There's this thing that happens to me and I believe God made me this way on purpose.
There are certain people towards which I feel overwhelmingly connected to, without reason. I am ultra emotional (haha) and maybe this is a way that it plays out, but just through compassion and empathy and care. If you asked my friends, how many times I've said "Oh my goodness, I just love that person," they'd tell you I say that pretty much everyday. And these people aren't my best friends. Mostly they are people I hardly know, but I just can't help but love them. But it's deeper then, "Oh that person's cool." It's like "I love you." I don't know how else to put it.
There is another type of love I have though for people. Example, this guy I know told me that he was having a hard time, and I could just see the hurt on his face and it broke my heart, like I want to cry now just thinking about it. It just get ingrained on my heart, I get emotionally involved that way that I feel a degree of their pain and it consumes me. I just need to help them, I need to do something, most of the time there's not a lot I can do - but there's always something you can do - pray. Because once I realize that I can't do anything that will matter or heal or change or fix someone else's problem, I go to the guy who is all powerful. Who can do anything. I truly believe that.
I think this is the kind of response that comes from the Holy Spirit inside of me. It pours out and then overflows, and I can't make it happen or stop it either. It's just the kind of love that Jesus inspires. It is what He stands for, what He is. He is loving the broken, and feeling their pain and doing what you can to help them.
But I am not the healer. He is the healer. I am only His instrument.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
You Can't Out-give God
I'm reading this book, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and parts of it are rocking my world. Maybe you've heard of the saying a "lukewarm Christian" and I would argue that that is how almost every "Christian" I know lives. They go to church on Sunday, don't swear and try to be really nice, and that's where it ends. The crazy part is, if you read the Bible, you will soon realize that Jesus calls us to a much more radical life than this.
Since reading this book, I'm really trying to start making changes in my life towards becoming a radical Christian, or at least the type of Christian that the Bible defines.
One example in my life is this [From Crazy Love]:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows'" Malachi 3:10
"This is the only place in the Bible where God invites His poeple to test Him, to try to out-give Him... Nothing has strengthened my faith more than seeing God bless what I give back to Him, what I surrender at His feet" (page 110, Crazy Love).
So, my response to this is to give to God. But more than that, I want to give sacrificially, to the point where it costs me something, where it hurts and I feel the loss. I was saving up for a laptop for University, all the money I had made babysitting and odd little jobs over the past two months I was keeping in a cup. Once I read this part of Crazy Love, it all suddenly was put into perspective. I forget SO easily (it's embarrassing how easily, actually) who God is and how much He deserves and how I should be living my life. This Sunday I gave away all that I had saved up towards my laptop, scrapping that hope and putting my trust in God that He'll provide for me what I need when I need it, as he always has. Always.
Keeping in mind, God promises to bless you in return for what you give Him. This isn't a way to acquire things AT ALL, just for proof that God does follow through on His what He says.
Since I made that decision mid last week, I feel that God has reached down and blessed me for it. I've been looking for a job for over a month without success or any calls back or anything, and the need to start saving money was increasing. But in TWO days, I got a job. From the day I handed in my resume, I got the job the next day, without an interview even. And yesterday, I got a second call for another interview in another job.
Cool, eh?
God is real.
God does what He says He'll do.
God provides, and I have no need to worry.
It's a beautiful thing.
Since reading this book, I'm really trying to start making changes in my life towards becoming a radical Christian, or at least the type of Christian that the Bible defines.
One example in my life is this [From Crazy Love]:
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows'" Malachi 3:10
"This is the only place in the Bible where God invites His poeple to test Him, to try to out-give Him... Nothing has strengthened my faith more than seeing God bless what I give back to Him, what I surrender at His feet" (page 110, Crazy Love).
So, my response to this is to give to God. But more than that, I want to give sacrificially, to the point where it costs me something, where it hurts and I feel the loss. I was saving up for a laptop for University, all the money I had made babysitting and odd little jobs over the past two months I was keeping in a cup. Once I read this part of Crazy Love, it all suddenly was put into perspective. I forget SO easily (it's embarrassing how easily, actually) who God is and how much He deserves and how I should be living my life. This Sunday I gave away all that I had saved up towards my laptop, scrapping that hope and putting my trust in God that He'll provide for me what I need when I need it, as he always has. Always.
Keeping in mind, God promises to bless you in return for what you give Him. This isn't a way to acquire things AT ALL, just for proof that God does follow through on His what He says.
Since I made that decision mid last week, I feel that God has reached down and blessed me for it. I've been looking for a job for over a month without success or any calls back or anything, and the need to start saving money was increasing. But in TWO days, I got a job. From the day I handed in my resume, I got the job the next day, without an interview even. And yesterday, I got a second call for another interview in another job.
Cool, eh?
God is real.
God does what He says He'll do.
God provides, and I have no need to worry.
It's a beautiful thing.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Most Sensical Nonsense You'll Ever Read. Maybe.
You might be surprised about how much I have to say about having nothing to say.
I can probably think of something..
Here we go, let's talk about this whole concept of a "Blog". I find it quite exciting. Not knowing who is reading what you write, and writing to complete strangers? It gives what I have to say a whole new dynamic; it changes the context, influences the angle. It's neat, I'm intrigued.
