Refinement
When I packed my bags and set off on my adventure to Georgia I really didn’t have a clue what exactly I was getting myself into. Aside from all the vision casting and stories I had heard, it was one of those “you won’t know until you experience it for yourself” type of deals. And at first I would get frustrated when I would hear that line, because I love to plan and have things set for me, especially when I am making big sacrifices to make it happen (like move my whole life to another state thats many hours away with no job, no family, and very little money). But I’ve been down here for 3 weeks, and like everyone told me, it is unlike anything I expected. So I will try my best to put into words what my time has been like, for all my supporters out there.
A typical week in CGA is set up a lot like college class, except you have to show up. And by that I mean you need to physically be present and also mentally be ready to jump into the conversation, have questions, and be engaged… so maybe not like college too much. Each day in class looks much different than the day before or the one following. On Mondays we don’t have to be at the office until 9!!!! (woooo) and at 9 we do staff worship/teaching with all of AIM staff. Then around 10:30 we wrap up and head to our CGA space and start our long day of the week. We normally go from about 10:30-12 with a teaching, then lunch, and we continue our teaching from 1-5.
It just depends who is teaching us on Monday, its typically different every week.
Then Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday class starts at 8:15 and goes until 12 and each of those days has a different focus. Whether that be a discussion on a book we’ve read, learning about something new/a teaching, team building, or worship. Each of these spaces are so individual and each created with being vulnerable with ourselves and our classmates. Sharing the hard things, speaking out if you disagree, and helping your instructor ask questions and help guide you to the conclusion that you need/want.
Wednesday is the odd day of the week but actually not really because its so good. On Wednesdays we start at 7:15 (wow thats early; especially for this girl because I live 18 minutes from the office so hot dang mom you would be proud of me) and from 7:15-8:30 is a space carved out for fundraising. Now this space is only a requirement if you haven’t met your funding deadline, but unfortunately I haven’t so I have been every week. However, it is a really nice space dedicated to writing blogs, creating newsletters, working on mail I’m sending out to my donors, sending messages, and anything else I need to do to be fully funded. And its a place for me to be intentional for being thankful for all the Lord has provided, will provide, and the people He has used to do so.
Then from 8:30-9:30 we do a bible study and from 9:30-12 we have a teaching.
So as you can see each day is jam packed with such good things. Most of the time those good things are also hard things but because they challenge me and make me look deeper into myself. This is really hard most days and some times I am not ready to open the wounds that are there or as my instructor Ben would say, I just don’t want to open those things up yet. And he isn’t entirely wrong if I’m being completely honest.
Anyway, yes CGA is very hard to explain in more words or less but I hope you got the idea of what exactly I am doing here. If anything know that my time so far has been refining. Refining who I am, who I think I am, who I want to be, what I believe about myself, and what I believe about who God see’s me as. And the process is hard because it sucks to be told that what you have built up in your mind as who you are is not healthy, or is wrong, or needs work. But it’s so good. I am learning how to be the best, Jesus-centered version of myself. And though it is refining, and hard, and messy, and ugly at times, in the end it is beautiful, like gold.
