Oh wow... you're sixteen today. Sixteen.
Soon, you'll be learning to drive.
There's a scary thought.
Hard to believe it's been sixteen years since Mum and Dad brought you home from the hospital.
Sixteen years since little me came running from the bedroom to give my new baby sister my most precious possession, a teddy bear.
Hard to believe it's been sixteen years since you cried and I begged Mama to feed you because you were crying and I didn't like it.
Hard to believe that it was sixteen years ago that you came into my home, my life and my heart.
Oh, my precious little sister, I watched you Saturday night, as we sat with your friends around the lounge room, feasting on the food of our childhood.
You looked so much like Mum in those black trousers and embroidered vest.
And at the same time, you looked nothing like her.
And you know what? I was so proud.
I was so, so proud of the beautiful young woman that baby girl has grown up to be.
I was so proud that your outer beauty, the beauty that would turn heads wherever you went, is enhanced by the gentleness of spirit that shines in your eyes and is reflected in every movement you make.
I was so proud of the calm serenity with which you hosted the room full of teenagers and the servant-hearted way in which you brought food around, encouraged them to eat and to rest.
And seeing all your closest friends there? Looking around and seeing the young men and women seated around you? Those you had chosen to share your birthday with because they already shared your life?
I was even more proud. And I'm speaking in past tense, but that pride hasn't subsided.
I was proud because I saw the way they cared for each other. The way they cared for you. I saw the way the respected each other and encouraged each other. I saw the way they laughed together and joked together. I saw the way they were willing to dive hand first into new experiences and urged each other to dig deeper into that food they did not know.
I saw it all, and I knew they were godly men and women. Young yet, but still men and women.
And I was proud because they are a testimony to who you are. Who you have grown to be.
And because I can trust them to keep pushing you to be even more the woman God intends you to be.
I am so grateful, my dear, dear sister, that God gave me you to walk beside these past 16 years. I don't know where I'd be without your gentle, sweet, loving, grace - my! how you shine God in all that you are.
You know those cheesy little signs? Those little things that say stuff like "God made us sisters, but our hearts made us friends"? I always think of you when I see them. Cheesy, I know, but it's true.
Just looking back on the past 16 years, I know how much of who I have become today is the result of having you around. You have often shamed me into better behavior, built me up in the things I do, encouraged me in everything, lifted me up when I am down, torn me down when I've gotten too big, given me a reason to grow up and be responsible, taught me how to be silly without being an idiot, pushed me out of my shell. Well, if I listed everything God has used you for in my life, we'd all be here for 16 years!
You've never stopped touching lives.
Ever.
Everyone you've come into contact with has been touched by you in some way.
I know they don't all like you, but you do touch them.
God shines out of you far to clearly for anyone to be left unaffected. And, as Jesus warned, not everyone is happy about it.
But you've helped Heal so many people. And I know you feel inadequate, but you really have. You really do.
You've known, for much, much longer than I, that the secret to Healing is Loving. And the secret to Loving is Resting in God. Drawing from God. Loving God.
And I can only imagine what it is like for those people who meet you for the first time. Who see that warm, dazzling smile of yours greet them as they stand in a room full of strangers. Who see your tall, graceful frame moving towards them. To be getting to know you for the very first time.
I'm sure they'd all be as spellbound as I was that first day, 16 years ago. They certainly act it.
And my sister, my precious little sister, would you accept a little advise from your silly, big sister who still has so much to learn herself? You're doing well, you don't really need what I have to say, but will you take it anyway?
I hope you will. I'd hate to think that I no longer have a part to play in your life.
My sister, keep doing what you're doing.
Keep reading God's Word with that crazy, loving, passionate energy you read. Even when it's hard, don't stop reading it.
Don't stop pursing God's heart and letting Him woo yours.
Don't stop loving God.
Don't stop loving others.
Don't stop reaching. Don't stop giving. Don't stop laughing. Don't stop dancing.
Keep being amazed at the depth and wealth of our God and His world.
Keep being wowed by the view.
Keep lifting that beautiful, beautiful voice of yours up in song, praising the One who gave it to you.
Keep being God's hands and feet.
Keep being His voice whenever you speak.
Stay surrounded by those men and women who were here Saturday night. I know that'll never let you settle for "I'm doing well compared to..." and will always encourage you to remain with your eyes fixed on Jesus.
Change, my sister, but only change in a way that brings you closer to the standard set by Jesus. And here I'll interrupt myself and say that yes, you will fall back. Yes, you will not always improve. And yes, you will be discouraged. You will be pull down. You will be broken.
But that's ok. Because, despite the fact that who you are now is stunning, who God is turning you into is spectacular.
And, like a mosaic, that's going to take some rearranging.
I wish I had something to give you other than these slight words. I wish I could, as I did sixteen years ago, pick up my most prized possession and give it to you.
But I can't. Firstly, because my most prized possession is not something that can simply be given to someone. And secondly, because you already have it.
Have you guessed what it is? You know me so well, of course you have, my most prized possession is my relationship with God.
It's your most prized possession too. Please, don't ever lose it.
And my sister, I have so much more to say. So, so much more. But I don't have the time to say it in. Though, if I did, I wouldn't have the words.
So I'll finish like this: Happy Birthday, habeebti. God bless you always. And I look forward to the rest of your life!
Monday 23 September 2013
Thursday 19 September 2013
Hellos and Good-byes - a Post to Celebrate 6 Years of Grace
"You know you're an MK (missionary kid) when you'd rather never say hello than ever say goodbye."
A little under 6 years ago, when I first stepped onto the grounds of PAC wearing that hideous summer dress, that was me.
That kid who didn't want to say hi, because it meant good-bye later.
It had been an intense six months in the lead up to that big first day. An international move, school changes (PAC was the second school I started at in that period of time), house changes... all of which meant the loss of absolutely everyone I had ever known.
So, to be frank, the idea of saying hello at this new school, full of strangers who spoke with accents was... terrifying.
And today, as I say good-bye, there is one thing I know very, very clearly.
Saying good-bye is sad and painful... but I am oh, so glad I said hello.
Because everything in between the hello and the good-bye has made it all worthwhile.
And this isn't going to be as articulate as I would like, which sucks because I'd have loved the post thanking my school to have been my best ever, but what words can you use when what you have been given is beyond words?
And you know what, PAC, you have lived your motto. Not many schools can say that, especially when their motto is as ambitious as ours: "To serve Christ". But you have lived it, you have breathed it, and you have made it possible for so many of us to serve Christ as well.
As I drove down the back of the gym after graduation today, feeling choked and sad because this was good-bye, I would never wear that uniform again, I would never do anything with our entire year (the Dinner tonight aside) ever again, the lyrics of the song on the radio pierced my mind.
I don't remember exactly what they were. They were not catchy or flash. They were simple, they were easy. They said that one day when we reached the edge of desperation, we would call out to God for a miracle, and He would provide us with one.
And PAC, you were that miracle.
You were God's Grace given form in my life.
