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.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
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.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Rivers and Roads
To be honest, there are a few people I have deemed worthy of the title best friend. One of which I had the pleasure of seeing off to law school this weekend. As I sit here and think about the conversations, fun, laughter (known to some as cackling), deep ponderings, and inside jokes ... I had to do what I have been dreading for weeks. I had to tell a best friend "see ya later," in more common speak "goodbye". This is not a goodbye forever, which is why I refuse to actually say the word goodbye. We are not promised tomorrow, I do not know the next time I will actually see her again; I know that I am planning to see her again. We all have grand plans and are excited to take those next steps in life (furthering education, a big move, job promotion, marriage, kids, etc.). We forget the "see you later"'s we have to say and the Rivers and Roads we put between us as we move on to that next phase of life.
This is not meant to be sad for others, or heck... even myself. I am beginning to recognize more and more the gravity of what Paul says throughout scripture. In one verse he says, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time." (Col. 4:5). The last half of that, "making the best use of the time" ... we are not guaranteed any specific amount of time. The Lord is literally the only One who holds the knowledge of our end. We really do not have many years on this earth. [Yes, my thoughts went this deep as I said "see you later" to a friend who lives Rivers and Roads away]. Since we have such limited time we should not waste any of that time. What am I really doing with the time God has given me?
This is something I want to consider more often with those God has placed in my life. Regardless of their social status or economic status. God has placed each one of us in each others lives for a reason. He has a plan much larger than we can see, think, or imagine. To be honest, that plan involves furthering His kingdom ... not our own.
I may be sad about having to let a best friend be hours away but I know that He has us where He wants us. Sometimes the journey to get there is much more difficult than we would like, but He does it to grow us closer to Him and to one another. He wants us to go to Him in all things (the good... the bad ... and definitely the ugly). He hears all, sees all, and knows all; even before it comes out of our mouths. He is not surprised by anything we do. God is God and I am ooohhh so thankful that I am not. He has extended my heart to yet another part of the world I didn't even imagine (and yes that is within my own state - I am as surprised as anyone else). God has us where He wants us, geographically and all. I am challenging myself and asking God to help me use my time more wisely with those He has put on my path.
This is not meant to be sad for others, or heck... even myself. I am beginning to recognize more and more the gravity of what Paul says throughout scripture. In one verse he says, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time." (Col. 4:5). The last half of that, "making the best use of the time" ... we are not guaranteed any specific amount of time. The Lord is literally the only One who holds the knowledge of our end. We really do not have many years on this earth. [Yes, my thoughts went this deep as I said "see you later" to a friend who lives Rivers and Roads away]. Since we have such limited time we should not waste any of that time. What am I really doing with the time God has given me?
This is something I want to consider more often with those God has placed in my life. Regardless of their social status or economic status. God has placed each one of us in each others lives for a reason. He has a plan much larger than we can see, think, or imagine. To be honest, that plan involves furthering His kingdom ... not our own.
I may be sad about having to let a best friend be hours away but I know that He has us where He wants us. Sometimes the journey to get there is much more difficult than we would like, but He does it to grow us closer to Him and to one another. He wants us to go to Him in all things (the good... the bad ... and definitely the ugly). He hears all, sees all, and knows all; even before it comes out of our mouths. He is not surprised by anything we do. God is God and I am ooohhh so thankful that I am not. He has extended my heart to yet another part of the world I didn't even imagine (and yes that is within my own state - I am as surprised as anyone else). God has us where He wants us, geographically and all. I am challenging myself and asking God to help me use my time more wisely with those He has put on my path.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Blessing to be Blessed ... ?
Everyone wants to be blessed, let's be real. But sometimes we have the misconception that we should be blessed in return. We tend to miss the fact that we shouldn't do things to bless others just so we can be blessed. We also tend to miss that by blessing others we are being blessed. If the Lord has blessed you enough to bless someone else, guess what... you have been blessed. Recently someone was telling me the Food Bank in our area was in need then I heard about another group being in need of something very similar. I sat there realizing that when I go grocery shopping next it wouldn't be too difficult to buy a couple of extra canned goods (I mean really, Kroger has a 10 for $10 deal and what does $10 really mean to me anyway?). The Food Bank does food drives during the holidays and they are successful. We think that people only need to eat during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. We forget that summer and fall people need to eat too. The Food Bank is a resource for those going through difficult times.
