The Value in Lingering

The time is near for bunnies and chocolate. At least, that is what most of our country is saying right now. And, in all fairness, chocolate and bunnies will always be heart-warming. To me, the saddest thing about this season is that so many people have forgotten what it stands for. This season should be a time of joy, love, laughter, and celebration - but not because a magical bunny decides to leave treats around the yard.

Without getting too preachy, I think that perhaps many people, even - especially - Christians have forgotten what this spring calls us to do. We are called to linger in the thoughts of those who are suffering. We should linger with those who are alone.


I am personally a firm believer in letting every person know that they are not alone. We are intended to be in community. A life of desolation can't be fulfilling and shouldn't be expected. We have become such a part of society that is interested only in personal gain. We forget that sharing experiences and emotion is one of the most beautiful gifts that we have been given. If we are given the choice, must of us, even I, would choose not to have to linger with others in their suffering.


Christ suffered willingly for us. We shouldn't be so proud of a Christ that we aren't willing to love and appreciate for his suffering.

So many people suffer everyday. They suffer at the hands of those they love. They suffer knowing what they want and can't have or at what they have and don't want. But no one can survive suffering alone - at least not for very long. Even Christ had people comfort and help Him on La Via Dela Rosa.

People experience life alone.

Choosing Sight

Maybe it says something that instead of referencing a fable or a cultural proverb, I am choosing to begin this entry with a story that I have received as a chain letter several times in my life. Maybe it says that we have honestly been overcome by technology. I am not sure. But here is a story to contemplate. This story is sometimes called "Whispers" or "God, Answer Me!"

The man whispered, "God, speak to me." A meadowlark sang, but the man did not hear. So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!" Thunder and lightning rolled across the sky, but the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you." A star shined brightly, but the man did not see. And the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle!" A life was born, but the man did not notice. So, the man ccried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here." Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

The man in this story, or parable, if you will, chose to be blind to all the wonderful things God blessd him with experiencing. I was so sure coming into college that I had chosen a place where I would no longer have to deal with the ignorance that comes with blindness. I could not have been more wrong. I have definitely met a few people here who live with their eyes wide open to the good and bad - but mostly, everyone stumbles around in a daze by choice.

It is actually very sad to walk around such a beautiful campus and see so many people completely oblivious to the beauty around them. People don't just choose blindness to beauty, though. It is blindness to need, to abandonment, to self-contempt and deprecation. A chronic blindness exists in our culture to things outside of our individual lives.

Spiritual and social blindness is one of the greatest afflictions of our time. We have been raised in a culture that promotes selfishness and egocentric mentalities. We can't keep living like this. We push people away, we hurt them, we forget that they are human, too. I forget, as I have seen others do, that people exist outside of their relational function to me. My mother does not exist solely to mother me, but also to be a friend, a daughter, a sister, a boss, a light, and a shoulder. I do not exist to her only as a daughter but also as a friend, an ear, a sister in Christ and so many other things. The context that people retain in our lives is only one context of their entire existence. Blindness hinders our ability to see them as human and treat them as such.

I am currently at the National Christian College Forensics Invitational in Cedarville, Ohio. On our way down, we experienced some great difficulties at the airport acquiring the rental vehicles that had been requested on our behalf. Our head coach proceeded to make quite an embarassing and degrading scene in public. At one point he had four people within one company working for what he desired. He wants were understandable but he began treating these workers as if their only purpose in existence was to make his life easier and to accomodate his every desire. The situation was frustrating to everyone but we can't forget in our frustrations that God is the center of our lives. It seemed to most of us that our coach was not acknowledging the existence of these workers as humans - only workers. These people could have had parents or children in the hospital, they could be struggling with addictions, they could be at risk of losing their jobs... we never know.

Last week I was attending the worship service at my university on Sunday night. There were only a few of us and we sat toward the back. The past two weeks have been frustrating for everyone - regardless of the cause. This was our way to unwind and to breathe. For me, God is my breath and life. There is nothing that makes me closer to God than worshipping him barefoot. My friend, who I will refer to as Miss Little Sister (because she is one to me), feels the same way. We found our seats in the mezzanine under the balcony. We removed our shoes and the lights lowered. After the first few songs there was a complete surge of energy in the room. This burst was almost tangible with both of us reaching out for God. And then I felt her touch my arm. I turned to look at her and, with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen on a person, she bent to whisper, "Megan, look around for a second..." I turned and all I could see were hands, raised high to God. It was one of the most breath-taking moments I have ever experienced. That energy was the Holy Spirit filling hundreds of broken and hurting hearts, opening eyes, and giving breath to those who forget to breathe. And almost every person in the room was reaching out to God. It was a complete sea of arms and souls raised to Christ, asking for His help.

Our God loves us; this is something we can never forget. With His love for each individual should come also our love and respect for these individuals and their problems. We can't afford the choice to be blind anymore. Our world breeds more hate and we were meant to be the light. So stop, open your eyes, and take a step in a new direction.

"His divine power...has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to persevereance, godliness; and to godliness, bortherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." - 2 Peter 1:3-9

Open.

