There is a sense of relief that comes with knowing you don't have control over certain things.
I am a control freak. Yes, I admit this fault of mine. I like to have control. I like to know the plan, the sequence of events, and all of the details. There is so much stress that comes with all of this control. Things never go according to plan. This causes more stress. Always having to find ways to fix the problems and the holes in the plan. But if you are not in charge of something and you do not know the details, the sequence of events, or even ... the plan, you do not know if something went wrong. You do not know what was out of order or what was supposed to be in what location and that it somehow didn't make it.
Something I have been learning recently is that I am not in control of my life. Not that I have lost control and have become a raging alcoholic ... or something else crazy along those lines. No. I am not the one that dictates the events in my life. I do not decide who gets to come in my life or at what time. I do not get to decide if I am going to live or die today. Things are ultimately out of my control. There is an extrinsic force that decides these things for me. I hope we all know who I am referencing here (answer: the Lord).
Following Christ was not supposed to be easy. From creation to this point, this very moment (whatever moment in time you are reading this), following Christ is not an easy choice. Everyday we are faced with choices to either follow Him or to follow ourselves/the world/etc. Sometimes things do not go the way I want them to or the way I think they should go. This is a lack of understanding on my part, because I do not know the plan. I did not set the world into motion. I have not said to the sun rise and to the moon set. I do not get to be fully in control of my life. There are some things I can control. I can control the words that leave my mouth, the choice in my actions, the way I treat others ...
Control cannot be lost if it cannot actually be had. If I do not have control over my life to begin with, I cannot lose control. It is something I have never had. I cannot control the illnesses I may incur. I cannot control the weather, the actions of others, or pretty much anything like that. My responsibility is my words and my actions. Those things, I have control over. That is it.
There is relief in knowing I do not have complete control. There is relief in knowing I do not have to know the plan. I just follow instructions as they are given to me. Sometimes knowing the bigger picture is more overwhelming than knowing the small task at hand.
Relief doesn't mean it is easy or that it doesn't break your heart from time to time. Relief means that the stress is off of us.
There is a sense of relief that comes with knowing you don't have control over certain things.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
He Has Two Legs and the Most Hopeful Spirit I've Ever Seen
I have a friend that is roughly 30 years older than me. He has been one of my favorite people growing up through our school system (he was one of our School Resource Officers). Last spring he was in a really bad car accident and lost part of his left leg, from the knee down. He had to stop working a job he loved - as a detective - and lay around having people help him all day long. He hated it, he would try to find excuses to get out of bed, but found it very difficult to get around on just the one leg. His life changed drastically. The things that were so easy and so natural for him, they were some of the most difficult tasks to manage.
One day I went to a different grocery store than usual. I just felt like I needed to go somewhere different. I wasn't having a very good day and I didn't want to see anyone I knew. As I was walking out of the grocery store I kept hearing my name called. When I finally turned around I saw him. My eyes lit up and I ran over to my old friend. He was missing part of his leg and I was able to stick around and hear his story. He told me all of his plans for that day when he would get a prosthetic leg. He told me how he was planning on training for a 5K, then a 10K, and then a half marathon. He was so hopeful and so eager and so excited. Seeing him completely changed my attitude and my outlook for the day.
Today as I was on my way home for lunch I drove past the hospital. There he was! He was walking... with two legs! He was walking with such ease. He was making the block and trying to get used to this new addition to his body.
I forget how convenient it is to have two legs. How wonderful it is to be independent of constant care and having to keep crutches near by just in case I want to get up and get food or go to the bathroom. It is something I take for granted. We don't realize how fortunate we are to be able to do what we need to, when we want to, and get there by our own two legs.
He has so much hope for the future with his new prosthetic leg. He has so much training left to do, starting with walking around the hospital. He has two legs again and he is most hopeful that he will be better than he was before. His plans exceed what his life looked like prior to his accident.
One day I went to a different grocery store than usual. I just felt like I needed to go somewhere different. I wasn't having a very good day and I didn't want to see anyone I knew. As I was walking out of the grocery store I kept hearing my name called. When I finally turned around I saw him. My eyes lit up and I ran over to my old friend. He was missing part of his leg and I was able to stick around and hear his story. He told me all of his plans for that day when he would get a prosthetic leg. He told me how he was planning on training for a 5K, then a 10K, and then a half marathon. He was so hopeful and so eager and so excited. Seeing him completely changed my attitude and my outlook for the day.
Today as I was on my way home for lunch I drove past the hospital. There he was! He was walking... with two legs! He was walking with such ease. He was making the block and trying to get used to this new addition to his body.
I forget how convenient it is to have two legs. How wonderful it is to be independent of constant care and having to keep crutches near by just in case I want to get up and get food or go to the bathroom. It is something I take for granted. We don't realize how fortunate we are to be able to do what we need to, when we want to, and get there by our own two legs.