Although I am a "poor" college student, the Lord has blessed me with more money than someone else. There is always going to be someone who has less than I do and there is always going to be someone that has more than I do. We can be a blessing to others by simply dying to ourselves over something small. Most of the time we don't really have to give anything up to bless someone else. For some people $10 is the difference of eating a meal or not. Then again, for many others $10 is not going and getting a coffee and a muffin. Thinking about the Food Bank in our area being in need has made me realize that I over look the needs in my area far more often than I would like to realize. It has also made me look back on my own past.
My family has never been "dirt poor" but we have had our instances of difficulty. I remember times when we had an abundance, but then I remember times of just praying to get by. There were times growing up we would dig through our couches to find enough money for each of us to buy a $1 hamburger from McDonald's. We would walk to the McDonald's rather than drive because we didn't want to use more gas than we had to because the gas needed to be used for someone to get to work the next day. There were also times when nana and papa would pay for groceries. Things were not always like this, but it has taught me there are always people the Lord could use me to bless, even though I think I don't have much to bless them with. This is also a misconception, we think we have to have x number of dollars in the bank to be a financial blessing to someone. We do not have to be "rolling in the doe," so to speak, to bless someone else. If I can afford to buy my own groceries, I can afford to buy the store brand and help someone else out.
Think about someone who has blessed you, what did they do? How did you respond? Use that to think about how you could bless others.
If you are interested in helping the Food Bank or interested in finding more opportunities you can email me at bngambill@gmail.com.
Although I am a "poor" college student, the Lord has blessed me with more money than someone else. There is always going to be someone who has less than I do and there is always going to be someone that has more than I do. We can be a blessing to others by simply dying to ourselves over something small. Most of the time we don't really have to give anything up to bless someone else. For some people $10 is the difference of eating a meal or not. Then again, for many others $10 is not going and getting a coffee and a muffin. Thinking about the Food Bank in our area being in need has made me realize that I over look the needs in my area far more often than I would like to realize. It has also made me look back on my own past.
My family has never been "dirt poor" but we have had our instances of difficulty. I remember times when we had an abundance, but then I remember times of just praying to get by. There were times growing up we would dig through our couches to find enough money for each of us to buy a $1 hamburger from McDonald's. We would walk to the McDonald's rather than drive because we didn't want to use more gas than we had to because the gas needed to be used for someone to get to work the next day. There were also times when nana and papa would pay for groceries. Things were not always like this, but it has taught me there are always people the Lord could use me to bless, even though I think I don't have much to bless them with. This is also a misconception, we think we have to have x number of dollars in the bank to be a financial blessing to someone. We do not have to be "rolling in the doe," so to speak, to bless someone else. If I can afford to buy my own groceries, I can afford to buy the store brand and help someone else out.
Think about someone who has blessed you, what did they do? How did you respond? Use that to think about how you could bless others.
If you are interested in helping the Food Bank or interested in finding more opportunities you can email me at bngambill@gmail.com.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Blonde Brain Part I
This is by far probably the most light-hearted post I've written since starting this blog, but everyone needs a little laughter. Last night I was recounting some funny moments since moving into my new apartment with one of my best friends. We sat there laughing at how blonde my brain is. No, my hair is not blonde, my brain is blonde... Here are four short funnies, plan to post a few more later:
The Walk of Shame
Last year I bought a car, the first car I have ever had thank you very much! I am so proud of Keisha. She is a great car. However, Keisha doesn't drive without a driver. One day I was rushing around doing somethings I needed to get done at work. Ran out of the office for lunch - I must add that I wasn't paying attention to anything around me and I was texting. I jumped in my car and buckled up, still texting. I looked up and realized, no one is going to drive me to lunch and I was in the passenger seat of my car (face ... palm). Yeah, well done Bailey. So I set all of my things in the floor board and pretended to be getting something out of my car as I slowly forced myself out of the passenger side. This was the walk of shame to the driver's side of the car.
Magical Push Pins
Like I said earlier, my best friend and I just moved into an apartment that was built in the 1950s. The walls are super thick and have a plaster coating. We were told if we want to hang anything on the walls we need to screw through the walls first and then put the nail in, to keep pieces of the wall from chipping off in huge chunks. So what do I do? I get the bright idea to put my wall map up and use push pins. One of the guys helping me move came to the back room where I was. I was standing on the vanity stool trying to push a push pin in the wall. There I was getting frustrated every push pin was bending. Why didn't I stop? Heavens knows... but not me. He walked over and I handed him the push pin, thinking he was going to magically put it in the wall. He set it on my dresser and walked away slightly laughing at me. I asked him what was so funny. He reminded me of what I was told about the walls. It still didn't click... Let's just say that I don't have anything hanging on my walls right now.