Your.

Eyes.

Deal Breakers

Defined, according to UrbanDictionary.com, as : " 'the catch' that a particular individual cannot overlook and ultimately outweighs any redeeming qualities the individual may possess."


Almost a month ago, I had one of my good guy friends tell me that everything about me is a deal breaker. He was joking, but this got me thinking. He said that the fact that I was a vegetarian was a deal breaker. He said that me not liking people touching my face is a deal breaker. He continued the list of odd facts about me that are "universal deal breakers."

Now, I don't doubt that God has someone out there for me - but this was just hard to hear. That being said, this is not a friend that I want or expect anything from in regards to a relationship. However, to know that he sees these things that make me who I am as "universal deal breakers" was a sharp pain that I did not expect. I know that I am not breath-takingly gorgeous - and I'm okay with that most days. I am far from perfect but so is everyone. I can be crabby and too outspoke. I can be abrasive and obnoxious. But, of all things, these quirky traits that define me to be deal breakers... I sat completely baffled.

Has our culture become so egocentric that we are unwilling to love the individuality that exists in each person? Has love become an emotion of convenience?

"Oh hey, you don't get on my nerves that much... and your taste in music is decent... want to get married?"

Call me crazy or old-fashioned but...that shouldn't be how it works! Love is something that should start with "redeeming" qualities but move to include flaws as well. If love is qualified by perfection than this would be a sad world because no one would be loved. It's not always easy but it our responsibility as citizens of the world to love to the best of our ability. Whether your love is based in Christ or not, you are still called to love. Not that we can or should love absolutely everyone but everyone does deserve a chance.

According to selfcreation.com, love is accepting, love is appreciating, love is wanting another to feel good. Mother Teresa is known to have said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

Love should come before all else.

Some More Change and Some Lint

So, I think I have figured it out. Slightly, at least...definitely not all the way. We are called, not to just reach out, but to be proactive in our faith. And only proactive. Being active isn't good enough, it must be positive.

Ephesians 4:2-3 and 5:1-2 say these things respectively, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace... Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us..."

We are called to love, patience, peace, humility, and gentleness... all of the qualities we see in Christ. It is so important that we remember to not only be active but be proactive. I so often let myself that proaction can never be abrupt and eye-opening - but it absolutely can be. God will use the most unusual and negative circumstances to open doorways to Him.

Now, this is not to say that we should just around creating negative situations - this is absolutely not the case. But we do need to make ourselves noticed. If proaction is not noticable, it may as well be no action at all. The word holy means to be set apart - specifically in Christ. And this is exactly what proaction should be.

So my challenge for you is that within a week of this, you do something noticably kind for someone. Even if you aren't a believer in Christ, a) thank you for reading this and b) look for opportunities to reach out. Sometimes byreachng out, we begin to see all the doors that God has opened to us in previous situations. And I promise, He is trying.
I would like for my non-religious friends to understand the message I am conveying here clearly. God will use you - believer or not - to create eye-opening events for the people around you...but only if yo accept proaction. Think of the movie Pay It Forward. Haley Joel Osment plays Trevor McKinney - a twelve-year-old boy who sees something that many, many, many adults never understand. It just takes three small act of kindness to others, for every one done for you, to affect millions of people.

I am actually in a Basic Communications course right now and just tonight I read about that fact the effective communication and positive communication with others is a key factor in mental health and stability. Other than spiritual soundness, there are other benefits of reaching out. I urge you to do one noticable act of kindness within a week of your opening of this blog and then post your story as a comment. If you don't feel comfortable sharing, you don't need to but it would be beautiful to see some stories.

To see some as a start check out this beautiful website. Have a great and interesting week - may God move your feet =)

Playlist: Reign in Us - Starfield, The Time Has Come - Hillsong United, Imagine - John Lennon, World - Five for Fighting, Waitin' On the World to Change - John Mayer

My Thoughts for a Penny and Change

Proactive. "Pro-" = for. "Act" = do. "-ive" = condition.

Proactive: To be for doing. To want to do. To do in favor of.

Passivity is such a major issue in our sociecty. It is so much of who we are and we don't even know it. We are taught as children to let other people deal with their problems. Don't intrude on other people's business. Let people have their own opinions - even if they are wrong. And to some degree, these things are the only things that keep our society functioning. But it is easy to wonder where the meaning in these lessons gets lost.

It is not our business to be intrusive, but our responsibility as members of society to reach out to those who are blatantly hurting. Everyone does have a right to their opinion - no matter what it is - but letting ignorance pass does not bode well for a culture that is already becoming self-destructive.

It seems to me that we have forgotten how to care about the people around us. We walk down the streets and turn blind eyes to the ssues that plague so much of our culture. I can't afford to be this passive anymore. The more I ignore the pain of others, the more tolerable pain is. I become okay with not reaching out, with sitting right where I am and letting others exist in a world separately from me. But this is not how we are called to live.

We are called to be so restlessness in our faith that we cannot be happy with ourselves. We are meant to be so restless, that we need to move for Christ every day. So what if our natural need for movement and change is our Godliness? What if our contentment for life is exactly the opposite of what God calls for in our lives and our thoughts?

