Cyber Encouragement

Yes, I haven't written a blog in weeks. I will explain why soon, but for now, I'll just write what I'm thinking.

If you have a facebook, you surely have noticed the number game. Your friends message you a random number and then you post that number as your status, saying what you truly think of them. Now, no one would be stupid enough to diss that person on facebook, so all the status' are very encouraging. The way I look at it is that its a cyber encouragement circle! But something dawned on me last night. I love this game because I get to encourage people. But why does it have to be a game? Why can't we get the nerve up to encourage at least one person a day...to write a note of encouragement or give out a compliment to someone who we normally don't talk to? Why? Because, it is against the societal norm. The United States has become so addicted to electronic communication that telling some that they are beautiful, amazing, fantastic, and have endurance to their face would be completely awkward for most people. Why is showing appreciation dying? My challenge for you?

Play the enoucragement game. Everyday of your lives.

Crazy? Nahh...

It's an Irresistible Revolution. It's something that is so pressing, so exhilarating, so reviving. We can't resist it; we can't elude it. But there is one (small) problem.

We'll look crazy and insane.

We will be a fish swimming up stream, against the overwhelming current. There will be those who look at us and shun us, throwing us off as if we are trash that shouldn't be given a second thought. There will be those who physically try to resist us. They might threaten us through interegation or physical abuse. They might turn us in to the authorities, grasping for an excuse to put an end to this unendable persuasion. But it will not end no matter what they try. It will take over the world. It's an Irresistible Revolution.

It's HOPE.

HOPE is something that we not only have faith will happen, we act as if it's going to happen. We know what the future holds, therefore we need not have any fear. We stand tall in the HOPE of this irresistible revolution, knowing that with God on our side, nothing can stand in our way. No matter how bleak the future might seem, we KNOW that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Intead of cringing at the face of suffering, we embrace it, because we have not only a outstanding hope for ourselves, we have the ability to share it with everyone we come in contact with, be it a stranger on the street or the person who is threatening, discouraging, and abusing us.

Hope starts with us. It wells up inside our hearts until it bursts out, like a rushing river, engulfing our family, our friends, our city, our country, and our world. It's beyond ourselves- we can't control it. Are we crazy for having that much hope? I doubt it. Maybe...just maybe the world is crazy for NOT having it.

It's HOPE. Are you going to embrace it?

Being Comfortable... LIGHTBULB MOMENT!

Before the Kenya mission trip, God told me that I had to learn to be comfortable in America before I was allowed to travel again. Not being able to decipher the meaning of that, I was super frustrated with God. It was even worse as some of my best friends started talking about all these great mission trips that they were hoping to go on, and here I was, sitting in America and doing nothing but waiting on God.

I thought, Really, God? Really? You tell me to be comfortable in America and yet you don't give me any pointers on how to be comfortable in America. I'm here waiting on you, yearning with all my heart to return to Africa, and yet you tell me to be still and know that you are God. Well, I'm being still, where are you?

Over the last couple of months, I have learned to trust God. In fact, there is no other route in life BUT to trust him. Ultimately, he knows what he is doing, and we don't. And that is the way that is should be. God's plan for our lives is so beyond ourselves that we aren't even able to comprehend it. Thank goodness that we can't, because I think that we would die from an overload of information! As far as the "being comfortable in America", I have still been at a loss.

Until today.

There is this mission trip. Yes, another mission trip. It's 8 months long and goes to three different countries all around the world. I would have to take a full gap year between highschool and college if I did it, plus the cost is $10,700. Sounds daunting right? I have no intuition as to if I am called to it or not, but I definitely can't rule it out. But there, standing in the way is learning to be comfortable in America. Being so discombobulated about it (yes! I've always wanted to use that word!), I called the AIM staff to see what they thought. The woman I spoke to prayed for me and then told me that the first thought that came to her head about being comfortable in America is doing the things that we would normally do internationally...in America. LIGHTBULB MOMENT!

