Eyes wide open

I just had the pleasure of watching The Soloist for a school assignment. My heart and mind are full of thoughts and emotions. I will have to let it all percolate in there before I write my paper. However, I feel like jotting a few things in my blog lest I forget.

The hopelessness, the chaos, the depravity on the streets portrayed in the film. It is overwhelmingly sad. I know for sure that Christ will redeem and restore the Earth. But meanwhile..so sad. And yet such opportunity! Because once in awhile, there is something beautiful. Something that helps us remember that there IS hope. God's mercy is shown through volunteers feeding the poor and hungry. A new friend is made. Despite the look on the surface, God's love, the Holy Spirit, is a living current, flowing swiftly through us all as we become His hands and feet.

We don't see because we don't want to see.

I go home to my house, complete my tasks at hand, and start over the next day. I don't have to look far to find those who are in need. But the issues in the film I just watched are rarely on my mind. Shame on me. Lord Jesus let our eyes be wide open and our hearts be full of You, so that we may take opportunities as they come to minister to all. The homeless, the mentally ill, especially children. My heart breaks for children being raised on the streets, that is all they know. Who will show them compassion? Who will show them how to love their neighbor? Church, we are called to clothe the naked and feed the hungry. It goes beyond the offering plate. I say this to myself as much as anyone else.

We have to accept that isolating ourselves from the harsher realities of this world while we wait for Christ's return is simply much less then what we are made for. Don't settle.
That being said, I love the quote "the need is not the call." Pay heed to the Spirit, and I believe with all my heart He will lead you into situations in which you have been gifted to handle.

Lets encourage one another to stop all the excuses and be strong in the Lord, not resting while awaiting Him, but actively pursuing His will. This is His creation after all, and while it may be much less than what it was intended to be, we are charged with it's care. Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord.

Sovereign King

I have started this blog to share encouragement and wisdom as the Lord sees fit to share with me. The past few months have been busy, and I have been moving about too much to focus on Him clearly.
This morning I have been drawn near to Him, and have some things to share. He is so gracious unto me despite my immaturity at times.

The bible study I did this morning was titled "The Princess learns she can trust her Father". How appropriate!!

He is sovereign. That means He is over all things. First- check His motives- he loves us and wants what is best for us. He PLANS our lives. ("All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" Psalm 139: 13)

So if He loves us we can surely trust Him.

His providence- what He does with his creation
1) He keeps us existing
2) He directs our distinctive properties to act as we do
3) He directs us to fulfill our purposes

So if we seek Him, and walk with Him, "no good thing does He withhold" (Psalm 84:11)
The question is, am I walking with God, or in sinful habits? Am I keeping our relationship fresh?
That question drew me into some self-reflection that gave me understanding of my emotions of late.

Excerpt from my journal:
When I had alone time with God, I felt protected, wiser, healthier in heart and soul. As the days went on, without having that alone time, and without being filled by Him, I became depleted. At the last few days, when I was on "empty", I reverted to old patterns of defeated thinking. I became hopeless and depressed. I had no strength or wisdom to draw on other than my own. I was trying to survive on mere breadcrumbs, ignorant of the feast abundant only an arms reach away.

How often to we indirectly choose that path? I don't think we earn any displeasure of the Lord when we do not seek Him. Maybe we do. But I am certain His love for us is unchanging no matter how distracted we become. We only cheat ourselves out of the joy and peace that comes from walking with Him.

How do we reconcile difficult situations with His sovereignty, when we are walking with Him, serving Him, and yet bad things still happen??
- When I walk through those times WITH Him, consciously turning to Him, I am not overcome with grief. I feel joy and peace. When I plod on alone with my own strength, even though not consciously excluding Him, I feel weak and unable to go on. I should not be surprised I feel that way when I am not drawing near to Him. But I do because frequently, I did not even notice that I wasn't setting aside time for Him!

HE is the comforter, counselor and Prince of peace!!

I read Habakkuk 3:17-19, and rewrote the first part based on my own concerns:

Though I am lonely,
and my heart is broken;
I fear the unknown
and do not know which direction to go.
The demands of this life
clamor for all that I have.
YET I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights.

We have no answers to the reasons why hard things happen.
But He is sovereign...we have to rest in that.

I hope that this can be used by the Lord in your life to give understanding and comfort.
It did for me.
To God be the glory in ALL things, Amen.