I wanted to share with you guys one of my very favorite songs. I love this song because it reminds me that it's not about me. It reminds me that it's about the grace of God, His grace washes away my sin and it's His grace that makes me beautiful. It also reminds me of one very important thing, that it's about knowing God. The point isn't to know about God, but to know God and be in relationship with Him. It's about giving all I have just know Him! When I listen to this song, it just puts things in perspective for me, reminding me that it's not for my glory or fame that I do things, but to bring glory to God.
I think a lot of the time, I tend to ask God to show Himself and His love to me. I expect some great experience or enlightenment to take place so that I can see or experience God and His love. Today, He's been reminding me that often His love is shown to me by and through His children. Today is a rainy and windy day, and I HATE wind. I despise it and it can turn a fantastic mood into an angry and spiteful one. (Anger and my issues with that is deserving of a whole different post haha). Anyway, today, despite the wind, I walked to class feeling loved because I was reminded of the simple truth that God shows His love to us by using His children. Here are just a few examples:
A package from my best friend full of candy, notes, and a necklace I might wear every day for the rest of my life Adam surprising me with a Chai latte from Cafe Tempo ( my favorite place to get Chai from because they are homemade) Affirmation and encouragement from some of my creative writing classmates Short talks with friends as they pass on their way to class The truth is, God chooses to show us love through other people, we just need to be aware of those moments! AND, we get to show God's love to others! That's why I chose this picture for today's post. Because it is a simple picture of love, a picture of showing God's love and making His precious children aware of how special they are. An interesting point is made in this short video about books and movies like Heaven is For Real. Food for thought. Guys, today is the 60 day mark to the wedding!!! That means, 60 days until I marry my best friend! So, in honor of that, I posted some of our engagement pictures by the lovely Maison Meredith Photography. Enjoy:) Reading today's devotional in My Utmost for His Highest this morning impacted me greatly, So, I would like to share with you the profound words of Oswald Chambers:
"Jesus’ parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 was a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our capacities. This parable has nothing to do with natural gifts and abilities, but relates to the gift of the Holy Spirit as He was first given at Pentecost. We must never measure our spiritual capacity on the basis of our education or our intellect; our capacity in spiritual things is measured on the basis of the promises of God. If we get less than God wants us to have, we will falsely accuse Him as the servant falsely accused his master when he said, “You expect more of me than you gave me the power to do. You demand too much of me, and I cannot stand true to you here where you have placed me.” When it is a question of God’s Almighty Spirit, never say, “I can’t.” Never allow the limitation of your own natural ability to enter into the matter. If we have received the Holy Spirit, God expects the work of the Holy Spirit to be exhibited in us. The servant justified himself, while condemning his lord on every point, as if to say, “Your demand on me is way out of proportion to what you gave to me.” Have we been falsely accusing God by daring to worry after He has said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”? (Matthew 6:33). Worrying means exactly what this servant implied— “I know your intent is to leave me unprotected and vulnerable.” A person who is lazy in the natural realm is always critical, saying, “I haven’t had a decent chance,” and someone who is lazy in the spiritual realm is critical of God. Lazy people always strike out at others in an independent way. Never forget that our capacity and capability in spiritual matters is measured by, and based on, the promises of God. Is God able to fulfill His promises? Our answer depends on whether or not we have received the Holy Spirit." I spent pretty much my whole day sitting at this computer. My work of prose for creative writing is due today, and I've had a lot to finish and revise. I'm not quite done yet, but I am getting there, and the more I revise, the more the story comes together. It's a story of a girl named Ira who was tricked and trapped in the sex industry in Berlin, and by writing this, I'm hoping my classmates who read it will maybe get a glimpse of the reality of sex trafficking. It's a sensitive subject to write about, but I am just really hoping that by sharing this with my classmates, some light will be shed on the subject.
Light fills a room
like breathe fills a shining balloon. It reflects off the moon and illuminates the dark. Light bounces off mirrors catching eyes squinting. Light stretches across your toes in the morning and tickles you awake. Light kisses the tops of your cheeks and leaves her mark there. Light talks politics with plants and debates with them until they grow. After years of being well acquainted with light you'll notice she's gifted you with tiny constellations of freckles on your arms. And you'll trace them a reminder of your friendship. "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them, pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. "Romans 12:9-16
... When reading the verses above this morning, I realized that all of those things listed must be done in community. You can't live in harmony with others if you aren't with people, and if you aren't open with people. For the past few weeks, I think God has been waking me up to the fact that I have been hiding for probably two months now. Content watching movies and crafting paper flowers. Preferring to live shut away from others because it's more comfortable alone. Even the time I have spent with others, I've been afraid to act like myself. I would rather hide and blend in than be who I am, and who God created me to be. The life God has for me is better than this. It's better than being shut away alone, walking through life asleep. The lyrics of this song by The United Pursuit Band (who just happen to be one of my very favorite bands ever) perfectly sum up what God is doing in my life right now, taking down the walls I've built to protect myself and filling my life with light. "All these walls I've built are comfortable, and the world outside is loud. When the voice I trust is fear and doubt, I don't need your guidance now. All my walls and my defenses fall, fall to the ground. When the walls of your light, Shines all around. Your love is better than all the world can give Your love is better than all the world can give. Will you save me from this emptiness? Will you lead me into peace? Will you save me from this loneliness? Will your hope, my fears release?" I know God is trust worthy, so I know that I can trust what He has for me will be better than anything I can imagine. Living in community openly with others is better than shutting myself away, and there is more life in being who God created me to be, than there is in hiding my identity as a daughter of Christ. So Shine Your light, God! Break down my walls! I'm ready for the life You have for me. |