40 Days - Day 38

Hi. I'm Natalie Miles. I'm pretty new to The People's Church youth group still, but some of you should know me or at least see me sing on Wednesday nights. This youth group has been such a blessing in my life and a total answer to prayer. My entire life, prior to TPC, had consisted of being pushed away and excluded from every youth group I had tried to become a part of. Before I met Brad Perry, I had gotten to a point in my life where I didn't know what I believed in anymore. I had basically almost completely given up on God. I desired nothing more than to do everything and anything that would go against my parents, and in turn, God's will. But God has a funny way of having His sovereign hand on everything.

About two weeks after I decided I was done with the whole Christian thing, I met Brad through Dale Lipscomb, whom I had known for about a year. Brad and I were instant friends, but hanging out was always an issue because I always was doing other things. Then he invited me to come to youth group with him. Now, as I said before, youth groups were a pretty sore spot for me. Because of what I had been through, my heart was cold towards them. But I agreed. That Wednesday was the very first Wednesday Nathan Oates spoke. I was almost in tears the entire time. I knew that night this place was going to be different. And it was.

In the past six months or so, I have been involved in the youth group; I have never felt more loved and accepted. Even as I type this, I'm fighting tears because what I was met with at TPC was the one thing I always craved and was never given, no matter where I went. The people I've met are so sincere and crave God and want to do His Will so much so that I can see it on their faces, in their eyes, in what they do. I truly believe that this youth group was everything I needed to pull me back to what I needed more than anything, everything I was running away from.

So my prayer for Winter Retreat is that someone who is in the same boat I was in comes just because their friend asked them to. And that we greet them with the same open, loving, sincere arms that I was greeted with. That we show them not only WHO God is, but who God can be in their lives. I also pray that God will constantly remind us that we are not our own and that it is NOT ABOUT US. It is about Him and Him living through us even if we can't possibly see how.

"There is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries." Daniel 2:28a NIV

It's going to be awesome guys.

Natalie Miles