This past week has been incredible. The NASA crew (aka Nicole, Ada, Sam, and Amber) pulled back in Knoxville late last night after a six-day trip to...not outer space, as you might expect, but CHICAGO! It was the first time any of us had been to the Windy City except for Ada, so everything was an adventure. Here are some of the things we learned:
* The plaza below the John Hancock building makes a great place for naps, but be prepared to be called out if you use it for that purpose. We woke up to hear an older gentleman referring to us as "the youth these days" to a random stranger.
* The Windy City lives up to its nickname. Never wear a skirt unless it's four feet long.
* Gino's East has the best deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza ever. End of story.
* Always take sunscreen to Oak Street Beach. We learned that the hard way.
* Nutella and pbj sandwiches are fantastic lunch options when you're on a tight budget.
* 80 cent tolls sound like a steal, but those pennies add up after a while.
* Don't waste your time trying to see the jellies at the Aquarium - it's way over priced. Go to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum instead; students get a discount and teachers get in for free.
* Make sure you go to the John Hancock's observatory at night. The view is breathtaking and well worth the $8.50 desserts.
* Transformers 3 needs to be watched in Chicago for the full experience.
* Windmill Alley on the way into the city can be frightening, but the destination is well worth facing your fears.
* Twitter is so much more enjoyable when you plan your tweets out loud with friends before you actually tweet.
* Plan on allotting at least three hours to The Bean in Millennium Park. And make sure your camera is fully charged before you go.
* The gyros from the Taste of Chicago food festival are delicious.
* Make sure you swing in Oz Park.
* Eat coconut cream buns and drink bubble tea in Chinatown. Prepare to be momentarily transported to Heaven.
* Chicago is the best place to run that I've discovered so far. It's flat and it's windy.
* Cool people get ice cream from Union Station's food court and eat it on the wooden benches upstairs. I know this because that's what we did.
* The Naperville firework show is a perfect ending to the Fourth of July.
* Watch out for men in straw bonnets with pink ribbons at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I'm serious.
These are only a few of the funnies and learning experiences we had while we were there...believe me, there were many, many more! But one of the best experiences for me came while we were at Willow Creek Community Church on Sunday. The David Crowder band was performing there that day and led the worship service. The theme throughout was one of GRACE, and during a brief message the senior pastor at Willow Creek made a comment that stuck with me: "Enjoy the gift of grace, the work that was done by Another."
That simple statement floored me. People who know me well know that I have to be really tired or really sick to be completely still for long. I thrive on being busy and always feel that I need to be doing something, working on something. But the pastor's words made me stop and ask myself when the last time was that I had completely rested and enjoyed the gift of grace. When was the last time I had enjoyed resting in the finished work of Christ? When was the last time I hadn't tried to add to it, or try to come away from an event or quiet time with as much "knowledge" as possible just so I could appear more "righteous"? These habits that I've adopted take away from the gift of God's grace. I am slapping Him in the face by implying that He's work was not enough to cover me completely, and therefore I can't simply enjoy what He deemed FINISHED.
Up until that moment in the service, I had been struggling with the same urge to glean as much as I could from the message so I could be a better, stronger person. I was trying to force God into doing something great that I could come away with rather than simply letting His Spirit do what it would. Willow Creek was much less traditional than the churches I am used to attending, and I struggled with the extended worship because I wondered how I could come away "changed" on a Sunday when there wasn't the typical 45-minute sermon.
But once I heard the pastor's words, a change came over me. It was though the Lord had spoken directly to me and said, "Rest! Don't run circles in your mind trying to figure out a way that this can change you. Instead, let me soothe your soul with the truth of these lyrics and be reminded that I have finished the work! Your only responsibility is to enjoy what I have perfected and to follow Me in love - not duty." I walked away from that service more changed by a Sunday morning than I have in a long time.
Looking back on this trip, I will undoubtedly remember the silly moments, the sights we saw, and the incredible food we enjoyed. But more than anything, the memory of resting in grace is the one that has forever been burned in my mind. Truly enjoying God's gift; letting myself rest in the truth that what He has called finished is finished. That's what I want to do every day.
Windy Cities and sandy beaches might not be in the cards for me, but the incredible gift of resting in grace is mine for the taking. It's a reality I can experience every day if I am willing to.
Until next Wednesday!
Amber Noel
1. Having fun with The Bean in Millennium Park
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