Have you ever noticed how many songs are about the relationship between a father and his children? It seems more and more that these songs reflect a negative feeling and a broken relationship. Often the songs seem to tell of an absent father, or a physically present father with a detachhment from the family unit. Few are the songs about a father who is admired by his children, unless you are a big fan of country music. My point is that it seems that, with each passing generation, the role of the father has been diminished and diluted to seem almost "optional".
It is increasingly more common to see the single-parent family nowadays. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded 13.7 million single-parent households. 84% of those families were headed by women, meaning the father was either not present, or only had custody part-time. There are billions of reasons why the children were living with the mother only - divorce, death, or never having a father present from the beginning. 26% of the children living in the United States today come from these single-parent households. For these children, my heart aches. Statistics indicate that a child living the majority of his childhood in a single-parent home will become one himself. He will likely be poor, and will likely never attend college.
My parents divorced when I was 17. It was difficult for my brother and I. But we were very fortunate that our parents remained friends, and remained active in our lives, despite living on opposite ends of the continent. When my parents both remarried, I was blessed with two amazing step-parents. While over a quarter of the kids in the U.S. will live without having even one father present in their lives, I was blessed with TWO. My step-dad took me into his family as if I were his own daughter. Even after my mother's passing, he remains "grandpa" to my kids, and a very special daddy and friend to me. I was very fortunate to have him in my life, but I was certainly the exception rather than the rule.
Dads, if you ever doubt your importance, consider this: your daughter decides in her infancy what a "man" looks like based on her father. If you are abusive, she will seek abuse in her adult relationships. If you are uncaring and cold, she will almost certainly date men who are uninterested in her heart. If you reject her, she will seek to be rejected by other men. But, if you love her, respect her, nurture her, and most importantly, model a healthy relationship with her mother, she will not settle for anything less than that in her own life. It is her father from whom she learns how to relate to every other man on earth. If you, as a father, are not present to speak into her life, who will do it? She will seek to fill that void somehow, with someone, in some way.
And fathers, what about those sons? They learn how to be a man from you. If a son has a father who is abusive, is manipulative, or unkind, he will turn into that man himself. If his father is irresponsible and aloof, so will he be. But if his father is loving, and displays appropriate affection for his children and their mother, that son will model that behavior in his own life. He will strive to be the kind of dad he had - whether that is positive or negative, and whether he realizes that he is doing so or not.
I don't mean to shout atop my soapbox, but if you don't believe that you can be fully present, and completely committed to a child, please, don't have one. There are dads-in-the-waiting who will gladly adopt your child to give that baby the example of manhood that they desperately need. Or, take the necessary measures to avoid conception. But just understand that babies grow into children. And children are so much more aware than we give them credit for. They absorb their environment like sponges, taking in all that they see, hear, and experience, for future reference. Simply put: any man with operating sex organs can father a baby, but it takes a real man with a loving heart to be a daddy. Kids need daddies to speak love, truth, and peace into their lives. The world is a cruel enough place... shouldn't their home be a place of peace and love, where healthy relationships are fostered?
The good news is that everyone has a Father who can provide them with all the love, guidance, support, and healing they can ever need. He has never left or abandoned any of His children. In fact, He continuously adopts new ones into His family. His love cannot be earned, but is readily given. His favor isn't won, but He showers His children with blessings. He sets the standards high for those He loves, but has a hand ready to catch them when they can't quite get there. He's never missed a swim meet, dance competition, or awards ceremony - front row every time. He's never criticized you for your failures. He comes when you call Him, and His love never fails. He sings over you while you sleep, and kisses your cheek every dawn. He's the absolute perfect image of what it is to be a daddy. He has always loved you, even before you were formed in your mother's womb. He's crazy about you. Always has been, always will be. And He loves it when you call him "daddy".
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Weight of the Gift
Recently I have felt as if under attack by forces unseen. While not visible to my eyes, my heart feels burdened under the weight of the recent barrage of misery and woe. The good news is that the wave of attacks meant to weaken faith and tear apart relationships has not been successful. And more good news: it hasn't been directed at me.
I have friends and family near and dear to my heart who are dealing with tremendous suffering. Without getting into specifics, I have friends who are working through the loss of loved ones, friends who are battling addictions, and marriages that are hanging on by a thread. There is loss of property, loss of integrity, and loss of dignity. Like a wave propelled onto land, life seems to be crashing in one way or another all around me, and I am helpless to stop it or even slow it down. It becomes discouraging to see the lengthy prayer list I keep in my journal these days, each page so full of desperate pleas to end the suffering that those closest to me seem to endure day after day.
While I am grateful that these issues are not my own, and my life, for the most part, seems to be steady and comfortable - and I do praise God for a season of peace - I am also burdened by something deep within my heart. My sympathetic heart seems to ache for those who are enduring a season of pain as if it were happening to me.
Some months ago, I felt myself becoming a little bit callous to the world around me. If it happened directly to me, I would feel moved to call on God, and then see His hand at work. And then another season of peace would come and I would forget that God is at work all around me... that is, until I myself endured pain and suffering again. I felt a little empty and a little cold. I wanted to change. I was tired of being so selfish. I prayed that God would let me see the world through his eyes. I wanted to see each person, each creation, through the lens of love and compassion, the way the Creator would. I wanted to look at the world and see each individual as a beautiful expression of God's handiwork, not the sum of all our failures.
God blessed me, almost instantly, with a new set of eyes. I stopped seeing people with labels, like "failure" or "liar". I started seeing the person, not the sin. My heart was softer, my eyes were clearer, and my compassion was overwhelming. Looking through God's eyes, I began to see people for who they were inside, not where they were in their circumstances.
At first, this was such an incredible gift. I felt renewed, and I felt closer to God than ever before. But after a while, I began to see why I could never, ever want to have God's job: there is a lot of hurt in this world, and it's quite overwhelming to think of how many people need your love and support during difficult times.
Compassion is an incredible thing. In fact, that's the first way we hear of God describing himself. He is compassionate. In Exodus, He tells us, "When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate." (22:27) And Jesus modeled this characteristic of his Father when he stood with the sisters of Lazarus and wept with them during their mourning. God's heart breaks, like any loving father's heart would, when he sees us suffering. I didn't exactly know what I was getting into when I asked God to give me the kind of compassion He possesses.
Difficult as it is, I do feel like God only gives us these "gifts" because we need to utilize them. There is a reason He has placed me so close to these people who are hurting. I haven't quite figured out exactly His purpose for this is yet, but I know that there are people I love who need my shoulders to cry on, my arms to hold them, and my prayers to sustain them. God is abounding in love, and He is so compassionate. It isn't easy to think of how many hearts are breaking right now, but God didn't call me to solve their problems. He asked me to be the physical arms that hold them while He holds their hearts. I can do that. Someone did it for me once, too.
I guess it's a heavy gift. But He wouldn't ask me to carry it if He didn't think I could.
I have friends and family near and dear to my heart who are dealing with tremendous suffering. Without getting into specifics, I have friends who are working through the loss of loved ones, friends who are battling addictions, and marriages that are hanging on by a thread. There is loss of property, loss of integrity, and loss of dignity. Like a wave propelled onto land, life seems to be crashing in one way or another all around me, and I am helpless to stop it or even slow it down. It becomes discouraging to see the lengthy prayer list I keep in my journal these days, each page so full of desperate pleas to end the suffering that those closest to me seem to endure day after day.
