WOW what a week! Have you ever had a week/month/year, when you look back and feel like it lasted 10 years?!!
Well I just did.
For those of you that don't already know, I am back in St. Louis. Surprised? So am I!
So let me tell you what happened...
A week ago Monday(January 4th) I arrived in Garden Valley Texas, prepared to start my year at the Teen Mania Honor Academy. Almost instantly upon arrival I didn't feel a peace about being there. Obviously I was nervous/anxious, but it was a different feeling, it was something deeper. So for the first few days I tried to work through the nervousness, and come to grips with the fact that I was going to be at the HA for the next year. By Thursday i felt a lot better. I had been praying and asking the Lord for confirmation about me being there, and i thought I had it, but I wasn't really sure. I went through several interviews, did well, apparently i impressed the right people. But something still didn't feel right. I wasn't at peace. And i didn't understand why.
Saturday was pretty much a free day, and our core (group of guys i was rooming with) decided to go into town, grab some real food (not cafeteria food) and get to know each other. All in all Saturday I started to feel more and more at peace. But not completely. Sunday morning I woke up, and didn't feel nervous or anxious, and I took this as a sign form the Lord, that this is where I was supposed to be.
Sunday night we had a session, the director of the Honor Academy Mr. Dave Hasz spoke about our commitment and what we were committing too.
Now by this point(Sunday night) we weren't considered "Interns" we hadn't been through the "commitment ceremony", which was going to take place on Tuesday( Jan. 12th). At this commitment ceremony, we were going to be committing to all the rules and provisions the HA had been rolling out to us over the previous week.
During the whole session, something in my heart wasn't right. Wasn't at peace. Honestly I didn't know what that was. After the session I called my home, and talked to my dad for a long time about what I had just been told during the session. He gave me some incredible advice he said " Son you need to know that you that you know, that this is where the LORD is calling you to be".
That floored me. Had I asked the Lord? I didn't know. Mistake.
After a pretty much sleepless night, I woke up restless and not feeling at peace about anything. We had an early quite time on Monday, And I just asked the Lord while I was praying if this is where He needed me to be. Sometimes its really hard to hear the Lords voice, but while I was praying I heard Him say very clearly: "John, you came to the Honor Academy out of emotion and not because it was where I wanted you to go".
Wow. Floored again!
Then everything just started making sense! Most of you that know me, know that I went on a life changing trip to Uganda this past summer. And when I came back I was pretty fired up for the Lord, and I wanted to be anywhere he was. So i just assumed that place was the Honor Academy. And I made the decison to go in January, without really seeking the Lord about it. Not a good idea.
So, for the rest of the day I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed. I asked the Lord very specific questions such as: Lord I need to feel a peace in my heart that the Honor Academy is where you want me to be"that peace never came. So then I'd ask " OK, If you need me to return home I have to feel a peace about that" instantly Peace overwhelmed me.
So then I asked what i was supposed to do, if I returned home, and the Lord once again spoke to me so clearly I can still hear his voice "John, finish your degree so I can send you out to the nations".
Wow
So at this point in my day I'm pretty floored with everything the Lord had been speaking to me. So I call home again, told them everything the Lord had been revealing to me, and they were all floored too! (In a good way). So I made the decision to leave the HA, and return home. And ill tell you what, the Lord has just continued to confirm things to me, letting me know that I made the right decision. That I am now walking in acordance to his will. I knew making this decision was going to be extremely difficult for some people to understand, and quite embarrassing for me! But in my heart I knew that I knew that I knew, that leaving and finishing my degree is exactly what the Lord is calling me to do with my life right now.
If anyone has any questions, or is skeptical of my decision to leave the Honor Academy, please leave me a comment or email me at jmpipes@mac.com
A final thank you to everyone who was and still is praying for me!!
Love you All
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