Sleep & Tony Campolo

Yay, it’s Monday. I’m so excited! Not! I’ve taken on this new role at church, on top of being the administration for my youth pastor and administration for our young adults youth group (Amped) (and some other smaller, less time consuming ministries) I’m now the overseer of the young adults youth group. Next week we are running a mid week Big Gigg (where the small groups don’t run and we all meet together at church) and this one is going to be looking at the future of Amped. It’s a bit full on. There’s a bit of pressure on me now, coz ppl want change and I have to oversee it. Anyway, I’ve been thinking on and off about it and had some good ideas (thanks God) but last night, I was lying in bed, I went to bed about 11pm and read for a while (will talk about that later) and when I finished and tried to sleep I couldn’t, all I could think about was what I was going to do at the Big Gigg and got all these brilliant ideas. I was too tired to get up and write them down, and it didn’t feel right to do that – I’d be distracting myself when I was meant to be sleeping. I tried everything to clear my mind and sleep, but couldn’t, I read some more, prayed a little more, tried to clear my mind but I kept come back to this Big Gigg. Finally about 1.30 I made myself a cup of tea and read while drinking it. When I was finished I finally laid down and ended up thinking about PNG and going back to visit, somewhere in thinking about that I fell asleep and ended up having a dream about PNG. Don’t remember much of the dream. But I remember enjoying it and waking up happy because of it at some point between 2am and 6am when I got up. Anyway, so now I’m extremely tired, I’m REALLY unmotivated, and I can’t get my thoughts together to write down the stuff I went thru last night in regard to the Big Gigg. I remember it all, but just can’t put it in any form that’d make sense to anyone else. As much as I’m grateful to God for the ideas I’m a little frustrated that he gave it to me then… and made sleep so impossible for me… is it wrong to feel frustrated about God speaking to me?

Anyway, in regard to the book I’m reading. Mum was at Koorong the other day (the local Christian bookshop) and called me coz there was a sale on and asked if there was anything I wanted. I got the latest MercyMe CD (haven’t listened to it yet) and did a few searches for any good books. I am not actually allowed to buy books at the moment coz I have about 5 lying around my house that I haven’t read. But for some reason I looked, and decided to search under Tony Campolo, I haven’t heard much of his speaking, but I always remember him talking about holding a birthday party for a prostitute at 3am, while he was away from home speaking at a conference. The point of the story is that that is the kinda Christianity we are meant to be about. And I always wonder who my prostitute is… Who’s Jesus in my life that I need to be serving in that way. It’s kinda funny that I’m talking about that coz at church we are studying thru Joshua, and it talks about a prostitute (Rahab) who ends up realizing who God is and helping the Israelites take over Jericho (by hiding the spies)… It’s amazing what prostitutes can do… Anyway, I digress. So the book I found is called ‘Let me tell you a story’ and it’s by Tony Campolo, it’s a collection of different stories he’s heard over the years. It’s incredible. I generally find Christian books hard to read because they are trying to teach me something (that’s why I have 5 books lying around)… it gets a bit much. But this book, oh my goodness, I haven’t been able to put it down. If you get the chance get it. Even if it’s just something you refer back to at some point. It’s not necessarily going to teach you much that you don’t know, but it tells some incredible stories and reminds you of what this life, as a Christian, is all about.