While I am grateful that these issues are not my own, and my life, for the most part, seems to be steady and comfortable - and I do praise God for a season of peace - I am also burdened by something deep within my heart. My sympathetic heart seems to ache for those who are enduring a season of pain as if it were happening to me.
Some months ago, I felt myself becoming a little bit callous to the world around me. If it happened directly to me, I would feel moved to call on God, and then see His hand at work. And then another season of peace would come and I would forget that God is at work all around me... that is, until I myself endured pain and suffering again. I felt a little empty and a little cold. I wanted to change. I was tired of being so selfish. I prayed that God would let me see the world through his eyes. I wanted to see each person, each creation, through the lens of love and compassion, the way the Creator would. I wanted to look at the world and see each individual as a beautiful expression of God's handiwork, not the sum of all our failures.
God blessed me, almost instantly, with a new set of eyes. I stopped seeing people with labels, like "failure" or "liar". I started seeing the person, not the sin. My heart was softer, my eyes were clearer, and my compassion was overwhelming. Looking through God's eyes, I began to see people for who they were inside, not where they were in their circumstances.
At first, this was such an incredible gift. I felt renewed, and I felt closer to God than ever before. But after a while, I began to see why I could never, ever want to have God's job: there is a lot of hurt in this world, and it's quite overwhelming to think of how many people need your love and support during difficult times.
Compassion is an incredible thing. In fact, that's the first way we hear of God describing himself. He is compassionate. In Exodus, He tells us, "When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate." (22:27) And Jesus modeled this characteristic of his Father when he stood with the sisters of Lazarus and wept with them during their mourning. God's heart breaks, like any loving father's heart would, when he sees us suffering. I didn't exactly know what I was getting into when I asked God to give me the kind of compassion He possesses.
Difficult as it is, I do feel like God only gives us these "gifts" because we need to utilize them. There is a reason He has placed me so close to these people who are hurting. I haven't quite figured out exactly His purpose for this is yet, but I know that there are people I love who need my shoulders to cry on, my arms to hold them, and my prayers to sustain them. God is abounding in love, and He is so compassionate. It isn't easy to think of how many hearts are breaking right now, but God didn't call me to solve their problems. He asked me to be the physical arms that hold them while He holds their hearts. I can do that. Someone did it for me once, too.
I guess it's a heavy gift. But He wouldn't ask me to carry it if He didn't think I could.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Water, Water Everywhere... and not a drop to drink
It rained today. I'm sure this doesn't mean much to most people, but here in Houston, this year has been one of the driest on record. Ponds and lakes are low. Grass is dead and brown. Trees are becoming something like kindling. The landscape just looks parched. Water is just so necessary to life. Everything from the ground up seems to scream for it, and soaks it up so quickly when it comes to the point that it becomes saturated and can hold no more.
Water is essential to life. No life forms can exist without it. Amazing, isn't it? Something so simple, like two hydrogen atoms bonded loosely with an oxygen, can be life-sustaining. Without it, we die. We are born from it. And we require it daily. But how much of it do we waste or take for granted?
As the storm clouds opened up today, I recall thinking, "finally, maybe the lawn will green up a little bit!" But then I started thinking about the families we will serve in a week in Guatemala. They drink water that I find less-than-fitting to water my grass with. In fact, I probably waste more water in a day than they are able to use in a week. The simple fact is that water - clean water - is nearly impossible to find.
In the remote villages we visit on our trips, the people usually rely on a central well in their community - usually located at the school. The well is hand-dug, and usually goes down only 30 feet. Water is present at that level, but unfortunately, so are contaminants. Often, this is also the level at which wastes are present. Water table studies show water present at these levels, but these levels are consistent with latrines and waste disposal. Often, the wells and the latrines are located in close proximity, also, leading to almost certain cross-contamination. Hand-dug wells are also usually not very well protected. Animals can fall in, die, and contaminate the drinking water. Parasites, insects, wastes, and other infectious pathogens usually reside in these wells. Women come and fill jugs from these wells to prepare their food and clean themselves and their household items, furthering the spread of the germs that cause terrible life-threatening diseases. Children often have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight because of diarrhea, which prohibits the absorption of nutrients.
The picture above is an example of a well we replaced for a wealthier community last summer. The opening to the well is exposed. A pulley lowers a bucket down the well.
Today I tried to keep track of what I used water for. I brushed my teeth. I showered, running the water long enough to be hot before I got in. I washed several loads of clothes. I washed dishes. I cooked dinner. I had 3 large bottles of water to drink. I watered a few plants. I washed my hands and flushed a toilet repeatedly. All with the clean water I get from a number of faucets located in my home. No bucket was required.
Once we get started in the community we will serve, the team begins drilling the well. We drill past the "surface" water table, and down into the deeper, cleaner water. Because we use a machine to drill, we are able to get further down into the "good water". We are able to do so quickly and safely.
When we've found the sweet spot, we know it. Several samples are taken to determine cleanliness, mineral content, and the amount of available water. You can see by the image below, the water we get during sampling goes through a lot of changes. The finished product is delicious - better tasting than most domestic bottled brands.
The best part of the whole trip comes at the end. The well is assembled and the community is finally free to taste the fruits of our labors. Clean, reliable, fresh drinking water is made available to the whole community. There is something sweetly satisfying about seeing the eyes of a child light up at the possibility of living without disease, thanks to a few gringos y gringas that gave up a week of their time to help a community in need.
We travel with an organization called Living Water International. What these people do around the world is incredible. Please visit www.water.cc to find out how you can help end the water crisis.
In one week, I will leave the comforts of home to help another community. I'm hoping this time is as amazing as the last!
Water is essential to life. No life forms can exist without it. Amazing, isn't it? Something so simple, like two hydrogen atoms bonded loosely with an oxygen, can be life-sustaining. Without it, we die. We are born from it. And we require it daily. But how much of it do we waste or take for granted?
As the storm clouds opened up today, I recall thinking, "finally, maybe the lawn will green up a little bit!" But then I started thinking about the families we will serve in a week in Guatemala. They drink water that I find less-than-fitting to water my grass with. In fact, I probably waste more water in a day than they are able to use in a week. The simple fact is that water - clean water - is nearly impossible to find.
In the remote villages we visit on our trips, the people usually rely on a central well in their community - usually located at the school. The well is hand-dug, and usually goes down only 30 feet. Water is present at that level, but unfortunately, so are contaminants. Often, this is also the level at which wastes are present. Water table studies show water present at these levels, but these levels are consistent with latrines and waste disposal. Often, the wells and the latrines are located in close proximity, also, leading to almost certain cross-contamination. Hand-dug wells are also usually not very well protected. Animals can fall in, die, and contaminate the drinking water. Parasites, insects, wastes, and other infectious pathogens usually reside in these wells. Women come and fill jugs from these wells to prepare their food and clean themselves and their household items, furthering the spread of the germs that cause terrible life-threatening diseases. Children often have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight because of diarrhea, which prohibits the absorption of nutrients.