Teachers, students, I don't know how much you know of the bullying I went through at my old school. I don't know if you realize how broken, how afraid and how closed off that little girl with the weird accent really was. I don't know if you realize that she was almost too afraid to move those first days, that she broke down in tears more than once and wished she was anywhere, anywhere but there. I don't know if you realized how lonely she was, or heartsick and homesick.
But she was. I was. I was at the edge of desperation. I may never have articulated it, but the truth was, I needed a miracle from God.
And long before I ever realized it, He sent me one in you.
Because that in between I spoke of? That time that made the pain of good-bye worthwhile, and the hello something to be thankful of?
That time was filled with Blessings and Grace and Love.
It was filled with a young boy, already becoming a man who saw me, a hurting girl, and danced the most ridiculous "magic tree dance" to make me feel better.
It was filled with young girls, already becoming women, who held me when I cried, laughed with me, talked the craziest nonsense and teased me mercilessly until I was able to give back everything they gave me.
It was filled with teachers who patiently cared for me when I was sick, supported me when I was striving for a goal, saw me when I was hidden and loved me without condition.
It was filled with men and women who loved God with all their hearts and served Him whole-heartedly.
It was filled with laughter, tears, successes, failures, periods of health and periods of sickness.
It was filled with family, because staff and students alike became an extended family I know I can turn to at any point with anything.
And somewhere, at some point, PAC became a home to me. And whilst it breaks my heart to say good-bye to yet another home, this time, I'm not afraid to face the future.
And when I count my blessings, PAC, I count you three times.
Once for the love, care and support of the teachers.
Once for the students who've joined me on the journey.
Once for the school as a whole, because I don't know where I would be if God hadn't given me you.
And then I start on the individual people and things that God has sent me through you, and that brings the Blessings Count into the hundreds before I start struggling with what the next thing on the list is.
So thank you, PAC, for all you've let God do.
Because that's your secret, isn't it?
It's not that you're a brilliant school with perfect people. It's that you step back and let God do the work.
And believe me it shows. The students graduating with me today, and myself, personally, are testimony to that.
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
You became God's crafting hands, and took this broken, little girl and have grown her into a woman, ready to face the world.
To the staff: keep doing what you do. Keep trusting God. Keep serving God. Keep living Grace.
And to the students: I know not all of you believe, but you've all been so instrumental for God's work in my life. You are all my brothers and sisters, (ok, maybe some are cousins) some just of the heart, and others by Blood, the Blood of Jesus Christ.
These last few words are for you, my fellow year 12 graduates. They were penned by my grandmother and given me as part of my graduation gift (Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr Seuss!!), and now I pass them on to you:
"Today is your school graduation day and, some might own,
the last days of rules and uniforms and all such strife;
or the end of childhood dependence and comfort zone,
as others might rue it.
Yet how much better to view it
as the first, the very first, day of the rest of your life.
So savour the journey as much as the destination,
face every challenge with faith and determination;
follow that path, ford that stream
as you chase your dream
and climb those hills, whether high or low;
then, oh the sights you will see and THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
Go there: take care:
Stay aware: Play fair:
There is so much out there:
ENJOY!!"
A little under 6 years ago, when I first stepped onto the grounds of PAC wearing that hideous summer dress, that was me.
That kid who didn't want to say hi, because it meant good-bye later.
It had been an intense six months in the lead up to that big first day. An international move, school changes (PAC was the second school I started at in that period of time), house changes... all of which meant the loss of absolutely everyone I had ever known.
So, to be frank, the idea of saying hello at this new school, full of strangers who spoke with accents was... terrifying.
And today, as I say good-bye, there is one thing I know very, very clearly.
Saying good-bye is sad and painful... but I am oh, so glad I said hello.
Because everything in between the hello and the good-bye has made it all worthwhile.
And this isn't going to be as articulate as I would like, which sucks because I'd have loved the post thanking my school to have been my best ever, but what words can you use when what you have been given is beyond words?
And you know what, PAC, you have lived your motto. Not many schools can say that, especially when their motto is as ambitious as ours: "To serve Christ". But you have lived it, you have breathed it, and you have made it possible for so many of us to serve Christ as well.
As I drove down the back of the gym after graduation today, feeling choked and sad because this was good-bye, I would never wear that uniform again, I would never do anything with our entire year (the Dinner tonight aside) ever again, the lyrics of the song on the radio pierced my mind.
I don't remember exactly what they were. They were not catchy or flash. They were simple, they were easy. They said that one day when we reached the edge of desperation, we would call out to God for a miracle, and He would provide us with one.
And PAC, you were that miracle.
You were God's Grace given form in my life.
Teachers, students, I don't know how much you know of the bullying I went through at my old school. I don't know if you realize how broken, how afraid and how closed off that little girl with the weird accent really was. I don't know if you realize that she was almost too afraid to move those first days, that she broke down in tears more than once and wished she was anywhere, anywhere but there. I don't know if you realized how lonely she was, or heartsick and homesick.
But she was. I was. I was at the edge of desperation. I may never have articulated it, but the truth was, I needed a miracle from God.
And long before I ever realized it, He sent me one in you.
Because that in between I spoke of? That time that made the pain of good-bye worthwhile, and the hello something to be thankful of?
That time was filled with Blessings and Grace and Love.
It was filled with a young boy, already becoming a man who saw me, a hurting girl, and danced the most ridiculous "magic tree dance" to make me feel better.
It was filled with young girls, already becoming women, who held me when I cried, laughed with me, talked the craziest nonsense and teased me mercilessly until I was able to give back everything they gave me.
It was filled with teachers who patiently cared for me when I was sick, supported me when I was striving for a goal, saw me when I was hidden and loved me without condition.
It was filled with men and women who loved God with all their hearts and served Him whole-heartedly.
It was filled with laughter, tears, successes, failures, periods of health and periods of sickness.
It was filled with family, because staff and students alike became an extended family I know I can turn to at any point with anything.
And somewhere, at some point, PAC became a home to me. And whilst it breaks my heart to say good-bye to yet another home, this time, I'm not afraid to face the future.
And when I count my blessings, PAC, I count you three times.
Once for the love, care and support of the teachers.
Once for the students who've joined me on the journey.
Once for the school as a whole, because I don't know where I would be if God hadn't given me you.
And then I start on the individual people and things that God has sent me through you, and that brings the Blessings Count into the hundreds before I start struggling with what the next thing on the list is.
So thank you, PAC, for all you've let God do.
Because that's your secret, isn't it?
It's not that you're a brilliant school with perfect people. It's that you step back and let God do the work.
And believe me it shows. The students graduating with me today, and myself, personally, are testimony to that.
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
You became God's crafting hands, and took this broken, little girl and have grown her into a woman, ready to face the world.
To the staff: keep doing what you do. Keep trusting God. Keep serving God. Keep living Grace.
And to the students: I know not all of you believe, but you've all been so instrumental for God's work in my life. You are all my brothers and sisters, (ok, maybe some are cousins) some just of the heart, and others by Blood, the Blood of Jesus Christ.
