virtual rule #10

Virtual Rule #10: complete sentences+complete words = A Completed Thought

I like shortcuts as much as the next person. If I can shave some time off a project and still get the same result as if going the long way around, I am giddy. Case in point, I try to send a text message of God centered encouragement everyday. I love the challenge of conveying a big thought or truth into a 160 character space text message. It is amazing how many times it works out to be exactly 160 character spaces but there are times when I have gone way over the 160 character limit. When this happens abbreviations & symbols become a vital lifeline. I say all this to show that I do appreciate abbreviations BUT I think we are using them too often and unnecessarily.

I know the whole point of text messaging is to keep communication short and concise but not everything can be condensed down into an abbreviation; sometimes you are going to have to type the whole word out (or imagine this CALL THE PERSON!). When your communication can't be understood there is a problem. This is going to sound possibly silly but, "Say what you are saying." Communicate what is going on, what you want to happen, what you need to happen - and if there is an inconsistency between these three things, acknowledge it and seek out an effective remedy.

Example scenario: Two friends have plans to meet up for lunch. One of the friends has a migraine and cannot even open her eyes without pain. She wants to have lunch but realistically needs to reschedule. Hemming and hawing is not going to fix the situation. A decision needs to be made and then that decision needs to be communicated. A text of: "Sorry but I can't make lunch. Bad migraine today, can't move. Can we reschedule 4 next week?" It's really that easy. Don't belabor the point and drag it on. Don't wait till 30 minutes before meeting to cancel. Just say what you need to say plain and promptly.

Use abbreviations only to the extent that the communication being rendered is still effective and completely able to be understood. Don't dance around an issue either. If the recipient of a message scratches their head in puzzlement and has to get out an interpreting guide and Ouija board than communication methods need to be examined. Be clear. Be concise. Be kind.

defining BOLD

Merriam Webster Dictionary - Definition of BOLD:
1a: fearless before danger b: showing or requiring a fearless daring spirit
2: impudent, presumptuous
3 obsolete : assured, confident
4: sheer, steep <bold cliffs>
5: adventurous, free <a bold thinker>
6: standing out prominently

I was talking with a friend the other night and Rob Bell's new book came into the discussion. The word "bold" was thrown around regarding Rob Bell's exegesis regarding God, love and hell. The word "bold" was being used with positive connotations, "Rob Bell is being bold with his new book." It has troubled me ever since. "Bold" is not a word I would use to describe Bell's misusing biblical text and attempting to dissuade people away from truthful, contextual biblical interpretation; I would call this heretical, tragic and disheartening but I would never call it "bold". If Rob Bell has a problem with God and who God shows himself to be through the text of the bible, I would respect him more if he rejected scripture entirely instead of trying to twist biblical texts to say things that it doesn't say. Rob Bell isn't being bold, he is being impudent and insolent. If Bell were just some dude who wrote a book attempting to start a discussion about Hell, God and love - that would be fine and that not something people should fear BUT that's not what he is doing. Bell isn't just some "dude", he is a pastor, a teacher and supposed to be an apparent spiritual Christian leader and when he says or writes something, he is laying out a theology. With this book he's attempting to promote a certain viewpoint and dissuade people of differing views into believing his view; this is a serious thing especially if he is wrong.

Just because something true makes me uncomfortable or is hard for me as a mortal to completely grasp, doesn't mean it becomes not true. No man has the ability in and of themselves to define absolute truth - that's what makes it absolute truth. Absolute truth lies outside of mankind in the being and personhood of God who is outside of all things and yet made all things. This is part of the great mystery and power that make God, God. If I completely understood God I would be God. I know there are a lot of people who can't accept this.

Maybe I am just being too much of stickler here regarding the word bold. In the end I guess it really struck me because I equate whether rightly or wrongly the word bold with the word beautiful. It is beautiful when something that you imagine to be small and weak does something bold and brave. It is beautiful when a person is bold and shares something unknown about themselves with others. A lot of things are BOLD and beautiful, I just don't think Rob Bell's recent publishing is one of them.

the testing

How fitting that this post occurs on the same day as the post entitled "the trusting", for low and behold today my trust has been tested. I have been tested in sort of indirect ways; a lot of things happening around me but not directly to me. Things that I can either let stress me and fret me or I can trust God. Normally I let things get to me; I can actually feel the stress inside building. I try to tackle a goal that is too big instead of breaking into manageable realistic stages. Today, I felt that same feeling of uncertainty giving rise to panic. I had a talk with myself, saying either I will trust God completely or I will needlessly freak myself out. There is no sort of partial credit available when it comes to trust, it's pass or fail. So I talked myself down from my inner metal ledge and took a deep breath. When the next testing of trust comes (and it will) I will remember to take life as it comes with trust that God is with me and before me.

"But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire..." Deuteronomy 9:3

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Dueteronomy 31:8

the trusting

God isn't counting on you. God doesn't have all his hopes wrapped up in you. God's sovereignty will not be upended because you mess up, screwed up, failed or fall short. God is big, really really big; way bigger than our individual failings and way bigger than our corporate "successes". Please stop carrying the burden of the misconception that God is "counting on us" because it's toxic. We aren't meant to be the Trustee (the one who manages the big picture and controls ultimate endings); we are meant to be the trusting. Whatever we do, we should do out of trust in God and faith in His Son. We should never act from the belief that God is trusting in us and needs our "gifts". Instead we should be humbled that God is able to make anything good from us, truly! glory be to God! "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

When we fall short, when we are acutely aware of our sinfulness before a holy God, when we are perceiving the awe, splendor and majesty of God revealed to us through Jesus Christ - it will shrink us into silent reverence and worship, a fear drawing us closer to God not further away. When our gifts fall short, when we who are good at speaking can't project our voice, when we who write can't find the right words, when we who lead take a stumble - we need to know that God isn't diminished. Our seeming failures and many weakness aren't to be equated with God failing or being weak. Don't trust in yourself but trust in God!

