Children of God

When I was little, I would draw all sorts of pictures and drawings for my parents.  I would bring them home and present them to them proudly, and they would just as proudly hang them on the refrigerator door or in another place of prominence.  And for years they hung there.  I remember as I got older, I would look at those silly little scribbles and wonder to myself, "Why do my parents still have that up there??  The older I got, the more I realized how ugly and worthless those drawings really were.

But my parents loved them because they loved me.  They didn't care how straight my lines were, or how well I colored in the lines; what they loved was that I had done it.  What a beautiful picture of how God loves us. 

So many times in my life I've thought to myself, "God, why have you chosen me to do this?  I'm no good at it.  I've failed so many times.  God, if I were You, I'd pick someone else.  Someone smarter, someone braver, someone better."  And God, in His enormous love, simply smiles and says, "But they're not you.  I want you, because I love you.  I don't care how badly you mess up.  I'll always be there to catch you.  You're my child and I love you.  Just let me have you."

Have you ever felt worthless?  Untalented, unloved, ugly?  Unequal to the task that God has given you to fulfill?  I want to assure you that you are not the only one.  Every other human being on the planet has felt the same way at one time or another.  But you are also not alone.  God is always there for you.  And ohhh, how He loves you.

Romans 8:14-17

 ¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Where two or three are gathered....

I went to an English church yesterday.  It was definitely not what I am accustomed to.  The service was tiny, hidden away in the "educational center" of a quite large Korean church.  There were only a few native English speakers there - the majority were Koreans trying to practice their English.  The service was Presbyterian, which I had never been to before.  The songs were different, the people were different, the style was different....everything about it was different.  But it blessed me so much, nonetheless.

God's word never made distinctions between nationalities, or denominations, or the size or location of the church.  It simply says that "where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is."  It's such a simple prerogative, but yet simultaneous so powerful.  I was struck after the service by the amazing power that fellowship can have on a believer.  Here I was, in this tiny church service, unable to even talk to the majority of the congregation, but yet I was still so blessed.

Don't think that you have to have a rich, showy church to be spiritually fed.  Don't assume that the size of the church equates with the amount of God's presence in the church.  Where two or three are gathered.....that's all God needs.  He is the master of making small things big.  So I encourage you today, to seek out godly, Christian fellowship in your area.  Even if it's only 1 other person; God will be with you, and He will bless your obedience. 

Matthew 18:18-20

  ¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
   ¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The little things

For a twenty-one year old girl, I consider myself fairly well-traveled.  I have been to 5 continents, done homestays in 4 of them, and visited 11 countries.  I’ve taken buses in Costa Rica, ridden camels in Morocco, and explored the subway in Paris.  I’ve eaten fermented cabbage, boiled octopus, and fried grasshoppers.  So when I went to South Korea, I didn’t think I’d have a problem adjusting. 

But there’s something about Korea that sticks with you no matter where you go or what you do.  The frustration of not speaking the language or even knowing the letters permeates every facet of life.  Cultural differences abound everywhere you look.  The food, the clothing, the forms of respect; even simple things like doing laundry are different here.  And, because of that, things rarely go the way that I expect them to.  My mind has a set mold that determines what I expect to happen within certain contexts, and every single day – sometimes every single hour – that mold is being challenged and frustrated.

And it’s difficult never knowing what to expect.  Regardless of what country you are in, regardless of how fluently you speak the language or how comfortable you are in in your environment, there are always going to be times when things don’t go according to plan.  And it’s easy to let those little things eat away at you until you’re ready to explode.  You may seem fine…but when the scales finally tip, Heaven help the poor unsuspecting soul who received the brunt of your unexpected and undeserved rage.

But Proverbs warns us repeatedly against allowing anger to control us.  Anger is a cancer that will destroy not only ourselves, but also our relationships with everyone around us.  Be careful that you don’t let it consume you.  Don’t let the little things build up until you’ve created a monster.  Find a healthy outlet to let off steam.  Go running.  Call a friend.  Journal.  Whatever your outlet is, make sure that you find one.  Life is too precious to waste any time fretting about the things that don’t go your way.  Use them, instead, as an opportunity to ask God to teach you something new.  I promise you, He won’t disappoint you.

Proverbs 16:32
Better a patient person than a warrior,
   one with self-control than one who takes a city. 

Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
   but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. 

Proverbs 19:11
A person’s wisdom yields patience;
   it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. 

Dance with Grandma

In his book "Living Wisely," J. Matthew Nance tells a story of a time when he sent his boys to the local market to get eggs.  The family had just moved to a strange new country, and the boys did not yet speak any of the language.  So, in an effort to communicate what they were looking for, the boys started acting like chickens, squawking and flapping their wings and even pantomiming laying an egg to try to get the vendors to understand what they were looking for.  While they never did find the eggs, they did find a group of old Korean women who decided that they wanted to participate in this unusual ritual that these strange foreign boys were doing.  When Matthew Nance later asked his boys how the visit to the market went, they said, "Well, we didn't get the eggs, but we did get to dance with grandma!"