These last few words are for you, my fellow year 12 graduates. They were penned by my grandmother and given me as part of my graduation gift (Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr Seuss!!), and now I pass them on to you:
"Today is your school graduation day and, some might own,
the last days of rules and uniforms and all such strife;
or the end of childhood dependence and comfort zone,
as others might rue it.
Yet how much better to view it
as the first, the very first, day of the rest of your life.
So savour the journey as much as the destination,
face every challenge with faith and determination;
follow that path, ford that stream
as you chase your dream
and climb those hills, whether high or low;
then, oh the sights you will see and THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
Go there: take care:
Stay aware: Play fair:
There is so much out there:
ENJOY!!"
Tuesday 17 September 2013
To all Those Who Have Wished They Were Someone Else
Hey you!
Yeah, you. You're the one I'm talking to.
So glad you could stop and chat with me for a bit.
I just wanted to say, you're looking great today.
And I mean that.
Don't grin and roll your eyes at me.
You really do look great. I wonder if you realize just how many people that smile of yours has touched today, even if it was only a brief smile?
Yeah, yeah. I know. I know every response that brain of yours is coming up with. Believe me, I've used them all.
But trust me, your friends, and even some people you don't really know, drew some energy and joy from that smile you gave them. Such a beautiful smile. Unique to you.
And you know what? You're amazing.
Let me repeat that, because you probably don't get told it enough, and you certainly don't realize it enough.
You. Are. Amazing.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Course, you most likely don't believe that. Trust me, I know that too. I certainly have a very hard time believing it when I hear it.
After all, what's so amazing about me? Or, more pertinent to this little chat of ours, what's so amazing about you?
Well, where do I start.
Let's start here:
1) You are a wonderfully unique human being. I mean it.
I like biology. Theoretical genetics is one of my favourite topics. And you know what my understanding of theoretical genetics tells me? You are absolutely, 100% your own person. You have a genetic code that nobody else on this planet has.
I could through all those technical terms about random this and random that and crossing over at you, but all they mean is that no-one else has your genetic code. No-one else has had your genetic code.
No-one else will have your genetic code.
Unless of course, your an identical twin, in which case, you and your twin share 100% of you DNA.
But you know what, you two are still totally unique. Because who we are is so much deeper than just our genetic code.
No-one else has the same mixture of tastes you do. Nobody else listens to the same mixture of music genres or enjoys the same mixture of flavours or flowers or movies or shows or anything like that.
And your personality. Your personality is so your own. Sure you will meet people with very similar personality types, but you have a set of personality quirks which is uniquely yours.
You are so amazingly unique.
2) And do you know what being unique makes you?
It makes you precious. So very precious.
Do you know what the world's governments have said the highest they'll pay in ransom for a single person is? $2 000 000. At least, that's the figure I heard. Doesn't seem like much, huh? But it means you are most likely the most expensive thing you own.
Money aside, tell me, how does the valuing system of this world work? Let me clarify, how do we decide the value of something?
Here's how: we look at how rare or how common that item is. The rarer it is, the more valuable. The more common it is, the less valuable. That's why flawless diamonds are so expensive. They are extremely difficult to come by.
This means that you, singular, unique you, are extremely, extremely valuable. Because you don't get too much rarer than unique and singular. And you are even for difficult to come by than a flawless diamond. Heck, this planet has had to wait for as long as it's been in existence for you to come by, now it's only got you for a short time and there is absolutely no one to synthesis you the way we can with diamonds.
You are so, so precious.
3) You've got a story no-one else has. You have a life behind you, happening around you and lying in front of you such as nobody else will ever experience.
You walk a road nobody else walks and nobody else will walk. And that road is crossing and intersecting with other roads. The roads of other people and opportunities. That means that alone will be able to touch the lives of every single other person you meet. You alone will be able to affect people at that point and in that way. That's a pretty sacred and wondrous thing, don't you think?
And sure, it looks big and daunting, and the fear of what-if-I-screw-up may be very, very really, but that doesn't make you and your life any less wondrous.
4) This one is one of the most important things ever. This is the one that has stood from the beginning of Creation.
You are made in the image of God.
The image of God.
Well, sure, you say. What does that mean, you say.
What are you looking at me for? I'm only young, I don't know the whole answer. But here it is in a small, small part. A very tiny, poorly formed part.
It means you have a deep, deep capacity for compassion and love. Seriously, we're so special in that way. I've never seen an animal that is capable of the same kind of compassion and love that we are. That you are capable of. That is absolutely wonderful. And sure people may knock compassion and love as weakness, but no society can survive without it. And you have it. You have that capacity of compassion and love that, when used, keeps this world turning. Wow. Just, wow.
It also means that you have authority on this planet. You have the God-given responsibility and ability to rule this world. And I'm not talking Hitler or Stalin style domination. Heck no, that's just warped. No, I'm talking the kind of rule that cares for the welfare of this world, the authority that means you can direct the way society goes. The authority that means you can make a difference. Sure, you may not think you can, but oh, my word, you have that ability within you. And the difference you can make? My mind is just blown away by the sheer wonder of all the possibilities.
You are made in the image of God, and that is an absolutely wondrous thing.
5) This is the most important.
This is the big one.
This is the one you will need to carve into your heart, write on your hand, remember until it becomes knowledge as ingrained as breathing.
This reason leaves all the others in the dark.
Because you know how broken and incomplete you feel? How worthless and imperfect you think you are?
Well, for all that you were designed with the wondrousness and uniqueness I've been outlining, something did go wrong.
Something did break you. It made you incomplete, it made you imperfect. It had the potential to make you worthless.
That thing... well, we call it sin.
It's the human stubbornness that we know best. The mule-headed stupidity that has us saying we can run things. It's that thing inside us all that says that the One who Created this UNIVERSE is an idiot and shouldn't be allowed to, well, own what He has created. When, you know what, we really can't. And He really isn't. And He really, really should.
And you're looking at me as if I'm crazy and asking how is this supposed to show how amazing I am? Well, here it is ladies and gentlemen, here's the reason you're amazing and I'm amazing, and no matter how horrid we feel that is a truth that can never change:
You have been Chosen by this same Creator.
That's right. You heard me right.
The Creator who you have told to get stuffed has chosen you.
He. Has. Chosen. You.
Not because you deserve it.
Man, you deserve the torture chamber, all the crap you've done to Him. I do to. More than you, probably.
But He still Chose you.
He has looked at you and seen everything you have become. He knows exactly how far you are from the amazing, unique, precious and wondrous person He created you to be.
Don't think for one second you have Him fooled about that.
But He has still Chosen you.
He has still said, I want you to be My Child. I want you to call Me Abba. I want to build you a home, not on earth where everything perishes and has no lasting value, but up here, with me, where everything is eternal. Gold and diamonds? They've got no value compared to what I want to give you. Forget about them. I want to give you Eternal Life. I want to give you Joy. I want to give you Peace. I want to give you Love. I want to give you a Royal inheritance. That new prince of England? Forget about his kingdom. The Kingdom I want you to be a part of makes his look like a spec of dust.