The Other Side of the Room
One of the cool things about this apartment is our basic cable is included, so we don't have to go through the hassle of calling, paying, etc. If we were left to it, we wouldn't have cable. But we do, so yay! My personal Yoda (she has been mentioned in a previous post- she disciples me) let me use one of their big TVs until I decide to buy a big one or move halfway around the world where I will not need one. We have two cable cords in our living room. So when the guys were helping me move in, a week before best friend moved in, they put my TV in the living room next to a cable cord. I was so excited that we had basic cable that I wanted to check it right away. It only picked up four channels. So I was thinking that it was super basic cable. Thought to myself, "No big deal, I don't really watch TV anyway." Well one of our neighbors is a good friend of mine. She told me we should be getting almost 100 channels. So a friend helped me move my TV from one side of the room to the other, thinking the cable cord I was using was old and the new cable cord was on the other side. So we were really excited and we turned it on. Still only picking up four channels, what the heck! So a few days later I started playing around with the menu on the TV. I realized there is a cable button on the menu, some sort of toggle setting. So I toggled it over. Lo-and-behold there were almost 100 channels. Our TV is still on that side of the room...
Rain Storm in La-La-Land
There are many things I really enjoy about our apartment, the fact it was built in the 50s is a huge deal to me. Just love that kind of stuff. The windows are also the fun kind! You know what I am talking about... The 1990s hand crank window that no one looks cool trying to roll down. Only in an apartment it is kind of cool. It gives it that cute retro look. Well, until it rains. Then it gives it that freshly rained on look. Because I love these windows so much I began leaving them open anytime I was home. Wide open, all the way cranked. It began looking stormy - side note, I love storms - and I was thinking things were fine because it wasn't actually raining yet. So when it did start raining I walked through to make sure rain wasn't getting in the apartment. We have screens on the windows, after all. Somehow in my head the screens seemed to repel water and keep it outside, I have no idea why. Then it was an all out torrential downpour with large gusts of wind in every which direction. I noticed the drapery in the living room was getting wet so I closed the window and ventured off to my room to get a towel. Walked in my room and realized my room was in the middle of Hurricane Albert. I had no idea what to do. I ran through the house closing all the windows and then tried to clean up the puddles in my room (we have wood floors all through the apartment... did I mention they are they are the original wood boards from the 1950s? No?). Water had been gushing in my room for at least 15 minutes while I was off in La-La-Land. One of my windows is directly above a wall socket where I have things plugged. So I am trying to avoid being electrocuted while turning off the surge protector and cleaning up the aftermath.
Mustard Cream
Although I am not super grouchy when I wake up, I am also not super awake either. When I wake up in the mornings everything is pretty foggy. Kind of like what is described by people coming off hardcore drugs, that is about what I experience in the morning. I have no idea what the heck the noise is that is so consistent and annoying or who I am or whose apartment I have ended up in or why I am so hungry. Maybe that is not the typical drug addicts crash but that is what seems to happen to me when I wake up, especially when it is 6:30 in the morning (I know, I know... so many people wake up earlier than that and are chipper and poop bunnies, whatever). It takes my poor little brain a while to wake up. One morning, recently, I rolled out of bed, showered, and blow dried my hair. Somewhere in between I turned on my hair straightener. I have no recollection of performing this task, but I usually can't remember if I have washed my hair when in the shower (or how many times I just washed my hair). So as I am grabbing my hair straightener to turn it on, from the ceramic side of course, I feel the heat from the straightener. What do I do? Why slam my hand on the straightener to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Mustard does help with burns, they should turn that into a cream. Mustard cream. I would buy that ... wait.
The Walk of Shame
Last year I bought a car, the first car I have ever had thank you very much! I am so proud of Keisha. She is a great car. However, Keisha doesn't drive without a driver. One day I was rushing around doing somethings I needed to get done at work. Ran out of the office for lunch - I must add that I wasn't paying attention to anything around me and I was texting. I jumped in my car and buckled up, still texting. I looked up and realized, no one is going to drive me to lunch and I was in the passenger seat of my car (face ... palm). Yeah, well done Bailey. So I set all of my things in the floor board and pretended to be getting something out of my car as I slowly forced myself out of the passenger side. This was the walk of shame to the driver's side of the car.