He has so much hope for the future with his new prosthetic leg. He has so much training left to do, starting with walking around the hospital. He has two legs again and he is most hopeful that he will be better than he was before. His plans exceed what his life looked like prior to his accident.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Daddy's Little Hippie
I love my dad. He is probably my favorite guy in the whole world (said in an adorable little 4 year old voice). He is pretty great, let's just be real. One of the jokes my dad and I have is that I am a hippie. He really enjoys referring to me as his little hippie. Sure, I don't shower as often as the average American, I like my hair being long and wavy, I wear flowers in my hair, I would go barefoot more often if I could, I use cloth shopping bags when I go to the grocery store, I recycle when I can (and have been sad because the waste management people do not bring enough recycle bags for our apartment complex), I bought a bike this summer to start riding to work/school to save on gas, and ... well the list goes on further. At first I was a little offended by being referred to as a hippie, but the more I thought about it the more I realized I'm not the 1960's type of hippie. So I am far more accepting of being "daddy's little hippie".
I like the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It is not just throwing things in a blue bag and sitting it next to the dumpster, it is much more than that. It is taking better care of what we already have. This weekend I was talking with a friend about our generations lack of concern for what we have. The sense of stewardship among our generation is severely lacking. If we have something and we break it, no worries... we can buy a new one. What was even more disturbing is what my friend said to me. She was telling me that people younger than us up to their early 30's seem to have a lack in stewardship for not just their own things but others as well. Example: you allow someone to borrow something. They don't take care of it as you would like and it breaks. Then they give it back in many more pieces than when you lent it to them. They do not seem as concerned about the situation as you or I may be. What has happened to our stewardship? What has happened to our concern for other people or even ourselves?
One thing I have begun thinking ... well the hippie approach to thinking... we have been so trained and so conditioned to think that it is not a big deal and we can just go out and buy another (insert item). I'm not suggesting that anytime something breaks we should have a fit and begin mourning it like a lost family member or friend. That is a little excessive. We shouldn't even be mad at the person (or ourselves) for breaking whatever it is that is now broken. We should, however, take care of what we have and what others have been so kind as to allow us to use. What better way to "stick it to the man" (I'm a hippie... don't judge) than reusing something until we absolutely have no way of getting around getting a new whatever. Why do we really need two of this or that item? Why do we feel the compulsion to spend money on things we don't really need? Can I blame this on being raised int he land of the free? Because, I really want to do that. We seem to think that spending is no big deal. Being an American, we have been raised around an endless supply of whatever we have. We have been taught that limited supply does not, in fact, mean limited. Companies tell us things are "limited" so we will run out and buy them. Then it runs out but comes back two weeks later. Marketing has tricked us into thinking everything is limitless. We forget that things really are temporary.
We were allowed to use planet Earth short term as our home. We keep our homes clean and want people to feel at home in our homes. Shouldn't we keep our planet clean? Shouldn't we care enough to take care of what we have? We only have a limited time on Earth. It may feel like for-ev-er (said in a 16 year old valley girl accent). Our forever is not, in reality, forever. We are a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things. If we take care of what we have, we leave a better future for those coming after us for as long as the Lord allows. When a friend allows you to stay in their home, do you trash what is not yours? Or, do you take better care of it because you want them to let you use it again?
Taking small steps to make our "home" better makes this "home" better for our children's children's children... If the Lord allows things to go on that long or longer.
So, I am not ashamed I use cloth shopping bags. I am not ashamed I am trying to be better at riding my bike to work. I am not ashamed I don't shower as often as others do (that actually has nothing to do with conserving water... I'm just not ashamed of my lack of showering... too far? Too far...).
I like the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It is not just throwing things in a blue bag and sitting it next to the dumpster, it is much more than that. It is taking better care of what we already have. This weekend I was talking with a friend about our generations lack of concern for what we have. The sense of stewardship among our generation is severely lacking. If we have something and we break it, no worries... we can buy a new one. What was even more disturbing is what my friend said to me. She was telling me that people younger than us up to their early 30's seem to have a lack in stewardship for not just their own things but others as well. Example: you allow someone to borrow something. They don't take care of it as you would like and it breaks. Then they give it back in many more pieces than when you lent it to them. They do not seem as concerned about the situation as you or I may be. What has happened to our stewardship? What has happened to our concern for other people or even ourselves?
One thing I have begun thinking ... well the hippie approach to thinking... we have been so trained and so conditioned to think that it is not a big deal and we can just go out and buy another (insert item). I'm not suggesting that anytime something breaks we should have a fit and begin mourning it like a lost family member or friend. That is a little excessive. We shouldn't even be mad at the person (or ourselves) for breaking whatever it is that is now broken. We should, however, take care of what we have and what others have been so kind as to allow us to use. What better way to "stick it to the man" (I'm a hippie... don't judge) than reusing something until we absolutely have no way of getting around getting a new whatever. Why do we really need two of this or that item? Why do we feel the compulsion to spend money on things we don't really need? Can I blame this on being raised int he land of the free? Because, I really want to do that. We seem to think that spending is no big deal. Being an American, we have been raised around an endless supply of whatever we have. We have been taught that limited supply does not, in fact, mean limited. Companies tell us things are "limited" so we will run out and buy them. Then it runs out but comes back two weeks later. Marketing has tricked us into thinking everything is limitless. We forget that things really are temporary.