The picture above is an example of a well we replaced for a wealthier community last summer. The opening to the well is exposed. A pulley lowers a bucket down the well.
Today I tried to keep track of what I used water for. I brushed my teeth. I showered, running the water long enough to be hot before I got in. I washed several loads of clothes. I washed dishes. I cooked dinner. I had 3 large bottles of water to drink. I watered a few plants. I washed my hands and flushed a toilet repeatedly. All with the clean water I get from a number of faucets located in my home. No bucket was required.
Once we get started in the community we will serve, the team begins drilling the well. We drill past the "surface" water table, and down into the deeper, cleaner water. Because we use a machine to drill, we are able to get further down into the "good water". We are able to do so quickly and safely.
When we've found the sweet spot, we know it. Several samples are taken to determine cleanliness, mineral content, and the amount of available water. You can see by the image below, the water we get during sampling goes through a lot of changes. The finished product is delicious - better tasting than most domestic bottled brands.
The best part of the whole trip comes at the end. The well is assembled and the community is finally free to taste the fruits of our labors. Clean, reliable, fresh drinking water is made available to the whole community. There is something sweetly satisfying about seeing the eyes of a child light up at the possibility of living without disease, thanks to a few gringos y gringas that gave up a week of their time to help a community in need.
We travel with an organization called Living Water International. What these people do around the world is incredible. Please visit www.water.cc to find out how you can help end the water crisis.
In one week, I will leave the comforts of home to help another community. I'm hoping this time is as amazing as the last!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Me encanta Guatemala
For my non-Spanish speaking friends, "me encanta Guatemala" means "I love Guatemala." The cool thing about the word I used, "encanta", is that it is more than just really liking something. It conveys a special fondness. It's also been translated as "delight in a high degree." To me, this implies intimacy. And that's where Guatemala is for me - in a special, intimate place in my heart.
With just a few weeks until the plane takes off, I am getting more and more excited. It's hard to describe this feeling to someone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. I mean, why would anyone be excited to visit a third-world country?!? It's indescribable, but I'll try.
An old Guatemalan proverb says:
The people in village that we visited last year have very few earthly possessions. Most households have a few pots for cooking, a few changes of clothes, and baskets for collecting and storing fruits and vegetables. At least one home in the community has a corn mill, and this location serves as the meeting place for the women of the village - I guess certain things, like the need for women to congregate and socialize, are universal. During my tour of the community in the town of Bracitos, I noticed that the families that had motorized transportation usually had just a motorcycle - which the entire family rode on to get to church on Sundays - or maybe a half-running pickup truck, likely one bought for cheap in the States. Their clothes were mostly donated from missions in the US, or bought at markets full of knock-offs and poor imitations of brand names popular here in the US. Very few women wore any "traditional" dress anymore. If a home had any furniture, it looked to be either handmade, or in disrepair from likely years of abuse and exposure to the elements, as many homes lacked doors or windows to keep the outdoors out. Most of the people we met didn't wear jewelry of any kind - not even a watch. They didn't have much "stuff" at all to speak of, especially not by American standards. But they wore something that a lot of Americans rarely do - a smile.
Why are they so happy? They are poor. They are hungry. They are living in shacks. They work long, hard hours for very little pay. Their government is corrupt. Why are they smiling?!? What is there to be happy about?? They have peace. I can make up a hundred theories as to why they live in peace. But the fact is that it really doesn't matter why. They just do. They are just fine with not having everything this world has to offer. They have peace in their hearts that spills over into their surrounding community. They don't have much, but everything they have is for everyone. They see us crazy gringos driving into town and their first instinct, despite the fact that we drive in on a fairly new, air-conditioned vehicle with freshly laundered clothes and clean hair and full bellies, is to share with us. What they have to offer is nothing by our over-indulged American standards. Nothing. But the fact that they offer it willingly, graciously, and whole-heartedly is something that no one who has never been there can fathom. They are happy because what they have, they understand, is really not theirs to hold onto - it's all God's.
Every meal, no matter how simple, is made with love and respect for us, their guests. Most meals we ate there were a mixture of beans, rice, homemade tortillas, and some kind of meat - usually chicken or beef. They presented it to us on their best china - most of which didn't match - with real forks and spoons. This was likely not the case when their families ate. Most probably wrapped the food in a tortilla and ate on their dirt floors. We ate on the tables and chairs borrowed from the school house in the shade of a tree on the school property. They joined us in prayer and then disappeared during our meal. It wouldn't look it to the untrained eye, but they had just presented us with a feast held in our honor! They brought together their finest just for us! It reminds me of Jesus and the perfume. It may not have been much, but to have his feet washed with special perfume meant everything to him. It was all in the sacrifice. And sitting at that table, elbow to elbow in the scorching hot July sun, my face wet with sweat, I never felt more blessed and more loved. It was all in the sacrifice.
I love Guatemala. I have a special place in my heart for my friends there. Ms. Costa de Luz is someone I will not soon forget - her gift to me was something that I believe I may forever treasure. But she represents most of the people there. They are warm, giving, and kind. They are sincere and sweet. And most of all, they have peace.
It is better to live without much and be at peace than to be burdened with many things that stress you out.
I will never eat beans the same way...
With just a few weeks until the plane takes off, I am getting more and more excited. It's hard to describe this feeling to someone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. I mean, why would anyone be excited to visit a third-world country?!? It's indescribable, but I'll try.
An old Guatemalan proverb says:
Es mejor comer frijoles en la paz que la carne en peligroIt means, "it's better to eat beans in peace than meat in distress." People in the rural parts of Guatemala, the places we go to visit and drill clean water wells, don't have much in the way of worldly possessions. In fact, they often lack sufficient food for their own families, and certainly, meat is a luxury. But none of them, despite their obvious need for basic necessities, ever seem to be lacking in spirit. There is limited, if any, quarrelling amongst the children, and rarely there are any arguments between neighbors. I guess when you have nothing of any real material value, you have nothing of any real material value to fight over.
The people in village that we visited last year have very few earthly possessions. Most households have a few pots for cooking, a few changes of clothes, and baskets for collecting and storing fruits and vegetables. At least one home in the community has a corn mill, and this location serves as the meeting place for the women of the village - I guess certain things, like the need for women to congregate and socialize, are universal. During my tour of the community in the town of Bracitos, I noticed that the families that had motorized transportation usually had just a motorcycle - which the entire family rode on to get to church on Sundays - or maybe a half-running pickup truck, likely one bought for cheap in the States. Their clothes were mostly donated from missions in the US, or bought at markets full of knock-offs and poor imitations of brand names popular here in the US. Very few women wore any "traditional" dress anymore. If a home had any furniture, it looked to be either handmade, or in disrepair from likely years of abuse and exposure to the elements, as many homes lacked doors or windows to keep the outdoors out. Most of the people we met didn't wear jewelry of any kind - not even a watch. They didn't have much "stuff" at all to speak of, especially not by American standards. But they wore something that a lot of Americans rarely do - a smile.
