Update
I
would like to give people periodic updates on what is happening with me as I
feel I am cut off from the entirety of my community to this point. As I will share in the next post, the
trip here was marked by the power of the Holy Spirit and I was so excited to be
a part of that. I told some of you
personally but the Lord encountered me in a radical way and led me to New
York. As I look back on some of
the things he promised me, I realize he had a reason for telling me all those
things: he knew the intense warfare I would face in this city.
One
of the cool things that have happened to me since I moved to New York is
connecting with a small theatre company in Brooklyn called Irondale. Before I left for New York I did a bit
of research on companies that devise (the type of theatre I want to do). Irondale came up in my research as a
company that does this. When I got
to New York, I met with my dear friend Sam who (I had no idea) is actually
interning with them! He hooked me
up with an awesome improv class they teach and I’ve been enjoying it so much.
I
sort of a had really huge revelation from the Lord when I got there of where I
was called to be. It happened when
I attended Trinity Grace in Brooklyn.
After that I just knew I was supposed to be in Brooklyn. In New York, everyone is proud of their
boroughs and each borough has it’s own reputation. Brooklyn, particularly where I’m living, is known for white
kids with trust funds. They are
the cool, artsy, hipsters…I was not particularly excited about this revelation
at first, to say the list. It was
actually sort of more like an argument.
That’s why I know it’s the Lord.
I don’t fit into this culture at all. However, my inner artist is beginning to come alive and I’m
excited to see what happens with that!
Over
this season I clearly had a LOT of specific prayer requests and one by one God
is answering each one of them!
·
Number #1 on my list was getting a job. I procured a job at Panera, which is
such a blessing.
·
Number #2 was finding a place to live. I now have a room in a beautiful
apartment in Brooklyn, 15 minutes outside of Manhattan.
·
Number #3 was finding a community. I feel like this is in the midst of
being answered. I made a lot of
dear friends in the Bronx where I was staying but I will be leaving there (not
to say that they will be any less dear to me). Ebony, my former roommate in Missouri and dear friend, came
to join me. I have a lot of support
from random people, including my newfound theatre community at Irondale. I just recently started attending
Justice House of Prayer. Also,
come January, I will have two wonderful apartment mates!
God’s
timing
One
of the most difficult things I had to grapple with is God’s timing. I was
fasting and praying for breakthrough in finding a home on October 5 and
happened to be reading Luke 5. Is
it any wonder that verse 5 was particularly relevant to me? God likes to do that to me with
numbers. In the story Jesus tells
Simon to put out into the deep and let down his nets. Simon says, “‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the
nets.’ And when they had done
this, they enclosed a large number of fish and their nets were breaking.”
I
had written next to this in my Bible “God works contrary to logic.” I could say the same exact thing about
apartment hunting! –Lord I’ve been diligently looking since I’ve got here and
found nothing. But you tell me
when and where to look and I know I must be obedient because I will get the
abundance.
Immediately
afterwards the Lord spoke to Ebony and I to “stop.” Then the hurricane literally brought all our striving to a
halt.
I
was pretty frustrated with the Lord for a lot of things that happened after
that that I believed did not need to happen but he reminded me recently again
that he is the perfect father. He
does not step in a moment to soon or a moment too late. He cares more about our hearts than our
flesh getting what we want. He
understands our immediate pain but he sees eternity and knows what is better
for us. This was a huge revelation
for me. No wonder it says in his
word that his ways are higher than ours!
We will never get it.
I
have felt the most barren since I arrived in New York. I had to realize that all my strength
and striving meant nothing. God
had to orchestrate events. I had
to actually purposefully refuse the lies of the enemy everyday, something I’m
not too used to doing. I learned
that I can do nothing in my own power. God shows he is most faithful when we
are most unable.
I still have a lot of prayer
requests:
·
I need to find work so I can afford to live
long-term in Brooklyn. Panera’s
not cutting it. It’s really
expensive to live here and I know the Lord wants me to not only survive, but
also thrive.
·
I need prayer for continued favor in the arts
world. That I would meet the
people I need to meet to move me forward.
·
Finally, and most importantly, there’s a really
oppressive dark spirit in New York City that I have been contending with. He deals in hopelessness and feeling of
insignificance. Pray that his
power is broken and the light of truth shines through.
In conclusion, in this Christmas
season, let us remember his faithfulness.
“I am the Lord; I have called you
in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and
keep you;
I will give you a covenant for the
people, a light for the nations,
To open eyes that are blind, to
bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in
darkness” (Isa 42:6-7).