We were allowed to use planet Earth short term as our home. We keep our homes clean and want people to feel at home in our homes. Shouldn't we keep our planet clean? Shouldn't we care enough to take care of what we have? We only have a limited time on Earth. It may feel like for-ev-er (said in a 16 year old valley girl accent). Our forever is not, in reality, forever. We are a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things. If we take care of what we have, we leave a better future for those coming after us for as long as the Lord allows. When a friend allows you to stay in their home, do you trash what is not yours? Or, do you take better care of it because you want them to let you use it again?
Taking small steps to make our "home" better makes this "home" better for our children's children's children... If the Lord allows things to go on that long or longer.
So, I am not ashamed I use cloth shopping bags. I am not ashamed I am trying to be better at riding my bike to work. I am not ashamed I don't shower as often as others do (that actually has nothing to do with conserving water... I'm just not ashamed of my lack of showering... too far? Too far...).
Monday, October 15, 2012
Blonde Brain part II
Well, if you read the first post Blonde Brain Part I then you know how mentally "blonde" I really am. If you haven't... you should. It will give you a little insight to my craziness. Here are a few recent stories about my Blonde Brain.
Redbox Amnesia
One Friday night I was not feeling very well so I decided to rent a movie, order a pizza, and eat junk food all while laying on my couch. So I ordered my pizza, set up a little station near my couch, and headed out to the Redbox down the street. After perusing the available movies I choose "The Lorax" and "What to Expect When You're Expecting". I paid for the movies. Grabbed a movie, hopped in my car and began driving away. A friend text me and I told them what I was doing and I realized I rented two movies and walked away with one. I was half way to my apartment by this time. I turned around and went back to find my movie was no where to be found. The Redbox showed the movie was not there and the movie wasn't laying on the ground. My only thought was that someone had taken the movie I had paid for. I was hoping whoever the person was would return it in a day and I wouldn't be charged $35 for a movie I still haven't seen. So what did I do? I called the Redbox company. The lady who answered, Amy, was very sweet. I told her what happened and she said the movie was sucked back into the Redbox because it was there for an extended period of time... the best part was I wouldn't be charged for the movie. WOOHOO!!
I'm No Carpenter
Two days later my dad was going to come over and help me hang things up in my apartment. I have lived there for 4-41/2 months and there was nothing on the walls ... sad, but very true, story. I asked my personal Yoda's husband for a drill, which he so graciously let me borrow. My dad came over and began asking me where I wanted things hung up and what tools I had to do the job. -- Have I mentioned that I am in no way shape or form good at making anything look "pretty" when it comes to interior design? Also, I own zero tools and barely know how to use a screw driver. -- So my dad began measuring for me (he had to use a seamstress measure because that is all I own) and we had determined to go get tools from his house after we had measured where I wanted things hung up. I stood there and pretended I knew what he was talking about as he told me what he was doing. He asked me if I had a level. Then he asked me if I had a hammer. Then if I had other things. I looked at him and said, "do I look like I have any of those things? Hello, I assumed the drill bit that was in the drill is what was used for everything!" He laughed at me and began putting his shoes on, that was my cue for us to go to his house and get the appropriate tools for the job. Let's just say I am really glad I did not attempt that on my own. That would be an absolute disaster...
Spunky the Mouse in the Dean B. Ellis Library and Zoo
Almost every night during the week I study with my Chinese friend, Sophia, and my Korean friend, Kate. Last week Sophia and I were sitting in the third floor when we saw this little mouse run by us. We named him Spunky, Spunky the Mouse. We decided we would catch him and release him back into the wild (outside the library). So I crumbled up some of my cookies and made a trail from where he was hiding to an empty trash can we had laid on its side. We went back to doing our homework and Kate joined us for awhile. We told her of sweet little Spunky the mouse and our plan. Kate headed down to a lower level to work on some things and Sophia and I went back to homework. Every now and then we would look up in hopes of seeing Spunky. I noticed he had run into the men's bathroom and was sad because I knew I couldn't go in there and catch him. A librarian walked by soon after we made the discovery of Spunky in the men's bathroom (that is how we knew he was a he). I told the librarian about the mouse being in the men's bathroom. The librarian looked dazed and simply said: "in my 30 years of working here I have never had this as an issue." He continued standing there staring at me. He proceeded to walk into the men's bathroom. We knew he found Spunky when we heard a loud "STOMP!" Sophia and I blame ourselves for the vicious murder of Spunky the Mouse. We miss Spunky.
We picked up the school's newspaper today and noticed an article Library Mouse Stirs Students.
