Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
oooo girl...did you see what she was wearing?!
Apparently I’ve reached that age. The one where people start asking questions... I’m a single girl in her mid-twenties who is not dating anyone nor has ever been married before. People start asking “when are you going to get married?”, “why aren’t you dating anyone?”. Or they speak to each other phrases like “she’s too picky”, “maybe there are some things she needs to change”, or my favorite “does she not want to be married?” I’m not making these lines up people… I’ve heard them all. I think the worst thing about all these thoughts, questions and comments are that the majority of them come from those who attend the local church.
See I’ve decided that all my Bibles I’ve ever owned left out the book of Jeraboim. See in the 7th chapter and 23rd verse of the book of Jeraboim it clearly states that a female must be married with 1.5 kids by the time she reaches her 25 birthday. Preferably with a second child but at least have a second child on the way. Please tell me where I can find this because I’m obviously missing something. ***Please note, I am not serious about my Bible missing books. My Bible is complete and no lacking in anything (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Now don’t get me wrong…I have a HUGE desire to be married and have a family, but in God’s time, not mine. For the time being I’m learning how He is my groom and my true heart’s desire and anything else He gives is just because He loves me. Song of Songs 7:10.
This blog is to talk about how we as people, creations of the Living God treat those He has created. We believe that our culture has created this mold in which others must fit into perfectly, yet when they don’t somehow it’s their fault. It’s their fault that no one has chosen to share their life with them. It’s their fault that a husband and wife cannot conceive. It’s their fault that a spouse chose to leave them because obviously they’re not getting what they WANT out of their husband or wife. It’s their fault if they feel uncomfortable when lessons are taught on loving parents just because both their parents passed away before they turned 30.
Why do we think that we have any right to try and criticize the life of a child of the Lord? A creation He formed with His hands. A son or daughter that He loves so much that He desires to give good. Do we truly believe our opinions and thoughts will bring them peace and love when they aren’t spoken from the Lord? Do we honestly believe that our looks and actions will show approval and grace to those who the rest of the world sees as worthless?
We find the faults in others and seek to pull them out in hopes to make them a better person. Rather, shouldn’t we cover those faults and blemishes with the love, grace and arms of the Lord and His extension through us? Won’t those “issues” that we see in others be turned into things the Lord can use to minister to others using that individual?
When I look at a girl who is broken because she comes from a family who doesn’t care if she eats from day to day, but I act like she is in my way and taking up precious time I have. What about the two kids who live in a home with their parents. However, their parents have one A/C unit that is in their bedroom and the children have free reign of the rest of the house and the parents never come out of the bedroom because they’re continuously cooking meth? (I am not making that one up). Do we cut our eyes at them in disgust when they walk in and just want someone to hug them because no one hugs in their family… they would rather hit or tell the individual how much they need to fix in their life… their version of loving and mending…
The love that the world has created comes when one meets the standards that the culture sets. The church today believes you must meet a certain physical appearance in order to be “accepted”. One must bath and have clothing from a high-end fashion store before stepping into the newly remodeled facility. What if an individual comes in who hasn’t bathed in 2 weeks? What if they are wearing the same clothes they’ve worn for 3 days? What if they sit beside me? Do I politely smile and ask “how are you doing?” but not really mean it? Do I tell them it was nice to see them as I leave the church but never offer them to come to lunch with me or ask them if there is any way I can help?
I remember growing up when my parents weren’t as involved in church as other parents in the youth group. Other kids would give me looks like it was my fault. Adults would ask questions because they felt it was my responsibility to make sure my parents were involved. I don’t remember one person coming to our house to visit just to see how we were doing. We weren’t “in the right circle”.
I’ve become so consumed with meeting my wants and not meeting the needs of others that Jesus puts in my path. I think as long as I tell them the story of the Gospel that they will want what I have…. But I show no love? People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Didn’t Jesus always meet the needs of others while also sharing His love…. Paul says in I Corinthians 13 “I may speak in tongues of men or of angels, but if I am without love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, and know every hidden truth; I may have faith strong enough to move mountains; but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess, or even give my body to be burnt, but if I have no love, I am none the better.”