Why are they so happy? They are poor. They are hungry. They are living in shacks. They work long, hard hours for very little pay. Their government is corrupt. Why are they smiling?!? What is there to be happy about?? They have peace. I can make up a hundred theories as to why they live in peace. But the fact is that it really doesn't matter why. They just do. They are just fine with not having everything this world has to offer. They have peace in their hearts that spills over into their surrounding community. They don't have much, but everything they have is for everyone. They see us crazy gringos driving into town and their first instinct, despite the fact that we drive in on a fairly new, air-conditioned vehicle with freshly laundered clothes and clean hair and full bellies, is to share with us. What they have to offer is nothing by our over-indulged American standards. Nothing. But the fact that they offer it willingly, graciously, and whole-heartedly is something that no one who has never been there can fathom. They are happy because what they have, they understand, is really not theirs to hold onto - it's all God's.
Every meal, no matter how simple, is made with love and respect for us, their guests. Most meals we ate there were a mixture of beans, rice, homemade tortillas, and some kind of meat - usually chicken or beef. They presented it to us on their best china - most of which didn't match - with real forks and spoons. This was likely not the case when their families ate. Most probably wrapped the food in a tortilla and ate on their dirt floors. We ate on the tables and chairs borrowed from the school house in the shade of a tree on the school property. They joined us in prayer and then disappeared during our meal. It wouldn't look it to the untrained eye, but they had just presented us with a feast held in our honor! They brought together their finest just for us! It reminds me of Jesus and the perfume. It may not have been much, but to have his feet washed with special perfume meant everything to him. It was all in the sacrifice. And sitting at that table, elbow to elbow in the scorching hot July sun, my face wet with sweat, I never felt more blessed and more loved. It was all in the sacrifice.
I love Guatemala. I have a special place in my heart for my friends there. Ms. Costa de Luz is someone I will not soon forget - her gift to me was something that I believe I may forever treasure. But she represents most of the people there. They are warm, giving, and kind. They are sincere and sweet. And most of all, they have peace.
It is better to live without much and be at peace than to be burdened with many things that stress you out.
I will never eat beans the same way...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Top Ten Rediculous Grown Up Behavior
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this important news brief:
Anyone ever watch Letterman anymore? I used to be a big fan (until I became old enough to be allowed to stay up that late, which was also about the time I became too old to be able to make it!). I always loved his top ten lists. Random lists of stuff in a seemingly organized list created to make you think about it's contents in a slightly different way. After much thought, I've created my own top ten list:
TOP TEN RUDEST THINGS GROWN PEOPLE DO
10. Talk with your mouth full. Yes, I've done it a time or two also. Everyone has. But it really is thoroughly disgusting. I mean, not only is it difficult to understand the speaker, there is something gross about seeing their food in various stages of oral digestion that makes their message seem less important with every open-mouthed chew. I do NOT want to see the contents of your mouth, and I especially do not want to be distracted by it while you are trying to convey to me a message that I may or may not be interested in hearing, but cannot because my brain is too distracted by the food particles circulating in your saliva. Just finish your bite and we'll talk in a moment. I can also throw in gum-chewers who do a lot of talking in this category. I don't want to see, smell, or wear your gum because you can't manage to chew it discretely.
9. Poor speech and grammar/slang. I understand that our official language, being English, sometimes requires some descriptive words that are not native to the tongue, but some slang is just really inappropriate for "grown-up" conversation. I guess among friends it is understandable, but some people don't know where to draw the line. Please, friends, do not go to your next job interview and ask if you are allowed to work from your hizz-ouse a few days a week. They will say no, and then tell you that McDonalds is hiring. Seriously, that is shameful. Also, if you passed the 7th grade, as I hope most of you reading this have, you know a few rules about grammar in our native tongue. USE THEM. "They is" is not appropriate. Way to make your parents proud. Pretend that you were not asleep during English class. And this leads me to the next point, which is about...
8. Talking the way you text. Most of us remember days gone by where we a) didn't have a cell phone that would actually fit in our pockets; and b)your phone would only make a call. Back in "the good ole days" we didn't know to say things like "LOL" or "BFF". These things are considered by most to be completely acceptable in a text message. But, friends, I beg of you... don't say them out loud. If someone is funny, don't say LOL, simply go old-school and actually, I don't know, laugh out loud. You know, where people can hear you. It has an amazing effect during a funny situation. Did you know it takes the same amount of time to say "OMG" as it does to just say "oh my gosh"? I mean, you're not saving any real time when you speak, so just say it. When you text, there is an obvious time savings. From now on, have some self respect and tell someone that you'll talk to them later, don't ever say "TTYL!" It's just sad.
7. Bodily noises/functions in public. I expect my seven-year-old son to, at some point, rip a stinky toot and giggle like a school girl. It's what little boys do. It's gross, and I don't like it, but he's not even in the double-digit age bracket yet, so we still have time to break him of it. But grown men need not ever burp, fart, snort, spit, or any other disgusting bodily function in public. Ladies, I'm not excluding you from this one - I recently heard a woman belch out in a way that could compete with any man on his drunkest day. I understand that gases build up in your system, and one way or another they need to come out. Gas can be painful, I get it. But in the privacy of your own home, the restroom, somewhere other than the cereal isle in Walmart would be appreciated. You know who you are. It's just nasty. I don't need to know about the fermentation of whatever you ate for lunch is like. Keep it to yourself. For real, people, that's just nasty.
6. If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet and wipe the seat. Most everyone knows that I detest germs. The thought of being exposed to another person's DNA is repulsive to me. The worst is in a public restroom. Now, let me preface this by saying that I have trained my bladder to withstand an extreme amount of liquid intake before requiring release. Mostly because I can't bear the idea of using a public restroom. Eew. In fact, for 3 days straight I held it for an entire day of work in the Guatemalan heat to avoid the toilet perched atop a hole that was flushed once daily. Like I said, I don't play around in the public restrooms. But there are extreme situations that require it to be done. When I get to the point where I realize that I must go, I thoroughly line the seat as insurance, and then do my best to squat and hover to avoid making contact with the liner. Then I use my foot to flush (this method has come back to bite me, as I managed to lose a shoe in the toilet while trying to flush). Even though my plan does keep my hands and backside from having contact with the germiest of surfaces, it still repulses me immensely to see tiny little urine droplets on the seat or outside of the bowl. Come on, ladies... don't be pigs. Take a few squares and wipe up after yourself. Don't be raunchy. Furthermore, please also remember to flush the toilet after yourself. I do not care to see what you have digested from meals previous. Gross. Ladies shouldn't be so nasty.
5. Sentence enhancers. I wasn't born yesterday. I know kids have been dropping f-bombs since the dawn of time. Or at least since the dawn of the f-word. Every kid tries it out at some point. But what really irritates me is when I hear a grown person using it as an adverb 20 or 30 times in a sentence. Come on... it can't be that versatile a word. Surely, it doesn't have the same effect on every noun or verb you are describing. I have used a few choice "sentence enhancers" on occasion - like that incredible pain associated with slamming your finger in the door, or realizing that you left your wallet at home and you're 20 miles away trying to buy gas. Yeah, it happens. A choice four-letter word slips out. Used "properly" these curse words can really emphasize the &$#@tty situation you're in. But every other word?? It tends to lose effect. Much like the #10 item, I can't really hear what you're saying for all the icky stuff that's coming out of your mouth at the same time. Here's a four-letter word for you potty-mouths: R U D E.
