by Kevin Turbeville
Anywhere you look, whether it be a plant, an animal, a business, a church, growth occurs only if the conditions are right. Some of those conditions include an adequate supply of the proper nutrients, a nurturing atmosphere, and room for growth. Oddly, a condition that is usually not planned for, but eventually happens, if growth continues for a long enough period of time either causes the stagnation and decay of an organism or causes it to adapt and become more resilient than ever before. Adversity will either "kill you or make you stronger". Adversity comes in many forms and is hardly ever welcome but nonetheless necessary to ensure the validity of an organism's attempt at reaching competency. I say competency because no one ever goes above or beyond what they are able to do, they merely realize their potential.
The challenge lies in reaching your level of competency. Being here this summer has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. The adversity of coming from a background with no experience in even being in a youth group, not to mention helping to lead one, has been a joy to overcome. Just as I was challenged this summer I would like to challenge you to make the most of every opportunity that is most assuredly coming your way.
Having the opportunity to come to Mt. Juliet this summer presented an unbelievable occasion for me to grow as a Christian, as well as gain important skills necessary for success in my chosen field. Little did I know that the amount of growth would be of such exponential proportions. The congregation and work here at Mt Juliet can only be summed up through the following passage,
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard
neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God has
prepared for them that love Him."
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
God has so much in store for the congregation here and it has been amazing to be a part of it even if only for ten weeks.