AFY NGT

So this past weekend I traveled to Denver, Colorado. I was invited to speak at InterVarsity's Board meeting on "Christian Students Today." I had thirty minutes to present and then an hour of Q&A. Little old me. Speaking to the board. Out of hundreds of IV staff around the country. I was pretty stoked.

Saturday morning I was looking over my talk and trying to keep myself from getting overly-caught up in the moment. I wanted to keep perspective. So the Lord brought to mind a Scripture I read earlier in the week: "Apart from you, I have no good thing." Psalm 16.

So I meditated on that, repeating it over and over again while I was in the shower, shaving, getting dressed. Apart from the Lord, none of what I said or did was a good thing. And not just that moment, not just that presentation. All my husbanding and parenting and meeting with students and speaking and leading and listening and serving are no good apart from the Lord.

Apart From You, I have No Good Thing. AFY NGT. I wrote those letters in pen on the inside of my wrist. I tried to meditate on it, to think on it, to pray it, all day long.

I wanted what I said to bless and inform the board. I had a job to do, I had been called to serve, not advance myself. This was a cool opportunity, but done apart from the Lord it was no longer a good thing--at least not for me, anyway. I could say good things that the Lord might use, but in terms of who I am becoming and what kind of character I'm developing and the intent of the Lord to bless me with this experience, it could be possible to miss it. I didn't want to do that.

"AFY NGT."

And so I presented. 1:30 Mountain Time to a warm and friendly crowd of about 25 people who all love the Lord and want to see InterVarsity grow in our ministry to students. It went extremely well. The questions they asked were wise and thoughtful. I had a ton of fun.

I just got back a couple of hours ago. I think I did what I was supposed to do there, especially the work of not missing the blessing of doing it in and through and with the Lord.

"Apart from you, I have no good thing."