Life consists of learning how to adapt.  Every moment is an opportunity to change and to learn something new.  Of course these opportunities are more stark when you are abroad in a strange new culture; but even at home, on your own turf, there are always chances to learn and change and grow.  Don't let these chances pass you by.  Be teachable.  Being teachable and flexible is what will allow us to not just live life, but to thrive.  It's what turns us into strong, competent achievers.  Learn how to be flexible and bend.  Don't stay rigid, or it will break you. 

Proverbs 18:15

 ¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
   for the ears of the wise seek it out.  

The love of the Lord endures

There's a beautiful song by Joy Williams that has become one of my favorites over the years.  It is a slow, soothing ballad, that reminds me to always hold on to the inescapable truth....that His love is here to stay.  It endures forever and beyond.  Praise be to the Mighty Lord. 

The Love of the Lord Endures

By Joy Williams

In all that I have found, Your evidence abounds
I’ve always sensed Your fingerprints If I just look around

And yet this grand display Will all soon pass away
So I hold on to the mighty truth That Your love is here to stay

CHORUS
The love of the Lord endures
The love of the Lord endures
If there’s one thing I can be sure
It’s that the love of the Lord endures

Life has let me down
In wealth, joy can’t be found
I’ve searched for peace in all of these
But I have always found

CHORUS

When I stumble When I fall
When I’m walking ten feet tall
Your love is there day after day
Even at the worst extreme
Or after I have been redeemed
Your love is there And it won’t let me go

Psalm 20

 ¹ May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

   May the LORD grant all your requests.⁶ Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. ⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ⁹ LORD, give victory to the king!  Answer us when we call!

No language barriers

I had a meltdown today.  I have been trying so hard to assimilate into this strange new culture.  But there is so much to understand - the clothes, the food, the greetings, the hierarchy, the school systems, the kids, the social values and norms....and most of all, in my situation, the language.  I've never in my life tried so hard - or failed so spectacularly.  I feel so helpless here.  No matter how hard I try to understand, no matter how many flashcards I make or verb tenses I study, or even how accomodating the people around me are, I'm always struggling to catch up.  I hear my name said so many times, but I never know what is being said; I miss jokes, don't understand instructions, misinterpret questions.... All my life I've felt capable of handling whatever was thrown at me.  But this...this is an entirely different ballgame.

Today was worse than usual.  For some reason, I simply could not understand even the simplest things that were said to me in Korean today.  It was so frustrating.  Add to that the fact today also happened to be the day that they asked me to address the entire teacher and administrative population of both the middle and high schools, and you can understand why I am one hurting puppy right now.

I opened up my Bible to Psalms tonight, looking for some comfort, and was greeted with Psalms 19.  I love it so much.  Sometimes words can just get in the way.  Sometimes all we need to do to know that God is there is to look around.  He is the biggest comfort that anyone could ask for...and He is understood by every tongue.  There are no language barriers when it comes to the Lord.  What a joy to know that I can always be confident of understanding Him, no matter how little else in my life makes sense.

Psalm 19:1-9

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
 ⁵ It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
   and makes its circuit to the other;
   nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 ⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,
   refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
   making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,
   giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
   giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
   enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
   and all of them are righteous.

God's clothing

After my speech yesterday, I still had people coming up to me and telling me how wonderful my Korean is.  But I am not afflicted with false modesty, and if I were honest with myself, I would not be able to say that I speak Korean well.  And I really couldn't understand why all of these people were making such a huge deal out of my poor Korean skills.

But I had a conversation with my host sister today, that really helped clear up the mystery.  She told me that her teachers, her friends, her classmates....all day today, everyone she talked with about the new English teacher, they all commented on how I spoke Korean.  So I asked Songi why they all were making such a big deal of it.  And she said that they do not expect foreigners to try to learn about their culture.  It is normal for native English teachers to address the school in English, and not even try to speak the language of their host country.  So the fact that I put in the effort, the fact that I was obviously trying to address them in their own language, really meant alot to them.

At first, our conversation really made me sad.  Of course I should try to speak Korean when I'm in Korea, I thought.  Isn't it only natural to want to try to understand the people that you are living with?  Why doesn't everyone think like that?  But then I realized that I, too, can be insensitive, just as insensitive or even more so than all of those multitudes of native English teachers that Songi talked about today.  The only difference is that my insensitivity takes a different form than language.

All too often, I let myself get annoyed by someone's actions, without stopping to think about what could have caused them.  How many times does someone snap at us and we snap right back, not even stopping to think about the fact that perhaps they are stressed...maybe someone in their family is very sick....maybe they just lost their job....maybe their husband just walked out on them.

There are any number of reasons why someone would act in a way contrary to their normal character.  But far too often, we fail to look beyond the surface.  We do not try to understand them, but rather impose our views and judgements on their situations.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  God's word says to "clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."  Let's make an effort to wear His clothing today.