And you know what you have to do in order to receive this wonderful incredible gift? Become this incredible, unique, wondrous person? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Just accept it. Just accept Him. Realise that He is, in fact, Creator, and that makes Him King.
Then you become everything you are meant to be: you are unique. You are precious. You are made in God's image with a depth of compassion and love and a wonderful ability to make a difference. And you are His child.
Do you believe me now when I say you're amazing?
You really are.
You are so wonderfully amazing. It blows my mind.
And you're amazing not because of who YOU are, or what YOU have done, but because of who HE is, and what HE has GIVEN to you.
Do you understand that?
Probably not. At least, not entirely. I know I don't. And I've been trying to understand it my whole life. Not that that has been very long.
It's a mystery to me. I guess I'm just going to have to learn to accept it.
Accept the Amazing Grace that has made me Amazing. Same as you are. Because you are amazing.
Please don't let anyone take that away from you.
Don't let anyone make you feel like you aren't worth it, whether it is through what they do to you or through how much you envy them.
You are amazing.
I'm so glad we've had this talk. I hope I've helped you see just how incredible you are.
Thanks for listening to me rambling at you this whole time. I just thought this was important to say.
Because, you know, we never remind each other of this enough.
God bless you,
my amazing friend,
Laura Ruth
Yeah, you. You're the one I'm talking to.
So glad you could stop and chat with me for a bit.
I just wanted to say, you're looking great today.
And I mean that.
Don't grin and roll your eyes at me.
You really do look great. I wonder if you realize just how many people that smile of yours has touched today, even if it was only a brief smile?
Yeah, yeah. I know. I know every response that brain of yours is coming up with. Believe me, I've used them all.
But trust me, your friends, and even some people you don't really know, drew some energy and joy from that smile you gave them. Such a beautiful smile. Unique to you.
And you know what? You're amazing.
Let me repeat that, because you probably don't get told it enough, and you certainly don't realize it enough.
You. Are. Amazing.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Course, you most likely don't believe that. Trust me, I know that too. I certainly have a very hard time believing it when I hear it.
After all, what's so amazing about me? Or, more pertinent to this little chat of ours, what's so amazing about you?
Well, where do I start.
Let's start here:
1) You are a wonderfully unique human being. I mean it.
I like biology. Theoretical genetics is one of my favourite topics. And you know what my understanding of theoretical genetics tells me? You are absolutely, 100% your own person. You have a genetic code that nobody else on this planet has.
I could through all those technical terms about random this and random that and crossing over at you, but all they mean is that no-one else has your genetic code. No-one else has had your genetic code.
No-one else will have your genetic code.
Unless of course, your an identical twin, in which case, you and your twin share 100% of you DNA.
But you know what, you two are still totally unique. Because who we are is so much deeper than just our genetic code.
No-one else has the same mixture of tastes you do. Nobody else listens to the same mixture of music genres or enjoys the same mixture of flavours or flowers or movies or shows or anything like that.
And your personality. Your personality is so your own. Sure you will meet people with very similar personality types, but you have a set of personality quirks which is uniquely yours.
You are so amazingly unique.
2) And do you know what being unique makes you?
It makes you precious. So very precious.
Do you know what the world's governments have said the highest they'll pay in ransom for a single person is? $2 000 000. At least, that's the figure I heard. Doesn't seem like much, huh? But it means you are most likely the most expensive thing you own.
Money aside, tell me, how does the valuing system of this world work? Let me clarify, how do we decide the value of something?
Here's how: we look at how rare or how common that item is. The rarer it is, the more valuable. The more common it is, the less valuable. That's why flawless diamonds are so expensive. They are extremely difficult to come by.
This means that you, singular, unique you, are extremely, extremely valuable. Because you don't get too much rarer than unique and singular. And you are even for difficult to come by than a flawless diamond. Heck, this planet has had to wait for as long as it's been in existence for you to come by, now it's only got you for a short time and there is absolutely no one to synthesis you the way we can with diamonds.
You are so, so precious.
3) You've got a story no-one else has. You have a life behind you, happening around you and lying in front of you such as nobody else will ever experience.
You walk a road nobody else walks and nobody else will walk. And that road is crossing and intersecting with other roads. The roads of other people and opportunities. That means that alone will be able to touch the lives of every single other person you meet. You alone will be able to affect people at that point and in that way. That's a pretty sacred and wondrous thing, don't you think?
And sure, it looks big and daunting, and the fear of what-if-I-screw-up may be very, very really, but that doesn't make you and your life any less wondrous.
4) This one is one of the most important things ever. This is the one that has stood from the beginning of Creation.
You are made in the image of God.
The image of God.
Well, sure, you say. What does that mean, you say.
What are you looking at me for? I'm only young, I don't know the whole answer. But here it is in a small, small part. A very tiny, poorly formed part.
It means you have a deep, deep capacity for compassion and love. Seriously, we're so special in that way. I've never seen an animal that is capable of the same kind of compassion and love that we are. That you are capable of. That is absolutely wonderful. And sure people may knock compassion and love as weakness, but no society can survive without it. And you have it. You have that capacity of compassion and love that, when used, keeps this world turning. Wow. Just, wow.
It also means that you have authority on this planet. You have the God-given responsibility and ability to rule this world. And I'm not talking Hitler or Stalin style domination. Heck no, that's just warped. No, I'm talking the kind of rule that cares for the welfare of this world, the authority that means you can direct the way society goes. The authority that means you can make a difference. Sure, you may not think you can, but oh, my word, you have that ability within you. And the difference you can make? My mind is just blown away by the sheer wonder of all the possibilities.
You are made in the image of God, and that is an absolutely wondrous thing.
5) This is the most important.
This is the big one.
This is the one you will need to carve into your heart, write on your hand, remember until it becomes knowledge as ingrained as breathing.
This reason leaves all the others in the dark.
Because you know how broken and incomplete you feel? How worthless and imperfect you think you are?
Well, for all that you were designed with the wondrousness and uniqueness I've been outlining, something did go wrong.
Something did break you. It made you incomplete, it made you imperfect. It had the potential to make you worthless.
That thing... well, we call it sin.
It's the human stubbornness that we know best. The mule-headed stupidity that has us saying we can run things. It's that thing inside us all that says that the One who Created this UNIVERSE is an idiot and shouldn't be allowed to, well, own what He has created. When, you know what, we really can't. And He really isn't. And He really, really should.
And you're looking at me as if I'm crazy and asking how is this supposed to show how amazing I am? Well, here it is ladies and gentlemen, here's the reason you're amazing and I'm amazing, and no matter how horrid we feel that is a truth that can never change:
You have been Chosen by this same Creator.
That's right. You heard me right.
The Creator who you have told to get stuffed has chosen you.
He. Has. Chosen. You.