Part of me wants to treat my Blog as a journal and spill random things about my day that I just need to get out. Another part of me wants to create this medley of creative expression: a blog with song lyrics, pictures, Youtube videos and creative writing pieces of no theme or purpose, just a collage of things that make me happy, hoping that maybe they'll make you happy too. Lastly, I want to show you God. I know, crazy, but I mean it. I want those of you who have never seen Him before to see Him, as He works through my life, because He does, and it's flippin' sweet! God's hand is constantly on my life, but often I forget to pay attention to what He's doing and give Him credit for all He does. (Don't stop reading now, just cuz I mentioned God, k?)
You might laugh at me, actually by this point in history - or the present, depending on how you look at it - I'd say most people choose not to believe in God. It's natural, it's the human thing to do - to stray, to fight for control, to doubt what you can't see, to want to live for yourself. God is given a bad image anyway. Everyone thinks He's boring, and strict and mean and distant. But people who think that haven't experienced Him. He's HUGE. He does the CRAZIEST things ever, like it blows my mind everytime I open the Bible. He's out of this world in the way He does things. He's not bound by the rules of nature because He created them.
I kind of see it as the Sims game (which I spent way too much money and time on). You can play the game how it was made, or you can cheat and do whatever you want: infinite money, speed up aging, instant babies, forcing twins, bathtubs through walls and pretty much anything you want. So not only does God have the power to overrule the laws of the world, He, being the creator of the game, knows everything about it and has the knowledge and understanding to manipulate it to His liking. Which results in pregnant old ladies who are past their time, the earth splitting open and swallowing people up (I WISH I could have seen this), people (not only Jesus!) coming back to from the dead, parting seas so that walls of water are upheld while people walk across the dry land of the bottom of the sea, and guys with superhuman strength who break lion's jaws with their bare hands.
The Bible isn't boring. Despite what people say. Read it - try the Old Testament if you're looking for something interesting. Maybe I'll post a sweet story for you to check out sometime.
Don't write it off though, would ya? For me. Well do it for me, but I'm saying that for you.
Don't live life without knowing the facts. Don't make your decision without learning about God yourself and then making your decision. It's not worth it - hell, forever? It's not cool (haha). 1) it hurts, and 2) you're apart from God forever, which may not matter to you now, but this is the last thing I'll say:
If your heart isn't satisfied, if when you stop and think about what you want in life, you realize it's not whatever you have now, there's only one thing that will satisfy that desire. Sure, money feels good for a little while. That promotion, that boyfriend, that talent that's developing into something potential. But when all is said and done, there is still something missing, isn't there? There's only one thing that will give you purpose, and it goes beyond circumstance. Your life can be as upside down as upside down gets, but your heart will still be content if you've got Jesus.
I can probably think of something..
Here we go, let's talk about this whole concept of a "Blog". I find it quite exciting. Not knowing who is reading what you write, and writing to complete strangers? It gives what I have to say a whole new dynamic; it changes the context, influences the angle. It's neat, I'm intrigued.
Part of me wants to treat my Blog as a journal and spill random things about my day that I just need to get out. Another part of me wants to create this medley of creative expression: a blog with song lyrics, pictures, Youtube videos and creative writing pieces of no theme or purpose, just a collage of things that make me happy, hoping that maybe they'll make you happy too. Lastly, I want to show you God. I know, crazy, but I mean it. I want those of you who have never seen Him before to see Him, as He works through my life, because He does, and it's flippin' sweet! God's hand is constantly on my life, but often I forget to pay attention to what He's doing and give Him credit for all He does. (Don't stop reading now, just cuz I mentioned God, k?)
You might laugh at me, actually by this point in history - or the present, depending on how you look at it - I'd say most people choose not to believe in God. It's natural, it's the human thing to do - to stray, to fight for control, to doubt what you can't see, to want to live for yourself. God is given a bad image anyway. Everyone thinks He's boring, and strict and mean and distant. But people who think that haven't experienced Him. He's HUGE. He does the CRAZIEST things ever, like it blows my mind everytime I open the Bible. He's out of this world in the way He does things. He's not bound by the rules of nature because He created them.
I kind of see it as the Sims game (which I spent way too much money and time on). You can play the game how it was made, or you can cheat and do whatever you want: infinite money, speed up aging, instant babies, forcing twins, bathtubs through walls and pretty much anything you want. So not only does God have the power to overrule the laws of the world, He, being the creator of the game, knows everything about it and has the knowledge and understanding to manipulate it to His liking. Which results in pregnant old ladies who are past their time, the earth splitting open and swallowing people up (I WISH I could have seen this), people (not only Jesus!) coming back to from the dead, parting seas so that walls of water are upheld while people walk across the dry land of the bottom of the sea, and guys with superhuman strength who break lion's jaws with their bare hands.
The Bible isn't boring. Despite what people say. Read it - try the Old Testament if you're looking for something interesting. Maybe I'll post a sweet story for you to check out sometime.
Don't write it off though, would ya? For me. Well do it for me, but I'm saying that for you.
Don't live life without knowing the facts. Don't make your decision without learning about God yourself and then making your decision. It's not worth it - hell, forever? It's not cool (haha). 1) it hurts, and 2) you're apart from God forever, which may not matter to you now, but this is the last thing I'll say:
If your heart isn't satisfied, if when you stop and think about what you want in life, you realize it's not whatever you have now, there's only one thing that will satisfy that desire. Sure, money feels good for a little while. That promotion, that boyfriend, that talent that's developing into something potential. But when all is said and done, there is still something missing, isn't there? There's only one thing that will give you purpose, and it goes beyond circumstance. Your life can be as upside down as upside down gets, but your heart will still be content if you've got Jesus.
I promise.
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