It’s hard to know what to expect in the lead up to Ignite Conference. If you’ve never been before, you might have heard other peoples experiences; of meeting new friends, feeling welcomed into something bigger than themselves or feeling God move in their life in amazing ways. Maybe you’ve been invited by a parent, friend, teacher or by your school to come along, and all you know is what you’ve seen and heard about other’s incredible experiences. For those of you who have journeyed through Ignite Conference before, you might be sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting to reconnect and worship with some familiar faces again. Yet, in 2021, the lead up to Ignite Conference is different for everyone.
Waiting with Hope
In the last 12 months more than ever, we have had our lives flipped upside down and our plans cancelled. It’s shaken us all. Sometimes it may feel easier to not commit to events, in case they don’t go ahead and our expectations are let down. It’s not an unreasonable feeling; I know I’ve really got my hopes up for something only to see it be cancelled or change into something different, it’s hard to be constantly hopeful that the next big thing on the horizon will in fact happen. However, if we focus only on the uncertainty and the negativity, disappointment is guaranteed. Instead, as in most things, the answer is being open to adapting to God’s plan.
In this unprecedented time, we need to hold both hope and uncertainty in a balance. It’s okay to be excited that Ignite Conference is coming very soon, that we will hopefully get the opportunity to worship our God with hundreds of other people, hear from inspiring speakers and get to share our faith in a way we haven’t been able to since 2019. We as a team are so excited, we can’t wait! We are holding firm to God’s promise, for in 2: Timothy 1:7 it says:
‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’
Yet, we also need to make sure we aren’t holding onto Ignite Conference without any sense of the very real uncertainty that exists. God is not limited by Covid-19. He can and will work through us; with or without Ignite Conference, provided we are turning to Him in our hope and expectation of what He can do in our lives. We were not made to live in a spirit of fear or expect disappointment, we were born to live with the knowledge that God will provide for us no matter the circumstances, especially in times of hardship and trial.
Focus on the fruits
There has been a lot of unexpected fruit to come from COVID in the past year, but having to stay home has made me realise how thankful we are for the events that still get to go ahead, and ‘slowing down’ is a very rare opportunity in our busy world.
God has promised to be with us always, especially when we can’t go to mass, or see our families. He is with us through these hard uncertain times and in the ‘mountain top’ times. We are so lucky to be where we are, and we are so thankful for our current freedoms, health and security. Our hearts go out to our friends in other states who do not get to enjoy life the same way we do.
Be expectant
God is moving and changing hearts, now and always. We may feel weary, disheartened and isolated, but it is times like this where we should be gathering together, praying for each other and praising our God who is still in Heaven fighting for us, each and every day.
It’s important to have a spirit of anticipation, to expect God to do big things, even when it feels like plans may change. Sometimes God’s plan is something we don’t expect, in a time when we least expect it. Take Jesus rising from the dead, 3 days after being crucified by the same people he came to love. If God can orchestrate that miracle, there’s nothing impossible for our God.