For many people, this Cross may mean, represent, or symbolize various things. Some may see hope, peace, prosperity, and salvation. Others may see anger, disappointment, or bewilderment. The range of emotions and feelings may be wide.
The thought that ponders my mind when I see that Cross is that it represents a person who thought of others before himself.
As a culture and society, the constant focus in our lives is ourselves. What can I gain? How do I look? What does everyone else think of me? Where I am going? When will something happen for me? Why is this happening to me? These are questions that consume our minds daily.
Granted, it is impossible to go through life and not think about yourself some. But the thing for me is that, often, when I think about myself, I compare myself with others who are better than me. It is this competitive attitude combined with a certain feeling of inferiority. The biggest challenge for me, and most people from the U.S., is to realize how blessed we are.
Why is it that I stress about which article of clothing I am going to wear when many in the world would be overjoyed with a set of clothing? The education that I stress about and often complain about is what many in the world, young and old, long for. I always say that I am “starving.” I do not even know what starving is. How many people in the world would beg for the leftovers of what we have eaten?
With our hearts, can we please stop looking at ourselves and see the world. Let us who have so much help those who do not have much at all. This may be in the physical sense of food, clothing, and shelter. But this can also be in the spiritual sense too. Why do we often see people as what one is wearing or what another is driving? What about their eternal spiritual souls?
This all comes back to the fact that the source and meaning of the Cross. Jesus Christ gave up his LIFE for people like you and me who deserve nothing remotely close to that kind of love. Let us stop thinking about ourselves and start seeing the needs and pains of those around us.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Unexpected Blessings
Do you ever do something that you completely dread and really do not want to do, but after you do it, you realize that it was actually for the better? I know that is a bit of a vague question. Tonight, I experienced an unexpected reality.
So often, we all get so caught up in what we are doing that we have no time to realize how much we have all changed, matured, or grown. Since so many things happen gradually, we just cannot see for ourselves what has changed. It is kind of like growing taller or growing out your hair, the people immediately around you everyday do not quite realize the difference, but someone you have not seen for a long time recognizes it right away.
Without going into details, tonight I got to see first hand a few things. First how great God’s grace has been in my college life? Second, because of God’s grace, how different I am from my first semester freshman year to now. Ultimately, the biggest factor I am slowly understanding is how unbelievable Jesus’ gift was on the cross. Is there a better example of complete love and forgiveness for those who run away from him?
To challenge each of you, I ask you to think back to who you were a few years ago. Maybe this means looking back into a journal, asking a friend what they thought of you, or simply sitting down and reflecting. What has changed in your life? What is different? Are you happy and satisfied with what you have become? Is their disappointment or regret? While it is inevitable for everything you think of to be good or positive, make sure to give yourself grace. And lastly, no matter what you have been or have become, the incredible love of God that offered his Son, as atonement for our sin, is never unreachable. The beauty in all of this iswhat Jesus said, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12).
So often, we all get so caught up in what we are doing that we have no time to realize how much we have all changed, matured, or grown. Since so many things happen gradually, we just cannot see for ourselves what has changed. It is kind of like growing taller or growing out your hair, the people immediately around you everyday do not quite realize the difference, but someone you have not seen for a long time recognizes it right away.
Without going into details, tonight I got to see first hand a few things. First how great God’s grace has been in my college life? Second, because of God’s grace, how different I am from my first semester freshman year to now. Ultimately, the biggest factor I am slowly understanding is how unbelievable Jesus’ gift was on the cross. Is there a better example of complete love and forgiveness for those who run away from him?
To challenge each of you, I ask you to think back to who you were a few years ago. Maybe this means looking back into a journal, asking a friend what they thought of you, or simply sitting down and reflecting. What has changed in your life? What is different? Are you happy and satisfied with what you have become? Is their disappointment or regret? While it is inevitable for everything you think of to be good or positive, make sure to give yourself grace. And lastly, no matter what you have been or have become, the incredible love of God that offered his Son, as atonement for our sin, is never unreachable. The beauty in all of this iswhat Jesus said, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12).
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Minneapolis---Miami, Ohio---Minneapolis
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go down to Oxford, Ohio to see some friends from this past summer. They go to the Miami University in Ohio, also called J Crew U (because many on the campus dress up a good amount). Anyways, while I was there, I started realizing some things that blew my mind away. Here are some of my reflective thoughts on the weekend.
- Why the heck would I spend way too much on a ticket to the Middle-of-Nowhere, Ohio to visit people that I have known less than a year? Logically, it really does not make sense. Many will say going on a Summer Project will change your life. Others say you will make friends for a lifetime. My question is why do people say that? All to often, the focus is on the person or the people themselves, not on what is at the core of that person that is missed. Here is where I am going with all this, all too often I think about people from this summer and really miss them in my heart. But is it solely the person that I miss, their personality, their smile, laugh, or conversations. I don’t think so. It is more than that. It is the way God was working in their lives. It is that special relationship each person had with the Savior of the world.
- As I continue to think about the core of people and their relationship with Jesus Christ, I cannot help but feel comforted. See, the unbelievable thing about it all is that the same God that I saw in the actions and personalities of people, that I experienced on the boardwalk, at work, or wherever else in Ocean City is the same God that is here with me in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What an amazing thing to remember and hold on to?!