How often do we think that since we are just "in America" that we aren't on the mission field? Every single mission trip, I get back, have extreme culture shock, retreat into my own little "comfort zone" (when, in fact, I am not comfortable at all!), create a massive personal bubble so that I won't be "hurt" with all the evil that is going on in America. After all, it's not Africa or South America or Asia. America is supposed to be a safe haven, therefore I have been making it one, even if it's artificial.

How many people really are "comfortable in America?" It's time to get comfortable to the uncomfortableness of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

The Dangerous Lover

In his book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis portrays this dangerous encounter with the with the God that should make all of us shiver. Lucy is about to meet Aslan, the lion, and she asks, "Is-is he a man?"

"Aslan a man!" Said Mr.s Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion-the Lion, the great Lion."

"Ooh! Said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" Said Lucy.

"Safe? said Mr. Beaver; "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

Jesus is a dangerous lover. After all, it's God who makes the demons of hell shudder. He is powerful enough to end our life in an instant, and kind enough to be literally infatuated with us. He should make us shudder- the kind of shudder that we get with a new boyfriend or girlfriend-giddy, obsessed, infatuated. Any portrait of or story about them makes our heart jump inside of us and our eyes twinkle.

On the other hand, it is a shiver of awestruck wonder. I have no idea what's going to happen next-just throw my hands in the air and hold on, like riding a good rollar coaster.

Have you ever seen the Lion King? Of course you have-everyone has! Remember that part where the hyenas are talking about Mufasa, and one of them says his name and they all shake and say, "ooh! Say it again, say it again....Mufasa....ohh!!!"

That kind of shudder.

Fact is, God has called us to fear Him.

Fact is, God has called us to be either hot or cold. If we are luke-warm christians, not only will we make absolutely no impact on the world, God has said in His word that he would like to vomit the lukewarm up.

Jesus didn't get crucified for being "cool". John the Baptist wasn't exiled because he wore the good ol' suit and tie and was a business man. John the Baptist wore camel skin and ate locusts! Paul didn't get imprisoned for being a stuck-up pharisee. He challenged the oppressive roman governement, was thrown into jail at least twice, and in the end, got beheaded. These men weren't "cool", they weren't even "normal". But they changed the world forever.

I don't know if this blog makes any sense. It's beyond myself. I will leave you all with one last quote.

"Dear children, some people tip-toe through life just to end up safely at death. Run, scream, skip, jump through life, just please don't tip-toe." -Unknown.

The Puzzle.

It's a cold, rainy, windy, winter day. Despite the dreary weather, your goals for the day are enjoyable: drink cups and cups of tea, pop popcorn, and delve into putting together that 1,000 piece puzzle that has been sitting inside it's box, collecting dust. As you dump the pieces onto the card table, you realize that this task will take more than one day. It could take weeks, or maybe months.

You have two options:

1. Throw away the puzzle. You'll never get around to completing the puzzle anyway, why even try? This is definitely the easiest option. It just depends on if you can live with not knowing the complete outcome of the puzzle.

2. You could plug away at the puzzle, completing a section or so a day. It'll take longer, but the outcome will definitely be one of more satisfaction and excitement as you see the puzzle come together.

Are you seeing the parallels that the puzzle has with everyday life? We are the pieces of the puzzle. It is up to us to decide whether should live for ourselves and have an exceptionally planned out life, the American dream, a great job, and all-together impressive resume. That is definitely the easiest option. It just depends on whether or not you care about making a difference in other's lives'.

OR. You could "take up your cross"

and BE a puzzle piece.

This road is much more difficult and less traveled. It requires constant bursting of personal bubbles, stepping outside of comfort zones, traveling to places and doing things that we normally wouldn't have even given a second thought to normally. But if we choose this path, we are no longer "normal." We have given our lives to something Beyond Ourselves. We are part of something way bigger than ourselves. We are part of a massive, world-wide puzzle that is being constructed by the creator of the universe.

Are YOU a puzzle piece? Or are you just going to throw away the puzzle?