Colossians 3:12-15

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

Help the weak

Today was my first day of school.  I've just been absolutely blown away by the outpouring of love and understanding that I have gotten from everyone around me.  All day long, people have been bending over backwards to help me and encourage me.  I introduced myself in Korean, and everyone commented on how wonderful my Korean was.  I suspect that they simply wanted to make me feel better, and didn't really mean it, but it certainly did the trick.  One of the other English teachers went with me to the bank to help me set up a bank account.  I found a group of foreigners on facebook, and they've been telling me where all of the hot spots are that I asked about - churches, dance clubs, sports leagues, etc, complete with maps and directions and sometimes even personal escorts.

I just feel so loved right now.  And the amazing thing is, I have never in my life even met the people who are working so hard to understand where I'm at right now.  That kind of love, the kind that emphasizes with and reaches out to people who are complete strangers to you, is incredible.

I found a verse in 1 Thessalonians that emphasizes exactly how I feel.  I especially like the "help the weak" part.  Right now, I am most certainly weak.  Although I may not be completely helpless, there are very few things that I can do without help.  It's uncomfortable and it's difficult.  But you know what?  It's life.  God doesn't want us to try to pretend that we never need help.  We have to be willing to admit our weakness; and also be sensitive to others' weaknesses, and be willing to help them when they need it.  If everyone if the body of Christ did that...man, we would be unstoppable.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

 ¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 

Throw yourself in

Well, I have now been in Gyeongju for a grand total of approximately 3 days.  For better or for worse, I am here to stay for an entire year.  They warned us over and over again in orientation to not let the semester slip away from us.  If there were things we wanted to do, goals we wanted to accomplish during our time in Korea, we needed to start on them early.  If we put them off, waiting to get completely settled before we start branching out, we would never start.  Before we knew it, it would be Christmas break, and then after that we would only have a few more months until we went home.

So today I have been trying to take my orientation coordinators' advice, looking for places in and around Gyeongju to do the things that I want to do.  And it brought me back to 1 Kings, where I was yesterday.  When Elijah called Elisha, in 1 Kings 19, Elisha asks to first say goodbye to his family first.  He wants to settle in, in a matter of speaking.  And Elijah lets him go.

But there is a parallel story in Luke 9, when Jesus calls His disciples.  Except this time, He does not let them go back and say goodbye.  God does not wait for us.  He wants our all, or none at all.  So I ask myself - am I as willing to throw myself into my life with God as I am with my life in Gyeongju?  Are you?

1 Kings 19:19-21

 ¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
   “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
 ²¹ So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Luke 9:61-62

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
 ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Highs and lows

Yesterday morning I was so happy.  My co-teachers are great, my school is lovely, and my host family is super nice.  But by yesterday evening, I was in tears.  I didn’t understand anything, I had already made so many mistakes, people kept staring at me, and I felt so alone.  Everything was just so darn hard - the thought of living a year like this filled me with fear.  

I wonder if the prophet Elijah felt similarly after he defeated the prophets of Baal.  Imagine it: he had just witnessed God's might defeat hundreds of his enemies, and then the next day he was fleeing in fear because of the threat of a woman.  

What was going through his mind as he fled?  Did he remember the mighty works that his God had done?  Or did he forget about the Lord, and put his faith in himself?  More importantly, I find myself wondering what was going through God's mind.  Was He disappointed that Elijah did not trust Him more?  Was He expecting it?  

Even though we don't know what God was thinking, we DO know what He did.  He gave him rest, and nourishment, and encouragement.  He provided for Elijah's needs, and encouraged him in his unbelief, and then sent him to continue on the path that the Lord had sent him on.  

High points and low points are a part of life.  And sometimes the tide can change incredibly quickly.  So when you're down in the valley, just remember that even there, God can and will take care of you.

1 Kings 19:1-9

¹ Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

 ³ Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
   All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
 ⁷ The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. ⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night.

Desperate for Him

It's always struck me at how drastic a double standard Christians can apply to their view of the world.  It's so easy to reassure people that God will work out everything in their lives - that their troubles will work out in the end, that their financial strains will ease, that their relationships will improve.  But it's so much harder to believe that the same things will happen in our own lives.  We see all of these miraculous movings of the Lord in other peoples' lives, and never doubt the validity of God's love for them.  But then we turn around and look at our own lives, and are convinced that He has abandoned us!

I was struck by this paradox as I sat down this morning and read the story in Mark 2 about the paralytic man that Jesus healed.  Of course in this particular situation, the paralytic man could not seek out Jesus on his own.  But I was struck by how passionately his friends believed that Jesus could and would heal him.  They were so confident, that they were willing to crawl up on top of a house and tear the roof off so that they could get their friend to Jesus.

On one hand, it's encouraging to see how passionately these men believed in Jesus' ability to heal their friend.  But on the other hand, it's also rather convicting.  When I look at my own life, I have to ask myself if I would really go to such lengths to find the Lord.  How desperate am I, not only to see God in the lives of those around me, but in my own life, as well?  Is it something that takes precedence before everything else?  Or is a secondary element, an afterthought, even?  I charge you to seek the Lord while He may be found.  Seek Him with all your heart.  Don't let anything get in your way.  Become desperate to know Him, and He will not return your efforts void.

