I Found God at the Corner of 1st and Amistad...

Today was a very emotional and uplifting day for me.

I work with a wonderfully blessed youth pastor who encourages and helps me every day. He is a kind spirit and allows God to use him to the fullest. I was feeling really down lately because of everything going on. I have strayed so far away from God that I thought there was no way I could come back.

He spent almost 2 hours talking, praying, mentoring, and helping me to find peace of mind that can only be found through the Word. I spent much of that time crying and praying. He is what I call a "Real Life" pastor. He has lived life and seen so much. When he talks and preaches it feels like I am just having a conversation with a friend. I needed that.

As we sat in the car talking about any and everything, it made me think of the song by The Fray "You Found Me". The first line of that song describes my experience tonight..."I found God at the corner of 1st and Amistad". I have been searching for God for a few months now, never making time for Him, finding excuses not to go to worship, reasons why I couldn't tithe, justifying my absence from small groups, wondering why everything I touched turned to sand. It was all because I was not right with God. I found Him again tonight and it felt better than the first time. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I could stand tall and walk with my head up, not afraid of the future anymore. For once in my life, the pieces were coming together quicker than I ever imagined they could.

Faith. I once spoke on having faith the size of a mustard seed. That's all it takes. I have to admit that my pastor never gave up on me. He would always remind me to turn to God, not to man. I listened, but never really heard him. Tonight, I was able to hear him. I was able to feel the chills that came over my body when I decided to give my life back to Christ. I understand that God is not trapped in a church or at a worship service. God is everywhere. I was able to reach out to Him, at any time and at any place...even if it was at the corner of 1st and Amistad.