4. Hold the door, please. I wasn't born in the 40s. I know that women and men are just about equal (we'll save this argument for another time). I know that the days of men treating women like princesses have all but passed us by. So the argument I make here is not based on the fact that I am a woman and feel somehow entitled to better-than-men treatment. As a human being, however, I would appreciate not having a door slammed in my face if you walk out first. It's just common courtesy to hold the door if the person coming out next is close enough to you. You walk out, hold the door for an extra 3.76 seconds, and then you continue walking. You cannot get anywhere faster for having shut the door on someone else. That extra 4 seconds just won't cut it. Unless you are a NASCAR driver, in which case, you probably just go to Walmart where they have automatic doors anyway. Ha ha - just digging at my NASCAR fan friends a little. But I digress. Look, dudes, don't be rude - just hold the door an extra few seconds so the next person won't have to visit the ER for a broken nose. It's not going to require any real extra effort on your part and you won't look like a complete dill weed.
3. Lack of table manners. We've already touched on the talking with a full mouth thing. But can you believe that there are other table manner violations that grown people commit?? I mean, really?? But my friends, I tell you the truth, some grown people are just nasty. Here are some examples of what not to do at the table: blow your nose, spit, wipe your face on your sleeve, floss your teeth (although I commend anyone who does choose to floss after a meal), burp, "potty-talk", use a finger to stir a drink, pick your nose, touch all of the bread, chew with your mouth open, and my favorite: "are you gonna eat that?" The sad thing is that all of the aforementioned items were witnessed in restaurants - meaning these grown-ups were nasty in public. Seriously... I've lost my appetite.
2. Don't cut in line. I can't stand to see kids get bent out of shape if someone jumps in line in front of them. It's kind of sad, really. They are so anxious for whatever is at the front of that line that they simply can't bear waiting the extra 15 seconds behind someone for their own turn. Guess what? Some folks never grow out of that. Patience is a virtue, and some of us are less virtuous than others. If you're the guy that likes to jump in front of other cars that have waited in line patiently, I'm speaking to you. Listen, pal, it wasn't cute when you were six, and it's not cute now. If everyone else waits nicely for it to be their turn, you need to do the same. The rules apply to you, too, buddy. I'm also speaking to the lady who tried to cut in front of my sister-in-law and I at the Walmart after-Thanksgiving sale. Do you think that it would be so terribly long a wait to get behind us with our 4 things? Do you think that you saved any real noticeable time by jumping ahead with your half-opened (and probably once-returned) coffee pot? I mean, think about it for a second, people. Have you ever really gained anything by impetuously jumping in front of everyone else? Well, you probably gained a line full of enemies...
1. One-Uppers. My number-one most ridiculous adult behavior: the one-uppers. You know who you are. You simply can't let the rest of the world have more, be more, see more, do more, or think more than you. The Urban Dictionary defines this as "an annoying person who responds to hearing someone else's experience or problem by immediately telling a similar story about themselves with a much more fantastic (or terrible) outcome." For example, if I win the lottery, you won it yesterday. If I break my leg, you broke yours in 6 places. My best day can never top your best day. Ever. It's super annoying. And even though you may intend to entertain, just know that people have identified you as a One-Upper and are probably talking about you behind your back. The One-Upper is really just a pathetic character in the tragic sitcom of life. People mock you. My advice: stop being the One-Upper. When you hear a story, think long and hard before you open your mouth to tell your own story. Ask yourself, "will my story help the listener?" If the answer is "yes" then please proceed, gracefully leading into your tale. If you answer "no" then please shut your hole. Yup, you heard me. Just don't talk. After all, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And one-upping isn't nice.
Okay, folks. There it is. My top 10 most annoying and ridiculous adult behaviors. If you find yourself on this list, please seek help immediately.
We now return to our regularly scheduled program...
Anyone ever watch Letterman anymore? I used to be a big fan (until I became old enough to be allowed to stay up that late, which was also about the time I became too old to be able to make it!). I always loved his top ten lists. Random lists of stuff in a seemingly organized list created to make you think about it's contents in a slightly different way. After much thought, I've created my own top ten list:
TOP TEN RUDEST THINGS GROWN PEOPLE DO
10. Talk with your mouth full. Yes, I've done it a time or two also. Everyone has. But it really is thoroughly disgusting. I mean, not only is it difficult to understand the speaker, there is something gross about seeing their food in various stages of oral digestion that makes their message seem less important with every open-mouthed chew. I do NOT want to see the contents of your mouth, and I especially do not want to be distracted by it while you are trying to convey to me a message that I may or may not be interested in hearing, but cannot because my brain is too distracted by the food particles circulating in your saliva. Just finish your bite and we'll talk in a moment. I can also throw in gum-chewers who do a lot of talking in this category. I don't want to see, smell, or wear your gum because you can't manage to chew it discretely.
9. Poor speech and grammar/slang. I understand that our official language, being English, sometimes requires some descriptive words that are not native to the tongue, but some slang is just really inappropriate for "grown-up" conversation. I guess among friends it is understandable, but some people don't know where to draw the line. Please, friends, do not go to your next job interview and ask if you are allowed to work from your hizz-ouse a few days a week. They will say no, and then tell you that McDonalds is hiring. Seriously, that is shameful. Also, if you passed the 7th grade, as I hope most of you reading this have, you know a few rules about grammar in our native tongue. USE THEM. "They is" is not appropriate. Way to make your parents proud. Pretend that you were not asleep during English class. And this leads me to the next point, which is about...
8. Talking the way you text. Most of us remember days gone by where we a) didn't have a cell phone that would actually fit in our pockets; and b)your phone would only make a call. Back in "the good ole days" we didn't know to say things like "LOL" or "BFF". These things are considered by most to be completely acceptable in a text message. But, friends, I beg of you... don't say them out loud. If someone is funny, don't say LOL, simply go old-school and actually, I don't know, laugh out loud. You know, where people can hear you. It has an amazing effect during a funny situation. Did you know it takes the same amount of time to say "OMG" as it does to just say "oh my gosh"? I mean, you're not saving any real time when you speak, so just say it. When you text, there is an obvious time savings. From now on, have some self respect and tell someone that you'll talk to them later, don't ever say "TTYL!" It's just sad.
7. Bodily noises/functions in public. I expect my seven-year-old son to, at some point, rip a stinky toot and giggle like a school girl. It's what little boys do. It's gross, and I don't like it, but he's not even in the double-digit age bracket yet, so we still have time to break him of it. But grown men need not ever burp, fart, snort, spit, or any other disgusting bodily function in public. Ladies, I'm not excluding you from this one - I recently heard a woman belch out in a way that could compete with any man on his drunkest day. I understand that gases build up in your system, and one way or another they need to come out. Gas can be painful, I get it. But in the privacy of your own home, the restroom, somewhere other than the cereal isle in Walmart would be appreciated. You know who you are. It's just nasty. I don't need to know about the fermentation of whatever you ate for lunch is like. Keep it to yourself. For real, people, that's just nasty.