Mark 2:1-5

 ¹ A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

Heavenly citizenship

Well I'm not a particular fan of just opening to a random page in the Bible and hoping the Lord speaks to you.  But sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.  I leave for my new home today, and my bags are all already packed and stowed.  As such, I don't have access to my Bible, so I asked the Lord to send a verse to my mind.  Instantly, Philippians 3:17 came to my mind.

So I looked up that passage online, and can I just say, God is so good.  Today my life will drastically change.  My home, my family, my job, my habits, my friends, and probably lots of other things that haven't even occurred to my mind.  Today they will all change.  And you know, it's easy to forget about God in new situations.  We rationalize to ourselves that it's ok if we kind of ignore God for a bit - He understands that we have a lot of adjusting to do.

But God reminded me today that that is not ok.  He is the most important thing in our world, and to neglect Him would be worse than to neglect to breathe.  Paul is a prime example of this - in all circumstances, even if he was stuck in a prison cell, he clung fast to the Lord.  And in Philippians 3:17, he tells us to follow his lead.

Don't use the cares and frustrations and worries and difficulties of this world as an excuse to get distracted.  Don't be focused on worldly things.  Let the Author and Perfector of your faith mold you into the beautiful creation that you were meant to be.

Philippians 3:17-21

 ¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

The big picture

I was reading in Genesis today about Joseph, when he was taken to Potiphar's house.  And for some reason, verse 1 really stood out to me.  The Bible almost seems to gloss over it, briefly saying in 1 simple sentence that Potiphar bought Joseph from the slave traders.  Having grown up in the church, and knowing how the story ends, I always get really excited when I read this part of Joseph's story.  I know how the story ends - the Lord blesses Joseph, he prospers greatly wherever he is, and eventually he becomes second in command over all of Egypt.  It's a great story, a beautiful story of God's provision and protection.

But in the moment, Joseph couldn't see all of that.  All he knew was that he was in a strange country because his brothers had deserted him, and had just been sold into slavery, without any clue of what his future would hold.  What was he thinking, I wonder?  Did he doubt God's love for Him?  Perhaps wonder if He was really sovereign?  Did he question God's protection?

Or did he have faith that God really would work out everything for his good, as He promises in His word?  A took at the big picture, a simple glance at the whole story, assures us without a doubt that God truly was looking out for him.  But sometimes it's hard to see that when you are so close to the situation.  It's hard to see the forest for the trees.

But the awesome thing is that God created the trees, and He's bigger than the entire forest combined.  He's always got the big picture in mind.  Trust that He will take care of you.  And when you doubt, go back and read the story of Joseph, and be comforted that God really does have it under control, even if it doesn't look like it.  He's going to take you to places you would have never even dreamed of.

Genesis 39

¹ Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.  Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
 ² The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.  Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
   Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
 ⁸ But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
 ¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
 ¹³ When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, ¹⁴ she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. ¹⁵ When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
 ¹⁶ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
 ¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. ²⁰ Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
   But while Joseph was there in the prison, ²¹ the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. ²² So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. ²³ The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Let Him bless them through you

I went to a church in Seoul this weekend.  It was amazing.  The Bible study that I have been in during orientation, and the little daily morning group have been a blessing to me indeed, but I really needed something a little deeper.  Especially since I will be going off on my own into my school and homestay next week.  It was good to be reminded that God is bigger than whatever I may be facing.

The sermon was from the beginning of Genesis 12, in which God sends Abram out from his country and promises to bless him once he leaves.  What a timely message!  The contrast between Abram's job and God's job is stark, indeed.  God asks for Abram to leave, to trust in Him, to have faith in His word.  The rest is up to God.

God doesn't ask for great faith from us; He simply asks us to have faith in a great God.  All God wants from us is obedience.  I'm sure if you had asked Abraham before he became the father of many nations, that he would have never in a million years predicted that he would have ever become that.  Similarly, if you had asked me 5 years ago how I envisioned the course of my life to go, I would have never ever thought that I would be here in South Korea working as an English teacher for a year.

But God simply wants us to take the first step.  We don't have to be able to see the whole path.  We don't even have to know where the first step will go.  We simply have to be willing to listen to His voice, and to obey Him when He asks something of us.  One step at a time.  Just listen to the promptings that He whispers into your spirit.

So often it's so easy to forget that God blesses people through us.  We are not independent statues; we are an interconnected web.  The Bible says that the Lord would bless others through Abraham.  Equally, He wants to bless others through you.  God's Mission is so much bigger than simply missions.  We are all missionaries, whether we are full-time "vocational" missionaries or not.  The only difference between us and vocational missionaries is that, while we ARE on the mission field, our heart may not be.

If the idea of blessing others seems more like a burden than a privilege to you, it is because you have forgotten how blessed you are.  God will bless others through you, but you have to let Him do it.  But whenever you hesitate to do so, go back to Genesis 12.  Look at Abraham.  Remind yourself of the grand scope of God's plans - so much bigger than you could ever imagine.  Don't miss out on His blessings.  Don't miss out on letting Him bless others through you.  The consequences may be greater than you could ever imagine.

