Chicago Reunion - Christine Lee (class of ‘07)

Hello!  This past weekend (August 21-22) we had a 2007-2009 GLDI reunion. Six of us attended, and it was a time of prayer, praise, and good discussion too.

Pastor Joshua talked to us about ten qualities of a servant. God has given us high standards for us while we’re on earth, so he challenges me. We must reach to be like Jesus, since we’re so unlike him but must strive to be like him, since this is how our lives are lived best.  One of the hardest things for me and for a lot of us was about addiction. It’s so easy to be on the internet for hours without a clear purpose. God is not pleased with this. Our self-declared “five minutes” turns into an hour of wasted time God had entrusted to us. When I use the internet, it must also be for his glory. I must change for God’s glory to be increased.

Yunski brought up the future for GLDI alumni — what do we do from here, post-GLDI? We share an interesting bond. We don’t have to hide anything and can go straight to the core with sincerity and honesty, even if we just met. Perhaps this isn’t 100% true, but it’s truer than with other people I am around. This is refreshing and encouraging! Jesus makes the GLDI bond very special.

The passion and joy of following Christ was evident. Even though we’re not perfect, we have this desire in us to follow Christ. He encourages us to “do life together” (as my friends at Lakeview sometimes call it) — to keep each other accountable, to help each other grow. We talked a lot about this. We must truly help each other have this amazing joy that Christ gives through his love for us. This joy, this love, is why we live.

So where do we go from here? I am encouraged by my brothers and sisters that GLDI’s impact on my life does not have to end without meaning. I have this fear that we will fall away from the Lord, that we will drop the ball and forget about God’s kingdom, the visions and the dreams he puts in our hearts. But we must push on, meet together and help each other. Being a little lazy (which I am often) could keep God from being glorified through my life, and I cannot let this happen. I fight my skeptical side, which defends itself by saying it’s realistic, practical, and grounded. But by underestimating him, I rob everyone of God’s power, making me a serious thief.

The little things must change. I was tired yesterday and was very rude to my roommate. I wasted another 15 minutes on the internet. I was ungrateful. I forgot about people and thought of myself.  These things can change — they might still happen, but less. Each day is new. We must replace these negative things with ways to honor God. He must be in the center of my life so that others can see him, be with him, and gain eternal freedom. If I truly love him, then this will matter.

I pray that all six of us, all the GLDI alumni, will become more kingdom-minded, that will have some amazing ups and some downs to tell each other whenever we see each other again. I pray that we will joyfully tell each other how God has challenged and grown us, how we were faithful when he called, and how we came back to his arms when we had turned away from him. I pray that he will use us as part of his plan to transform this nation and beyond.

Christine Lee