This is not to say that God doesn't have expectations for us. There are ways he wants us to behave and things expects us to do but our obedience must flow out of our faith in Him and our hoping in his promises. Don't trust in yourself but trust in God! "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he (Jesus) said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Matthew 22:36-38)

"...I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."" Psalm 31:14

so great a sacrifice

Do you feel worthy enough of having Christ give His life for you? Do you feel He did the right thing (smart thing? wise thing? just thing?) in giving his life (His perfect, spotless, blemish-free, sinless, innocent life) for you? Maybe because it is traditionally what is called "Holy Week", I am pondering more heavily than I have in a long time what Jesus' life and death means. I am considering closely the words, "Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) and this is giving way to my having a deep connection in my heart with the tax collector from Luke 18 who could not even raise his eyes towards the heavens where God dwells but who looking at the ground, beat his breast, and said, "God have mercy on me a sinner."

I have been gnawing over this issue today and my short answer to the above questions has been "No." I don't feel worthy of so great a sacrifice on my behalf. I don't think I am worthy and here is the kicker, it really doesn't matter what I think. It really doesn't matter if I feel worthy of such a sacrifice because it's not about me, at least it's not about me in any central sense. My feeling don't determine the truth either way for Truth lies outside of me and my fickle feelings.

I was feeling really low and down earlier while thinking about worth, Jesus and the mess called me. I was thinking of Him who deserved only the best that man can offer, of Him whom even mans best isn't worthy enough for. I was thinking of Him who deserves all honor, only the deepest respect and continual worship being unjustly convicted, sickeningly slandered, openly mocked, physically tortured, and unduly degraded. All this done to Him and he did not participate in the spectacle of his mock trial, He did not call for fire to fall from Heaven upon his slanderous accusers, He did not rain down curses upon his many executioners; instead in the midst of this horror, He prayed to God, He cared for His mother, was concerned for the welfare of future generations, fulfilled the prophecies and entrusted Himself to His Father.

This helped me at just the right time, Luke 15:19-24:
“...I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry."

What God has redeemed let no man overlook.
What God has restored let no man reject.
What God has cleansed let no man defile.
What God has loved let no man despise.

home isn't a physical structure

The phrase "Hospitality without the house" from a previous post keeps coming to my mind. I think it's because I am in my later twenties and don't have a house or a dwelling all my own. I figured that by this time I would have a house with a garage and a dishwasher. I thought I would be mowing the grass in the summer and raking leaves in the fall.

Maybe there is something to be said about not getting what you think you want, when you think you want it. Maybe if I had gotten all that I thought I wanted, I would have missed out on what I needed. Going back to school fills me with excited nausea. The nursing road is a long one and there are many different places it could take a person. I have a long way before I will be ready to apply for the RN nursing program itself, at least if I do it through the local community college; so much to think about and figure out. Trepidation fills me and if a nervous breakdown isn't to follow, I am going to have to learn to trust a higher power.

I was thinking yesterday about this guy that I really loved and would have done anything for. He never gave me the time of day really and it occurred to me that maybe God did that for a reason. Maybe I wouldn't have had gained courage if I had gotten what I thought I wanted. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to go back to school if I was in a serious relationship. Maybe I wouldn't be willing to try this new path if this particular person were more central in my life. It became apparent to me that maybe he really wasn't right for me and that, go figure, God knew it all along. It's hard sometimes when you think you know what you want, when you think you know what would be best for youself. Short sightedness is such a reality to we mortals; I hope it doesn't have to be.

With the crazy spring weather, in which it is 80 degrees one day and snowing the next, I watched a lot of Netflix over the weekend. I watched a Disney movie of all things (I am such a Pollyanna) and there was a moral in it that is so fitting for what I coming to discover. The moral went like this: It’s more important to have what you need than what you want. It really makes you think about separating and distinguishing between needs and wants. Relationships and laughter, someone to share moments with - these are the things that are truly needed on a human level. Savor people and relationships while you have them and don't take them not for granted. When you take the scale of needs versus wants to the spiritual level, your left with the reality that this Being called "God" trumps all finite worries.

Look at your life and see that it is filled with a lot of what you need.
Allow some of your wants to be swallowed up by what you already have.

log-ing is good for the soul

Dialog  and conversation are so important to the soul. It's important to be able to express yourself with another person and to be a sounding board for which another person can express themselves. Sometimes the opportunity for this isn't ideal, our friends live far away and can't talk in person or it's already ten minutes to midnight and the idea of writing an email seems so exhausting. True personal, intimate communication takes effort and intention; it take effort to overcome our unintentional, attention-less society. Making yourself available to another person, not allowing yourself to monopolize the conversation - these things are important. Hearing what you are saying and what is being said to you, changes how you perceive yourself and how you are perceived by others.

 

This came up because I have come to see how important journaling is. Writing down stuff that is going on in life and in your brain is important. It can help you organize your thoughts, recognize patterns, remember what happened; journaling is like taking a snapshot of yourself but with words instead of images. It doesn't have to be and maybe it shouldn't be something the whole world needs to see. Looking over my old journals, I see things about myself then and now that I wouldn't have been aware of if I didn't have the written recording.

It is said that a person always makes time for the things that are truly important to them. I challenge all of us to take the time to consider what is truly important to us and if it's good for the soul, go for it! xo