Magical Push Pins
Like I said earlier, my best friend and I just moved into an apartment that was built in the 1950s. The walls are super thick and have a plaster coating. We were told if we want to hang anything on the walls we need to screw through the walls first and then put the nail in, to keep pieces of the wall from chipping off in huge chunks. So what do I do? I get the bright idea to put my wall map up and use push pins. One of the guys helping me move came to the back room where I was. I was standing on the vanity stool trying to push a push pin in the wall. There I was getting frustrated every push pin was bending. Why didn't I stop? Heavens knows... but not me. He walked over and I handed him the push pin, thinking he was going to magically put it in the wall. He set it on my dresser and walked away slightly laughing at me. I asked him what was so funny. He reminded me of what I was told about the walls. It still didn't click... Let's just say that I don't have anything hanging on my walls right now.
The Other Side of the Room
One of the cool things about this apartment is our basic cable is included, so we don't have to go through the hassle of calling, paying, etc. If we were left to it, we wouldn't have cable. But we do, so yay! My personal Yoda (she has been mentioned in a previous post- she disciples me) let me use one of their big TVs until I decide to buy a big one or move halfway around the world where I will not need one. We have two cable cords in our living room. So when the guys were helping me move in, a week before best friend moved in, they put my TV in the living room next to a cable cord. I was so excited that we had basic cable that I wanted to check it right away. It only picked up four channels. So I was thinking that it was super basic cable. Thought to myself, "No big deal, I don't really watch TV anyway." Well one of our neighbors is a good friend of mine. She told me we should be getting almost 100 channels. So a friend helped me move my TV from one side of the room to the other, thinking the cable cord I was using was old and the new cable cord was on the other side. So we were really excited and we turned it on. Still only picking up four channels, what the heck! So a few days later I started playing around with the menu on the TV. I realized there is a cable button on the menu, some sort of toggle setting. So I toggled it over. Lo-and-behold there were almost 100 channels. Our TV is still on that side of the room...
Rain Storm in La-La-Land
There are many things I really enjoy about our apartment, the fact it was built in the 50s is a huge deal to me. Just love that kind of stuff. The windows are also the fun kind! You know what I am talking about... The 1990s hand crank window that no one looks cool trying to roll down. Only in an apartment it is kind of cool. It gives it that cute retro look. Well, until it rains. Then it gives it that freshly rained on look. Because I love these windows so much I began leaving them open anytime I was home. Wide open, all the way cranked. It began looking stormy - side note, I love storms - and I was thinking things were fine because it wasn't actually raining yet. So when it did start raining I walked through to make sure rain wasn't getting in the apartment. We have screens on the windows, after all. Somehow in my head the screens seemed to repel water and keep it outside, I have no idea why. Then it was an all out torrential downpour with large gusts of wind in every which direction. I noticed the drapery in the living room was getting wet so I closed the window and ventured off to my room to get a towel. Walked in my room and realized my room was in the middle of Hurricane Albert. I had no idea what to do. I ran through the house closing all the windows and then tried to clean up the puddles in my room (we have wood floors all through the apartment... did I mention they are they are the original wood boards from the 1950s? No?). Water had been gushing in my room for at least 15 minutes while I was off in La-La-Land. One of my windows is directly above a wall socket where I have things plugged. So I am trying to avoid being electrocuted while turning off the surge protector and cleaning up the aftermath.
Mustard Cream
Although I am not super grouchy when I wake up, I am also not super awake either. When I wake up in the mornings everything is pretty foggy. Kind of like what is described by people coming off hardcore drugs, that is about what I experience in the morning. I have no idea what the heck the noise is that is so consistent and annoying or who I am or whose apartment I have ended up in or why I am so hungry. Maybe that is not the typical drug addicts crash but that is what seems to happen to me when I wake up, especially when it is 6:30 in the morning (I know, I know... so many people wake up earlier than that and are chipper and poop bunnies, whatever). It takes my poor little brain a while to wake up. One morning, recently, I rolled out of bed, showered, and blow dried my hair. Somewhere in between I turned on my hair straightener. I have no recollection of performing this task, but I usually can't remember if I have washed my hair when in the shower (or how many times I just washed my hair). So as I am grabbing my hair straightener to turn it on, from the ceramic side of course, I feel the heat from the straightener. What do I do? Why slam my hand on the straightener to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Mustard does help with burns, they should turn that into a cream. Mustard cream. I would buy that ... wait.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Scandalous
Occasionally a couple of my friends and myself will have controversial conversations about current events or "trending" topics. Today one of them started off with the following link (click here). To understand this post you must first read the link, if you just read this with out reading that... well you might be confused.
