To wrap up the summer...

Dear World,

Today was my first day of school. But I'm going to write this post as if it were yesterday. ok? ok.

Today is the last day of summer. I'm closing a lot today. A lot happened this summer. Yesterday, Saturday, I wanted to do something special to close off my summer. But I really wasn't sure. So I decided to just play it by ear. I went to church this morning and it was pretty good. But the thing that made it one of the best days of my life was when this older gentlemen, His name is Gary, came up to me and told me that he had a message from God! A message from God? What? That doesn't happen to people like me! That happens to people like l4d from camp! And Pluto. The women who's lives are completely and 100% devoted to God! Who have been through so much, and have come out on top with Jesus on their side! The women who mentored and are mentoring me through one of the toughest times of my life! This happens to women like them! Who are mature in their faith, and understand it better than me! Well, this time, I guess not. It's me. Maddie Rose Chaney. 15 years old, and taking my faith seriously for a total of 7 weeks. So, Gary leaned close to me and said into my ear so only I could hear and talked to me as if He were God himself delivering the message, "I know your feelings seem overlooked with everything that's going on, but they are not to me. I love more than you could ever know." WOAH!

I don't think I can elaborate much more about how extraordinary this was. But let me move on. After I left the main sanctuary, I went over to the youth room to hang with my buds. But something was pulling at my heart strings. What was it? I thought deeper, then knew. The wife of the pastor at our church! Her name is Mary, and she is one of the most extraordinary people I've ever met. But she wasn't singing today. She was sad. There was a lot going on in her life right now. But why? Why are you putting her on my heart God? Surely there isn't anything that I could do. Is there? Yes! Be myself! Give her a hug. Maybe, try to make her smile. Let her know that she is loved. It isn't much. It won't change how God is working in her life, or how much it might hurt her, but I've always felt that it was the little things like that that help people the most. I know they are for me. When someone walks by me and grabs my shoulder turns there head around for a moment and smiles at me always makes me the most happy. Small gestures like that. So i did, I sought her out, and found her in about 20 seconds. (she was standing in the hallway) I Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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lked to her for a minute, I kinda failed in letting her know that she was loved, but I did act like myself and everything.

All in all, this is the absolute best way I could have ever asked to end my summer. I'm going to miss it, but I'm going to go into the year that's ahead with what happened this summer as a reference. I'll never forget it and how the Lord has worked in my life and brought incredible people like l4d and Pluto into my life. But I'm also not going to look back, miserable because I can't live in what happened this summer for the rest of my life. I don't necessarily have to be excited about what's coming, but God has used SAMBICA and l4d and Pluto and the mentors and the amazing ELITEs like Lizzy Rolf and Delaney Adel and Spencer Turner to prepare me for what's coming. I can make it through anything.

God is with me. He's right there. He wants me, and I want Him! I have several people that I've met this summer that I know are more than willing to talk to me about absolutely anything. If I need to scream and yell and vent, they'll listen, and if I need to cry and ball and brake down, they'll comfort, and if I'm lost and don't know what to do, they'll point me to Jesus and remind me that He is the only way and show me how much I've made it through already. I love them all. Words can't describe how much you all have helped me and how much you all mean to me. You truly have no idea how much God has used you all in my life. You are forever apart of it.

Thank you God for everything you've given me, and the chance you gave me to go to SAMBICA this summer. Thank you for the people you've brought into my life, like the ones I've said here, thank you for revealing yourself to me this summer and really telling me how much you love me and how you will be there to take care of me. I will be OBSESSED with you Lord. You have shown me what it's like to lean on you, and now I will fall on you. I love you God!! Thank you so much for this summer!

In Him,
Maddie

Source: http://sambicaelite.blogspot.com/2010/08/to-wrap-up-summer.html