- This thought of missing people so much more than what God was doing this summer is a bit scary. As I progress in college and start to realize that graduation college and entering the real world is actually going to happen, I continue to think about what my relationship with God truly is. Is it an activity? Is it volunteering or hanging out with others that believe the same thing I do? Is it doing something or going to a meeting? While all these things are great, all too often, people fall in love with the activity, meeting, or people, not the God that is at the source of it all. Why do we lose sight of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords among small things like a large meeting or a fun time?
- On to a lighter subject, I have realized something extremely cool of being with good friends. There is something special and unique about friends that are near and dear to you. Two guys that I was very close with drove down from Ball State, which is a few hours away. While I was excited and pumped to see them, I felt no pressure to have to say something or have a conversation. The pure joy in simply being in the presence of these guys and all the others at Miami was satisfying enough. What a blessing?! For some reason, I look at my relationship with Jesus often times in a different way. Why is it that we always need to be doing something or saying something to Him? While these are not bad things, many get caught up in those processes and routines instead of realizing that it is a true, real relationship.
I wanted to end with another random event and thought. A few weeks ago, I had written that I lost arguably one of my most prized possessions, my Prayer Journal. By God’s grace it was found and returned to me through the mail. Alright, I know that is not that big of a deal to many of you, but reflecting on how unbelievable God is so amazing. The timing of God is so unknown but so perfect and right. A little over four years ago I had this serious allergic reaction to an Amoxicillin. Some of you from high school would remember this (Especially one guy). Recalling that time through the reflections and words that I wrote is incredible. See, the beauty of the situation was what I wrote the day before the entire allergic reaction happened. I was feeling lonely and down, wondering if my friends truly even cared about me. The next day, my life was on the brink of ending. While that was a bit scary, the after effects of seeing how much people cared and really did love me were incredible.
Here is my challenge to all of you and myself. Too often we go through life being reserved in our appreciation towards others around us. We think that it would be awkward to express how much a person means to us. We continue to shy away from being encouraging but some how attracted to insults, sarcasm, and put-downs. Why is this paradox so true? People, be encouraging today. Find one person today and compliment them on something. Tell someone how they have positively affected you. Be open and honest. Why is it so easy for many of us to be critical of someone but so hard to be uplifting? Do not just agree in your head that this is good or right; instead, go do it right now!
- Why the heck would I spend way too much on a ticket to the Middle-of-Nowhere, Ohio to visit people that I have known less than a year? Logically, it really does not make sense. Many will say going on a Summer Project will change your life. Others say you will make friends for a lifetime. My question is why do people say that? All to often, the focus is on the person or the people themselves, not on what is at the core of that person that is missed. Here is where I am going with all this, all too often I think about people from this summer and really miss them in my heart. But is it solely the person that I miss, their personality, their smile, laugh, or conversations. I don’t think so. It is more than that. It is the way God was working in their lives. It is that special relationship each person had with the Savior of the world.
- As I continue to think about the core of people and their relationship with Jesus Christ, I cannot help but feel comforted. See, the unbelievable thing about it all is that the same God that I saw in the actions and personalities of people, that I experienced on the boardwalk, at work, or wherever else in Ocean City is the same God that is here with me in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What an amazing thing to remember and hold on to?!
- This thought of missing people so much more than what God was doing this summer is a bit scary. As I progress in college and start to realize that graduation college and entering the real world is actually going to happen, I continue to think about what my relationship with God truly is. Is it an activity? Is it volunteering or hanging out with others that believe the same thing I do? Is it doing something or going to a meeting? While all these things are great, all too often, people fall in love with the activity, meeting, or people, not the God that is at the source of it all. Why do we lose sight of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords among small things like a large meeting or a fun time?
- On to a lighter subject, I have realized something extremely cool of being with good friends. There is something special and unique about friends that are near and dear to you. Two guys that I was very close with drove down from Ball State, which is a few hours away. While I was excited and pumped to see them, I felt no pressure to have to say something or have a conversation. The pure joy in simply being in the presence of these guys and all the others at Miami was satisfying enough. What a blessing?! For some reason, I look at my relationship with Jesus often times in a different way. Why is it that we always need to be doing something or saying something to Him? While these are not bad things, many get caught up in those processes and routines instead of realizing that it is a true, real relationship.
I wanted to end with another random event and thought. A few weeks ago, I had written that I lost arguably one of my most prized possessions, my Prayer Journal. By God’s grace it was found and returned to me through the mail. Alright, I know that is not that big of a deal to many of you, but reflecting on how unbelievable God is so amazing. The timing of God is so unknown but so perfect and right. A little over four years ago I had this serious allergic reaction to an Amoxicillin. Some of you from high school would remember this (Especially one guy). Recalling that time through the reflections and words that I wrote is incredible. See, the beauty of the situation was what I wrote the day before the entire allergic reaction happened. I was feeling lonely and down, wondering if my friends truly even cared about me. The next day, my life was on the brink of ending. While that was a bit scary, the after effects of seeing how much people cared and really did love me were incredible.
Here is my challenge to all of you and myself. Too often we go through life being reserved in our appreciation towards others around us. We think that it would be awkward to express how much a person means to us. We continue to shy away from being encouraging but some how attracted to insults, sarcasm, and put-downs. Why is this paradox so true? People, be encouraging today. Find one person today and compliment them on something. Tell someone how they have positively affected you. Be open and honest. Why is it so easy for many of us to be critical of someone but so hard to be uplifting? Do not just agree in your head that this is good or right; instead, go do it right now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