A Christian university that has an LGBT group, how does that translate according to biblical standards/principles? Here is my take on it, and a few quotes of theirs.
Biblically homosexuality is a sin, so is sex before marriage, taking God's name in vain, dishonoring one's parents, and the list keeps going. These things are "normal" and accepted in our world today. Scripture says we are born into sin (Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."). We are not born Christians. We are born with a desire to be sinful. We want to rebel against our parents and other authority; we want to swear and drink and have premarital sex... Everything we aren't supposed to do is what we want to do. It literally takes an act of God to change us. People are tempted in different ways. Jesus, for example, fasted for 40 days. Satan tempted Him with turning a rock into bread to meet His physical needs (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tempted Him in His weakest moment. When we are hungry or desperate for something we will do almost anything to get that thing, whatever "it" is. In 1991 a woman hired a hit man to kill her daughter's cheerleading rival to insure her own daughter would be on the cheerleading squad. Not all people's sin is that open, but when God comes in and truly changes someone's life, they are changed forever.
Think about it this way, if your co-worker/friend/spouse/etc runs in and says, "I'm so sorry I am late! I just got hit by a semi-truck and it took forever to get out of there." You would not believe him. Why is that? Because that person would look drastically different, and would possibly be dead. When someone is changed by God he will not appear the same. The physical appearance may not change but everything else about the person begins to change. If someone has homosexual tendencies and then comes to know the Lord that person will be changed. It may not be immediate, but change takes place in that person's life. The more this person spends time with the Lord the more the person sees that it is not spiritually natural to have that desire. Then the person will begin to seek God even more for Him to transform his heart. The person begins to want to desire what God desires. Christ's purpose was to spread the gospel and make His name known throughout the world. His second command to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth. Why were they to do this? What was the point? It was to spread the name of the Lord. They knew what was good and evil. There were only two options, good and evil. It was not good and bad, rather good and evil.
Sin is evil. When we lie, that is evil. When we get drunk, that is evil. When we... do anything that goes against God's law, it is evil. God is perfectly forgiving. God is also perfectly just. Think about it this way, if a convicted murderer was called in by a judge and was told he was being set free. He was forgiven of his charges and was free to go. Everyone (and they mama) would be in an uproar. We would call that judge all sorts of crazy things. So why should we expect the same from God? God sent His Son to die for each of us so that we might have hope in Him. As a Christian/Follower of Christ we are to look different than the world. We are not to go out of our way to look different, but we are not to be of this world. We are just living in it temporarily until we are allowed to go "home". We are citizens of heaven, if we are followers of Christ. As a citizen of heaven our citizenship looks much different than those of the world. Homosexuality, sexual immorality, etc. fit into that category as well. Although we are not to participate in such, we are called to love them. There is a time to rebuke and a time to love. We can still love others while recognizing their actions are sinful. Many people believe that by thinking something is wrong we have to push our own agenda on others, even if we think that agenda is "the right one". Christ did not do that. He loved others and shared truth with them. He was the harshest on the religious people (read the New Testament to see more on this and what He said to the Pharisees).
I, like everyone else, am very sinful. Do people treat me like a leper or stand outside my house with signs and shouting things at me? No. Why should we be doing that to people who claim homosexuality? Shouldn't we show them love and respect? John 8:2-11 talks about the woman caught in adultery.
"Early in the morning He came again to the temple. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and tuaght them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?' This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She Said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"
He did not condemn her, He loved her. In His love for her He let her go and told her to "sin no more". We do not have the authority to tell others "go and sin no more" but we have the ability to love and respect. I was not there so I cannot tell you the level of His compassion or the depth of His kindness. I can tell you that scripture shows that He loved her enough to protect her from the harm of others and the harm of herself. If we are called to be like Christ (Christian means little Christ), aren't we called to love like Christ? Aren't we called to respect? Aren't we called to tell others about Christ? Yes.
Recently there was an article published about a pastor in North Carolina. This particular pastor told his congregation if their children start showing signs of homosexuality they should "beat" them. This is not what God has called us to. Christ washed the feet of the man who would betray Him. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. When was the last time you spoke to someone who was highly hated in your community? When was the last time you offered to eat a meal with a prostitute or someone society looks down upon?
