Desiring More

Raquel Mentor February 18, 2021

Desiring More

For Jodi, born and raised in the Adventist community, the pattern of attending weekly church services, joining her local Pathfinder club and choosing baptism played out right on time. Jodi loved her community; she loved her church; she loved God. However, it wasn’t until recently that she learned what it means to live out her faith.

For many years, her faith was cemented in the community and friendship: helping out with A/V on Sabbath mornings, doing special music, becoming a Pathfinder staff member. Little did she know that a summer camp experience would ignite a desire for more.

With a sweet hint of nostalgia in her voice, she shared: “I’m sure I’ve encountered [moments of faith] in the past, but I know I consciously told myself that I wanted to choose to live out my faith and show others who God is to me almost two or three years ago on a Friday night at summer camp.”

That Friday night at Timber Ridge Camp, the camp staff led out in worship songs and Indiana Youth director Charlie Thompson shared a powerful message. As the altar call echoed in her ears, she responded. Although she had thought about revisiting her baptismal commitment the previous summer, Jodi knew as she walked to the stage that this time it was different: this time she was committing to an entirely new relationship with God.

Since then, Jodi’s involvement in the church reflects her inner commitment to reflect Jesus intentionally — day in, day out. Her outpouring into her community reflects the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into her life.

“I’ve been doing daily devotionals on a Bible app that I have, so I think that’s part of what helps keep me connected to Jesus during busy weeks. Now, every week for the past couple of months, my youth group meets on Zoom for about an hour or two to pray together. It’s been one of the biggest blessings I could ever ask for in such a busy, hectic, stressful week.”

When church doors closed and community became digital, Jodi’s goal remained the same: to show God’s love to others. “I do strongly believe that, in my day-to-day life, the best way to live out my faith is to love the way Jesus did, the way Jesus does,” she says. “I want to live my life in a way that God can work in me and others can see Him through me.”

Raquel Mentor is a Social Media manager, assisting various conferences in creating a community presence online.