Redbox Amnesia
One Friday night I was not feeling very well so I decided to rent a movie, order a pizza, and eat junk food all while laying on my couch. So I ordered my pizza, set up a little station near my couch, and headed out to the Redbox down the street. After perusing the available movies I choose "The Lorax" and "What to Expect When You're Expecting". I paid for the movies. Grabbed a movie, hopped in my car and began driving away. A friend text me and I told them what I was doing and I realized I rented two movies and walked away with one. I was half way to my apartment by this time. I turned around and went back to find my movie was no where to be found. The Redbox showed the movie was not there and the movie wasn't laying on the ground. My only thought was that someone had taken the movie I had paid for. I was hoping whoever the person was would return it in a day and I wouldn't be charged $35 for a movie I still haven't seen. So what did I do? I called the Redbox company. The lady who answered, Amy, was very sweet. I told her what happened and she said the movie was sucked back into the Redbox because it was there for an extended period of time... the best part was I wouldn't be charged for the movie. WOOHOO!!
I'm No Carpenter
Two days later my dad was going to come over and help me hang things up in my apartment. I have lived there for 4-41/2 months and there was nothing on the walls ... sad, but very true, story. I asked my personal Yoda's husband for a drill, which he so graciously let me borrow. My dad came over and began asking me where I wanted things hung up and what tools I had to do the job. -- Have I mentioned that I am in no way shape or form good at making anything look "pretty" when it comes to interior design? Also, I own zero tools and barely know how to use a screw driver. -- So my dad began measuring for me (he had to use a seamstress measure because that is all I own) and we had determined to go get tools from his house after we had measured where I wanted things hung up. I stood there and pretended I knew what he was talking about as he told me what he was doing. He asked me if I had a level. Then he asked me if I had a hammer. Then if I had other things. I looked at him and said, "do I look like I have any of those things? Hello, I assumed the drill bit that was in the drill is what was used for everything!" He laughed at me and began putting his shoes on, that was my cue for us to go to his house and get the appropriate tools for the job. Let's just say I am really glad I did not attempt that on my own. That would be an absolute disaster...
Spunky the Mouse in the Dean B. Ellis Library and Zoo
Almost every night during the week I study with my Chinese friend, Sophia, and my Korean friend, Kate. Last week Sophia and I were sitting in the third floor when we saw this little mouse run by us. We named him Spunky, Spunky the Mouse. We decided we would catch him and release him back into the wild (outside the library). So I crumbled up some of my cookies and made a trail from where he was hiding to an empty trash can we had laid on its side. We went back to doing our homework and Kate joined us for awhile. We told her of sweet little Spunky the mouse and our plan. Kate headed down to a lower level to work on some things and Sophia and I went back to homework. Every now and then we would look up in hopes of seeing Spunky. I noticed he had run into the men's bathroom and was sad because I knew I couldn't go in there and catch him. A librarian walked by soon after we made the discovery of Spunky in the men's bathroom (that is how we knew he was a he). I told the librarian about the mouse being in the men's bathroom. The librarian looked dazed and simply said: "in my 30 years of working here I have never had this as an issue." He continued standing there staring at me. He proceeded to walk into the men's bathroom. We knew he found Spunky when we heard a loud "STOMP!" Sophia and I blame ourselves for the vicious murder of Spunky the Mouse. We miss Spunky.
We picked up the school's newspaper today and noticed an article Library Mouse Stirs Students.
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Action in Waiting
Lately my heart has had this gnawing feeling. It is a feeling that I cannot shake, nor do I want to. It is that constant desire to leave everything that I know and everything that is comfortable and go to a new place. A place where nothing is familiar except the scenes from pictures I have looked at and movies I have watched. It is a feeling that I want to go to a place where everyone and everything is new. My heart beats a little faster and my mind wanders at the simple mention of a new place. What would it be like there? Who would I meet? What new things would I try? What are the names of the streets I might walk upon?
Home is not my home. When I leave town I always feel like I am going home. When I am coming back I feel like I am a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. I am more comfortable in a crowd of strangers than in a group of the familiars I have known for so long.
Then, as if God is audibly speaking to me I hear, "Not now my child. That time shall come. Be patient. Look where I have you. Be here. Live here. Love here. Wait for me. Do not get ahead of yourself." It is the words of a dear friend I continue to hear ringing in my mind: "God has not forgotten you. He is not skipping over you. He has a plan that will be far better than you or I could ever imagine."
As I read through scripture I am constantly reminded of the superior plans of God and the lacking plans of man. In Proverbs there are a few verses that say this explicitly.
Home is not my home. When I leave town I always feel like I am going home. When I am coming back I feel like I am a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. I am more comfortable in a crowd of strangers than in a group of the familiars I have known for so long.
Then, as if God is audibly speaking to me I hear, "Not now my child. That time shall come. Be patient. Look where I have you. Be here. Live here. Love here. Wait for me. Do not get ahead of yourself." It is the words of a dear friend I continue to hear ringing in my mind: "God has not forgotten you. He is not skipping over you. He has a plan that will be far better than you or I could ever imagine."
