Harvest U 2014 Day 1: Chocolate Cake Shake

Today began with a terrifyingly loud alarm at 4:30am. Today continued in a van full of conversation that often went over my head. Today ended with a discussion about the finer points of Cars, Planes, and How To Train Your Dragon with a pastor’s two kids. Today a team from my church, Harvest Bible Chapel Lancaster, drove twelve hours to Chicago in order to participate in Harvest University, which kicks off tomorrow evening.I’m so incredibly thrilled to be part of this. I’m going to try to blog daily while the conference is going on to keep you updated on happenings and to record my insights and keep track of what God may be doing and saying to me. I ask that you would douse me in prayer (figuratively imagine drenching me in prayer, I’m totally cool with you drowning me in those waters) as I’m really hoping God will reveal some of His ideas for my life over the course of this trip. Or at least work in ways I can’t predict right now.

And so far, even though the conference hasn’t yet started, God is proving that He has something amazing up His sleeve. During the long drive, I shared some of my composition work with another guy from church whom I don’t know all that well. He encouraged me to pursue it more intentionally, to reach out to other composers and network. Said I had a gift that should be kept on a computer where no one else will hear it. Not only were his comments encouraging, they also brought me back to thinking that maybe God does have more in store for me music-composition-wise. Perhaps music composition wasn’t just a college experience. Perhaps it won’t just be a hobby. I don’t really know, but maybe I shouldn’t brush off music composition as a no-go as a career just yet.

This same individual also encouraged me to really pursue relationships over the course of this conference. Which is something I privately decided I would do, but now that it’s out in the open, I’ll be held accountable to it. Often when I go to things like these, I like to sit back and watch everything happen and pray that the right person would come up to me and start a conversation. I do little to put myself out there and introduce myself. I’m determined not to let that happen this time. So I also ask you, friend, to hold me accountable to stepping out of my comfort zone and building relationships over the course of Harvest University.

Finally, this evening, I was working on some (overdue) homework for a class I’m taking at church called Life^N, and had a revelation of sorts: I’ve been searching for some sort of ideal career that would fit all my giftings and desires, when perhaps God doesn’t intend on providing me that one illusive career. What if I simply follow God’s direction and pursue the gifts He’s given me through every door He opens? Maybe that means no secure, set job with a secure, set income. But that shouldn’t bother me. In Christ is my security, and He will provide for all my needs.

I hope this is cohesive enough for you to understand. It’s been a long day. I’m so encouraged by how much I’ve learned in one day already though, and the actual event itself hasn’t even started!

Oh, and for dinner we ate at a place called Portillo’s and they have a fantastic desert milkshake called the Chocolate Cake Shake. It’s delicious.

To bed I go,

Chad