Contemplating Truth, Love, and Compassion

Sometimes people make me angry.

Sometimes I make myself angry.

Sometimes I anger myself because I am angry with people.

Situations where compassion should be the main star, and it is nowhere to be found, anger me. Those times in particular really rattle my cage, so to speak. My heart breaks for those who need compassion, and patience, and some serious Jesus healing. My heart loathes those who have put them in that place. I usually have a lot of truth to tell them and a lot of love for the victims of their thoughtlessness.

Then Jesus steps in, stopping me before I turn into the Hulk, speaking through His blessed mouthpieces. Kind, tenderhearted, redeemed people. These people understand how to speak the truth in love. I get the speaking the truth part. I get the loving people. It's the lovingly telling the truth, that gets me.

Then there are the people who not only speak the truth in love, but Romans 14 it. They are lovingly helping people realize the truth, while accounting for each person's weaknesses.

As I have taken a step back, God has shown me something. (Now that I don't need to pummel anybody, my schedule is clear and I have time to think.)  If I took my description of those who I have deemed worthy of my love, and just placed it anywhere who would it apply to?

"...those who need compassion, and patience, and some serious Jesus healing."

That's the uncompassionate miser I am so very angry with. He needs Jesus to give him mercy. He needs me to be compassionate towards his weaknesses and patient as he learns that lesson. 

That's me. I am no better and, truly, worse than someone who puts ridiculous rules and regulations on others because of their personal convictions. I expect people to understand that every person has vastly different backgrounds and experiences. TO see that Jesus has blessed a myriad of different things that will speak to some in extraordinary ways, while others won't be able to understand its power. I expect people to live outside of themselves and rejoice when God speaks in others lives, even if that same thing would never be worshipful to them. 

Yet, when people are not compassionate towards this, I lose it. In doing so, I forget that they themselves have had different experiences, and this may be hard for them. I forget that we all have knee-jerk reactions to things. We all have crap to work through, and sometimes when people participate in things that we could never do, we get upset. Maybe we are jealous. Maybe we are confused. Maybe it just. doesn't. Matter.

Maybe what matters is that God is making Himself real and accessible to them. He is working with their weaknesses, struggles, and pasts and letting them know that there is more. There is HIM. 

Wrangling Contemplations

This past week I can't seem to get Exodus 14:14 off my mind. I really like this verse, but before I keep going, I will let you know what it says. :)

"The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

The German version I read used the words which mean wrangle in place of fight, and peace along with silent. I love that.

Just think about the word wrangle for a minute and what it brings to mind. Wrangle. It reminds me of cowboys in western movie trying to get their cattle back together after the inevitable stampede. It reminds me of a mom with more than two little children at a park trying to get home to make dinner. Cleaning my room makes me think of the word wrangle. I like this word better than fight, because I feel there is more meaning to it. When one is wrangling they are working very, very hard to bring order and control back to a situation that is simply chaotic...like my bedroom. 

The passage around this verse is about the Israelites at the Red Sea. Pharaoh was closing in and there was simply no place to go. They were understandably freaking out. They could either go drown in the sea, or be killed and enslaved, again, in Egypt. Not really a party. This is where verse 14 comes in. Right in the middle of chaos, Moses tells the people to chillax and that God will take care of it, if they would just shut up. Actually Moses was probably a lot more polite. "If, perchance, we could hush, I do believe the Lord may possibly have a solution to our most frightening predicament." Still not working for you?

Moses actually said, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will (wrangle) for you, and you have only to be (at peace). " 

God will take care of the situation, and bring it back to where HE wants it to be. All we have to do is sit quietly and watch a Master at work. 

Missions Contemplations

These last few weeks I have spent a lot of time praying, talking and just contemplating about where God has put me this year. Not in a "I don't wanna be here" way, just evaluating and prioritizing. I have a lot of awesome people in my life that I am looking forward to getting to know better. And there is always school. :) However, I may have come across a new experience and wanted to let y'all in on it. 

This August I have the opportunity to go serve people who I have never met in Scotland and Ireland. I am not sure if I am going yet, but I'm in the application process. :) If you know me at all, you probably have heard me talk about Ireland. I love it. It is full of bright green fields and blue oceans and grey mountains and rain. It has a lot of farms and boats. Plus, the people have the best accent ever. I am very excited about potentially going to see all of this beauty in person.

The thing I am most excited about, even more than the sheep, is seeing how they do God. Every culture, and really every person, sees God differently. The things that my best friend cherishes about God are different than the things that I cherish about Him. The aspects of God's person that are commonplace to the Irish are different than those that the Scots see, which are different from what Americans see. If, to you, this sounds cheesy and kind of shmoozy and too much like the right "Christian" answer to be true, you would be right. That is how it sounds, but this truly is how I feel.

The group will be oversees from August 6-16. They are going to serve two churches, one in Ireland and one in Scotland. I don't have very many specifics about what we will be doing there, just that we are trying to serve in the most helpful way possible.

Anyways, I would like to ask you to pray for everyone who is going, regardless of whether I am part of that group. Specifically that they would go with servants' hearts and draw their strength from God. That they don't go with an attitude of pride, but are willing to learn and be taught as well. Pray that those who go will serve in everything, regardless of how much recognition they will get for it.

