"HIS divine power has granted to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of HIM who called us to HIS OWN glory and excellence, by which HE has granted to us HIS precious and VERY GREAT promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature....." 2 Peter 1:3-4
Friends, it is my delight to share with you the new door God has opened to me as I seek to probe further into His heart and climb further up in the purposes of His kingdom!
If you have been following my posts about the Lamplighter Guild and the impact that it made on my life, then you can probably imagine how thrilled I would be at the chance to become more involved with the ministry behind it. When I learned that Lamplighter Ministries has internship opportunities for former Guild students, a seed was planted in my mind. I began praying about the possibility soon after Guild week.
Every student was sent a post-guild survey to fill out, allowing us to give feedback on the week....what God taught us, what we enjoyed the most, how can they make it better, etc. It took me over a week to sit down and fill mine out, because I had so much to testify about my experience that I didn't know where to start. Imagine my surprise when I received an email in response to my survey, saying that they saw something in my writing which caused them to ask if I'd be interested in doing some writing for Lamplighter Ministries! I was overwhelmed with the possibilities that seemed to be suddenly blooming on my horizon...you see, I had already been approached about the opportunity in Romania. I was praying about that and already sensed that it was a God thing. So now I began to wonder if I could do both....go to Romania and write for Lamplighter! I sincerely hoped the two would not oppose each other, because I thought both were open doors from God. Working with Lamplighter was becoming my new dream, and I was intensely interested in pursuing the invitation!
Over the course of the next several days I was in contact with Lamplighter leadership and waiting to hear more details on what they had in mind, yet I knew that I needed to give my answer about Romania soon. As I was praying one morning about the tension in my heart, God showed me that I was holding back from deciding about Romania out of fear that I would lose the Lamplighter opportunity, but that I had no valid reason not to say yes. I believe He was telling me to give my yes to Romania in faith and surrender the results to Him. So that day I wrote to my missionary friends and told them I was coming to Romania. And the very next day, I was finally able to speak with someone about the opportunity with Lamplighter. I learned that what they had in mind would require me to come to their headquarters and start within weeks....even sooner than I would have been free from my current commitment with my grandparents. Because I had already made the decision to go to Romania, the timing would not work out. Yet even during that conversation, I had peace that I made the right decision, and in my heart I knew that the door to Lamplighter could still be open for another time. They encouraged me to pray about coming for an internship, which was already on my heart.
So during the next few months, as we worked to get my grandparents through their transition and I embarked on my two-month venture in Romania, I continued to pray about Lamplighter. The dream to work with the ministry in whatever capacity I could stayed alive in my heart, and shortly before I returned from Romania, I officially applied for an internship. By the time I got home, I was 90 percent sure that I'd be going to serve with Lamplighter Ministries.
The month and a half since has been a time of wrestling, of seeking confirmation, of discussing details with Lamplighter leadership, of fighting enemy attack....all in the midst of the holiday clamor at home and travels and family drama! This has felt like an uphill climb! But if it had been smooth sailing, there would be cause for concern. Lamplighter is a God-honoring, fast expanding ministry....a bright light in the darkness....and the team there is frequently experiencing enemy attack because of the threat they pose to Satan's kingdom. It should come as no surprise that I've been under attack in my quest to join them....in fact, I take it as confirmation that God is leading me there!
What is Lamplighter all about, you may ask? At the close of Jesus' earthly ministry, before He returned to Heaven, He gave all of His present and future followers a command: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations....teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...." Matthew 28:19-20
Biblical discipleship is at the heart of Lamplighter's ministry. Borrowing from their website, 'The mission of Lamplighter Ministries is to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, by building Christ-like character one story at a time.' How did Jesus communicate life-changing truths? Through story telling. As a publisher of exemplary books and creator of compelling audio dramas, Lamplighter Ministries strives to produce stories that will do the same. Since the printing of their first book in 1997, Lamplighter now has over 200 titles....each carefully chosen because the Word of God comes alive in these stories with the power to transform lives. As they seek to creatively connect God's Word to the hearts of those who are perishing, the leadership at Lamplighter is also committed to inspire and motivate the next generation of Christ's disciples to live a life of excellence.
Their focus is two-fold: 'Preparing people to serve the Lord through internal character development and external career preparation.' 2 Peter 1 tells us that as followers of Christ, we are called to partner with Him in His divine nature! As Master Creator, Jesus' nature is to create....and He invites each one of us to imitate and reflect His creative excellence in the unique gifts He has given to us, in a way that tells His redemptive story to the world.
The mission of Lamplighter's internship program is, and I quote: 'to promote the development of gifts and talents in an atmosphere where passion and faith meet purpose. Each intern will be encouraged to grow in wisdom and an intimate knowledge of God's Word, to become a lifelong learner, and a dedicated follower and creative reflection of Jesus Christ.' I believe God is leading me to Lamplighter as an opportunity to embark on a path of greater discovery. My hope is to discover how I can develop and cultivate my God-given abilities into the highest level of skill and excellence. As an intern, I will be there to serve the ministry wherever there is need. This may or may not involve writing, which is my primary creative passion, but there will be plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. The possibilities include work in the book bindery and bookstore, assisting with office support, customer service, promotion and marketing, landscaping and general maintenance.
This is not a platform for self-promotion, but rather a stage for God to showcase His incredible strength through my weakness. I've been fighting a lot of fear and doubt because I know my history, I know my own failure to make the most of every opportunity, and I know I am not sufficient for the task that lies before me.....BUT MY GOD IS! In His amazing mercy, God continues to work to strip away self so that I can fix my eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and the Finisher of my faith! I've been told to expect my weaknesses to be exposed in my time with Lamplighter, and that the more vulnerable I'm willing to be, the greater potential there is for growth and transformation. With this in mind, my prayer is that God develops the humility of Christ in me, teaches me to glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me, and brings me to the full conviction of His all-sufficient nature!
This post is my attempt to create a basic picture of where I am headed for the next few months. I hope it is coherent and interesting. I'm leaving in two days (this Friday!), it feels a bit like jumping off a cliff, and focus is hard to hold onto in the chaos of last-minute preparations. I will be interning at Lamplighter headquarters in Mount Morris, New York. The internship is potentially three months long, but it will be evaluated one month at a time. There may be possibilities of a longer, more in-depth internship after three months. I hope to keep my readers informed about my doings, but I don't know how much time I'll have for blogging. However, keep your eyes open for a Facebook page where I will try to keep my friends updated, post prayer needs, and provide links to any related blogging. I will also post links to Lamplighter's website, for those who are interested.
Until next time, my friends.....let us run with endurance the race set before us! "Behold, I AM with you always, to the end of the age." -Jesus, from Matthew28:20
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