As I read through scripture I am constantly reminded of the superior plans of God and the lacking plans of man. In Proverbs there are a few verses that say this explicitly.
"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD."Proverbs 16:1
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."Proverbs 16:9
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.Proverbs 19:21
"The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."Proverbs 20:5
Then there are stories upon stories of how man planned things, God changed the plan, man was obedient (or disobedient in Jonah's case), and God was glorified. For so long I have had grand plans to do things, to go places, to live a certain way and now I am beginning to watch God change those plans. He has answered the many prayers I have prayed and has shown me the path to take. As for now, I sit and wait. Waiting is sometimes the hardest part.
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 27:14
"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"
Psalm 37:7
"I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1
"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation... For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him...Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."
Psalm 62:1-8
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."
Psalm 130:5
Psalm 130:5
Waiting is the hardest part, but what is the proverb we have heard all of our lives? Oh yeah: "Good things come to those who wait." My heart has a gnawing desire that I cannot shake. I do not want to make it go away. So for now; I wait. I only pray that I can wait patiently and wait prayerfully. Waiting doesn't mean that I am sitting around twiddling my thumbs. Waiting is full of action. It is the action to fulfill what I am to be doing here. The actions to live, love, and learn. Waiting is a willingness to be preoccupied toiling in other ways in other places until the Lord takes me to a new place.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
In Response to Todd Akin...
Hopefully by now everyone knows who Todd Akin is and what he said. If not, here is a link (this provides the information from the day of the statement as well as the events there-after his statement).
Todd Akin claimed if a woman is raped her body will not allow the reproductive organs to work, therefore not allowing her to produce children from the attack. He said that this was only true during a "legitimate" attack. He has now gone back on what he said and recognizes that this is not biologically possible, however, he actually believed this. The fact that he said this in an interview, not knowing the statistics proving him incorrect - well, that just makes him ignorant. Ignorance is not necessarily blissful when looking at it from his stand point. At least not as of late. Being ignorant of a speed limit and ignorant of our own biology, those are two completely separate things.
Today, I sent an email to two friends. Both have worked in our office at one point and time. The email had a picture of Rep. Akin and written across it read, "If you get shot, and it is a legitimate shooting...then the body has ways to automatically seal the bullet hole, kind of like Wolverine". This is ridiculous. If you didn't know, your body will not do this. You are not Wolverine. He is a fictional character. One of the two decided to post in on a social media site. This sparked a family debate (my bad...). One of the comments included: "Violent crime, rape, or otherwise isn't funny. It's sick." The person had previously said my friend was in the wrong for posting the picture and then proceeded to post the comment just mentioned. The picture is humorous because of the ridiculous thought that someone's body could "have ways to seal the bullet hole". Rep. Akin's statement was far more ridiculous than the picture posted, because he said it believing it to be true. Part of me wants to send him a biology book I used in 7th grade. That would not be loving or graceful as I wrote about 5 minutes ago.
There are thousands of women every year that are raped and a child is conceived from the violent crime that took place not just against them but in them. These women make very difficult decisions everyday in regards to this. My own account is not nearly as traumatic as living with a child as the result. To the women who have been molested, raped, etc. they do not enjoy hearing that their bodies will naturally prevent this from becoming a child, especially the ones who have had to come to terms with their rape resulting in pregnancy. Rape is not a joking matter, my friend's family member is right, rape is not funny. When people tell rape jokes or even use the word I shut down and want to push everyone that is near out of the way and hide. Thinking about women who have gone through far worse than I... my heart breaks. This is not something that should happen, but it does. All we can do is move forward as a society and help those we are around.
Be careful how you use the word rape. Be careful the jokes you let slip or the words you choose to say. You never know who is overhearing your conversation with their heart breaking inside their chest.
I am grateful Rep. Akin issued an apology and has maybe read a biology book as of late. However, as a society we are so easily side tracked by the next movement or the next "cool" thing to support. We forget that there are actually people who live with this everyday. The tsunami victims in Japan didn't just get over losing everything they had. They are still learning to cope. The Katrina victims still have the memories and the lost family members. Hurricane Isaac is coming to shore and taking a very similar path to that of Katrina. Katrina is probably still fresh on their minds, they are still living the nightmare they call their daily life. Those who lived through 9/11 still get worried when an airplane seems to be flying too low. West Side School shooting victims still get nervous when fire alarms are pulled. They are just waiting to see if someone is waiting outside with ammunition wanting to pick them off one by one. Rape victims are afraid of the dark. Afraid to walk to their cars at night even in a well lit parking lot, wondering if there is someone waiting near their car for them. Questioning the trust worthiness of every man they meet. We forget that there are actually people tied to the things we consider a hip thing to support or the next movement to follow.