Genesis 12:1-4

¹ The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
 ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
 ⁴ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

Whoever loses his life...

So yesterday I mentioned in passing that I went to North Korea for a few minutes.  I'm sure that that may have alarmed some of you, or at least piqued your interest.  But it really wasn't nearly as scary as it sounds.  The South Korean government regularly hosts tourists trips into the DMZ.

Now, that being said, it's not like you can just walk onto the DMZ if you feel like it.  We were checked for ID 3 times over the course of our visit there, and anything other than a camera (without a case) and a passport were not allowed.  Pictures were only permitted in certain, very restricted areas, and pointing or any sort of gesturing in even the vague direction of North Korea was strictly prohibited.  We were told that the North Korean soldiers might consider it an act of aggression.  It was pretty heavy stuff.

As I was standing there, literally on the border between North and South Korea, looking at soldiers of one of the most oppressive governments in history, I couldn't help but thinking if they had families in South Korea that they never spoke to.  Our security escort told us that any sort of communication with the North Korean soldiers is strictly prohibited.  There are thousands of North Koreans defectors who have no idea how their families are doing, or even if they are alive.  What must it be like to know that you will likely never see your family again, or even speak to them?

But Jesus has called us all to do just that.  For most of us it will not be as drastic as never speaking to them again; but He did say that "anyone who loves their mother or father more than Me is not worthy of Me."  That's a heavy verse for me.  My family and I are very close, and I love them dearly.  But God wants us to be willing to give up everything for Him, even our families.  The Bible says that "whoever loses their life for His sake will find it."  So tell me....do you want God as much as those North Korean defectors wanted freedom?  Would you be willing to lose your life for Him?

Matthew 10:32-39

 ³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. ³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn   “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— ³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
   ³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

He renews our strength

I'm sitting in a hotel room right now in the middle of downtown Seoul.  Forget about New York City being the city that never sleeps; this is the real city that never sleeps.  Almost the entire city is open 24/7.  Bars, coffee shops, shopping, bowling alleys, museums, amusements parks, you name it....whatever you want to do here in Seoul, you can do it anytime you want.

And yesterday, I was the person who never sleeps.  I went to bed after midnight on Thursday night, and was up by 4:00 am the next morning.  I took a bus from Goesan to Seoul, checked into a hotel, drove from Seoul to the DMZ, went to North Korea for a few minutes, drove back to Seoul, met and had dinner with the American ambassador to South Korea and several other embassy officials, walked around and explored the city of Seoul, and sang Korean's version of Karaoke with my friends - all in on day!  It was after midnight before I stumbled into bed, completely exhausted.  

But this morning I stumbled across this jewel of a verse in Isaiah chapter 40.  I am well acquainted with the latter half of verse 31, but have not often read it in the context of the surrounding verses.  But God's word assures us that everyone will get tired - except for Him.  He gives strength to the weary and power to the weak.  He renews our strength when we trust in Him.  He gives us the strength to run and not grow weary, to walk and not be faint.  No matter how exhausted we may be, the Lord promises to refresh us and to renew our strength, to let us soar on wings like eagles.  On a day like today, when all I want to do is sleep, what an awesome promise that is to take hold of.

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Do you not know?  Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
 they will walk and not be faint. 

A friend of God

Well, D-day is rapidly approaching.  In exactly one week, I will be gone from my comfortable little orientation bubble, living in a completely different environment, away from all of my my friends and family.  The thought of being all on my own is a really scary and overwhelming thought.

But the great thing is that I won't really be alone.  The Lord has called us His friend.  How awesome is that??  It never ceases to amaze me that the Creator of the universe, the Alpha and the Omega, the Omniscient One, wants to be my friend.

But, to put it simply, He does.  I don't understand it, it doesn't make sense to me.  But that's why He is God and I am not :).  What I do now, however, is that He has promised to give us strength.  "Do not fear," He says, "for I am with you."  How grateful I am that God is faithful, and never leaves us.  Or leaves us friendless, for that matter.

Isaiah 41:8-10

 ⁸ “But you, Israel, my servant,
   Jacob, whom I have chosen,
   you descendants of Abraham my friend,
⁹ I took you from the ends of the earth,
   from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
   I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Alpha and Omega

Well, today was my last day of Korean language class.  We took pictures, and watched K-pop music videos, and laughed, and cried - but only a little.  It's been a wonderful past few weeks.  I can't believe it's coming to an end.  There are so many places and people I have to say goodbye to before I leave for my school next week.  So many things I still have to do.  It's bittersweet, to say the least.

I remember before I got here, a 6 week orientation seemed an eternity.  After I arrived, it seemed even longer.  But now it's basically over.  What I find comforting in times like these is that God promises to be around from the beginning, until the end - and beyond.