Life Contemplations

My Pinterest board these past two months has been full of everything that could possibly be considered "giftable." I even saw one post about how to "Regift on a Budget." I don't mind regifting, and I have done it in the past, but it just struck me as funny that people had to budget it. Isn't it free? Don't you already own what you are giving? 

Anyways, now that the New Year is coming, I am seeing a lot more of a pin that I actually really like and find relevant to life. Every time something good, exciting, surprising, or impressionable happens, you write it down on a piece of paper and put it in a jar.  You are supposed to do this all year long and then on New Years Eve of that year, you go through and reread all those papers. 

The thing I like about it, is that it's a creative way to reflect on how much you have changed over the year. It shows that we had 365 more days and a jar or two full of experiences. It is the best reminder that although some days are absolutely insane, there will always be at least one thing to be thankful for.

I know I could tie this into Jesus coming and dying on the cross, and all that jazz, but I won't. Although that is one amazing thing to be thankful for everyday, especially on the days that feel like a Three Stooges episode. 

I actually want to focus on the fact that life is crazy. Life is absolutely insane. It is the most structurally unsound roller coaster that exists, but is still open for rides. It is hard work and it never goes how we planned. Even this post is going in a different direction than I originally intended. But it's okay. It's okay, because God is the operator of the roller coaster, and this blog is about the wonderful things He is doing in my life, not the completely mental things I try to do with my life.

And that is the very best thing to focus on every day. How has God provided for me today? What ways  did He bless me beyond what I could even ask or think of? When did He carry me, balance me, or drag me kicking and screaming (that would be the completely mental times I referred to above)? 

So, starting January 1st, I am going to try to write down at least one way God has provided, blessed, and carried me everyday. Anything and everything, big and little. There are already a lot of things that are coming up in 2013 that I am super blessed with, and times that I know He will have to pick me up and carry me. But that's the beauty of it. Not only do I already know that I will fail, but I KNOW that He WILL bring me through. Will you join me?

Glory Contemplations

It's back to school time! I personally really enjoy this time of year. The weather is so nice. You can wear jeans and sweaters, or shorts and t-shirts or any combination thereof. Plus, we get to settle down into a wonderful routine of class, study, eat, drink hot cups of coffee or cocoa and study some more....
Oh...am I the only one who enjoys that? Well, it is the time of year to go apple picking and leaf jumping. Is that what non-nerdy people do?

As I was thinking about my schedule for these next few months, I realized that I could easily get carried away doing my own thing and not necessarily being Christ-focused. Most of what I am doing this fall will be things that I certainly feel are what God has for me to do right now, which is great. However, I need to keep in mind that what I am doing is for God and His glory, not for anything else. Even when I do something well, it is because of God's blessing not anything of me. This is something I need to think of as I am making decisions or simply living out daily life. I don't know about you, but this is sometimes hard for me. It is hard for me to think that doing the dishes can glorify God. Or nailing a new song on the cello is because of a talent that God gave me. That is a new mindset for me, and, to be honest, one that I have a hard time applying to the "little" or boring areas of life.

I hope that you all have a blessed start to school, or whatever fall is bringing to you, and enjoy this lovely weather!

Beauty

This one is going to be very short.

This week I started a new hobby. It is REALLY fun. Part of this time-disappearing act is looking at a lot of pictures. Pictures of pretty much anything. So, I have been looking at a lot of flowers, valleys, mountains, oceans, and Ireland. :) I have always loved being outside, but now I am noticing beautiful things everywhere.

As much as all of that is pure fun, I have had one thing about God emphasized for me. God is BEAUTIFUL. He is purer than the ocean foam. He is brighter than the sun. He is more joyful than a child with ice cream. And, yes, He is more peaceful than an Irish landscape. He is beautiful.

Procrastination Contemplations

If someone asked me to describe myself in one word, I would probably say "procrastinator". I procrastinate ALL the time! It really is terrible, but somehow I have managed to make it through most of my life this way. Two weeks ago I realized that school ended in a few weeks. This is when panic mode hits. I had a few papers to write and a couple tests to take by the end of that week. Had I known about them all semester? yes. What had I done about it? nothing. 

As I was thinking about how I was going to plan my days so I could get that stuff done in time, I realized school isn't the only area I procrastinate in. What about devotions, or spending meaningful time with God? Do I only do it Saturday night so I could say I did devotions before the new week starts? Or do I wait until I "really" need God? haha. That last one sounds funny. Some people think of God as an acquaintance. You know, someone you keep up just enough of a relationship so it's not awkward if you need to ask them for help someday, but nothing too serious. Others think of Him like someone they should spend time with, but just never get around to actually doing it, kinda like my schoolwork. 

But how many of us are aware of how much we truly need God? We need Him all the time. Every second. We need Him simply to exist. He is our literal source of life. Seems like He is around a lot more than an acquaintance, huh? Why do we ignore this? Why do we think that getting ten more minutes of sleep is more important than reading our Bible or talking with God? Why do we watch movies at home alone instead of spending time fellowshipping with our fellow believers? We act like someone who is sitting next to the Fountain of Youth, exercising, eating fruit and veggies, and otherwise living a healthy life, but never partaking of that life giving juice. How stupid are we?