Next time you decide you want to support a group or movement, find people who were affected before the group formed. Hear their stories. Weep with them. Rejoice with them. Love them. Become part of their life and never forget them. Remember that they have the scars you do not have (hopefully). Don't do it because you think it is cool. Do it for something much more than that. Rep. Akin may have slipped in what he said, do not let your actions show the same ignorance of his words.
Todd Akin claimed if a woman is raped her body will not allow the reproductive organs to work, therefore not allowing her to produce children from the attack. He said that this was only true during a "legitimate" attack. He has now gone back on what he said and recognizes that this is not biologically possible, however, he actually believed this. The fact that he said this in an interview, not knowing the statistics proving him incorrect - well, that just makes him ignorant. Ignorance is not necessarily blissful when looking at it from his stand point. At least not as of late. Being ignorant of a speed limit and ignorant of our own biology, those are two completely separate things.
Today, I sent an email to two friends. Both have worked in our office at one point and time. The email had a picture of Rep. Akin and written across it read, "If you get shot, and it is a legitimate shooting...then the body has ways to automatically seal the bullet hole, kind of like Wolverine". This is ridiculous. If you didn't know, your body will not do this. You are not Wolverine. He is a fictional character. One of the two decided to post in on a social media site. This sparked a family debate (my bad...). One of the comments included: "Violent crime, rape, or otherwise isn't funny. It's sick." The person had previously said my friend was in the wrong for posting the picture and then proceeded to post the comment just mentioned. The picture is humorous because of the ridiculous thought that someone's body could "have ways to seal the bullet hole". Rep. Akin's statement was far more ridiculous than the picture posted, because he said it believing it to be true. Part of me wants to send him a biology book I used in 7th grade. That would not be loving or graceful as I wrote about 5 minutes ago.
There are thousands of women every year that are raped and a child is conceived from the violent crime that took place not just against them but in them. These women make very difficult decisions everyday in regards to this. My own account is not nearly as traumatic as living with a child as the result. To the women who have been molested, raped, etc. they do not enjoy hearing that their bodies will naturally prevent this from becoming a child, especially the ones who have had to come to terms with their rape resulting in pregnancy. Rape is not a joking matter, my friend's family member is right, rape is not funny. When people tell rape jokes or even use the word I shut down and want to push everyone that is near out of the way and hide. Thinking about women who have gone through far worse than I... my heart breaks. This is not something that should happen, but it does. All we can do is move forward as a society and help those we are around.
Be careful how you use the word rape. Be careful the jokes you let slip or the words you choose to say. You never know who is overhearing your conversation with their heart breaking inside their chest.
I am grateful Rep. Akin issued an apology and has maybe read a biology book as of late. However, as a society we are so easily side tracked by the next movement or the next "cool" thing to support. We forget that there are actually people who live with this everyday. The tsunami victims in Japan didn't just get over losing everything they had. They are still learning to cope. The Katrina victims still have the memories and the lost family members. Hurricane Isaac is coming to shore and taking a very similar path to that of Katrina. Katrina is probably still fresh on their minds, they are still living the nightmare they call their daily life. Those who lived through 9/11 still get worried when an airplane seems to be flying too low. West Side School shooting victims still get nervous when fire alarms are pulled. They are just waiting to see if someone is waiting outside with ammunition wanting to pick them off one by one. Rape victims are afraid of the dark. Afraid to walk to their cars at night even in a well lit parking lot, wondering if there is someone waiting near their car for them. Questioning the trust worthiness of every man they meet. We forget that there are actually people tied to the things we consider a hip thing to support or the next movement to follow.
Next time you decide you want to support a group or movement, find people who were affected before the group formed. Hear their stories. Weep with them. Rejoice with them. Love them. Become part of their life and never forget them. Remember that they have the scars you do not have (hopefully). Don't do it because you think it is cool. Do it for something much more than that. Rep. Akin may have slipped in what he said, do not let your actions show the same ignorance of his words.
Graceful July
Each month I have something I want to learn about spiritually. Even when I forget to actively pursue those monthly goals, I will reflect back and see that God has so graciously taught them to me anyway. The month of July I wanted to learn about grace. I need so much grace and I need to learn to give grace far more often than I currently do.
Grace has a couple of different meanings. When I looked it up in my Bible Dictionary I read the following: "1. properly speaking, that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, loveliness; 2. good will, loving-kindness, mercy, etc; 3. the kindness of a master toward a slave." I will come back to the first part of the definition but want to look at the other two parts first.
Good Will, Loving-Kindness, Mercy
Throughout the month of July, God has shown me so much grace and has also allowed others to show me grace that is defined this way. My roommate, for example, has shown more far more good will, loving-kindness, and mercy than I will ever deserve. She has been patient with me as I figure myself out and as I work through my own craziness. She has humored me in conversations and let things go that would drive others to the crazy house. My best friends have seen and stuck with me through quite a bit of crazy this last year. They have shown me all three things that is described in this portion of grace. I have been served up an amazing group of friends truly by the grace of God.
