us, even though we don't realize it.

He provides for us and cares for us because He loves us more than any one could ever possibly fathom, and that blew my mind this week.  The intense love of the Savior just hit me, and it was all I could do to just continue standing on two feet haha.  I always knew the Lord loved me, and I'm sure you all know that too, but when it just hits you, and God reassures that love in your life,  it's so overwhelming.  I think I cried my body weight.

So this is what I have to say : We all go through a darkness.  Just like this seemingly never ending cloud of darkness.  Sometimes it's thicker than other times, or bigger than other times, and we just don't know if anyone cares, or if it will ever end. 

We wonder if the light will ever come, if it'll ever just vanquish the darkness, like an epic battle scene from a comic book.......it's not always like that but let me say this : In order to to find the light, sometimes you must go through the darkness.

I heard an analogy that went something like this ; A man kept having this nightmare that he was on this island, and he was always at a little hill where he could see the ocean.  This just huge wave of dark was headed toward him, and the sun was setting and so he took off for the other side of the island, hoping to outrun the darkness.  Anyway, the man continued having this nightmare, almost every single night and he couldn't understand the meaning of his dream and it scared him to pieces.  One day he realized, that in order to find the light you have to go through the darkness. 

I don't mean go worship demons and practice witchcraft or anything ridiculous, but sometimes we need to go through to darkness, to catch the rising sun.