In the community group I attend we spoke about lepers. Not just leprous people but people we consider outcasts in society. Think about who you consider an outcast and pray for them. Not just pray for them but take actions that show Christ love to them. Our community group leader asked us what do those around us begin to believe about us when we start reaching out to the "lepers" of our society? After thinking about it I said, "we become the lepers". We really do, it is not common practice to treat others with love and respect when we do not like what they are doing or when they are not doing what society approves of.
I dare you, reach out to your local leper. We are sinful, we are born into sin. So why not love the other sinners and treat them the way Christ did?
A Christian university that has an LGBT group, how does that translate according to biblical standards/principles? Here is my take on it, and a few quotes of theirs.
Biblically homosexuality is a sin, so is sex before marriage, taking God's name in vain, dishonoring one's parents, and the list keeps going. These things are "normal" and accepted in our world today. Scripture says we are born into sin (Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."). We are not born Christians. We are born with a desire to be sinful. We want to rebel against our parents and other authority; we want to swear and drink and have premarital sex... Everything we aren't supposed to do is what we want to do. It literally takes an act of God to change us. People are tempted in different ways. Jesus, for example, fasted for 40 days. Satan tempted Him with turning a rock into bread to meet His physical needs (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tempted Him in His weakest moment. When we are hungry or desperate for something we will do almost anything to get that thing, whatever "it" is. In 1991 a woman hired a hit man to kill her daughter's cheerleading rival to insure her own daughter would be on the cheerleading squad. Not all people's sin is that open, but when God comes in and truly changes someone's life, they are changed forever.
Think about it this way, if your co-worker/friend/spouse/etc runs in and says, "I'm so sorry I am late! I just got hit by a semi-truck and it took forever to get out of there." You would not believe him. Why is that? Because that person would look drastically different, and would possibly be dead. When someone is changed by God he will not appear the same. The physical appearance may not change but everything else about the person begins to change. If someone has homosexual tendencies and then comes to know the Lord that person will be changed. It may not be immediate, but change takes place in that person's life. The more this person spends time with the Lord the more the person sees that it is not spiritually natural to have that desire. Then the person will begin to seek God even more for Him to transform his heart. The person begins to want to desire what God desires. Christ's purpose was to spread the gospel and make His name known throughout the world. His second command to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth. Why were they to do this? What was the point? It was to spread the name of the Lord. They knew what was good and evil. There were only two options, good and evil. It was not good and bad, rather good and evil.
Sin is evil. When we lie, that is evil. When we get drunk, that is evil. When we... do anything that goes against God's law, it is evil. God is perfectly forgiving. God is also perfectly just. Think about it this way, if a convicted murderer was called in by a judge and was told he was being set free. He was forgiven of his charges and was free to go. Everyone (and they mama) would be in an uproar. We would call that judge all sorts of crazy things. So why should we expect the same from God? God sent His Son to die for each of us so that we might have hope in Him. As a Christian/Follower of Christ we are to look different than the world. We are not to go out of our way to look different, but we are not to be of this world. We are just living in it temporarily until we are allowed to go "home". We are citizens of heaven, if we are followers of Christ. As a citizen of heaven our citizenship looks much different than those of the world. Homosexuality, sexual immorality, etc. fit into that category as well. Although we are not to participate in such, we are called to love them. There is a time to rebuke and a time to love. We can still love others while recognizing their actions are sinful. Many people believe that by thinking something is wrong we have to push our own agenda on others, even if we think that agenda is "the right one". Christ did not do that. He loved others and shared truth with them. He was the harshest on the religious people (read the New Testament to see more on this and what He said to the Pharisees).
I, like everyone else, am very sinful. Do people treat me like a leper or stand outside my house with signs and shouting things at me? No. Why should we be doing that to people who claim homosexuality? Shouldn't we show them love and respect? John 8:2-11 talks about the woman caught in adultery.
"Early in the morning He came again to the temple. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and tuaght them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?' This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She Said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"
He did not condemn her, He loved her. In His love for her He let her go and told her to "sin no more". We do not have the authority to tell others "go and sin no more" but we have the ability to love and respect. I was not there so I cannot tell you the level of His compassion or the depth of His kindness. I can tell you that scripture shows that He loved her enough to protect her from the harm of others and the harm of herself. If we are called to be like Christ (Christian means little Christ), aren't we called to love like Christ? Aren't we called to respect? Aren't we called to tell others about Christ? Yes.
