Rebelution Conference. . .Always Learning

The screen which did all the polls, the pictures, and the texts.

I’ve always been a Rebelution fan. Now that I think about it, I don’t even remember how it came about. But it did and I have read not only Do Hard Things and Start Here but many of the books written by their eldest brother Josh Harris as well. I love the website, I love the books, I LOVED the conference. It was neat sitting two rows back looking at real people, who up until that point had just been 1-D images on the back of my book.

Alex Harris talking about George, Clara, and David.

Before I get into everything, I need to say if the Rebelution conference ever comes near you, you have to go. I also should warn you to bring a package of tissues, but I’ll get into that in a minute. This conference was actually different because Josh Harris did a session instead of Greg Harris (the dad). For those that don’t know, their mother, Sono, passed away July 4th of this year. That was one of the reasons why I needed tissues – Joel Harris played a song in remembrance of her and the hope we have of eternal life with Christ. The faith and foundation of the family was incredible. Which is the perfect lead in to what God has been teaching me. . .

Joel Harris playing a song that has comforted him in the passing of his mother.

For the past, probably two years, I have been praying for God to reveal His plans for my life. But not really. See, I prayed that I wanted God to show me His will, and I even think I genuinely meant that, but I wasn’t truly listening for HIS answer. Why? Because I had a nice little answer formed in my own head and I searching avidly for THAT answer. The problem was that my ideas of God’s plan weren’t actually coinciding with God’s plan.

Before the conference, God had given me the image that I was standing with my back up against a wall, praying for Him to bring the door or opportunity to me. God doesn’t want that; He wants me to walk forward, learning and growing until I reach the door He has put in front of me. So that is what I have been doing – the small hard things. . .

Someone reading Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris

But God wasn’t through talking yet. God also revealed that I didn’t have the “rock” foundation I thought I had. After seeing how the Harris’ responded after the death of their mother, and listening to Josh’s session on having a life built on stone (“stone” being God), I realized that because I had been visualizing my plans, not God’s, that God was not the primary focus of my life. So I removed distractions. No T.V. this week, no “romantic” books, nothing that gets into my mind and makes me wish for my ideal plans, not God’s. After about a week, I have. . .

-Finally been hearing all the amazing things God wants to show me. For example, the other night, God led me to Psalm 119. It was like He was speaking, saying that He has heard my prayers, and He does understand my heart.

-Finally been able to honestly pray “God, you know what I need and I expect You will meet those needs.” This was a milestone for me in two ways. First, I came to the realization that what I think my needs are may not be the needs that God sees. God knows my heart better than I do, and He will meet the needs that He knows need to be met. I also came to expect those needs to be met. Before I couldn’t pray this because, honestly, I didn’t expect God to meet my needs because I felt like He hadn’t met them in the past. The problem was not that He hadn’t met them, but that He hadn’t met the needs that I thought needed to be met. It was a point of complete surrender.

Joshua Harris giving a session on having God as your only foundation.

I wish I could bottle up everything God has taught me, all the peace, content, and love I feel in Him, and give some to you! I feel like I can’t do an adequate enough job explaining it all. I finally feel like God has me where He wants me and that He will use me for His glory now in amazing ways, and He will use me for His glory later in amazing ways. It all just feels right.

Now, this isn’t to say life has become perfect or something. My Dad still has a job where work never really ends. Our church still has a collection of seriously lukewarm (bordering on cold. . .) people. I still wish I had friends here to help  me grow in my faith. I still wonder about who my FH is and when God is going to bring him to me. I have yet to lead anyone at Dance to a deeper relationship with Christ, and immodesty still rages on in the place we go on Fridays. But God is in control. God has and will continue to speak to me. He is my firm foundation and because of that all my needs will be met. . .

Haydo, Laney, and I with Brett Harris.

Oh, and I did say that I would tell you why you should bring tissues to a Rebelution conference. I don’t know if they do this at all their conferences but anyway. . .

Brett’s second session started out very different. He was very serious, and by the end everyone knew why. God was doing an amazing work in that auditorium. He talked about the nature of people and how we are lovers or murders – there is no in-between, though we often act like it. He then asked the entire group to answer several, anonymous poll questions about their relationship with Jesus. 9.4% said they do not have a relationship with Christ. Brett then asked those who had said no if they want one. 107 people said yes, 9 said no. I get chills thinking about this next part (I had never seen an altar call, just for the record). Brett told everyone to keep their eyes open, explaining that if someone couldn’t speak for Christ there, in a room filled with people who love and accept them, how would they ever do it in a world where people don’t love or accept you. So with all eyes open, he asked those who wanted a relationship with Christ to stand up and shout “Jesus Christ is Lord.” People were standing up everywhere – teens and parents. After someone had finished exclaiming it, someone else stood up. It was amazing. I don’t know that there was anyone, including Brett, who didn’t tear up at the incredible work God did in some of these peoples lives.

So that was my 1, 171 words on the Rebelution conference, experiencing my first altar call, hearing God, and building a true, solid foundation on Christ.