Not because you deserve it.
Man, you deserve the torture chamber, all the crap you've done to Him. I do to. More than you, probably.
But He still Chose you.
He has looked at you and seen everything you have become. He knows exactly how far you are from the amazing, unique, precious and wondrous person He created you to be.
Don't think for one second you have Him fooled about that.
But He has still Chosen you.
He has still said, I want you to be My Child. I want you to call Me Abba. I want to build you a home, not on earth where everything perishes and has no lasting value, but up here, with me, where everything is eternal. Gold and diamonds? They've got no value compared to what I want to give you. Forget about them. I want to give you Eternal Life. I want to give you Joy. I want to give you Peace. I want to give you Love. I want to give you a Royal inheritance. That new prince of England? Forget about his kingdom. The Kingdom I want you to be a part of makes his look like a spec of dust.
And you know what you have to do in order to receive this wonderful incredible gift? Become this incredible, unique, wondrous person? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Just accept it. Just accept Him. Realise that He is, in fact, Creator, and that makes Him King.
Then you become everything you are meant to be: you are unique. You are precious. You are made in God's image with a depth of compassion and love and a wonderful ability to make a difference. And you are His child.
Do you believe me now when I say you're amazing?
You really are.
You are so wonderfully amazing. It blows my mind.
And you're amazing not because of who YOU are, or what YOU have done, but because of who HE is, and what HE has GIVEN to you.
Do you understand that?
Probably not. At least, not entirely. I know I don't. And I've been trying to understand it my whole life. Not that that has been very long.
It's a mystery to me. I guess I'm just going to have to learn to accept it.
Accept the Amazing Grace that has made me Amazing. Same as you are. Because you are amazing.
Please don't let anyone take that away from you.
Don't let anyone make you feel like you aren't worth it, whether it is through what they do to you or through how much you envy them.
You are amazing.
I'm so glad we've had this talk. I hope I've helped you see just how incredible you are.
Thanks for listening to me rambling at you this whole time. I just thought this was important to say.
Because, you know, we never remind each other of this enough.
God bless you,
my amazing friend,
Laura Ruth
Monday 16 September 2013
Leaning
Ever have those days when you're bone weary? When your eyes just keep drifting closed and your head throbs from the effort of staying awake less than an hour after you've gotten up?
Ever had those days when you can't properly string two words together and the effort of carrying out a conversation leaves you weak? When you can't think straight and say dumb things and you just don't care?
Those days when you're just so tired and disjointed and out of focus that your mood soars up and down based on the tiniest, stupidest things?
Those days when all you can do is wonder how you're going to get through the next hour, let alone the entire day?
These past few days have all been one of those days, for me.
And I'm sitting here, having only been awake two hours and am already thinking that going to bed really, really early sounds like a very, very good idea.
And I'm looking out the window and the sky is cold and grey and the room looks like the light is washing it out, though maybe that is just my eyes.
And I'm wondering, asking, questioning - just where am I supposed to get the energy from to walk through this day? To process the information I'm receiving and string words together in English, let alone French?
The only thought I can think is a simple word. One single word. "Lean."
"Lean."
Lean on what? On who?
On God.
And I've just realized that I've left my Bible at home so it's not available for me to read and absorb. But it doesn't matter.
Because God is not restricted to the Bible and He is still here with me, still available for me to lean on.
And leaning just means relaxing into God and letting Him do the work of holding me up.
Which is good... because I'm struggling to just hold my head up.
Ever had those days when you can't properly string two words together and the effort of carrying out a conversation leaves you weak? When you can't think straight and say dumb things and you just don't care?
Those days when you're just so tired and disjointed and out of focus that your mood soars up and down based on the tiniest, stupidest things?
Those days when all you can do is wonder how you're going to get through the next hour, let alone the entire day?
These past few days have all been one of those days, for me.
And I'm sitting here, having only been awake two hours and am already thinking that going to bed really, really early sounds like a very, very good idea.
And I'm looking out the window and the sky is cold and grey and the room looks like the light is washing it out, though maybe that is just my eyes.
And I'm wondering, asking, questioning - just where am I supposed to get the energy from to walk through this day? To process the information I'm receiving and string words together in English, let alone French?
The only thought I can think is a simple word. One single word. "Lean."
"Lean."
Lean on what? On who?
On God.
And I've just realized that I've left my Bible at home so it's not available for me to read and absorb. But it doesn't matter.
Because God is not restricted to the Bible and He is still here with me, still available for me to lean on.
And leaning just means relaxing into God and letting Him do the work of holding me up.
Which is good... because I'm struggling to just hold my head up.
Thursday 12 September 2013
When Life starts getting away from you
I have a confession to make, my dear readers. I have not been doing well, recently. Not been doing well at all.
And it's easy, you know, to smile and say I'm fine. To laugh and pretend part of me isn't slowly dying.
I've been doing that for years. Learning how to perfect that mask of joy in times of exhaustion and sorrow.
But, you know, nothing's perfect and that mask... it hasn't been used in a while and so now it's cracking and my words are hurting the people I care about all because I've been refusing to take that mask off.
I've been refusing to acknowledge just how overwhelmed and bone weary I am. Been refusing to take the time to sit in God's presence and just breath His Grace because I don't want to slow down enough to really think.
And I don't want to think about the fact that I graduate in a week's time. Or that a few days later one of my beloved sisters celebrates sweet 16. Or that one of my friends is hurting and there is nothing I can do. Or that I'm about to say good-bye to people I've come to love as dearly as though they were family.
I'm not ready to say good-bye.
I'm not ready to let go of things.
And time is flowing so fast that it feels like a mere blink of the eye will see my baby sister graduating. Friends marrying. Parents dying.
And I wish I'd taken the more time to tell those stories, to make memories, to laugh, to smile.
I wish I'd spent more time just being and less time trying to run away from everyone and everything.
I wish I'd learnt sooner how to role with the punches and let the hits slide off. I wish I'd learnt sooner that breathing in Grace and breathing out Thanksgiving is the only way to live.
And I wish I could do that constantly.
I wish I knew how to love my friends even when I felt like hiding.
I wish I had slapped and snapped at my sisters less and had baked them more cakes and brownies and cookies just because I could. Just because they are my sisters and they are such a blessing.
And I wish I had cooked dinner more and learnt how to keep my room from being messy.
I wish I had spent more time with my dad and listened more to my baby sister's chatter.
So many things I wish I had done.
And how often does one wish they could go back to their nursery days? Go back to when times were simpler? I wish I could go back. Not just because they were simpler times, but because then I could do it all over. There are so many things I wouldn't do again, and so many things I would do if I could.
And I wish I could see that broken, little girl who made herself as small as possible in her school library, whose closest friends were Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins and the Secret Seven and the Famous Five and the people of Narnia. Whose wish was to find a rabbit hole and go to Wonderland and be loved and admired. Who wanted to slay dragons and be princess in a palace with golden hair and blue eyes. Who dreamt of adventure and shooting arrows from horseback and exploring the grounds of Lothlorien with Legolas as her guide. Who wanted to walk among the stars with Mary Poppins and fly over mountaintops. The girl who dreamt of meeting Prince Charming and wearing beautiful dresses. That little girl whose life was made of stories because there she was safe, there she could not be touched by those who sought to hurt her.