The Lord has also shown me this type of grace. He has given me so much mercy that I do not deserve. I am sinful and have a wicked heart, yet He exercises the right to give me mercy and not smite me for sinning against Him everyday. I am amazed by the amount of grace the Lord chooses to give me even when I am not following Him as I should. Grace is not earned, it is gifted.
Kindness of a Master toward a Slave
Our "Master" - Christ - has shown us so much grace in His dealings with us. Really. There is no better "Master" to serve than the Lord our God. Typically when we (well me anyway) think of the word "master" it does not hold a positive connotation. Master usually implies someone is over you and it is not by choice. Master implies you are forced or required to do whatever is told to you by this authority figure. Yet, when examining the Lord as Master, we get to see something completely different. The Lord cares for us and has plans for us, "plans for welfare and not for evil." Not that He is going to make us all rich with material wealth. No, His plans are eternal plans. He sees far past right now. He sees well into the future and He sees well into the past. He knows all things. He does all things according to His will. We only see but a tiny glimpse of a puzzle piece in the giant puzzle of life. We only see the here and now, if we are not looking for it and living to make an impact for the Kingdom of God we miss the bigger picture. He commands us out of grace because He knows what is to come.
The word slave is a dirty word to us. To call someone a slave is ... well, it is not acceptable. Yet, we can become a slave to our job, a slave to our studies, a slave to our money, a slave to our video games, a slave to our church, a slave to (fill in the blank). What is better than being a slave to the One who came to love us unconditionally; One who has plans for our welfare and not for evil; One who knows all things, sees all things, and cares for all things. He is the Lord who gave up His only Son, why? Because He cared for us. He showed compassion, mercy, and grace on us when He sent His Son to die for our sin. It all goes back to the gospel. Being a slave to any master that is not the Lord... well it isn't worth it. "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." (Romans 6:20-21). Our slavery to sin is equal to that of death. Christ took that upon Himself in an act of grace and to give us a hope, a hope in Him. He is the only Master worth following.
Properly Speaking, that which Affords Joy, Pleasure, Delight, Charm, Sweetness, Loveliness
Being graceful means good will, loving-kindness, and mercy. It means the kindness of a master toward his slave. It also means properly speaking... Not just properly speaking, but speaking in a manner that "affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, and loveliness". Oop! Guess I have failed at that one, everyday in the past 6 months (that I can remember...maybe longer). This one seems to hold so much weight, which is why it is fitting for it to be the first definition for the word grace. What would it look like if our words, our manner of speaking, held all of these things? We could change the world! Oh wait, Christ did that. There is only one account of Christ being angry. He had righteous anger, so not the same as when someone cuts me off in traffic and I am "angry".
Christ spoke in a way that was joyful, delightful, pleasurable, charming, sweet, and lovely. He spoke kindly to the Pharisees, yet He did not let them trap Him in their questions. Just because someone is kind in their speech does not mean they have no back bone or that they have no means of protection. Christ was witty. When asked carefully crafted questions, He answered in a way that did not trap Him but also conveyed Truth. His words were joyful. He was (is) the light of the world. He spoke with pleasure. He came to save and was thankful for the opportunity and the hope it provided. He spoke with delight. He delighted (delights) in the Father and spent as much time with Him as possible, as well as spending as much time talking about Him as possible. He spoke with charm. Charm literally means pleasing or attracting. His speech was pleasing and attractive. The people were attracted to what He had to say. He spoke with sweetness. A great example of this is with the woman at the well. Although she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew and their people hated one another, He spoke sweetly to her and was kind to her. He loved her and revealed Himself to her. He showed her kindness that no other Jew would have thought to show her. He spoke with loveliness. He knew His purpose for being on Earth. He knew He was to be the blood sacrifice for all men. He loves His people and wants to give hope to all who want it, His words and actions reflected that.
Christ is a perfect example of grace. He exemplifies grace.
I have so much to learn in the way of grace and pretty much everything else, but the month of July has taught me so much about the grace the Lord has bestowed upon me (and the world). He has done so much and showed me so much grace I do not even know how to respond. I do know I want to be better at showing others the same grace the Lord has shown to me.
The month of August I am learning about Meaningful Words. I want to be weary of what I say. As I look back each day on what I say and how I react to things, I realize that basically crap is coming out of my mouth. I am not showing grace in my manner of speaking. Although this post is about a month late, the Lord has taught me some very interesting things about grace and about speaking Meaningful Words. I look forward to sharing what He has taught me all through August.
Grace has a couple of different meanings. When I looked it up in my Bible Dictionary I read the following: "1. properly speaking, that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, loveliness; 2. good will, loving-kindness, mercy, etc; 3. the kindness of a master toward a slave." I will come back to the first part of the definition but want to look at the other two parts first.
