Last night's late-night musings...
As I lie here in bed in the dark, distracted from sleep by my stomach's incessant complaining, I've had a surprisingly spiritual moment. It's been a surprisingly spiritual night, actually.
First, I heard the Lord speak clearer than ever--at least recently, anyway--and I obeyed, despite a throbbing migraine and a fear of what could occur. I had a talk with someone I did not want to talk to. Not exactly an enemy, but I sure was treating her like one. Needless to say, it took great humility, courage, and strength that only God could give.
An hour or so later, I am here trying to answer life's biggest questions because I can't sleep. I started praying. First for myself--my restlessness, my pain. I started whispering to God. I have found in recent times spoken prayers seem to be more effective. If any of my three roommates heard me muttering, they probably figured delirium had finally set in after my rough week.
As I moved my prayer focus away from me and on to other people, I started discovering questions. Why can I never fall asleep quickly? Because I'm stressed about not sleeping. Go figure. The more I focus on trying to sleep, the less likely it is for me to do so.
Then came the bigger questions. When will <major life event> occur? When do I get to <hopes and dreams>? What is God's will for my life? That is the scary question. It is easy enough to ask. It is one of the most common questions God hears besides "Why?", I'm sure.
But that question is the scariest one to have answered. We always want to know the ending. But when we do, we often are disappointed, surprised, or--sometimes--more confused than before. Sometimes, knowing the answers to life's greatest questions isn't the best thing for us. We always want to know why God "hides" things from us, but I feel like it's because He's protecting us from knowing too much. It's kind of related to the question of "If I know this happens in the future, can I do anything to change it?"
I have been dating this wonderful guy named Andrew for over a year. Of course, the idea of marriage sounds wonderful. I wanted a vision, a word, or some other form of proof that showed me that Andrew and I would be married (soon, hopefully).
But then I stopped myself and essentially yelled a huge "Never mind!!" at God. I don't want to know. I mean, I want to know that Andrew and I will be together forever. But what if...?
I'm trusting God now. I'm trusting that He knows when to reveal to me His plans on His timing. For now, I'm better in the dark.
Serendipity
the gift of finding valuable things not sought for
Friday, December 6, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The Ultimate Itch
Temptation
is the ultimate itch. Think about it. It’s there, harassing you. You just… You
just gotta get it. Ahh there. Got it. But now look: You’ve got red, irritated
scratch marks and it’s going to burn for a bit. At least it’s not itching
though. Not too much later, there that itch is yet again. Incessant. Annoying.
Yet somehow appealing, inviting. It feels absolutely impossible to ignore it. If you don’t appease it, it won’t go away.
You might as well give in.
But wait.
It is possible to ignore the itch,
but it’s so difficult. It takes a lot of willpower, and that’s a fact.
Sometimes the itch comes at the most inconvenient time or place, and you have
no choice but to ignore it. There are times when the urge to scratch is overwhelmingly
strong and the itch is so awful you just want to scream in frustration.
Now connect
the dots back to temptation. We often scratch when we don’t want to and know we
shouldn’t. It’s just like what Romans 7 says. “I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…For I do not do the
good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now
if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin
living in me that does it” (verses 15, 19-20). This is the irritating
temptation to scratch that seems impossible to overlook. However, God does
promise us an escape. “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so
that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you are tempted and you
feel like the only thing to do is to satisfy it, remember this: God will
relieve you of your struggle if you ask for help. It seems a lot easier said
than done, but the more you learn to avoid “scratching” those tempting itches,
the more you build self-control and dependence on God.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
A Boy and His Balloon
A young boy is walking through a park. He is holding the string tied to an orange balloon. It bobs in the air, trailing after him as he moves onward. It will from time to time bump into tree branches that hang over the walkway, threatening to pop it. Its resilience is proven each time it doesn't burst despite the pine branches. Another balloon appears--a red one, with its string dangling below it. It begins to follow the boy holding his balloon. He continues to walk as more balloons appear and follow him--blue, green, yellow, purple, white, pink, gold. It is a bobbing, floating rainbow trailing along behind him!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Discipleship in the Digital Age
With the increase in new technology allowing quick and
constant interactions with anyone at any time, it is easy to believe that it is
easy to connect with people. Social media has in many ways assisted in cultivating
relationships, but many Christians disagree on its role and purpose in our
lives. Some believe we need to remain separate from social media while others
assert it is a vital aspect of discipleship. Adam Thomas discusses this
conflict in his book Digital Disciple.
As the title suggests, it is possible to use technology to advance God’s
kingdom, but there is importance in both virtual and face-to-face discipleship.
The Tech (a term Thomas uses to refer to the Internet and
other technological advances in the last fifty years) represents the intersection
of two opposing forces: connection and isolation. By living in a more connected
world, the temptation to become isolated is stronger than ever before. Our
identity as social beings is dramatically altered. Whether we like it or not or
whether we recognize it or not, we are all connected to one another. Our
natural impulse is to gather, but now many people are learning to repress that
in order to live an isolated life. Rather than interacting with people
occupying the same space as us, we interact with people through technology.
