A few hours ago, I got back from BUMP in the Twin Cities. As always, it was an incredible experience! I'll explain BUMP quickly. Basically, it stands for Bridging Urban Missions Project. A bunch of churches from other cities partner with inner-city churches in Minneapolis and do things like block parties, VBS, and soccer camps. Lots of cool stuff happened (including conversions!), but probably the coolest part for me was getting to know my group better. However selfish that may sound, just give me a chance to explain myself. Yes, the purpose of this mission trip was to share Christ, and we did! God was the center of this week, and that was the sweetest part.
Here's where the title of the post comes into play.
On this trip, there were 15 people, 7 girls and 8 boys, plus our youth pastor. I was friends with all of the girls, but the boys were kind of more like acquaintances. I knew Ayom, Reese, and Hudson pretty well, but the other boys (Carey, Nathan, Daniel, Andrew, and Ethan)... not so much! But this week, God really shows me how Christianity changes boys into men.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” -John 13:35
This week, the guys from my church had servants' hearts. That sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true. For example, this morning, we had to have our extra mattresses and luggage down in the lobby by 8AM. Carey, Grant, Hudson, and Ayom showed up at our door at 7:45 to take it all down for us. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it really is! This simple action shows that they really do want to help us girls out, even if there's nothing in it for them. God showed me how they can be an example for me in my life- by taking our stuff down to the lobby for us, they're showing their love for us, which mirrors Christ's love for us. This small gesture will definitely impact how I treat people at school when it starts in a month. Their actions remind me that people who know I'm a Christian will be watching my every move. Will I be loving everyone I come in contact with? God really used these men to impact my life. (Sorry, off topic tangent!)
Anyways, back to the real topic! I remember some of these guys (Hudson and Ayom) before they were Christians. I love these guys now, but before, they were just jerks. I remember that Hudson used to leave youth group during the sermon and go chuck rocks at the side of the church. He was obnoxious and rude and mean, and no one really wanted to be around him. Ayom was always making mean jokes and making fun of people. Sometimes, when I think of these two guys, these are the versions of them I think of. I mean, it was only a year or two ago when they were like this. That's what made getting to know them more this week even better- knowing where they came from. This week, they were the perfect Christian gentlemen. Us girls never had to open our own doors, carry our own shopping bags, or put our own dirty dishes away. They always eagerly volunteered to do it. The coolest part was that it wasn't only Hudson and Ayom, but all 8 guys acted this way! The boys really showed their love for us by the little things they did, and I know for a fact that non-Christians took notice and wondered why they were doing this. Like Lecrae says in one of his songs- "if you catch me giving up money so someone can eat, it's really God working in me, I'm not that sweet". I know that these guys weren't this sweet before they came in contact with God. I love love love seeing the change in them!
Another example. About a month ago, when I was in Colorado for a conference with church, we were given a little list of characteristics that a true man of God would have. We laughed at it and called it dumb and cheesy, but now that I'm looking back on it, I realize that most of the things on that list are true. The top characteristic on the list was "He talks about God more than himself." I laughed at that bullet point and said something along the lines of "HA, I'll spend forever trying to find a guy who fits that description!" (I could go on about pride & humility, but I'll save that for a different post!) But God definitely had a plan to prove me wrong.
My friend Abby had a friend in Minneapolis who we met at a Christian conference named Ben, so we invited him to come hang out with us one night. He came, and we were all playing a game, when this sweet guy named Ethan pulled me aside and asked "Who is Abby's friend?" I told him he was Abby's friend Ben, and we met him at a Christian conference. The very next question he asked was, "Does he have a firm standing with the Lord?", and that just blew me away. I figured he would ask something like "Oh, are they dating?" or "How old is he?", ya know? But nope, the first thing he asked about was Ben's relationship with the Lord. Obviously, if Ethan wasn't a Christian himself, this question wouldn't have even crossed his mind. This one single question that Ethan asked was an obvious indication of where his heart is, and I love that. I told the other girls what Ethan and I's conversation was, and they all went "awww"! God really changes guys. When they go from non-Christian to Christian, the change is so obvious.
Last night, we were at a place where there were lots of young ladies in short dresses. I was nervous for the guys; I was nervous that they'd feel super uncomfortable or tempted. To my surprise, (I guess I shouldn't have been surprised), any time they'd see a girl coming, they'd just close their eyes, and they even asked us girls to warn them if one was going to come up behind them. And once again, this wasn't only a couple guys, but most (if not all) of them! I felt so respected and loved. Our guys were trying so hard to stay pure, and I really admire them. To me, I think this is one of the ultimate measures of a man- purity. How they will do whatever it takes to keep those thoughts out of their heads. I love that. In my opinion, trying to be pure is the most attractive thing in a man. :)
I loved getting to spend last week with this group of kind, chivalrous, and Godly men. Lots of testimonies were shared, even had a few "cry sesh"s (not really, but we did in theory :)), and we were all able to help each other through a lot this week. I sincerely love every guy from FEFC who was at BUMP. God showed me that most men of the world act rude or mean, because they haven't realized God's love for them, but true men of faith love people the way God loves them. These were only a few examples from this week (I have dozens more), but I think I've demonstrated my point. I love the change that happens in a guy's heart when they encounter God. Boys to men.
