I have this itching inside of me right now. I am glad it is there, but it is really consuming. It won't let me stay where I am, it won't let me be content with the mundane, and it won't leave me alone. This itch, is an itch for the people of the world. It is the Holy Spirit quickening my soul and setting me apart for God's purpose for me. Everywhere I turn, the thing I got some pleasure out of before or mindlessly put up with are turning into loathsome mundane burdens. It means I HAVE to keep looking beyond my classes, beyond my friends, beyond this minute knowledge I think I have of God. I want more. I need more.
God I do not know now where I am going are specifically what I was put on this earth to do. All I know at this moment is that I was made to give glory to you and to spread your renown all around the world, and that is enough. Send me where you need me, God. I am ready.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Illuminate: A Part of Why God Made Me
A little while ago, I was reading a book for AP Literature. I did not really like the book because the ideas were contrary to the truth of God, but I found myself really enjoying trying to understand the book. It has always been a part of my personality to love interpreting works of literature, searching for what the author is saying, and analyzing symbols.
Now, this kinda upset me. I know that God made me the way he did on purpose, and that for me to enjoy something so thoroughly there must be a reason. How was I supposed to use this enjoyment of analyzing literature full of lies that go against the Word to give glory to God? What a useful personality quirk to have. Maybe I could give glory to God by doing well in English class, but what good would it do me after school? I know i am not supposed to spend my life reading junk. I could write a deep, symbolic book, but then it would only be appreciated by other poor unfortunate souls who enjoyed interpreting literature too. And so I wondered, why on earth would God make me so that I enjoyed something so useless and disgusting?
I didn't have to wonder for long. A couple of days later, I was reading my Bible and the answer hit me. You see, I was enjoying reading my Bible. That enjoyment that I have for interpreting Shakespeare and Emerson also applies to the ultimate book, the Bible. I love reading my Bible! God has given me a passion and a hunger for searching out the these things, and it makes me want to spend the time to understand what I am reading. This is a very big deal to me because I have friends who hate reading and it is hard for them to get into the Bible. So, what I thought was a stupid and pointless coincidence actually turned out to be a gift from God and one of the ones I am most thankful for.
So, the moral of this story is God really does know what He is doing. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and those personality quirks that are inside of you were put there by the Creator of the Universe. Those passions inside of you were gifts that you get use to glorify God.
Now, this kinda upset me. I know that God made me the way he did on purpose, and that for me to enjoy something so thoroughly there must be a reason. How was I supposed to use this enjoyment of analyzing literature full of lies that go against the Word to give glory to God? What a useful personality quirk to have. Maybe I could give glory to God by doing well in English class, but what good would it do me after school? I know i am not supposed to spend my life reading junk. I could write a deep, symbolic book, but then it would only be appreciated by other poor unfortunate souls who enjoyed interpreting literature too. And so I wondered, why on earth would God make me so that I enjoyed something so useless and disgusting?
I didn't have to wonder for long. A couple of days later, I was reading my Bible and the answer hit me. You see, I was enjoying reading my Bible. That enjoyment that I have for interpreting Shakespeare and Emerson also applies to the ultimate book, the Bible. I love reading my Bible! God has given me a passion and a hunger for searching out the these things, and it makes me want to spend the time to understand what I am reading. This is a very big deal to me because I have friends who hate reading and it is hard for them to get into the Bible. So, what I thought was a stupid and pointless coincidence actually turned out to be a gift from God and one of the ones I am most thankful for.
So, the moral of this story is God really does know what He is doing. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and those personality quirks that are inside of you were put there by the Creator of the Universe. Those passions inside of you were gifts that you get use to glorify God.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Illuminate: A Little Part of God
The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
-Exodus 15:2, Isiah 12:2, Psalms 118:14
This is the verse that I have been meditating on lately. Each day I think on it something new comes up. This one verse covers a LOT of ground.
Right off the bat, we know it has to be important because the EXACT same verse is found at least three times in the Bible, in three different books, by three different authors, written thousands of years apart! God truly is amazing and never changing.
When you start thinking about this verse during a period of time, you begin to see how versatile it is. To me, it most strongly speaks to me about the journey God and I are on. He has great things for me to do, but He does not expect me to do them on my own. Since He was the one who got me into this, He is most definitely going to see me through to the finish. And what are just some of the things He will be to me on this journey?
Strength- No matter what I have to do, He will give me the physical ability to do them.
Song- The Lord will be my inspiration and the passion to go forward. He is my emotional stabilizer, my creative consultant, and my joy producer.
Finally, He has become my Salvation- The most important element of all, it is a promise that all this is worth while. Salvation is security for my eternity and the reason for my journey.
So in this verse, God is essentially saying that He will take car of you on your journey. He has given us the ability to do the job, the fire to do it, and the promise that it will al be worth while.
-Exodus 15:2, Isiah 12:2, Psalms 118:14
This is the verse that I have been meditating on lately. Each day I think on it something new comes up. This one verse covers a LOT of ground.
Right off the bat, we know it has to be important because the EXACT same verse is found at least three times in the Bible, in three different books, by three different authors, written thousands of years apart! God truly is amazing and never changing.
When you start thinking about this verse during a period of time, you begin to see how versatile it is. To me, it most strongly speaks to me about the journey God and I are on. He has great things for me to do, but He does not expect me to do them on my own. Since He was the one who got me into this, He is most definitely going to see me through to the finish. And what are just some of the things He will be to me on this journey?
Strength- No matter what I have to do, He will give me the physical ability to do them.
Song- The Lord will be my inspiration and the passion to go forward. He is my emotional stabilizer, my creative consultant, and my joy producer.
Finally, He has become my Salvation- The most important element of all, it is a promise that all this is worth while. Salvation is security for my eternity and the reason for my journey.
So in this verse, God is essentially saying that He will take car of you on your journey. He has given us the ability to do the job, the fire to do it, and the promise that it will al be worth while.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Illuminating: India
So, I just finished an assignment recently on religious violence in India। In the breadth of doing this project, about a month, 20 people died. Most of these people are Muslims, the one of the major religions in India, but one of the most oppressed, for percentage of persecution per population, is Christianity. One resource I found actually gave about 300 incidents towards Christians in 6 months. That is almost two incidents everyday, and each "incident" can be anything from a house being burned, to a woman being raped, to hundreds of Christians being murdered on the street.
India has always been important to me. I have always loved the colorful culture and unique style associated with the country, but it is also more than just that. When I was a little girl actually dreamed about going to India, actually had a dream. I was wrapped up in a colorful sari surrounded by children. Looking away from the story I was telling them, I saw men outside working in the dirt outside, white men and brown men, constructing buildings and singing as they worked. I dreamed of a peaceful India singing praises to God.
The India that is today, however, is a turbulent, tense land. Much of the violence that happens each day can be attributed to hate and revenge. This type of cycle does not stop on its own. What India needs is a transformation, and as the Bible says you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind, which only comes from God.
India has always been important to me. I have always loved the colorful culture and unique style associated with the country, but it is also more than just that. When I was a little girl actually dreamed about going to India, actually had a dream. I was wrapped up in a colorful sari surrounded by children. Looking away from the story I was telling them, I saw men outside working in the dirt outside, white men and brown men, constructing buildings and singing as they worked. I dreamed of a peaceful India singing praises to God.
The India that is today, however, is a turbulent, tense land. Much of the violence that happens each day can be attributed to hate and revenge. This type of cycle does not stop on its own. What India needs is a transformation, and as the Bible says you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind, which only comes from God.
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