He is the Alpha and Omega.  He sees us wherever we are, and takes care of us regardless of where we are.  Time does not constrain Him.  For someone who is constantly making plans, writing dates down, and jotting to-do lists, the thought of an entity who does not run by the clock is difficult for me to fathom.  But it's so comforting, too.  To know that God does not play by my rules - and limitations - is both scary and comforting.  It's scary because I don't understand Him.....but it's comforting to know that He completely understands me.  And He's bigger than time, and will take care of me regardless.

Revelation 22:12-13

    ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 

El Shaddai

I was looking up translations and references for El Shaddai, and at first it seemed like it was very similar to El Elohe, the name from yesterday's blog.  But then I dug a little deeper, and realized that it had another facet to it.  Many scholars believe that El Shaddai is derived from the Hebrew word shad, meaning breast.  It refers to the way that God completely supplies His people with all their needs, much like a mother does for her child.  God is our sustainer; He will always give us His nourishment and blessings without reservation. 

The first time El Shaddai is mentioned in the Bible is with the covenant that God made with Abram (or Abraham, as his name was changed to during this encounter).  And boy, did God provide for Abram!  He blessed not only Abram, but also his descendants with children, power, prestige, and wealth.  It is fitting in a series on the names of the Lord to mention the name change that Abram received here.  God recognized the importance of a name, and thus He also changed Abram's name to Abraham as a part of his blessing.

There's a beautiful song by Avalon called El Shaddai.  Every time I listen to it, I am reminded of what a big God I serve.  I'd like to close this blog with the lyrics to it.  Hopefully you will be equally blessed by it.  If you want to listen to the full song, you can follow this link. 

El Shaddai

By Avalon

El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonia,
Age to age You're still the same, By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkamka na Adonai,
We will praise and lift You high, El Shaddai.

Through your love and through the ram, You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand, Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees,
And by Your might, You set Your children free. 

El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonia,
Age to age You're still the same, By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkamka na Adonai,
We will praise and lift You high, El Shaddai.

Through the years You've made it clear, That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn't see What Messiah ought to be.
Though Your Word contained the plan, They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done Through the frailty of Your Son.

Genesis 17:1-8

 ¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
 ³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. ⁷ I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

El Elohe

Yesterday morning in my Bible study with my girlfriends, we read the story in Genesis 33 about how God saved Jacob from the wrath of his brother, Esau.  Some may say that Esau was overreacting and being ridiculous in his anger towards his brother.  But Jacob had twice stolen from Esau his most precious belongings - first his birthright, and then his father's blessing.  This may not seem like a big deal to us nowadays, but back in Bible times, it was huge.  Jacob had deceived Esau out of his livelihood, his prosperity assured since birth, and his future.  And Esau wanted revenge.

Genesis 32 describes a tense scene, in which Jacob is preparing and strategizing about how best to defend himself against his brother's 400 men who were coming to attack him and his family.  The scene is even more dramatic, in my opinion, because the two enemies are brothers.  In chapter 33 the two families finally meet.  And Esau does not want to kill Jacob!

I find the story rather ironically amusing.  Jacob is so relieved that Esau has forgiven him, he insists on giving him lavish gifts - almost forcing them on him.  He also seems to almost not believe that Esau is sincere; he does his best to get out of Esau's presence and far away from him as quickly as possible.  Not really the best way for brothers to relate to each other, but I suppose that it was definitely understandable.

But Jacob understood that he had not delivered himself.  He realized that he had wronged his brother, and that it was the Lord who had rescued him from Esau's anger.  For that reason, Jacob erected an altar in honor of El Elohe, the Mighty God.

While most of us do not have such dramatic stories to relate to, we still serve El Elohe, the Mighty God.  And He can still turn around seemingly impossible situations.  I like that this name has to do with a broken relationship.  Although most of us may not have stolen a future from someone close to us, I would venture to say that nearly all of us have a broken relationship with someone close to us.  And El Elohe, the Mighty God, can fix those relationships.  He can right the wrongs in our lives.  He is big enough.  He is mighty enough.  All we have to do is ask Him.

Genesis 33:18-20

 ¹⁸ After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. ¹⁹ For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. ²⁰ There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

Jehovah Shalom

I've grown closer to more people in this program within the past week than I have in the entire month beforehand.  Which is ironic, because there is only about a week left of orientation, after which we will all separate and go to our respective cities all over Korea.  And as Departure Day - D-Day - comes mercilessly closer and closer, I find myself asking God more and more frequently for peace.

I never dreamed that I would meet and befriend people like the ones that I have.  They are incredible.  They lift me up, encourage me, chastise me when needed, and love me unconditionally.  And right when we've started really getting to know each other, we're about to leave each other.  It's a very difficult pill to swallow.  Although we haven't known each other very long, they already mean so much to me, and the thought of leaving them fills me with sadness.

But God keeps reminding me that this is not the end of our friendships.  Sure, it will be harder to stay in touch than it is now, and I will not be able to see them every day, but distance does not automatically equate with severed relationships.

And God sent me who I needed when I needed them here at orientation; He can do it again at my school.  He will always send what you need when you need it.  There is no reason to assume that His mercies will stop.  So if you are worried about the future, stop....take a deep breath...and call on Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace, to calm your heart and rejuvenate your mind.

