Reason #614
Today has been the strangest, most interesting day. After a slow day at work, I had a full "to-do" list in my head for the evening. I did not accomplish any of the things I had planned to do. I did, however, fold a basket of laundry. As I grabbed the last few towels off of the bed, I spotted a spider on my bedroom wall. It was about the size of a silver dollar, legs not included. By far the biggest spider I have seen inside my house. I grabbed a shoe out of my closet and tried to get the best angle so it wouldn't run as I attempted to smash it. Of course, it had a better tactic than running. It fell right off the wall into the carpet, which just so happened to camouflage it. I carefully moved a few items around until I finally found it and beat it to a pulp. Stuff like this only happens when I am by myself, and I am just grateful that the Lord got me past my bug killing fears last summer with the moth infestation.
Aaron is out of town tonight, and I always feel a strange void when he isn't here. It's like something is missing. He called me when he finally made it to his hotel room and we talked for at least an hour. Truthfully, it was kind of a depressing conversation as we talked about all of the sad and terrible things going on in the world. I don't know if things really are getting worse or if the media is just choosing to make sure we only know the bad stuff. But as we talked, I wondered how and why people are so against the Lord. Why are people so angry and mad at Jesus? Why do we try to turn completely from truth and push the Creator of the universe out of our lives? I don't get it. Because what has the Lord done that is so bad? I know people mention famine, war, death, illness, abandonment, and so forth but why is it that we think the Lord did these things? Because for a large majority of these items, it's people who are actually doing them. People are choosing to abandon their families. People are choosing to hurt one another. People are taking lives, withholding food, stealing, deceiving, and persecuting one another. And so how do we get in our heads that God is doing this when clearly we can put a name and face to most of these acts? Ah, but maybe you think the popular thought of, "If God loved us and cared for us, He wouldn't let these things happen." Yet one moment we tell Him to go away and the next we ask Him to come back. Quit convicting us, but meet our needs. Don't be a part of our lives, but don't let anything bad happen to us. But doesn't it make sense that when we push away goodness, we leave a huge space to be filled with the complete opposite?
We all want to live in a perfect world, don't we? A world where everyone's needs are met, where people don't hurt, where there is no sadness or sorrow. A world where fear doesn't exist, and a world where everyone is happy. A place where we are taken care of and loved. A place where we are accepted and valued. A good place. We won't find it here, but there's hope that it will come. And isn't that encouraging and refreshing? In the book of Job, he makes a statement about how it would be so much easier for him to get through trials if he knew that humans could live again. Well, thank goodness that God worked that out for our good and we can.
Sometimes I struggle with the thought of bringing children into this world because I don't know what lies ahead. But I know that, for believers, no matter what goes on in this world, we will all end up in a good place. A place of light, where darkness cannot reside. But until then, He needs us to be here. He needs us to be lights, to raise up lights, and to keep on doing that until He comes back. The darkness cannot hide the light, it just doesn't work that way. So we shine even if doesn't make sense to the people around us because we know that in the end, things will be really good.
#614 - For the hope that comes from living in the light.
"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” - John 8:12
Aaron is out of town tonight, and I always feel a strange void when he isn't here. It's like something is missing. He called me when he finally made it to his hotel room and we talked for at least an hour. Truthfully, it was kind of a depressing conversation as we talked about all of the sad and terrible things going on in the world. I don't know if things really are getting worse or if the media is just choosing to make sure we only know the bad stuff. But as we talked, I wondered how and why people are so against the Lord. Why are people so angry and mad at Jesus? Why do we try to turn completely from truth and push the Creator of the universe out of our lives? I don't get it. Because what has the Lord done that is so bad? I know people mention famine, war, death, illness, abandonment, and so forth but why is it that we think the Lord did these things? Because for a large majority of these items, it's people who are actually doing them. People are choosing to abandon their families. People are choosing to hurt one another. People are taking lives, withholding food, stealing, deceiving, and persecuting one another. And so how do we get in our heads that God is doing this when clearly we can put a name and face to most of these acts? Ah, but maybe you think the popular thought of, "If God loved us and cared for us, He wouldn't let these things happen." Yet one moment we tell Him to go away and the next we ask Him to come back. Quit convicting us, but meet our needs. Don't be a part of our lives, but don't let anything bad happen to us. But doesn't it make sense that when we push away goodness, we leave a huge space to be filled with the complete opposite?
We all want to live in a perfect world, don't we? A world where everyone's needs are met, where people don't hurt, where there is no sadness or sorrow. A world where fear doesn't exist, and a world where everyone is happy. A place where we are taken care of and loved. A place where we are accepted and valued. A good place. We won't find it here, but there's hope that it will come. And isn't that encouraging and refreshing? In the book of Job, he makes a statement about how it would be so much easier for him to get through trials if he knew that humans could live again. Well, thank goodness that God worked that out for our good and we can.
Sometimes I struggle with the thought of bringing children into this world because I don't know what lies ahead. But I know that, for believers, no matter what goes on in this world, we will all end up in a good place. A place of light, where darkness cannot reside. But until then, He needs us to be here. He needs us to be lights, to raise up lights, and to keep on doing that until He comes back. The darkness cannot hide the light, it just doesn't work that way. So we shine even if doesn't make sense to the people around us because we know that in the end, things will be really good.
#614 - For the hope that comes from living in the light.
"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” - John 8:12
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