AIA Retreat Review- March 2011

I wanted to give you an update on some of the ways God has been working through Athletes in Action here in Canada before I leave.  Our athletes in action group on campus was so blessed to see a pair of U of C basketball players give their lives to Christ this year and are so encouraged by their passion and love for Him!!

At the end of March we were able to bring 7 athletes out to a retreat in Gull Lake with other Christian athletes from U of A, U of S, U of R and some other colleges. It was a time of growth and the athletes were challenged by Rodd Sawatsky (the Chaplain for the Calgary Stampeders) to be clear in where their identity was found. One of the ways we did this was by walking alongside the paralyzed man who was lowered from the roof giving us the chance to see the bible come alive in a way many had never experienced. To strongly see the mat that He spent his life on (think about that for a second. This man is paralyzed, that means he can not walk. If there is no one there to help him this would mean he is stuck on that mat, if he got sick, he got sick on the mat, if he needed the bathroom, he was stuck on his mat... you get it? People could use him as a landmark, kids would say to each other lets meet at the guy on the mat, you’ll be able to find him, you can smell him from three blocks away...This man’s identity was completely tied up with his mat),  to think of what would drive the men that carried him on his mat to put up with the smells and the dirt that would have defined the paralyzed man’s years on that mat. To feel the men’s struggle as they stood outside the house that was full to the brim of people, knowing they could not bring the paralyzed man in, but knowing that they needed to get him to Jesus, because Jesus could heal him. To think of the men as they dug through the roof, dirt spilling on the richest, most honoured men of society, and on Jesus himself. To be lowered with the paralyzed man who spent his whole life hoping people wouldn’t look at him, but dying to be seen for who he really is not just for his condition, who was now the center of attention for a captive audience. When he was finally lowered at Jesus’ feet Jesus doesn’t heal what the man and his friends thought he so desperately needed, instead Jesus heals his heart and his soul saying “your sins are forgiven.” Now you can imagine the outcome, the men that carried him and lowered him down are probably confused, Jesus is calm, the spectators are all going “ooh... what’s going to happen now, this man Jesus just said he forgives someone’s sins...” they are looking the Pharisees for how to respond, the Pharisees are outraged... thinking to themselves “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” , and the paralyzed man is still stuck on his dirty disgusting mat thinking to “himself Jesus just forgave my sins, I am free and forgiven.” Then the spirit revealed the Pharisees thoughts to him and he turns to them and says “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?”. He could have left them their scratching their heads but in his mercy and to show once again his authority as the son of God he turns to the man and says pick up your mat and go home. Talk about your epic movie climax, the man picks up his mat and leaves, the people are floored and leave praising God for his power. We are left with the question of why Jesus made the man pick up his mat, it still smelled just as bad as it did before the man was healed yet Jesus told him to carry it. Sometimes Jesus heals us of our pain right away, and sometimes we carry our hurt and our scars as a chance to glorify God. When people on the street asked this man “hey buddy what’s with the mat?”, He will be able to turn to them and say, I used to be stuck on this mat, then Jesus healed my soul, forgave my sins, and allowed me to walk again. What a powerful testimony brought on by a dirty, smelly, disgusting mat!

I wanted to share with you one of our AIA Calgary students experience from retreat as well. God was definitely moving in the entire group, not just in my life. There is movement on the U of C campus and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do! 

"AIA Retreat experience

The main take out I have from the retreat was the theme of Rodd's first session but I felt it related to every talk he had. Defining who I was, or in my case, Redefining. I remember how he showed how John described himself as just being the one that Christ loved. Period. Going into the retreat I was a little overwhelmed with school, getting results from my midterms and also the results I had from my track season. I wasn't in the greatest of places. I remember when Rodd came to our AIA night I said something along the lines of "I know God loves me and that he is there, but so what? how is this affecting my life". Going in, in my head I've always known God is number one but by how I let school and track and just other things in my life effect my attitude towards life and everyday living it hit me at retreat that they were definitely sharing roles of 1a,1b,1c. So it became an evaluation of trying to turn my heart towards the attitude that John had as well. To be that Christ loves me and that is all I need. To know that while grades and performances are great and to an extent important, I can't let it define who I am and how I will live my life. 

So I guess that was the biggest thing that impacted me from the retreat because I was able to apply it quickly and into the rest of the semester and to push through finals. I gave it my best, and while I guess the results still sting cause it sure wasn't what I thought I would get since I thought I started to grasp the concepts in my classes there's just been some peace, and I've been able to bring a much more joyful attitude into everyday."

It was great to see the encouragement that these athletes received from the fellowship in that time. To know that Athletes in Action is so much broader than just our campus and to meet some of the athletes they play against is always so special. All of us left with such a profound impact from one of our worship songs. It’s called “Never let Go” by Matt Redman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FWj7yqf6oM

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death 
Your perfect love is casting out fear 
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life 
I won’t turn back 
I know You are near 

And I will fear no evil 
For my God is with me 
And if my God is with me 
Whom then shall I fear? 
Whom then shall I fear? 

Oh no, You never let go 
Through the calm and through the storm 
Oh no, You never let go 
In every high and every low 
Oh no, You never let go 
Lord, You never let go of me 

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on 
A glorious light beyond all compare 
And there will be an end to these troubles 
But until that day comes 
We’ll live to know You here on the earth 

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on 
And there will be an end to these troubles 
But until that day comes 
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

It is so powerful to remember that through the good and the bad, the mountains and the valleys God is never letting go of us! Praise God for the work He did at retreat and for the two basketball players from U of C that have accepted His sacrifice and gave their lives to Him at a Campus Harvest event down in the US!!