Praise the Lord!

Can I just tell you that the Lord is good? The Lord is good! I want to share why real quick. My brother graduated from high school yesterday - Go Brother! (sorry Ally, CHARLES, not Samuel... she always bugs me for just saying "brother" and not clarifying which one). And not only he graduated but also of my youth group girls that I used to lead a bible study for and who I love so very much in my heart - and when they walked at graduation almost ALL of them had written in their "future plans statement" that they read while you walk something about following and loving their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like 5 of them in a row. It made me cry. I NEVER cry at graduations or weddings or whatever. But it was so beautiful.
So that night I was a chaperone at their senior all night party, so I got to see all of them flitting around the party and having a good time and it was great to get to congradulate all of them and hug on them and everything - but that's all I was really expecting. Towards the end of the night I was off chaperoning duty but was still hanging around with the "kids" for a bit and two of these darling girls sat me down and started seriously asking advice and sharing about their fears and sharing about what they'd been learning and what they'd been struggling with. And it was like, I was there, but almost not really. It was like I got to just step back and WATCH the Holy Spirit pour his love out of me. I felt for those girls in a way that only happens when I'm in ministry and I know is a love only the Lord can provide - it's very different than a normal human affection. And I could express it and share with them in ways I know I'm not capable of. The Holy Spirit is SO beautiful to see close up. To see from the inside out.
As I listed to their fears and their struggles I realized that that was the EXACT same place I had been in 2 or 3 years ago, everything they were saying were words that had come out of my mouth at some point. But I also realized that the Lord has changed me since then and he has made me new and that I have moved on from those struggles (and into new ones of course) but that he has overcome them in me! So as I shared I could be actaully be honest. I could understand them and I could offer them hope. REAL hope, not some wish washy typical Christian advice, but drawing from actual experience.
And all I can say is Praise the Lord! He is so good! His blessings really are new every moring (even at 3:00 in the morning). He wants to bless all of us like that and to pour his love through us into the world. Praise the Lord!