I guess, reader, that today I am just bouncing ideas off of you. Giving you some life questions to mull. I wish I could elaborate on these questions but I myself haven't entirely organized my thoughts yet...maybe I will save the rest of these thoughts for another day. Rain check.

God calls us to be restless in our faith. We should never settle for something that isn't perfect.

Playlist:
Solution - Hillsong United, 2 A.M. - Anna Nalick, I Know the Truth - Aida Soundtrack

Stream of Consciousness

It seems that I must stop making promises. Everytime I write, I swear it will be sooner and yet I find that it never is. And thus it seems that promises will forever be my pitfall. So reader, no more promises. If my writing benefits you, then all the more. It may seem a slightly selfish thing to say - but this blog is more often an escape for my stream of consciousness. If it benefits others, than it is an additional plus to the way I seem to waste my time.

But moving on, I am now at college in the wonderful suburbs of St.Paul, Minnesota... and it is beautiful. I have definitely had my ups and downs since being here but it is more wonderful than anything I could have ever hoped for. I have met some of the most amazing people that I know I will ever meet. I have seen more evidence of faith in God in these past two months than ever. I am always witnessing how wonderful the God of our universe is... how magnificent.

I was offered a role in one of the fall productions here on campus and I feel so blessed to have been afforded such an opportunity. The play was called The Clearing. It is a beautifully tragic play about the ethnic cleansing that took place in Ireland in the 17th century. It was a very touching production and took a great deal of emotional investment from every cast and crew member (who are all fabulous I might add). I found myself awed by the compassion, empathy, humor and just outright honesty that existed in such a small community of students and faculty.

I knew that I loved theatre for a reason but I experienced a reral passion for theatre for maybe only the second time in my life. Through sickness, excessive course loads, family tragedy, aand personal struggles I watched every member of the production persevere just to give the audience a story. When we prayed before each performance I would listen in amazement as person after person continued to pray that God's glory could be shone through our work.

It doesn't occur to many people at all, especially when you look at most modern productions, but theatre is an incredibly spiritual experience. While good theatre does require a certain level of talent, skill, and training, part of it is controlled completely by God. Christ was a story-teller and so are we. Yes, theatre can be crude, disruptive, obnoxious, degrading, and inappropriate at times...but so can life. As Christians, it is our responsibility to reach out to the lonely,broken, frightened, and empty.

If as Christians, we choose simply to acknowledge, accept, and coexist with only other Christians, then we are failing Christ. We are called to be fishers of men...all men and women, not just the ones we choose. Life can be harsh and disgusting and so those stories must be told too. Besides, most people have not been Christians all their lives and even if they have... well, nobody is perfect. I believe that my passion for theatre comes from the fact that I can tell other peoples stories. I can help people feel like they are understood. No one should ever have to walk alone through life and everyone should be given the opportunity to know God, or His son was sent to die in vain.

My point of view may be "extremist" but I assure you that bubbles of any sort will get you nowhere. I beliee that God intervened an saved my life four years ago and I would never deny that chance to any other human being. He doesn't always works on grand, or even noticable, scales...but He does work.

Don't believe me?

Look around. Do you see a roof over your head or clothes on your body? If so, than you have much to be grateful for. Families around the world sing God's praise even as they live from one day to the next on virtually nothing. Look out the window. Look at the clouds and the grass, and the changing leaves. See the children playing in the street and the sun shining. It is a good day. Think of the worst moment of your life. Know that you survived it - that alone is reason to smile. And smiles? Smiles are worth the world.

Playlist:
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Angel of Mine - Monica

The Tide

Sorry, it has been so long readers. I really don't know why I apologize when I am pretty ssure that no one reads this but me. Oh well! Better safe than sorry =) It has once again been quite sometime since I blogged. As a kid, everyday is a new adventure and you never believe that time will truly fly (especially in time out). As each day of summer passes, I feel that actuality and gravity of the sentiment that has been relayed to me by adults all my life.



The harder I look, the more I miss. This summer - one that by even fiction's standards is supposed to be life altering - is disappearing without a trace. Not that is hasn't been memorable. That is quite far from the truth...but I am clinging to hopes that haven't flourished.



And maybe that's the point. Maybe this summer, God wants me to see and appreciate all I have. Maybe this summer won't be world shaking...because come August my life will be turned upside down. Or at least, that is my perception at this particular moment in time.



When I was at the beach these past two weeks, I discovered something. Our lives are quite like the tide. There are high tides and low tides, our good times and bad times. Often during low tides, or bad times, we discover secret treasures - a silver lining, if you will - to our situations. During high tide, the waves roll in bigger than ever and yet we enjoy and cherish that time while we can. In every 26 hour period, there are two pivotal moments - two exact minutes each day where the tide changes directions. And these two defining moments are neither definitively marked nor celebrated. I can't help but feel that life is the same way. This summer is the epitome of the tide turning... but I'm not quite sure which way...

Playlist:
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
The Riddle - Five for Fighting