New glasses.....

     I have worn glasses for about as far back as I can remember.  My eyesight was so bad in one eye that I sported a patch over my right eye for about a year of my childhood.  This was before the coolness of pirates today, with the likes of Johnny Depp as Jack sparrow and all.  I was made fun of and hated my patch and quite frankly hated my glasses.  It was not pleasant to hear the names and taunts all because of my thick, ugly (imo) glasses.  It was around age 11 that I decided I would do without them.  I was living my life glasses free.  It was awesome.  Only when I would read for more than 10 minutes or so would my head hurt and I would have to squeeze my eyes to “get them to work” again.  It was not so bad.  I was not made fun of and honestly I forgot I even needed them after a while.  I got my drivers licence even.  I drove with no glasses.  It is a scary thought actually.

     When I married my husband he noticed that I would frequently squeeze my eyes while reading and asked if he could take me to the eye doctor.  I reluctantly agreed and went.  The doctor had a field day with me.  By the end of the exam he had ordered me contacts and glasses.  It was not what I wanted, but my husband was insistent that I be able to see.  A week or so later my contacts and glasses arrived and I popped the contacts in.  It was a strange feeling.  I could see better, but somehow the new prescription made me feel a little nauseated and dizzy after a while.  Those of you who wear glasses and have to get a new prescription every now and then will understand this sensation.  It was not pleasant.  I wanted to take them out immediately.  I was aware that the doctor told me to keep them in at least 5 hours a day to help my eyes strengthen and get used to the new prescription but I was NOT comfortable AT ALL. 

     I just had this same experience a few weeks ago, I had a brand new pair of glasses with a slightly stronger prescription prescribed to me.  I put the glasses on the day I got them and after 20 minutes I called the eye doctor to tell them they must have messed up the prescription because it was making me feel nauseated.  It had been probably 12 years since any significant change to my prescription and this new one was NOT working for me.  I drove to the doctors office, had them inspect my glasses, only to be told that the prescription was only slightly stronger than my last one and that I needed to give it time to allow my eyes to strengthen and get used to the new prescription. 

     Isn’t that how we view a new direction or calling that God places on our lives?  We get so comfortable in the place we are (physically and spiritually) that we freak out if God calls for a “new prescription” and it makes us feel “nauseated”.  We fight it, we take the other way, we stay where we are.  All because the strengthening that is needed to follow God’s direction is “new” and “not what we are used too.”  We tell ourselves, “God called me to where I am NOW ..Why would he want me to move?”  Just like a new pair of glasses with a stronger prescription so is the Voice of God when He speaks to our hearts to do something sometimes.  

     I think about Abraham, a man who had God tell him to leave EVERYTHING and go to a place that God WOULD tell him.  WOULD tell him, not “hey, you are going to go here, now and here is the plan.”  I personally find that thought terrifying.  Yet, Abraham obeyed and went.  I want to have faith like that.  I want to follow God’s voice and direction like that.  The calling of God on our lives may not be as dramatic as packing up everything and going to only God knows where…but it can still be like that pair of new glasses.. needed to strengthen our “sight”.  It may make us uncomfortable for a while, but it is what is called for in order for us to “see.”

schtuff Christians say..

I understand the sentiment behind "Why are we surprised when God has been taken out of our schools" but it is in extremely BAD TASTE and ignorant to say/post such things as if GOD ALLOWED this to happen solely because He has been "removed" from our schools.  Man cannot "take GOD" out of anything.  He can refuse to acknowledge Him but GOD is GOD no matter what.  Not only that but how dare we assume that the families of those who lost children were not of strong faith and taught their children about GOD at home and at church!  Did God allow my son to die because I had removed Him from my life somehow?  Did God allow a mom or dad to have cancer or get in a car accident and die because they are not allowing God in their life?  Ignorance and pride to assume that we can use that as an excuse for the human condition that Jesus Christ came to die for.  The same human condition that resides in all of us and even after we give our lives over to Him the enemy still (as scripture puts it) roars and prowls like a lion seeking whom he may devour.  Do you think that we can in the same "christianeese" language state that when things go wrong in our lives that "the enemy is sure attacking me, I must be doing something right" and "well, that tragedy is not surprising seeing that we have taken God out of school".  It is utterly disgusting to me that as Christians we would be so blind to the absolute ridiculousness of such statements.  PRAY for wisdom before speaking.  SEEK God before blanket statements that include INNOCENT life that was taken by a person who obviously was mentally unstable (to put it mildly) and carried out an evil that is unspeakable. 