I wish I could see her and hug her and whisper into her ear another story. Her story.
I wish I could tell her that she will face dragons and kill some, but not others. That she will lose everything and gain everything. That whilst her hair may never been gold and her eyes never blue, her brown hair and eyes were still beautiful. And I don't know if they are captivating in way she dreams they would be, soft and gentle, but they have their own charm. I would tell her that she will make friends who would fight for her whatever the cost to themselves. I would tell her that her that she will love and she will lose and she will learn and she will fall and she will run and she will stand and she will kneel and she will cry and she will never give up because her prince fight s with her.
And I would tell her that her prince Charming is already there. That He already walks beside her and calls to her. That over the years He will woo her and save her and catch her like Superman catches Lois Lane. I would tell her that he Prince Charming died for her and lives for her and that He never wants her to be alone. I would tell her that yes, her head knows this but her heart hasn't fully grasped it and I know that for sure because mine still struggles with it. I will tell her that He thinks her Priceless and Beautiful and He will always provide her with the Strength and the Grace to get back to her feet and keep on going when all she wants to do is die, when all she can see is pain. And I would tell her that she would fight that Love and reject that Grace because it's just too big for her, she can't understand it and that that fight will hurt her more than anything else.
And I would tell her to stop running. To stop hiding. To stop fearing. Because she is only going to regret it. I would tell her to that she has been listening to lies and that really, she doesn't need books to live adventure: her whole life is one big adventure.
I would ask her to throw herself into it fearlessly and not care about the laughter that is directed at her, because that is laughter full of malice and it will only end up choked off while she learns to laugh a laugh full of joy and love.
And I wish I could tell her what mistakes to avoid whilst still loving everyone fully and whole-heartedly. I wish I could show her that nothing is more wonderful than a heart soaked in God's love and ask that she start working on it sooner so that this heart could be less ugly.
And I wish I could tell her to never leave her friends, to hold onto them and love them as a sister no matter how much they sunk knives into her just because they were hurting themselves. Just because they don't know love.
I wish I could tell her to give and to give and not let anyone take her apart.
I wish I could tell her to cook more and not be afraid to burn things. To paint more and not be afraid of the fact that it is going to be terribly. To write more, and write solely for the pleasure of God.
But time doesn't allow u-turns. It doesn't allow do-overs and start from the beginnings. Only games do. And life is no game.
But Grace does. Grace lets us take broken lives and build them afresh, because it's not us doing the building, it's God.
Grace lets us strip of our happy masks and let the world see everything underneath. Because through Grace, there is Joy in even the saddest and roughest heart, Through Grace, there is a Laughter that bubbles in the Soul even when the eyes weep endlessly. Through Grace, there is a Peace in the middle of turmoil.
Through Grace, there is also a chance to Heal those careless wounds inflicted by ones words.
And through Grace, the unready still make it through alive.
And it's easy, you know, to smile and say I'm fine. To laugh and pretend part of me isn't slowly dying.
I've been doing that for years. Learning how to perfect that mask of joy in times of exhaustion and sorrow.
But, you know, nothing's perfect and that mask... it hasn't been used in a while and so now it's cracking and my words are hurting the people I care about all because I've been refusing to take that mask off.
I've been refusing to acknowledge just how overwhelmed and bone weary I am. Been refusing to take the time to sit in God's presence and just breath His Grace because I don't want to slow down enough to really think.
And I don't want to think about the fact that I graduate in a week's time. Or that a few days later one of my beloved sisters celebrates sweet 16. Or that one of my friends is hurting and there is nothing I can do. Or that I'm about to say good-bye to people I've come to love as dearly as though they were family.
I'm not ready to say good-bye.
I'm not ready to let go of things.
And time is flowing so fast that it feels like a mere blink of the eye will see my baby sister graduating. Friends marrying. Parents dying.
And I wish I'd taken the more time to tell those stories, to make memories, to laugh, to smile.
I wish I'd spent more time just being and less time trying to run away from everyone and everything.
I wish I'd learnt sooner how to role with the punches and let the hits slide off. I wish I'd learnt sooner that breathing in Grace and breathing out Thanksgiving is the only way to live.
And I wish I could do that constantly.
I wish I knew how to love my friends even when I felt like hiding.
I wish I had slapped and snapped at my sisters less and had baked them more cakes and brownies and cookies just because I could. Just because they are my sisters and they are such a blessing.
And I wish I had cooked dinner more and learnt how to keep my room from being messy.
I wish I had spent more time with my dad and listened more to my baby sister's chatter.
So many things I wish I had done.
And how often does one wish they could go back to their nursery days? Go back to when times were simpler? I wish I could go back. Not just because they were simpler times, but because then I could do it all over. There are so many things I wouldn't do again, and so many things I would do if I could.
And I wish I could see that broken, little girl who made herself as small as possible in her school library, whose closest friends were Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins and the Secret Seven and the Famous Five and the people of Narnia. Whose wish was to find a rabbit hole and go to Wonderland and be loved and admired. Who wanted to slay dragons and be princess in a palace with golden hair and blue eyes. Who dreamt of adventure and shooting arrows from horseback and exploring the grounds of Lothlorien with Legolas as her guide. Who wanted to walk among the stars with Mary Poppins and fly over mountaintops. The girl who dreamt of meeting Prince Charming and wearing beautiful dresses. That little girl whose life was made of stories because there she was safe, there she could not be touched by those who sought to hurt her.
I wish I could see her and hug her and whisper into her ear another story. Her story.
I wish I could tell her that she will face dragons and kill some, but not others. That she will lose everything and gain everything. That whilst her hair may never been gold and her eyes never blue, her brown hair and eyes were still beautiful. And I don't know if they are captivating in way she dreams they would be, soft and gentle, but they have their own charm. I would tell her that she will make friends who would fight for her whatever the cost to themselves. I would tell her that her that she will love and she will lose and she will learn and she will fall and she will run and she will stand and she will kneel and she will cry and she will never give up because her prince fight s with her.
And I would tell her that her prince Charming is already there. That He already walks beside her and calls to her. That over the years He will woo her and save her and catch her like Superman catches Lois Lane. I would tell her that he Prince Charming died for her and lives for her and that He never wants her to be alone. I would tell her that yes, her head knows this but her heart hasn't fully grasped it and I know that for sure because mine still struggles with it. I will tell her that He thinks her Priceless and Beautiful and He will always provide her with the Strength and the Grace to get back to her feet and keep on going when all she wants to do is die, when all she can see is pain. And I would tell her that she would fight that Love and reject that Grace because it's just too big for her, she can't understand it and that that fight will hurt her more than anything else.