6. If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet and wipe the seat. Most everyone knows that I detest germs. The thought of being exposed to another person's DNA is repulsive to me. The worst is in a public restroom. Now, let me preface this by saying that I have trained my bladder to withstand an extreme amount of liquid intake before requiring release. Mostly because I can't bear the idea of using a public restroom. Eew. In fact, for 3 days straight I held it for an entire day of work in the Guatemalan heat to avoid the toilet perched atop a hole that was flushed once daily. Like I said, I don't play around in the public restrooms. But there are extreme situations that require it to be done. When I get to the point where I realize that I must go, I thoroughly line the seat as insurance, and then do my best to squat and hover to avoid making contact with the liner. Then I use my foot to flush (this method has come back to bite me, as I managed to lose a shoe in the toilet while trying to flush). Even though my plan does keep my hands and backside from having contact with the germiest of surfaces, it still repulses me immensely to see tiny little urine droplets on the seat or outside of the bowl. Come on, ladies... don't be pigs. Take a few squares and wipe up after yourself. Don't be raunchy. Furthermore, please also remember to flush the toilet after yourself. I do not care to see what you have digested from meals previous. Gross. Ladies shouldn't be so nasty.
5. Sentence enhancers. I wasn't born yesterday. I know kids have been dropping f-bombs since the dawn of time. Or at least since the dawn of the f-word. Every kid tries it out at some point. But what really irritates me is when I hear a grown person using it as an adverb 20 or 30 times in a sentence. Come on... it can't be that versatile a word. Surely, it doesn't have the same effect on every noun or verb you are describing. I have used a few choice "sentence enhancers" on occasion - like that incredible pain associated with slamming your finger in the door, or realizing that you left your wallet at home and you're 20 miles away trying to buy gas. Yeah, it happens. A choice four-letter word slips out. Used "properly" these curse words can really emphasize the &$#@tty situation you're in. But every other word?? It tends to lose effect. Much like the #10 item, I can't really hear what you're saying for all the icky stuff that's coming out of your mouth at the same time. Here's a four-letter word for you potty-mouths: R U D E.
4. Hold the door, please. I wasn't born in the 40s. I know that women and men are just about equal (we'll save this argument for another time). I know that the days of men treating women like princesses have all but passed us by. So the argument I make here is not based on the fact that I am a woman and feel somehow entitled to better-than-men treatment. As a human being, however, I would appreciate not having a door slammed in my face if you walk out first. It's just common courtesy to hold the door if the person coming out next is close enough to you. You walk out, hold the door for an extra 3.76 seconds, and then you continue walking. You cannot get anywhere faster for having shut the door on someone else. That extra 4 seconds just won't cut it. Unless you are a NASCAR driver, in which case, you probably just go to Walmart where they have automatic doors anyway. Ha ha - just digging at my NASCAR fan friends a little. But I digress. Look, dudes, don't be rude - just hold the door an extra few seconds so the next person won't have to visit the ER for a broken nose. It's not going to require any real extra effort on your part and you won't look like a complete dill weed.
3. Lack of table manners. We've already touched on the talking with a full mouth thing. But can you believe that there are other table manner violations that grown people commit?? I mean, really?? But my friends, I tell you the truth, some grown people are just nasty. Here are some examples of what not to do at the table: blow your nose, spit, wipe your face on your sleeve, floss your teeth (although I commend anyone who does choose to floss after a meal), burp, "potty-talk", use a finger to stir a drink, pick your nose, touch all of the bread, chew with your mouth open, and my favorite: "are you gonna eat that?" The sad thing is that all of the aforementioned items were witnessed in restaurants - meaning these grown-ups were nasty in public. Seriously... I've lost my appetite.
2. Don't cut in line. I can't stand to see kids get bent out of shape if someone jumps in line in front of them. It's kind of sad, really. They are so anxious for whatever is at the front of that line that they simply can't bear waiting the extra 15 seconds behind someone for their own turn. Guess what? Some folks never grow out of that. Patience is a virtue, and some of us are less virtuous than others. If you're the guy that likes to jump in front of other cars that have waited in line patiently, I'm speaking to you. Listen, pal, it wasn't cute when you were six, and it's not cute now. If everyone else waits nicely for it to be their turn, you need to do the same. The rules apply to you, too, buddy. I'm also speaking to the lady who tried to cut in front of my sister-in-law and I at the Walmart after-Thanksgiving sale. Do you think that it would be so terribly long a wait to get behind us with our 4 things? Do you think that you saved any real noticeable time by jumping ahead with your half-opened (and probably once-returned) coffee pot? I mean, think about it for a second, people. Have you ever really gained anything by impetuously jumping in front of everyone else? Well, you probably gained a line full of enemies...
1. One-Uppers. My number-one most ridiculous adult behavior: the one-uppers. You know who you are. You simply can't let the rest of the world have more, be more, see more, do more, or think more than you. The Urban Dictionary defines this as "an annoying person who responds to hearing someone else's experience or problem by immediately telling a similar story about themselves with a much more fantastic (or terrible) outcome." For example, if I win the lottery, you won it yesterday. If I break my leg, you broke yours in 6 places. My best day can never top your best day. Ever. It's super annoying. And even though you may intend to entertain, just know that people have identified you as a One-Upper and are probably talking about you behind your back. The One-Upper is really just a pathetic character in the tragic sitcom of life. People mock you. My advice: stop being the One-Upper. When you hear a story, think long and hard before you open your mouth to tell your own story. Ask yourself, "will my story help the listener?" If the answer is "yes" then please proceed, gracefully leading into your tale. If you answer "no" then please shut your hole. Yup, you heard me. Just don't talk. After all, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And one-upping isn't nice.
Okay, folks. There it is. My top 10 most annoying and ridiculous adult behaviors. If you find yourself on this list, please seek help immediately.
We now return to our regularly scheduled program...
Monday, June 6, 2011
Actions Speak Louder, Love Speaks Loudest
I was riding down the road today heading towards the first of my many errands, when I stopped behind a ragged pickup truck at the red light. Amongst his myriad of bumper stickers, most of which I found to be highly inappropriate for public display, was a plain white, rectangular sticker with purple text that read:
If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go.
Because the red light was an especially long one, I had an opportunity to ponder the meaning of this sticker, as well as the one that told me to honk if I was interested in pursuing an inappropriate physical encounter with the overweight and unshaven driver of said truck. The first sticker, though, had me intrigued (the second... not so much). The conclusion I came to just seconds before the light turned green was that people don't like being beaten over the head with alternative ideas. The unsavory driver sped off, leaving a trail of black exhaust behind him. But his bumper sticker message stayed with me.
I can recall in my youth going door-to-door with the sweet missionary ladies of the LDS church. We went tracting on every street in my neighborhood, knocking on doors and talking with passers-by on the street. 99% of the doors we knocked on were closed to us immediately, some folks were kinder than others. Some folks seemed receptive to the idea that, in some way or another, God was knocking on their doors and requested entry - they just didn't believe that we should come in, too. In the few seconds that the door was open to us, I could quickly peer in to the home and tell if a family was more in need of Jesus than another home. Yes, I know - that's passing judgment. I'm the first to admit that I am imperfect. But in these quick snap judgments, I felt myself making the discernment between a family who was unaware of the kinds of improvements Jesus could make on their family, and a family who was choosing to live far from Him. Sometimes, that door slamming shut was more painful than other times.