I want to be the person who sits in the nursery at church holding children even when they smell of smoke or dirt is caked on their face. I want to be the girl in Africa praying with mothers and fathers as they learn their child is terribly sick. I want to stand in the middle of a field in South America leading worship for the local church. I long to sit with a young girl as she cries and explains to me why she feels it necessary to cut herself to make the pain go away. I want to remind her of the one who created her and looks at her declaring her beauty day after day. I want to be the one who kneels to kiss the feet of the Father longing just to hear Him.
See I’ve decided that all my Bibles I’ve ever owned left out the book of Jeraboim. See in the 7th chapter and 23rd verse of the book of Jeraboim it clearly states that a female must be married with 1.5 kids by the time she reaches her 25 birthday. Preferably with a second child but at least have a second child on the way. Please tell me where I can find this because I’m obviously missing something. ***Please note, I am not serious about my Bible missing books. My Bible is complete and no lacking in anything (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Now don’t get me wrong…I have a HUGE desire to be married and have a family, but in God’s time, not mine. For the time being I’m learning how He is my groom and my true heart’s desire and anything else He gives is just because He loves me. Song of Songs 7:10.
This blog is to talk about how we as people, creations of the Living God treat those He has created. We believe that our culture has created this mold in which others must fit into perfectly, yet when they don’t somehow it’s their fault. It’s their fault that no one has chosen to share their life with them. It’s their fault that a husband and wife cannot conceive. It’s their fault that a spouse chose to leave them because obviously they’re not getting what they WANT out of their husband or wife. It’s their fault if they feel uncomfortable when lessons are taught on loving parents just because both their parents passed away before they turned 30.
Why do we think that we have any right to try and criticize the life of a child of the Lord? A creation He formed with His hands. A son or daughter that He loves so much that He desires to give good. Do we truly believe our opinions and thoughts will bring them peace and love when they aren’t spoken from the Lord? Do we honestly believe that our looks and actions will show approval and grace to those who the rest of the world sees as worthless?
We find the faults in others and seek to pull them out in hopes to make them a better person. Rather, shouldn’t we cover those faults and blemishes with the love, grace and arms of the Lord and His extension through us? Won’t those “issues” that we see in others be turned into things the Lord can use to minister to others using that individual?
When I look at a girl who is broken because she comes from a family who doesn’t care if she eats from day to day, but I act like she is in my way and taking up precious time I have. What about the two kids who live in a home with their parents. However, their parents have one A/C unit that is in their bedroom and the children have free reign of the rest of the house and the parents never come out of the bedroom because they’re continuously cooking meth? (I am not making that one up). Do we cut our eyes at them in disgust when they walk in and just want someone to hug them because no one hugs in their family… they would rather hit or tell the individual how much they need to fix in their life… their version of loving and mending…
The love that the world has created comes when one meets the standards that the culture sets. The church today believes you must meet a certain physical appearance in order to be “accepted”. One must bath and have clothing from a high-end fashion store before stepping into the newly remodeled facility. What if an individual comes in who hasn’t bathed in 2 weeks? What if they are wearing the same clothes they’ve worn for 3 days? What if they sit beside me? Do I politely smile and ask “how are you doing?” but not really mean it? Do I tell them it was nice to see them as I leave the church but never offer them to come to lunch with me or ask them if there is any way I can help?
I remember growing up when my parents weren’t as involved in church as other parents in the youth group. Other kids would give me looks like it was my fault. Adults would ask questions because they felt it was my responsibility to make sure my parents were involved. I don’t remember one person coming to our house to visit just to see how we were doing. We weren’t “in the right circle”.
I’ve become so consumed with meeting my wants and not meeting the needs of others that Jesus puts in my path. I think as long as I tell them the story of the Gospel that they will want what I have…. But I show no love? People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Didn’t Jesus always meet the needs of others while also sharing His love…. Paul says in I Corinthians 13 “I may speak in tongues of men or of angels, but if I am without love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, and know every hidden truth; I may have faith strong enough to move mountains; but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may dole out all I possess, or even give my body to be burnt, but if I have no love, I am none the better.”
I want to be the person who sits in the nursery at church holding children even when they smell of smoke or dirt is caked on their face. I want to be the girl in Africa praying with mothers and fathers as they learn their child is terribly sick. I want to stand in the middle of a field in South America leading worship for the local church. I long to sit with a young girl as she cries and explains to me why she feels it necessary to cut herself to make the pain go away. I want to remind her of the one who created her and looks at her declaring her beauty day after day. I want to be the one who kneels to kiss the feet of the Father longing just to hear Him.
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