Good Will, Loving-Kindness, Mercy
Throughout the month of July, God has shown me so much grace and has also allowed others to show me grace that is defined this way. My roommate, for example, has shown more far more good will, loving-kindness, and mercy than I will ever deserve. She has been patient with me as I figure myself out and as I work through my own craziness. She has humored me in conversations and let things go that would drive others to the crazy house. My best friends have seen and stuck with me through quite a bit of crazy this last year. They have shown me all three things that is described in this portion of grace. I have been served up an amazing group of friends truly by the grace of God.
The Lord has also shown me this type of grace. He has given me so much mercy that I do not deserve. I am sinful and have a wicked heart, yet He exercises the right to give me mercy and not smite me for sinning against Him everyday. I am amazed by the amount of grace the Lord chooses to give me even when I am not following Him as I should. Grace is not earned, it is gifted.
Kindness of a Master toward a Slave
Our "Master" - Christ - has shown us so much grace in His dealings with us. Really. There is no better "Master" to serve than the Lord our God. Typically when we (well me anyway) think of the word "master" it does not hold a positive connotation. Master usually implies someone is over you and it is not by choice. Master implies you are forced or required to do whatever is told to you by this authority figure. Yet, when examining the Lord as Master, we get to see something completely different. The Lord cares for us and has plans for us, "plans for welfare and not for evil." Not that He is going to make us all rich with material wealth. No, His plans are eternal plans. He sees far past right now. He sees well into the future and He sees well into the past. He knows all things. He does all things according to His will. We only see but a tiny glimpse of a puzzle piece in the giant puzzle of life. We only see the here and now, if we are not looking for it and living to make an impact for the Kingdom of God we miss the bigger picture. He commands us out of grace because He knows what is to come.
The word slave is a dirty word to us. To call someone a slave is ... well, it is not acceptable. Yet, we can become a slave to our job, a slave to our studies, a slave to our money, a slave to our video games, a slave to our church, a slave to (fill in the blank). What is better than being a slave to the One who came to love us unconditionally; One who has plans for our welfare and not for evil; One who knows all things, sees all things, and cares for all things. He is the Lord who gave up His only Son, why? Because He cared for us. He showed compassion, mercy, and grace on us when He sent His Son to die for our sin. It all goes back to the gospel. Being a slave to any master that is not the Lord... well it isn't worth it. "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." (Romans 6:20-21). Our slavery to sin is equal to that of death. Christ took that upon Himself in an act of grace and to give us a hope, a hope in Him. He is the only Master worth following.
Properly Speaking, that which Affords Joy, Pleasure, Delight, Charm, Sweetness, Loveliness
Being graceful means good will, loving-kindness, and mercy. It means the kindness of a master toward his slave. It also means properly speaking... Not just properly speaking, but speaking in a manner that "affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, and loveliness". Oop! Guess I have failed at that one, everyday in the past 6 months (that I can remember...maybe longer). This one seems to hold so much weight, which is why it is fitting for it to be the first definition for the word grace. What would it look like if our words, our manner of speaking, held all of these things? We could change the world! Oh wait, Christ did that. There is only one account of Christ being angry. He had righteous anger, so not the same as when someone cuts me off in traffic and I am "angry".
Christ spoke in a way that was joyful, delightful, pleasurable, charming, sweet, and lovely. He spoke kindly to the Pharisees, yet He did not let them trap Him in their questions. Just because someone is kind in their speech does not mean they have no back bone or that they have no means of protection. Christ was witty. When asked carefully crafted questions, He answered in a way that did not trap Him but also conveyed Truth. His words were joyful. He was (is) the light of the world. He spoke with pleasure. He came to save and was thankful for the opportunity and the hope it provided. He spoke with delight. He delighted (delights) in the Father and spent as much time with Him as possible, as well as spending as much time talking about Him as possible. He spoke with charm. Charm literally means pleasing or attracting. His speech was pleasing and attractive. The people were attracted to what He had to say. He spoke with sweetness. A great example of this is with the woman at the well. Although she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew and their people hated one another, He spoke sweetly to her and was kind to her. He loved her and revealed Himself to her. He showed her kindness that no other Jew would have thought to show her. He spoke with loveliness. He knew His purpose for being on Earth. He knew He was to be the blood sacrifice for all men. He loves His people and wants to give hope to all who want it, His words and actions reflected that.
Christ is a perfect example of grace. He exemplifies grace.
I have so much to learn in the way of grace and pretty much everything else, but the month of July has taught me so much about the grace the Lord has bestowed upon me (and the world). He has done so much and showed me so much grace I do not even know how to respond. I do know I want to be better at showing others the same grace the Lord has shown to me.
The month of August I am learning about Meaningful Words. I want to be weary of what I say. As I look back each day on what I say and how I react to things, I realize that basically crap is coming out of my mouth. I am not showing grace in my manner of speaking. Although this post is about a month late, the Lord has taught me some very interesting things about grace and about speaking Meaningful Words. I look forward to sharing what He has taught me all through August.
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