And I would tell her to stop running. To stop hiding. To stop fearing. Because she is only going to regret it. I would tell her to that she has been listening to lies and that really, she doesn't need books to live adventure: her whole life is one big adventure.
I would ask her to throw herself into it fearlessly and not care about the laughter that is directed at her, because that is laughter full of malice and it will only end up choked off while she learns to laugh a laugh full of joy and love.
And I wish I could tell her what mistakes to avoid whilst still loving everyone fully and whole-heartedly. I wish I could show her that nothing is more wonderful than a heart soaked in God's love and ask that she start working on it sooner so that this heart could be less ugly.
And I wish I could tell her to never leave her friends, to hold onto them and love them as a sister no matter how much they sunk knives into her just because they were hurting themselves. Just because they don't know love.
I wish I could tell her to give and to give and not let anyone take her apart.
I wish I could tell her to cook more and not be afraid to burn things. To paint more and not be afraid of the fact that it is going to be terribly. To write more, and write solely for the pleasure of God.
But time doesn't allow u-turns. It doesn't allow do-overs and start from the beginnings. Only games do. And life is no game.
But Grace does. Grace lets us take broken lives and build them afresh, because it's not us doing the building, it's God.
Grace lets us strip of our happy masks and let the world see everything underneath. Because through Grace, there is Joy in even the saddest and roughest heart, Through Grace, there is a Laughter that bubbles in the Soul even when the eyes weep endlessly. Through Grace, there is a Peace in the middle of turmoil.
Through Grace, there is also a chance to Heal those careless wounds inflicted by ones words.
And through Grace, the unready still make it through alive.
Thursday 5 September 2013
When Black is the Only Colour that Suits
I'm sitting here, staring at my screen. I don't know what to write. No, I know what to write, but I don't know how to say it.
Because how does one say the unspeakable pain of finding out that a loved one has been suffering alone?
How does one say the agony of knowing that a friend is in danger, and has been for a long time, and you've never even known?
How does one say the guilt that comes from having seen signs, but not devoted the time to finding out what they mean, only to discover they mean something far worse than could be imagined?
How does one say an agony so deep that only those who've felt it can understand?
And, if it was happening to me that would be so much easier because then I would know what to do, how to fight it. But it's not. It's happening to someone else, someone oh so dear to me and all I can do is fall down to my knees and pray as I watch from the sidelines.
And how does one speak of the pain that is?
How does one speak of the pain that at once has them crying out "why?!" to God and on down on bended knees singing the words of Amazing Grace over and over again.
Particularly that third verse.
The verse that admits there are many dangers, many toils and many snares. But reminds that Grace is what has brought us through them and promises that Grace will bring us home.
And it's all Grace. It's only Grace.
Grace that makes up for our eggshell strength. Grace that makes up for our failures.
Grace... Grace... Grace...
And as I walk, still reeling and in pain, the sound of birdsong comes through loud and clear.
And yes, I'm wearing black because it's the only colour that really fits things right now.
But even after everything else has been stripped away and hidden, Hope remains.
Because His Grace is unchanging.
Because how does one say the unspeakable pain of finding out that a loved one has been suffering alone?
How does one say the agony of knowing that a friend is in danger, and has been for a long time, and you've never even known?
How does one say the guilt that comes from having seen signs, but not devoted the time to finding out what they mean, only to discover they mean something far worse than could be imagined?
How does one say an agony so deep that only those who've felt it can understand?
And, if it was happening to me that would be so much easier because then I would know what to do, how to fight it. But it's not. It's happening to someone else, someone oh so dear to me and all I can do is fall down to my knees and pray as I watch from the sidelines.
And how does one speak of the pain that is?
How does one speak of the pain that at once has them crying out "why?!" to God and on down on bended knees singing the words of Amazing Grace over and over again.
Particularly that third verse.
The verse that admits there are many dangers, many toils and many snares. But reminds that Grace is what has brought us through them and promises that Grace will bring us home.
And it's all Grace. It's only Grace.
Grace that makes up for our eggshell strength. Grace that makes up for our failures.
Grace... Grace... Grace...
And as I walk, still reeling and in pain, the sound of birdsong comes through loud and clear.
And yes, I'm wearing black because it's the only colour that really fits things right now.
But even after everything else has been stripped away and hidden, Hope remains.
Because His Grace is unchanging.
Wednesday 4 September 2013
The Spring Sun Shines
It has officially been spring for four days now.
Though spring itself has already been here for a week or so.
Still, as I stepped out of my car today and felt the warm glow of the sun on my bare arms, smelt the fresh air and heard the birds twittering in the distance, I felt as though I was letting out a breath I'd been holding.
All through winter, in a way.
They say that spring is the season of rebirth and life and I can see what they mean. Spring is often associated with God's grace. The Grace that restores Life to the Dead simply because. Simply because He can and He wants to. I look out the window and walk around the school and everything is bursting with life after months winter. Everywhere can I see God's grace in sustaining our world even through millennia of rebellion.
The reminders that Life is a Beautiful Gift. It is Grace in action. Everything breathes to the steady rhythm of Grace.
But I saw something on Facebook that made me stop and think.
I can't remember exactly what was said, but I do remember the gist of it. It was a reminder that all the spring time births were conceived in darker seasons.
And I realised... spring is not so much about new life. It's not so much renewal. Though they are all part of it.
Rather, when the spring sun shines it shines on the Grace that has always been there.
The spring sun brings light to the hidden Grace, the secret renewals, the quiet workings that are unseen but are so, so vital.
The spring sun is God's spotlight pointing to Grace already fully developed. Already fully there. On Life already restored.
It is how God says to us "Look, you couldn't see it in the winter months when everything was cold and gray, but my Grace was there, it was working. But I've saved the best for you: here, take the end product. This is what Spring is for, to show you that my Grace never stops working."
And I'm so glad God has been whispering the Secret of Spring in my ear today. So, so glad.
Because I've needed His Grace today. I've needed to remember that even when the sun is hidden by the clouds that His Grace is still active.
The past few hours have been discouraging. Maths related, of course. But oh so discouraging.
The little, nitty-gritty details that just won't stop coming up, the tiny things that aren't quite perfect, and don't get me started on that unit I'm struggling to wrap my head around, or that fact that I pretty much failed the last exams or any of the rest of it.
And they've felt like a mini Winter and I've been looking out of my window and wishing for Spring. Wishing for it all to be over and to see the sun shining.
And God's been whispering, "the sun shine will come in time... but remember, all it does is illuminate Grace that is already there.
"Don't give up."
And outside, the spring sun shines.
Though spring itself has already been here for a week or so.
Still, as I stepped out of my car today and felt the warm glow of the sun on my bare arms, smelt the fresh air and heard the birds twittering in the distance, I felt as though I was letting out a breath I'd been holding.
All through winter, in a way.