Recently there was an article published about a pastor in North Carolina. This particular pastor told his congregation if their children start showing signs of homosexuality they should "beat" them. This is not what God has called us to. Christ washed the feet of the man who would betray Him. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. When was the last time you spoke to someone who was highly hated in your community? When was the last time you offered to eat a meal with a prostitute or someone society looks down upon?
In the community group I attend we spoke about lepers. Not just leprous people but people we consider outcasts in society. Think about who you consider an outcast and pray for them. Not just pray for them but take actions that show Christ love to them. Our community group leader asked us what do those around us begin to believe about us when we start reaching out to the "lepers" of our society? After thinking about it I said, "we become the lepers". We really do, it is not common practice to treat others with love and respect when we do not like what they are doing or when they are not doing what society approves of.
I dare you, reach out to your local leper. We are sinful, we are born into sin. So why not love the other sinners and treat them the way Christ did?
Life is Often Far too Short
Some times life ends too soon; before we expect it to end. Some times it is sudden; some times it is expected. Life has a funny way of ending. By funny I mean not funny at all, but you know what I mean by that; I hope.
Recently it seems death has been very present among those I know. Thankfully I haven't had to experience this in quite some time but I know the feelings and emotions all too well. Two of my favorite people of all time passed away when I was in junior high and high school (my grand parents). I still remember going through their house and helping pick what was kept and what was to be sold/given away/thrown out. But this isn't about me, it is about others.
There is a sweet family that lost their father/husband in a sudden accident. It wasn't expected, he wasn't sick, it couldn't have been predicted. One day they had their daddy, the next day they didn't. One day their husband woke up and walked out the door for work, but didn't come home. Can you imagine that? That is someone's reality. Several people's reality actually but in this case it is them ... their world has stopped for a brief moment in time. They are left with memories that can't hug them before they go to bed. Those memories can't tell them that everything is going to be alright and that daddy is coming home, because he isn't. All they can do is try to pick up where things left off and start over. A life without her best friend that slept in her bed with her every night. A life without daddy.
What would you do? Can you imagine that?
Just the mere thought of it makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and bawl like a big baby. It makes me want to go home and hug my own daddy.
Often we read verses like Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Somehow we think that verse makes us invincible. Many times we forget to keep reading: Jeremiah 29:12-14 "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile." [So I am not saying this traumatic event has sent this family into exile, just hang with me]. We think because of verse 11 that our life is going to revolve around what we consider good and what we consider our future, welfare, and hope. Bad things happen, God allows/causes those bad things (contrary to popular belief). Not because God is "bad" but because God has a purpose that we do not always understand. We may never understand His reasoning for things, but when we acknowledge His all-knowing, all-seeing, overwhelming love for His people we see that our plans are not God's plans. Proverbs 16:1 "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD." God has all the answers, we do not.
God knows the plans; He knows the paths; He knows the future and the hope. We only see a tiny little portion, our own lives and those we hold dear around us (some times not even that). When He causes these traumatic events or allows them to happen He wants us to call upon Him and go to Him in prayer. Like David, He wants us to pour everything out to Him: Psalm 22:14 "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast." The Lord wants us to seek Him and find Him in events like these. Just as the LORD has pursued us, He wants us to pursue Him. He knows all things and knows the answers to all things. So why would we seek the knowledge of others before seeking that of God. He also tells us in verse 14 that He will restore our fortunes and gather us up from where we have been driven. That alone implies that we are going to have misfortune and be driven away from all that we know. He knows why, He knows where, and He knows how. In events like this, He wants us to pour our hearts out like water that has been poured out all over the place. He knows we are going to be a big crying hot mess. He made us that way, He is not surprised when we do become that way. He knows we are going to be all out of sorts and that our heart is broken. This family feels like they are melting into the very floor they are walking on, they have lost a key part of their lives. Their whole lives have been flipped upside-down. Everything has changed for them; their hearts are broken.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 147:3 says "He (the LORD) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." God promises to make things better. Things will never be the same but He will bind up the wounds, heal them, save the crushed spirit, restore their fortunes, and give them hope. Things will forever be different, but this is not the end. Not yet. He still has a plan, that is why the rest of this family is still here.
Some of you know this family personally, don't forget to pray for them. Don't forget to hug your families and remind them how much you love them.