This is seen at hangouts, where people go off by themselves to text, instead of
participating with the people around them. We have the tendency to outsource
our minds and bodies to the Tech. Instead of memorizing Scripture, we take for
granted that our smart phones can instantly bring up verses. We ignore the call
to hide God’s Word in our hearts because it is stored in the memory of our
phones. Instead of going to meet someone, we hide behind our phones and computers
and message them from the privacy of our homes.
Thomas differentiated between connection and communion. He
says, “Connection happens when two or three gathers. But connection turns to
communion when, as Jesus says, ‘two or three are gathered in my name, I’m there
with them’ (Matthew 18:20).” It can be argued that in some churches, communion
is stronger than connection. People can come together and pray and worship, yet
ignore the fellowship aspect of being a Christ-follower. Connections are
becoming more superficial and transient as we focus more on what we like,
rather than who we are. Instead of simply being friends on Facebook, we need to
recognize that we are all children of God and act as such. As brothers and
sisters in Christ, we need to learn how to love each other in deeper ways.
The label of being friends through social media is
deceptively reassuring. We believe that we are connected, but we really lose
authenticity, accountability, and love. This is not to say that the Tech is
void of love, but it makes it more of a challenge to love. As Christians, we
should neither shun nor become obsessed with social media. The right balance
must be found, where reality and technology complement and enhance each other.
After all, Christ came to earth as a flesh-and-blood person, living, breathing,
and experiencing the world through his senses. Jesus no longer has his physical
body, but we are now the body of Christ. As such, we need to live in our
bodies, not losing ourselves in a virtual world. As Christians, we represent
Christ to the world whether it is through the Tech or in person, so whatever we
do needs to be overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The Last Song on a Record
I have become frustrated with the
lack of ease with which I now write. Writing is supposed to be my passion, and
I want it to be my passion. However, I find myself now stuck with possibly the
worst case of writer’s block. I don’t know where to begin, and when I do begin,
I don’t know how to develop my writing or end it. I’m never happy enough with
what I write. Every time I read what I have supposedly finished, I feel
disappointed by what I see and am overwhelmed by a sense of perpetual amateurism.
I always want to be better, but I don’t know how to improve. I can hardly think
of a topic to write on, and when I ask God for a word, I feel as though I am
listening to nothing.
It’s like the moment when the last
song on a record has played but you don’t know it’s the last song, and the
record is still spinning for a second or so. You’re wondering if there is
another song, but then you hear that little click when the turntable stops,
signifying there is nothing more to hear. It’s that moment of expectation and
hope, waiting to hear something, and then feeling disappointed. Going along
with this analogy, I guess it is safe to say that there is another side of the record.
You just have to get up, flip the record over, put the needle down, and listen.
I will admit that in the last year I haven’t been listening as hard as I used
to. I was eager to hear what God wanted me to write, but then I got tired and
frustrated with my lack of perfection. Even now, God will give me a vision to
write, but I feel stuck when I try to explain it.
The best I can do is be patient with myself, challenge myself (rather, force myself) to write more, and hope that at least one person will read my writings and hear God’s voice in it somehow. Even if my writing is not perfect, I need to be obedient and write whatever God asks me to share.
The best I can do is be patient with myself, challenge myself (rather, force myself) to write more, and hope that at least one person will read my writings and hear God’s voice in it somehow. Even if my writing is not perfect, I need to be obedient and write whatever God asks me to share.
Flaming Clock
There is a clock that is engulfed in flames. Over the
crackling of the fire, you can still hear the repetitive, endless cry of the
clock: Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It is all hypnotic, entrancing, hard to pull
away from. The heat from the flames is uncomfortable, yet begs you to come in
closer until you realize you enjoy it. The intensity of the prickly warmth,
both painful and comforting, feels familiar. The clock begins to melt, the
ticks and tocks becoming slower. You are losing track of time. A strong wind
comes, giving you chills. As the strong gust continues the fire dissipates. What
is left is a disfigured clock, still ticking off the seconds, and smoldering embers
resting beneath.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Treadmill in the Forest
I see a young woman on a treadmill. All around her is a forest. The scenery begins to move past her as she runs on the treadmill--although she is technically not moving, it appears as though she is. She is sprinting now, breathing hard and growing tired. The landscape changes to an open field as she slows her pace. She allows the treadmill to come to a stop. She steps off and begins to walk, leaving the machine behind her. She runs through the tall grass, feeling free and lighthearted. She soaks in everything through her senses--feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling... She lays down in the meadow, staring up at the cloudless blue sky and squinting at the sun. She feels as if she can feel the earth's motion. All she can feel is peace. After resting she feels rejuvenated and refreshed, ready to move about. She walks purposefully towards the horizon, ready to see and experience what is beyond her sight.
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