Guest Blogger: Aaron Caulder

Aaron Caulder - Jax, Florida

Many times in the lives of Christians, we set ourselves up for failure when it comes to listening to God and trusting that God knows best. Sometimes we jump the gun and automatically think that God is not in it or that it is our fault that this situation is happening this way. I think that we do not give God the credit that He deserves. We don’t give Him the chance to do something incredible.

I really had a face-to-face encounter with God at this past Spring Retreat. The weekend was set, all the preparations had been made, and we were in Ocala. I have a deep desire to give our students and leaders, the best I have to offer in anything I do at PL. By Saturday afternoon, I was so discouraged and felt that the weekend sucked because of me. I really felt I had not given the best I could, I felt that I could have done this, that, or the other better. I truly felt there was no way to fix it either. I felt the weekend was all for not. I mean the material, all the leaders, the kids, and the program was good but I felt that it needed something else. At that instance I truly had disregarded the thought that God could change anything about the weekend and that we were just going to chalk it up as a loss.

That evening I was set to preach on the lies of Satan. (How fitting was that) Kevin and I had headed out to the woods to spend a little time in prayer before the session. While we were out there, looking at the sky and the nature that God had created, it was as though God said “Watch this, you are not expecting this.” At that moment I was broken, in the middle of the forest and with the youth pastor, knowing that I had doubted God of what He can do. I was truly in awe of God and had no idea how to contain it.

As I dried the tears and picked back up my broken self, I walked back to the main room knowing something was going to change the course of this whole weekend. Needless to say I did not even preach that night, God just did what He does best. I can’t explain, it was a moment in my life that I will never forget.

The thought here is have you had a “woods” experience with God. The Word of God says we must “listen to the still small voice of God!” In my life I have been changed forever due to the time I had at the woods, that face-to-face encounter. Don’t ever underestimate God and His power. God always knows best!

"God all we can ask , is that You do it again"