We’re HALF way through the week and I have such an inspiring post for you today! Yesterday I talked about Passion 2012’s “Do Something Now” cause and now I want to tell you how this played out in the four days I spent in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a conference for college-aged students, so you can imagine the amount of ramen noodle eating, searching the couch for change kind of people that filled the dome. ;)
But, our goal was to raise 1 million dollars to end slavery. One million dollars in four days. From college students. Some would think that is crazy and unattainable. But, our God doesn’t like to put labels on certain groups of people. If you wanted us to give 1 million dollars, we would do it.
The Passion 2012 team talked a lot about Do Something Now. By the beginning of day 2, they had already inspired college students to give to all of their ability.
By that afternoon, 500,000 dollars had been given.
Our voice was being heard.
After you gave, you got a small white flag that would be your “ticket” onto the international plaza in front of the dome. Once on the plaza, we helped to create a visual sign that we are NOT going to allow slavery to continue.
This giant hand was constructed from item that are most commonly made my slaves. Christmas ornaments, denim, soccer balls… items that we would never connect to slavery. It also consisted of thousands and thousands of white flags that had been made and sent to us by freed slaves in India. Once we got on the plaza, we grabbed a marker and a soccer ball, blue jeans, or a white flag and got to writing. We wrote prayers and words of freedom, then our piece was placed on the giant hand.
I loved that this hand represented the hands of the people rising up to stand against slavery. I love that this was a hand of hope.
On our very last night at Passion we all silently gathered around the hand with only candle light illuminating the sky. At 12 o’clock midnight we illuminated the hand.
I love that we have the opportunity to be the generation that says NO MORE to slavery. We can be a united generation.
At the very last session Louie gave a talk that really stuck to me.
As we grow up, we are constantly asked “what’s next”?
When you’re in high school, it’s “where are you going to college”.
In your freshman year, it’s “What are you going to major in".
Then it’s, “what are you going to do this summer.”
Then, “what are you going to do”.
Then, “where are you going to live”.
The questions never end and then you’re left thinking that once this, this, this, and this happen, something big will happen in your life. Something that matters.
TODAY MATTER. This season matters.
“God can do anything and everything and it starts the DAY you come alive in Christ. Not when, when, when, when, when.”
We don’t have to wait to be 25, or stable in a job, or married, or running to PTA meetings in order for our life to matter. We are meant to do something NOW. We are alive in Christ to live NOW.
We’re not too young, we’re not too poor.
That was obviously learned at Passion 2012.
The goal was the raise 1 million dollars in a 4 day time span.
We didn’t do that.
We raised over THREE MILLION DOLLARS in a four day time span.
You’re just in college? You’re just single? You’re just poor?
No, you’re not. Because a lot of poor, single, college students got together last week and made a difference in the name of Jesus.
Don’t you count yourself out.
YOU are meant to make a difference that only YOU can make.
Rise up!