Judges 6:19-24

 ¹⁹ Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
 ²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. ²² When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
 ²³ But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
 ²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Jehovah Jireh

My favorite name of the Lord in the entire Bible is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide.  It is only used once in the entire Bible, but it holds such power!  Jehovah Jireh is taken from the name of Jehovah, which means "to exist" or "to become known," suggesting that God is a God who reveals himself unceasingly.  Jehovah Jireh, however, means "the Lord has seen."  So together, Jehovah Jireh is a God who sees your every need, and by providing for them He is constantly revealing a little more of himself to us.

How true that is.  I have a banner that I made some time ago that hangs over my bed to remind me of this.  It lists all of the things that I know the Lord provides for me.  The list ins extensive - food, clothing, a loving family, wonderful friends, a safe home, a future....every time I look at it I am reminded of just how loved and cared for I really am.  But what I love so much about Jehovah Jireh, however, is that He doesn't just provide for our physical needs.  He provides for our spiritual needs, as well.

God is a very big God.  But the God of infinity cares about our lives to the infinitesimally small degree.  And He will provide for us.  Whether we know what we need or not, He does, and He's dying to provide for us.  All we have to do is ask.  What an amazing name to rely upon :). 

Genesis 22:1-14

¹ Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
   “Here I am,” he replied.
 ² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
 ³ Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
 ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
   “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
   “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
 ⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
 ⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
   “Here I am,” he replied.
 ¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
 ¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

Qanna

Yesterday's post reminded me of how many names God has to describe Himself.  When I was in high school, I took several months to focus on studying the lion's share of the names of the Lord that can be found in the Old Testament.  So over the course of the next few days I'm going to revisit some of that old terrain, and explore some of the Old Testament names of God.

One of my favorite names has always been Qanna, the Lord our God is a jealous God.  Unlike some of His other names, Qanna is not a very commonly cited name among Christians.  But it's such a beautiful name.  The first reference to Qanna can be found in Exodus 20, when the Lord gave Moses the 10 Commandments.  He is commanding the Israelites to have no other gods above Himself, because He is a jealous God.  God doesn't like to share the spotlight with idols, and He takes that very seriously.

But what struck me as I investigated further, is that "jealous" is not the only translation for Qanna.  It also means "zealous."  And herein lies the beauty.  God is not only jealous for your attention; He is also willing to fight for you.  He will not stand idly back and simply watch you fall away from Him, watch idols and other loves take over your life.  He wants you - all of you - and He is willing to zealously pursue you.  Exodus 20 says that God will punish the sins of the parents for up to 4 generations; but He will bless for a thousand generations those who love Him.

In Bible times, names meant much more than they do nowadays.  Names defined a person - they gave an insight into the kind of individual that person would be when they grew up.  Names revealed their character.  God's very name says that He wants you - all of you - and that He's willing to fight for you.  Now how's that for feeling treasured and loved??

Exodus 20:4-6

 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Jehovah Rophe

I had a wild ride yesterday.  I woke up feeling completely normal (and with a voice, too!).  As I was getting dressed to go to class, I started feeling a little bit off, but it was nothing to really worry about, so I headed to class, anyway.  Within 15 minutes, I was curled up on the floor in the bathroom in pain, along with lots of other highly unpleasant side effects - I'll leave it to your imagination to fill in the blanks.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur.  Korean hospitals, I have learned, are not any more pleasant than American ones.  So while I was sitting in the waiting room, I started thinking about some of the names of the Lord that I know.  I love studying the names of the Lord.  They have always been a special source of comfort for me.  Names are so incredibly personal, so intimate, so undeniably you....I feel like learning God's names just draws me so much closer to Him than simply studying about Him.

So anyway, the name that came to my mind yesterday morning was Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals.  Yesterday was really scary.  It was not the mere fact that I was sick; but rather, the speed and intensity with which it came on.  Being in a foreign country with an unintelligible language and in a strange hospital didn't help matters, I'm sure.

But God is Jehovah Rophe, our Healer.  He does not want us to be sick or in pain.  That was what I clung to, when I was sick and scared in a strange land.  The Lord our God loves us beyond anything we could ever imagine.  So when life's got you down, remember that He cares for you....always. 

Exodus 15:22-27

 ²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) ²⁴ So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”  ²⁵ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
   There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. ²⁶ He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”
 ²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

A more beautiful you

So I've been in Korea exactly one month now.  And it's astonishing to me the emphasis that people place on physical appearances.  It's even more stark than in the States.  If you gain weight, lose weight, break out....whatever, it doesn't matter, Koreans are going to notice and comment on it.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is a little treasure tucked away in the middle of Psalms.  It's just 14 little words, but it has rocked my world.  Psalm 45:11 says that "The King is enthralled by your beauty."  But that's it.  It doesn't describe your beauty, doesn't lay down a set of rules that you must fit into to be considered beautiful.  Our King loves each and every one of us just as we are.