Even in my family, I can tell a divide between myself and members of my family that do not fully accept the gift of a savior. Their reasons for this are their own, and I accept that we are different in this, though I often wish it were not so. They have openly spoken to the fact that they do not want any literature on the story of Jesus Christ. They do not want Bible verses repeated to them incessantly. They do not want people praying over them constantly, nor do they want to be called out as "the one who needs you the most" during the suppertime blessing. Hey, I get that. I don't want that, either. And the bottom line is that a nonbeliever cannot be guilted into belief. They cannot be persuaded. They cannot make themselves believe something that they do not naturally believe on their own.
But that is not to say they cannot change their opinion. It's just important to note that man does not convert man. The Holy Spirit converts a heart. And in order for that to happen, a person must have their heart open. Once they open their heart and their mind to the possibility that it could be so, and they turn their obvious opposition into curiosity and question, then the Holy Spirit can come in and begin to work. It is our responsibility, as believers, to make that opportunity possible. It is NOT our responsibility to guilt someone, or force our beliefs onto someone else.
The idea that people don't know about the Good News of the gospel seems in direct conflict with the idea that people don't want to be preached to. But the truth is that they go hand in hand. We've all heard the saying "actions speak louder than words." And it's very true. People need to see Jesus in action. When they witness, through your life, that Jesus has come in and made a true positive change, they will respond. At first, it may be with skepticism. But when you show them with time that the change in your heart reflects that Jesus permanently resides there, they too will have no choice but to begin asking questions like, "how come she seems different?"
When you live your life in such a way that Jesus shines through, words aren't required. People WILL notice. They won't be able not to. If Jesus is truly a part of who you are, your life will follow... and the world will take notice.
Most importantly, love. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) Not by the size of the Bible you carry, not by the number of fish stickers attached to your hatchback, and not by the numbers of verses you can recite from memory on cue. By your love. Remember, Jesus pursued your heart once, too. In Romans 5:8, it says, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He loved us, he truly and deeply and intensely loved us, even during the times we wished that the whole Christianity thing would just go away and leave us alone! His way was to just love us, even in our sin. We should do the same.
No one likes being told what to do - even if it is what is best for them. We enjoy the freedom of discovery and the opportunity it affords us to make change in our own way and in our own time. Beating someone about the head and neck with the idea that they will burn in hell eternally (whether true or not) has never converted a heart to follow the true love that is in Jesus Christ. Forcing someone to confess and proclaim their salvation under threat has never brought any man into a loving relationship with his Heavenly Father. And, it never will. People don't like being told what to do, where to go, what to think. Especially Americans. But people do like having the freedom to choose to love God on their own. That's what God's plan was all along. He gave us the freedom to accept or deny the gift. So why bother wasting your energy pestering people with verse upon verse about Jesus love? Just go out and show them what it looks like instead. And show them crazy love - love them the way Jesus loved you before you came to him. They might be able to plug their ears and ignore your voice, but they can't ignore your love.
Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.
- Francis of Assisi
If you believe you can tell me what to think, I believe I can tell you where to go.
Because the red light was an especially long one, I had an opportunity to ponder the meaning of this sticker, as well as the one that told me to honk if I was interested in pursuing an inappropriate physical encounter with the overweight and unshaven driver of said truck. The first sticker, though, had me intrigued (the second... not so much). The conclusion I came to just seconds before the light turned green was that people don't like being beaten over the head with alternative ideas. The unsavory driver sped off, leaving a trail of black exhaust behind him. But his bumper sticker message stayed with me.
I can recall in my youth going door-to-door with the sweet missionary ladies of the LDS church. We went tracting on every street in my neighborhood, knocking on doors and talking with passers-by on the street. 99% of the doors we knocked on were closed to us immediately, some folks were kinder than others. Some folks seemed receptive to the idea that, in some way or another, God was knocking on their doors and requested entry - they just didn't believe that we should come in, too. In the few seconds that the door was open to us, I could quickly peer in to the home and tell if a family was more in need of Jesus than another home. Yes, I know - that's passing judgment. I'm the first to admit that I am imperfect. But in these quick snap judgments, I felt myself making the discernment between a family who was unaware of the kinds of improvements Jesus could make on their family, and a family who was choosing to live far from Him. Sometimes, that door slamming shut was more painful than other times.
Even in my family, I can tell a divide between myself and members of my family that do not fully accept the gift of a savior. Their reasons for this are their own, and I accept that we are different in this, though I often wish it were not so. They have openly spoken to the fact that they do not want any literature on the story of Jesus Christ. They do not want Bible verses repeated to them incessantly. They do not want people praying over them constantly, nor do they want to be called out as "the one who needs you the most" during the suppertime blessing. Hey, I get that. I don't want that, either. And the bottom line is that a nonbeliever cannot be guilted into belief. They cannot be persuaded. They cannot make themselves believe something that they do not naturally believe on their own.
But that is not to say they cannot change their opinion. It's just important to note that man does not convert man. The Holy Spirit converts a heart. And in order for that to happen, a person must have their heart open. Once they open their heart and their mind to the possibility that it could be so, and they turn their obvious opposition into curiosity and question, then the Holy Spirit can come in and begin to work. It is our responsibility, as believers, to make that opportunity possible. It is NOT our responsibility to guilt someone, or force our beliefs onto someone else.
The idea that people don't know about the Good News of the gospel seems in direct conflict with the idea that people don't want to be preached to. But the truth is that they go hand in hand. We've all heard the saying "actions speak louder than words." And it's very true. People need to see Jesus in action. When they witness, through your life, that Jesus has come in and made a true positive change, they will respond. At first, it may be with skepticism. But when you show them with time that the change in your heart reflects that Jesus permanently resides there, they too will have no choice but to begin asking questions like, "how come she seems different?"
When you live your life in such a way that Jesus shines through, words aren't required. People WILL notice. They won't be able not to. If Jesus is truly a part of who you are, your life will follow... and the world will take notice.
Most importantly, love. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) Not by the size of the Bible you carry, not by the number of fish stickers attached to your hatchback, and not by the numbers of verses you can recite from memory on cue. By your love. Remember, Jesus pursued your heart once, too. In Romans 5:8, it says, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He loved us, he truly and deeply and intensely loved us, even during the times we wished that the whole Christianity thing would just go away and leave us alone! His way was to just love us, even in our sin. We should do the same.
No one likes being told what to do - even if it is what is best for them. We enjoy the freedom of discovery and the opportunity it affords us to make change in our own way and in our own time. Beating someone about the head and neck with the idea that they will burn in hell eternally (whether true or not) has never converted a heart to follow the true love that is in Jesus Christ. Forcing someone to confess and proclaim their salvation under threat has never brought any man into a loving relationship with his Heavenly Father. And, it never will. People don't like being told what to do, where to go, what to think. Especially Americans. But people do like having the freedom to choose to love God on their own. That's what God's plan was all along. He gave us the freedom to accept or deny the gift. So why bother wasting your energy pestering people with verse upon verse about Jesus love? Just go out and show them what it looks like instead. And show them crazy love - love them the way Jesus loved you before you came to him. They might be able to plug their ears and ignore your voice, but they can't ignore your love.
Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.
- Francis of Assisi
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wherever you are...