PRAY for those families!  PRAY that God will pour out His comfort and mercy.  Next time you turn on the television to make sure you get all the "details" from the media ask yourself.. “Why am I wasting time on consuming this information and hit your knees to pray.”  Put your money where you mouth is.  Stop evoking the name of GOD to prove points and ask God to BREAK YOUR HEART for the lost and broken.  Ask God to USE your life to comfort and love others in His name.  The next time you are in a tragic situation (which I was and stupid ..stupid things were said to me, I am sure with good intention but without wisdom) glean from the people God sends your way to comfort you and apply it the next time someone is walking through tragedy.

Jesus Christ and the superstar.....

     I don't claim to be a Biblical scholar.  I do not claim to be an authority on doctrine or theology but I do know that in my 18 years of being a Christian and reading the Bible I am yet to find someone who was a "superstar" because of their association with Jesus.  Yes, some of them had notoriety, but it always turns to rejection by the world. Yet, in today's "Christian" world we strive to be accepted by the world and to have notoriety and well.. to be superstars.  I have been guilty of this too...but why?  Why do I crave the acceptance of the world?  Why do I long for the world to hold me in high esteem?  Now, before you start your comment back to me about how we are to "love the world" and how I am being "judgmental" read the rest of my post and then decide if you feel that way.
   
      I lived in the world.  I rolled around in the filth, loneliness, anger, hatred, abuse and bitterness of the world.  I would go to church as a teenager with my Grandpa and curse out the youth pastor and tell everyone at the youth meeting that they were morons for following Jesus.  I took pride in being against Jesus.  I believed that God existed I just made the choice to not be on His side.  I know the desperation of wanting to be loved but being so caught up in sin that it blinds you to the truth.  I am grateful that in my rock bottom homeless days on the streets of Detroit that God spared my life.  I still do not know how, other than God spared it.  I remember quite clearly the decision made to give my life to Jesus.  I think about it often.  I remember the rejection I got from some of the people I used to hang out with.  I remember the feeling of not having a "friend" in the world.  I was changed. I worked very closely with the homeless community after giving my heart to Jesus.  I would give them food and a drink and then tell anyone who would listen what Jesus had done for me.  There were times when people would listen.  I even prayed with a few to accept Jesus as their savior.  But there were many who would laugh at me or threaten me and I would be rejected.  Only Jesus could actually be given "superstar" status, if you will, in the Bible.  I mean, He came to earth, born of a virgin, was the son of God and preformed miracles.  People would flock to wherever He was.  They would walk for days to hear him speak.  Yet, in the end..He was rejected by those very same people.  Truth is... when we give our hearts and lives to Jesus we WILL be rejected by the world.  That's the way it is supposed to be.  Actually, we are too, to reject the world...not reject the PEOPLE..but the world.  Jesus spoke quite plainly when asked what someone needed to do to follow Him.. He said:

Mark 8:34-35

New International Version (NIV)

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."

     So I ask you again... why are we seeking notoriety.  If we are denying ourselves as Jesus said we need to do, then why are we so self centered in our pursuit of a "ministry" a "career" a ...fill in the blank?  It is scary when I take inventory of my life when this is the measuring stick I am to use.  

     Don't be confused.. I LOVE the people who are in the world.  I love them so much that I don't want to just be their friends and have them like me I want them to know that Jesus LOVES them and that He died for them.  It is cruel to "in the name of love" not share the truth of Jesus with people.  It is cruel to say "I am not going to judge"  No one said you were called to judge.  No one gave you that responsibility.. you are COPPING OUT.  Don't judge... share Jesus in Love.  

     Personally, I am daily asking God to scrub out of me anything that keeps me from this calling on my life.  Dying to self is a hard (understatement of the century) process, but I can't be filled with Jesus if there is any "self" left.  I want to be filled by Him.  I want to share more of Him with others.  I want "my" life to be fully His.  I long to have people say of me when I am gone.. She loved Jesus. 

<3 Heather