Some of you do not know this family at all; please pray for comfort for this family. Don't forget to hug your families too.
This family loves each other dearly, the hug each other often; don't think I am saying anything against them. My heart (and prayers go) goes out to them and as I sit and think about all that they are going through right now, it is all I can do to not start crying myself. This event in their lives has reminded me in any events (big, small, traumatic, mundane, etc) I am (we all are) to be seeking the Lord. I am to love at all times, even when it is hard. Life is often far too short to spend most of it mad at others or not loving others. We never know when our days with them will end.
Decide to make today and everyday here after different.
You have a choice, we all do.
Recently it seems death has been very present among those I know. Thankfully I haven't had to experience this in quite some time but I know the feelings and emotions all too well. Two of my favorite people of all time passed away when I was in junior high and high school (my grand parents). I still remember going through their house and helping pick what was kept and what was to be sold/given away/thrown out. But this isn't about me, it is about others.
There is a sweet family that lost their father/husband in a sudden accident. It wasn't expected, he wasn't sick, it couldn't have been predicted. One day they had their daddy, the next day they didn't. One day their husband woke up and walked out the door for work, but didn't come home. Can you imagine that? That is someone's reality. Several people's reality actually but in this case it is them ... their world has stopped for a brief moment in time. They are left with memories that can't hug them before they go to bed. Those memories can't tell them that everything is going to be alright and that daddy is coming home, because he isn't. All they can do is try to pick up where things left off and start over. A life without her best friend that slept in her bed with her every night. A life without daddy.
What would you do? Can you imagine that?
Just the mere thought of it makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and bawl like a big baby. It makes me want to go home and hug my own daddy.
Often we read verses like Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Somehow we think that verse makes us invincible. Many times we forget to keep reading: Jeremiah 29:12-14 "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile." [So I am not saying this traumatic event has sent this family into exile, just hang with me]. We think because of verse 11 that our life is going to revolve around what we consider good and what we consider our future, welfare, and hope. Bad things happen, God allows/causes those bad things (contrary to popular belief). Not because God is "bad" but because God has a purpose that we do not always understand. We may never understand His reasoning for things, but when we acknowledge His all-knowing, all-seeing, overwhelming love for His people we see that our plans are not God's plans. Proverbs 16:1 "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD." God has all the answers, we do not.
God knows the plans; He knows the paths; He knows the future and the hope. We only see a tiny little portion, our own lives and those we hold dear around us (some times not even that). When He causes these traumatic events or allows them to happen He wants us to call upon Him and go to Him in prayer. Like David, He wants us to pour everything out to Him: Psalm 22:14 "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast." The Lord wants us to seek Him and find Him in events like these. Just as the LORD has pursued us, He wants us to pursue Him. He knows all things and knows the answers to all things. So why would we seek the knowledge of others before seeking that of God. He also tells us in verse 14 that He will restore our fortunes and gather us up from where we have been driven. That alone implies that we are going to have misfortune and be driven away from all that we know. He knows why, He knows where, and He knows how. In events like this, He wants us to pour our hearts out like water that has been poured out all over the place. He knows we are going to be a big crying hot mess. He made us that way, He is not surprised when we do become that way. He knows we are going to be all out of sorts and that our heart is broken. This family feels like they are melting into the very floor they are walking on, they have lost a key part of their lives. Their whole lives have been flipped upside-down. Everything has changed for them; their hearts are broken.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us that "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 147:3 says "He (the LORD) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." God promises to make things better. Things will never be the same but He will bind up the wounds, heal them, save the crushed spirit, restore their fortunes, and give them hope. Things will forever be different, but this is not the end. Not yet. He still has a plan, that is why the rest of this family is still here.
Some of you know this family personally, don't forget to pray for them. Don't forget to hug your families and remind them how much you love them.
Some of you do not know this family at all; please pray for comfort for this family. Don't forget to hug your families too.
This family loves each other dearly, the hug each other often; don't think I am saying anything against them. My heart (and prayers go) goes out to them and as I sit and think about all that they are going through right now, it is all I can do to not start crying myself. This event in their lives has reminded me in any events (big, small, traumatic, mundane, etc) I am (we all are) to be seeking the Lord. I am to love at all times, even when it is hard. Life is often far too short to spend most of it mad at others or not loving others. We never know when our days with them will end.
Decide to make today and everyday here after different.
You have a choice, we all do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)