During my morning Bible study today, I read a passage I may have read a hundred times. And a hundred times, I probably passed right over it and thought little of it. But today, it struck me. Today, it jumped out of the page and into my heart as something critical, something not to be missed. And today, I want to share it.
Before I share it, let me slip into reverse a moment and give you the backstory. The passage comes from Genesis. At this point in the story, we find Joseph, no longer a slave but a dignitary, in charge of Pharoah's house and all of Egypt. Pharoah has entrusted all of the land to Joseph, a poor Hebrew that first arrived in Egypt as a slave (sold by his own brothers, nonetheless!). Joseph has since been reconciled to his father and brothers. Joseph's father, Jacob (aka "Israel"), has died. Joseph himself is aging. Joseph's brothers are afraid that since Jacob is no longer living, Joseph will have no reason to keep on forgiving them and will turn against them at any moment (although having a glimpse into Joseph's life through scripture, we see that he doesn't intend to do any such thing). They beg him to forgive once and for all. The irony is that Joseph already had, but the brothers found it difficult to believe that Joseph could forgive such a thing. Finally, Joseph lets them in on the secret to his amazing forgiveness:
Joseph knew something that we sometimes overlook: our circumstances may look bleak, but God can use our circumstances to bring about amazing life change.
Because Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery and sent him off to Egypt, Joseph was in a society that knew little about God. Egypt worshipped many gods, but not the one true living God. Joseph was slave to Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian official. Because Joseph stayed true to his Father, the house Joseph resided in - Potiphar's house - propspered. Potiphar noticed. He was pleased. And that gave Joseph an opportunity to introduce Potiphar to the blessings of God. When Joseph was sent to the dungeon, he was in the company of the cupbearer and the baker to Pharoah. He interpreted their dreams (which, by the way, came true!). Through these meetings, he was again able to give glory to God. Did the cupbearer and baker take note? Perhaps. But Pharoah sure did. When Pharoah asked for his dreams to be interpreted, he went to Joseph. Joseph told him about the famine and how to prepare. Pharoah then put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. This was an opportunity for Joseph to glorify God, and tell Pharoah of where he got his ability to interpret dreams from. Though scripture doesn't exactly say if Pharoah, or any other Egyptians with whom Joseph made contact, ever came to know God personally, Joseph gave them more knowledge about who God is than they had prior to this poor Hebrew coming in. God used Joseph's circumstance to be fully glorified, and to save lives.
It's funny to me that God uses what is so incredibly painful to us as the vehicles for salvation. Joseph was enslaved for years in order to bring about life-change in the Egyptians and in his own brothers. The apostle Paul was tortured beyond belief in order to testify that he had truly given his heart to Jesus Christ. And Jesus was hung on a cross to die so that we might be saved.
In the Bible, we read about Job. Job was tested to the limit - he lost his family, his home, and his respect. Even his friends ridiculed him. Talk about terrible circumstances! But in that, Job chose to glorify God. And because of that, the Bible tells his story to millions and millions who can find their strength in their Heavenly Father.
I think about the Freedom Riders, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, and the other activists of the Civil Rights Movement. What they endured was unspeakable. But because they endured in their circumstances, they brought life-change. They were able to speak a truth into the world: that God created us all in His image. Indeed, I believe God was glorified through their suffering.
Of course, the examples of pain bringing about a change of heart are too numerous to mention. God works in many, many ways - mysterious ones. He can use even the darkest of times. Because we have free will, we live in a sinful world. So God uses what we, ourselves, have created to make Himself known.
The bottom line is that God can use our negative circumstances - or ANY circumstances - for good. That is, God can use any situation to make an impression on those who don't know Him, and save them from eternal damnation. The question is, how do you view your circumstance?
Are you letting God use where you are to speak about who He is?
Before I share it, let me slip into reverse a moment and give you the backstory. The passage comes from Genesis. At this point in the story, we find Joseph, no longer a slave but a dignitary, in charge of Pharoah's house and all of Egypt. Pharoah has entrusted all of the land to Joseph, a poor Hebrew that first arrived in Egypt as a slave (sold by his own brothers, nonetheless!). Joseph has since been reconciled to his father and brothers. Joseph's father, Jacob (aka "Israel"), has died. Joseph himself is aging. Joseph's brothers are afraid that since Jacob is no longer living, Joseph will have no reason to keep on forgiving them and will turn against them at any moment (although having a glimpse into Joseph's life through scripture, we see that he doesn't intend to do any such thing). They beg him to forgive once and for all. The irony is that Joseph already had, but the brothers found it difficult to believe that Joseph could forgive such a thing. Finally, Joseph lets them in on the secret to his amazing forgiveness:
But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:19-20)
Joseph knew something that we sometimes overlook: our circumstances may look bleak, but God can use our circumstances to bring about amazing life change.
Because Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery and sent him off to Egypt, Joseph was in a society that knew little about God. Egypt worshipped many gods, but not the one true living God. Joseph was slave to Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian official. Because Joseph stayed true to his Father, the house Joseph resided in - Potiphar's house - propspered. Potiphar noticed. He was pleased. And that gave Joseph an opportunity to introduce Potiphar to the blessings of God. When Joseph was sent to the dungeon, he was in the company of the cupbearer and the baker to Pharoah. He interpreted their dreams (which, by the way, came true!). Through these meetings, he was again able to give glory to God. Did the cupbearer and baker take note? Perhaps. But Pharoah sure did. When Pharoah asked for his dreams to be interpreted, he went to Joseph. Joseph told him about the famine and how to prepare. Pharoah then put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. This was an opportunity for Joseph to glorify God, and tell Pharoah of where he got his ability to interpret dreams from. Though scripture doesn't exactly say if Pharoah, or any other Egyptians with whom Joseph made contact, ever came to know God personally, Joseph gave them more knowledge about who God is than they had prior to this poor Hebrew coming in. God used Joseph's circumstance to be fully glorified, and to save lives.
It's funny to me that God uses what is so incredibly painful to us as the vehicles for salvation. Joseph was enslaved for years in order to bring about life-change in the Egyptians and in his own brothers. The apostle Paul was tortured beyond belief in order to testify that he had truly given his heart to Jesus Christ. And Jesus was hung on a cross to die so that we might be saved.
In the Bible, we read about Job. Job was tested to the limit - he lost his family, his home, and his respect. Even his friends ridiculed him. Talk about terrible circumstances! But in that, Job chose to glorify God. And because of that, the Bible tells his story to millions and millions who can find their strength in their Heavenly Father.
I think about the Freedom Riders, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, and the other activists of the Civil Rights Movement. What they endured was unspeakable. But because they endured in their circumstances, they brought life-change. They were able to speak a truth into the world: that God created us all in His image. Indeed, I believe God was glorified through their suffering.
Of course, the examples of pain bringing about a change of heart are too numerous to mention. God works in many, many ways - mysterious ones. He can use even the darkest of times. Because we have free will, we live in a sinful world. So God uses what we, ourselves, have created to make Himself known.
The bottom line is that God can use our negative circumstances - or ANY circumstances - for good. That is, God can use any situation to make an impression on those who don't know Him, and save them from eternal damnation. The question is, how do you view your circumstance?
Are you letting God use where you are to speak about who He is?
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