“In all my sorrows, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
In every victory, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
Than any comfort, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
More than all riches, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
And our souls declaring, Jesus is better
Make my heart believe
And our song eternal, Jesus is better, make my heart believe
Glory, glory, we have no other king
But Jesus Lord of all”
Jesus is Better By: Austin Stone Worship
I keep counting down the days until launch. Some days I am excited, while other days I feel nauseated. 54 days from now I will be headed to boot camp. Being completely transparent, today is one of the days where I feel sick. Seeking peace from the Lord is a necessity now more than ever. On the good days and the not so good ones, He is still on the throne. Jesus is better.
Since my last blog, I have been to boot camp, lead worship at some summer camps, grown past relationships, and formed new ones. God has been SO faithful to His call on my life through this mission. He has continued to provide in ways I didn’t even know I needed. June 16th, 2021 is a special day in my book. This day is not only the birthday of a sweet mom in the faith, but also the day I got to officially meet my squad. I have never been so close to forty people so fast. The Lord divinely selected the activation squad knowing what we all brought to the table. Love is not an easy word for me to use, but I love this squad and I mean it.
Boot camp consisted of worshipping Jesus through living in a tent-even when it was storming outside, taking bucket showers, “fun” eating experiences, being away from technology, utilizing porta-potties, and getting out of the comfort zone we all knew. Worshipping Jesus at boot camp also looked like serving others, learning to communicate well, dancing, singing so loud we lost our voices, lifting our hands in surrender to the Lord, sitting under teachings from the Word, participating in debrief, and so much more. For me, a lot of boot camp was learning a fresh perspective. Kneeling at the feet of Jesus feeling like a young child again. Going back to the roots of what I know instead of focusing on the walls and barriers I had in front of me. Camp looked like listening to the Holy Spirit over my own chaos and being reminded that He is bigger than all of the junk I was carrying around. Simply being reminded that Jesus is better.
The Lord continues to provide illustrations to me to aid in my understanding of the Word and how to follow Him. For example, one night at boot camp I was getting ready for bed and I placed my sweatshirt next to my sleeping bag in case I got cold that night. Right before I turned off my flashlight, I noticed a fuzz on the sweatshirt. As I was grasping said fuzz I quickly figured out that it had legs! I simultaneously screamed and threw that caterpillar so hard that I heard it hit the other side of my tent. My tent neighbors quickly asked if I was okay and I explained the situation at hand. Jesus is better than any comfort.
The next morning during my devotion time we read through John 15:1-8. Verses three and four really stuck out to me. They say, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
This is a piece of the prayer I wrote that morning at camp: “I pray I become less and that I live a lifestyle of selflessness while exuding the fruits of the Spirit. I pray I will throw my idols down as quickly and as fast as I did the caterpillar last night. The creature was not where it belonged; the idols have no place here. We are spoken for by Christ. Paid at a high cost. I pray I live a life showing-through my actions- that I truly believe that.”
Another morning at boot camp we read through Matthew 16: 24-28. Verse 24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Y’all. After reading this it’s almost like I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit say, “Katelyn. You can’t pick up your cross if your hands are full.” The whole day this sat with me. When you see me walking around, I always have something in my hand. Even more than that, I was trying to balance so much on my plate of life that I was about to drop it all. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Worship until. Worship is a response to what God has done in our lives. I worship a good and big God. I don’t worship just when life is good, I worship without ceasing because God is good. True worship is not circumstantial. Jesus is better.