There's a beautiful song by Jonny Diaz that describes what this verse says to me far better than I could verbalize myself.  If you want to hear the actual song, check out this link.  Isn't it amazing to know that no matter how badly our faces break out, how frizzy our hair is, and how misshapen and ugly we think we are.....God is crazy about us.  He thinks we are beautiful and perfect just the way we are.  And really, isn't His opinion the only one that really matters?

Psalm 45:11

The King is enthralled by your beauty.  Honor Him, for He is your Lord. 

More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you're not too far to back away be who you are
To change your path go another way it's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets the shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away by the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears and change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view and with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl.

Don't be blind to the blind

I have spent the entire day in nearly complete silence.  It was not a sought-after silence, nor was it particularly enjoyable, but it was certainly silence, nonetheless.  I woke up this morning to find that my voice was almost completely gone.  Throughout the day, try as I might to speak to and communicate with the other people around me, it only came out in garbled little croaks, or even nothing at all.  I finally gave up around lunchtime and just stopped talking - no one could hear me, anyway.

It was remarkable how ostracized and ignored I felt today.  And the thing is, I'm positive that no one actually tried to make me feel like an outsider - they simply couldn't hear me.  No matter how hard I tried to interject a comment, to offer a suggestion, to ask a question in class, to simply make myself heard, I couldn't do it.  And I felt sooo isolated.

So this afternoon, I opened my Bible to the story of the man born blind.  I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way that I did.  Sure, he could speak, but he could not see, and it is obvious from the text that he was also ostracized from society.  And his situation was far worse than mine - mine was for a day, unintentionally, by people whom I know really do care for me.  His was for an entire lifetime, by people who never showed him a kindness his whole life.

But Jesus did.  Jesus loved him anyway.  Jesus saw a need that everyone else chose to ignore, and healed a would that no one else would acknowledge.  How many times have I walked past a homeless person on the street, convinced that they didn't really need my help?  How often do I ignore stirrings in my spirit to give a kind word to someone, deciding that it's not the Lord telling me to do it, just my own overactive imagination?

Don't be blind to the blind.  Don't tune out the deaf.  Don't ignore the powerless.  Learn to pay attention.  Love like Jesus did, and minister to the people who need it most - the downtrodden, unloved, and ignored.  Give a voice to those who have none. 

John 9:1-13

 ¹ As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
   ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
 ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
 ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.
   Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
   But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
 ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
 ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
 ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.
   “I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

 ¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 

Compassion

Today is a continuation of my unintentional series on loving others.  I've been reading through Matthew every morning with a few other Christian ETAs.  This morning we were reading in chapter 14, and I was struck by Jesus' compassion.

In verse 13,  Jesus is grieving the death of His friend, John the baptist.  He wants - He needs - to be alone.  He had purposefully sought out a "solitary place" after He heard about John's fate.  But even there, there were people in need.

Jesus could have easily told them to go away.  He could have easily ignored their pain, rationalizing that in that moment, He had quite a legitimate reason to think of Himself and not them.  But He didn't do that.  He didn't ignore them; He didn't shoo them away, He didn't tell them to come back when He was having a better day.  He had compassion on them.

How often do we rationalize our propensity to ignore others' pain?  How often do we say to ourselves, "Oh I'm too tired, or I have other things I need to do, or they can take care of themselves"??

But God has called us to be His hands and feet.  He wants us to show His love to the people around us.  Even when we don't feel like it.  The Christian life is not a cushy desk job; it requires sacrifices.  What sacrifices have you made for others to show them God's love lately?
 

Matthew 14:1-21

John the Baptist Beheaded

 ¹ At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, ² and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”  ³ Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, ⁴ for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
 ⁶ On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰ and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 ¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 
 ¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
 ¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
 ¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
   ¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

A hands-on love

A friend of mine has been sick all weekend.  The poor guy hasn't the energy to do anything except sleep, and so Sarah and I have been trying to take care of him as best we can.  We've been bringing him food, or taking him to get food if he could get out of bed, and making sure he stayed warm, and praying with him, and basically doing anything we could think of that we thought might help him.

But I couldn't help but notice how little of that I would have done if Sarah wasn't around.  She has definitely been a convicting influence in my life the past few weeks.  Even as Christians, it's so easy to get desensitized to the pain and the hurting people that constantly surround us.  We ignore those in need, thinking "oh, they're not my problem" or "they can take care of themselves" or "if I help them they'll just take advantage of me."

I don't know, perhaps it's a product of the culture we're living in.  Everything is so tech-oriented, that sometimes we forget that we're really just talking to a computer.  We do so much texting, and IMing, and tweeting, and emailing, facebooking, that we've forgotten how to relate to people when they are standing right in from of our faces.  When we finally do help, we simply throw money at them, and not to ease their pain, but simply to lessen our guilt.

But God is a hands-on God, and He asks from us a hands-on love.  He walked among us, and ministered to the hurting, and healed the broken, and associated with the worst of humanity, the absolute dregs of society.  And we are "little Christs."  Doesn't that mean that we should try to do the same??

1 John 1:1-4

 ¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.