They say that spring is the season of rebirth and life and I can see what they mean. Spring is often associated with God's grace. The Grace that restores Life to the Dead simply because. Simply because He can and He wants to. I look out the window and walk around the school and everything is bursting with life after months winter. Everywhere can I see God's grace in sustaining our world even through millennia of rebellion.
The reminders that Life is a Beautiful Gift. It is Grace in action. Everything breathes to the steady rhythm of Grace.
But I saw something on Facebook that made me stop and think.
I can't remember exactly what was said, but I do remember the gist of it. It was a reminder that all the spring time births were conceived in darker seasons.
And I realised... spring is not so much about new life. It's not so much renewal. Though they are all part of it.
Rather, when the spring sun shines it shines on the Grace that has always been there.
The spring sun brings light to the hidden Grace, the secret renewals, the quiet workings that are unseen but are so, so vital.
The spring sun is God's spotlight pointing to Grace already fully developed. Already fully there. On Life already restored.
It is how God says to us "Look, you couldn't see it in the winter months when everything was cold and gray, but my Grace was there, it was working. But I've saved the best for you: here, take the end product. This is what Spring is for, to show you that my Grace never stops working."
And I'm so glad God has been whispering the Secret of Spring in my ear today. So, so glad.
Because I've needed His Grace today. I've needed to remember that even when the sun is hidden by the clouds that His Grace is still active.
The past few hours have been discouraging. Maths related, of course. But oh so discouraging.
The little, nitty-gritty details that just won't stop coming up, the tiny things that aren't quite perfect, and don't get me started on that unit I'm struggling to wrap my head around, or that fact that I pretty much failed the last exams or any of the rest of it.
And they've felt like a mini Winter and I've been looking out of my window and wishing for Spring. Wishing for it all to be over and to see the sun shining.
And God's been whispering, "the sun shine will come in time... but remember, all it does is illuminate Grace that is already there.
"Don't give up."
And outside, the spring sun shines.
Tuesday 3 September 2013
Closer than a brother (or a sister)
I've just been talking with a good friend and realizing just how blessed I am.One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother ~ Proverbs 18: 24
I mean, I'm really, really blessed.
I have friends I can trust. And not just superficially. But really, really trust.
Friends who have stuck as close to me as my own sisters.
I have guy friends who I relate to as I would a brother and I am so blessed by their presence in my life. They are people who I know will protect me, even if they do spend most of their time driving me up walls.
And I have girl friends who I can speak with honestly over a cup of tea about just about anything. Women who are like sisters to me. Who I can turn to for advise, whether it be about books to read, clothes, movies, guys... anything really, and know that they will give me sound, godly advise.
And friends from both genders who aren't afraid to tell me just what an idiot I am and let me know when I've crossed a line or two. And then work with me to improve things.
And it's true, I've had the unreliable friends. The friends I've trusted only to find they've stuck a knife through me. The friendships that have ended terribly and have left me wounded and bleeding. But even in those times, when it hasn't seemed I've had anyone I can trust, I've had one friend who has stuck closer to me than any sibling.
Jesus has never let me down. Ever.
And I know people have rolled their eyes at me and muttered about not wanting to hear any "religion".
But it's really not religion.
He's been there for me through absolutely everything. Though the mental breakdowns and the harassment and the betrayals and the illnesses and the moves between countries. He has stuck closer to me than my own family. And He has shown me that no matter how bad it gets, it will one day be infinitely better.
He is Healing me from wounds so deep I was certain I was damaged for ever. And He has Blessed me in so many ways.
Not the least of which is through my friends.
I've heard it said that friends are God's way of letting us know we're not alone.
My friends are certainly that.
So to all my friends I just want to say: thank you.
Thank you for being there for me.
Thank you for letting God use you in my life.
Thank you for being such a blessing.
But most of all, thank you, God, for blessing me with such amazing friends, and being such an incredible one Yourself.
Monday 2 September 2013
Little Tastes of Heaven
Heaven has a way of seeping into everyday life.
Not in a big, grand way. That's not really God's style.
No, it's in the small ways. When God's people meet with God.
And then there it is.
Heaven.
Or a taste of it. The Promise of things to come. The assurance that Heaven will be... incredible.
Our dinner Wednesday night was flavoured with Heaven. Many teens and a few adults gathered around a table feasting on Italian. Feasting on company. Feasting on the knowledge that we have been Blessed by God through each other. The knowledge that we were a Blessing to each other. Feasting on the Joy of the Bond forged by the Blood of Jesus. Friends who had walked together for years, some as long as 12 years, others as little as one. Brothers and sisters who have shared sorrows, joys, tears and laughter. Celebrating in the knowledge that our "good-bye"s are only "until then"s, because we've chosen the Road that leads to Heaven. Oh how I pray that none of us turns away!
And our Saturday afternoon shone with it. As 26 young men and women turned a casual jam session into a full-on worship session. It was irresistible, those songs that honour our God. And we looked at each other, us whose stories cover the world. We nodded and said "heaven will be like this". And we continued singing with full Hearts and peaceful Souls.
And this morning. It was in the air. We sat, a handful of men and women, on the desks, Bibles spread before us. We shared our favourite verses and explained why they spoke to our hearts. And as we sat there, twenty minutes stolen from our day, our Souls feasted on the Promises of God, our Minds took Strength from the Assurance of Heaven, our Hearts danced in the Grace of the Cross and our Swords sharpened, ready to face the week.
Just three tastes.
Brief, but never forgotten.
Three little tastes that held a Heaven load of Promise, and a God amount of Grace.
Not in a big, grand way. That's not really God's style.
No, it's in the small ways. When God's people meet with God.
And then there it is.
Heaven.
Or a taste of it. The Promise of things to come. The assurance that Heaven will be... incredible.
Our dinner Wednesday night was flavoured with Heaven. Many teens and a few adults gathered around a table feasting on Italian. Feasting on company. Feasting on the knowledge that we have been Blessed by God through each other. The knowledge that we were a Blessing to each other. Feasting on the Joy of the Bond forged by the Blood of Jesus. Friends who had walked together for years, some as long as 12 years, others as little as one. Brothers and sisters who have shared sorrows, joys, tears and laughter. Celebrating in the knowledge that our "good-bye"s are only "until then"s, because we've chosen the Road that leads to Heaven. Oh how I pray that none of us turns away!
And our Saturday afternoon shone with it. As 26 young men and women turned a casual jam session into a full-on worship session. It was irresistible, those songs that honour our God. And we looked at each other, us whose stories cover the world. We nodded and said "heaven will be like this". And we continued singing with full Hearts and peaceful Souls.
And this morning. It was in the air. We sat, a handful of men and women, on the desks, Bibles spread before us. We shared our favourite verses and explained why they spoke to our hearts. And as we sat there, twenty minutes stolen from our day, our Souls feasted on the Promises of God, our Minds took Strength from the Assurance of Heaven, our Hearts danced in the Grace of the Cross and our Swords sharpened, ready to face the week.
Just three tastes.
Brief, but never forgotten.
Three little tastes that held a Heaven load of Promise, and a God amount of Grace.
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