Obedience. Obedience is a concept that we are all taught as children, meaning to do what is asked of us, even if we do not agree or willingly wish to do. Obedience is doing what is asked even if you fear the result, but oftentimes you fear the one asking even more. This summer I took a big step of obedience and shared my testimony with my teammates at our cheer camp. I was not a public speaker. I was not a vulnerable person. I was not an emotional person. I was just not qualified to lead a devotion, or so I thought. The Lord gave me a mandate and I could not ignore it; I knew in my heart I had this burning inside of me to fulfill what I had to do, not because I wanted to but because my father was telling me to. I had prepared and prepared so many topics I could speak on for weeks. The moment before I walked into the room to share I stopped and asked, Lord, what would you have me share? Holy Spirit would you help me? Would you speak through me to each person in that room? Lord I need your strength!
In that moment, everything changed. I learned that night if I am obedient and just trust, the Lord will do it all. Ten people from my cheer team got saved and began their own journey to find out who Jesus is and why he loves them so much. The questions came rushing in, “Who is Jesus? What does Jesus think about me? Who am I? Jesus died for me? How do I hear from God? How do I pray? How do I read the Bible?” I began to lead a group and invited all these college students to come and join as we sat together on Monday nights and learn about who Jesus was and how we have direct access to the father. That Monday night 15 people filled my little apartment and they came hungry. Not physically hungry, but hungry for more of God and less of themselves. I began to get very nervous. How can I disciple these students? What would I teach them? How can I teach them to hear God’s voice? How, Lord help me. I then had a moment where the Lord reminded me of that summer night at cheer camp before I shared my testimony and I placed my trust in Him. This assured me that the Lord is with me and He will lead this group.
My group used the Holy Clubs Firm Foundations’ curriculum, and this curriculum covered every question and concern I had going into leading a discipleship group. Firm Foundations teaches you how to hear your Father’s voice and how to dialogue with Jesus-not just monologue. Jesus showed up week after week and met every person in the room. In the Holy Clubs’ Firm Foundations curriculum, you end the teaching with three questions: God what does this show me about who You are? God what does this say about who You think I am? God how can I pray for my neighbor? Let me tell you, Jesus showed up and He never failed at making His love known to His children. Being a witness to students realizing they can hear the Lord’s voice is indescribable. Tears, cries, laughter, joy and encounter. Jesus was in the room and all I did was follow the Holy Clubs Firm Foundations curriculum and wait on Jesus, and He never failed to meet us right where we were at.
I was an insecure child who grew up timid and scared. My family was extremely poor, but we had one another and that was enough. I never felt qualified or capable of doing anything I am doing today, but the Lord does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Never would I have thought I would be leading a group of 15-20 students each week in my little apartment and wait on the Lord together. Never would I have thought the Lord would allow me to invite a missionary into my nursing program and our class of 50 over 40 wanting to go on a mission trip instead of a cruise as a senior trip. Never would I have thought the Lord would use me to lead people to Jesus. Never would I have thought I would be speaking or even writing for others. But the Lord is faithful, and if you just say yes and are obedient and willing, He will use you.
By: Erica Aviles
*** This is a remarkable story written by Erica Aviles, who is a cheerleader at Campbell University. She recently came to one of the Campus Ministries lead by Modern Day Missionaries Jessica and Braxton Wynns, and what transpired is truly amazing.
More info on the Wynn family and their ministry
Photo by Omar Lopez
