Contented Christmas

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

-The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:12-13

I have learned (am still learning) to be content in all circumstances. It’s weird to be served, to have someone take care of you, to have friends do things for you. I would rather be the one to serve, but there is a joy in either situation.  To be loved by someone, to accept love is a joy.  I’m having to learn what I can and cannot do. I’m learning the joy of being a helper, keeping my parents company, and just relaxing and listening.

The God of the universe took it upon himself to become like us, to be cared for, to learn how to talk, to have his diaper changed, to be bathed and raised by human hands. He took the time to be like us, slowly. He didn’t just arrive fully formed, but experienced humanity step by step.

[Jesus], being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

-The Apostle Paul, Philippians 2:6-8

I had a very frustrating day this week. I realized some limitations I wasn’t aware of before, and I felt like I can’t do anything anymore. Imagine what it must have been like to give up limitless power and take on this frail form. That’s the submissive, sacrificial love Christ showed in coming to Earth. The gift of Christmas is that God became like us and understands who we are. The person who didn’t need anything, humbled Himself to be one of us. No matter the circumstance, we have someone standing beside us who knows what it’s like. Merry Christmas!

Love, Love, Love…

…and I’m not talking about the Beatles. I think it’s sad that we have so few words in the English language to communicate such a complex set of emotions. Love, love, love… is something that developed between me and my mom since just saying “love” didn’t seem to communicate the sincerity with which we felt it. I’ve noticed this has popped up a few other places, as if the word in triplicate means to say, “love, yes I mean love, I’m not messing with you, I really mean love.”

A couple years ago I started asking God to help me understand His heart, to see the world the way He sees it, and that my heart might ache for what His heart aches for.  In a strange way, my adventures with chronic pain have been a partial answer to this prayer. The experience you have when you hear words like pain, depression, loneliness, and disappointment is quite different depending on if you have felt those feelings. If you haven’t experienced these feelings, there’s a mental chain reaction: you intellectually connect concepts based on what you have learned about them. If you have experienced them though, there is a more visceral association made, even to the point of reliving that familiar feeling, which can produce a deep empathy.  This isn’t meant as a cut to sympathy, but it is an explanation of why I feel so strongly that we need to love others. I feel like I’m seeing with new eyes, like the world is coming into focus. I’m awakening to what’s going on around me, the struggles people go through emotionally, the poverty, the heart ache, and especially the elderly who are overlooked and treated as unimportant.

I’m not trying to guilt-trip anyone. I think we should apply what we know of the world to what we see. I pray that you and I can both see better than we do now, that we might hear the struggles of our neighbors, and let our hearts be receptive to the needs of others around the world. I know it can seem like such a huge task. I don’t think we’ll cure the planet and all the people in it of every ache, but with globalization we have the ability to both know what’s going on in the world, and make a difference. Just because the action of one person is small, does not mean it’s insignificant. So, as Christmas approaches, I would like to encourage you to look around and see how you can spread the love.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

-Jesus, John 15:12-13

Life is in-Tents

When I first transferred to Biola, I heard Dr. Barry Corey give a speech by this title. With all credit due to him for the pun, I would like to add my thoughts on the temporal aspect of life. Dr. Corey spoke about how God calls people to follow Him. In the days of the patriarchs, they actually lived in tents, but we also, if we are to follow God, must emulate this lifestyle, being ready to pick up and move, be it in actual residence or in the direction of our lives.

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

…From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.

-Genesis 12:1-3,8

God called, Abram (later known as Abraham) followed. Granted, not every call comes in the nice packaging of “go here and I’ll bless all peoples through you.” Life is about following God, developing that relationship with Him. We’re only here temporarily, spending life in a tent, not knowing when we’ll move or when our journey will end.

I’m moving tomorrow, which is a new chapter in life. I’m not sure if this is going to be a short or a long chapter. I think it should be called “following God and not having any idea where you’re going.” Living as a transient for Jesus means not knowing, again, going back to trust. I thought I had some idea of the direction my life was going, but putting your faith in plans and predictability is to trust in false gods which will disappoint you. While I don’t know where I’m going, I do know my guide, and I trust Him, or, I’m learning to trust Him.

It reminds me of something I read in the book The Dream Giver. Sometimes we’re following a dream, but we don’t know what it looks like until we arrive at it. When we arrive, we may find that there is another greater dream beyond that dream which we did not see before. So I will look on this as an adventure in breaking out of my box to see the greater dream.

For those of you I’m leaving behind, I love you all. I hope our paths will cross again soon.

Trust

Trust means letting go; letting go of one’s self, and putting your faith in another. Some team-building activities will include a time where a person closes their eyes and falls backwards for others in the group to catch them. I feel like that’s what God has been asking me to do. To trust Him, to fall back into His arms, to let Him take care of me. Whether it’s society’s expectations or my own type-A personality, I’m so driven to be independent that I often ignore trust.   This mindset is contrary to the way we were made. I should be relying on God. I cannot survive on my own, I must lean on Him. I’ve heard it said that God is a crutch, and we’re a lame world.

It’s so counter-intuitive. You would think that it’s smart to plan ahead, to provide your your needs, yet while that is good, wisdom also says “if the Lord wills.” We must trust in a relationship with a Father who will provide for us. I can’t believe how many times I’ve heard the story, or seen it in my own life, that a great need arises, and is met in an unexpected way.  I think those who work in missions can especially appreciate what I’m talking about. You don’t know how you’re going to survive month to month, but the Lord provides.

An online comic I follow recently drew up a graph of  where the world’s money is (
http://xkcd.com/980/
). I was blown away by how just a small fraction of money could make a huge difference in a person’s life. We have no concept of how what resources exist and they all belong to God. He can choose to redirect them at any time to aid a need. Likewise,  the prayers of his people and His blessings are beyond what we can imagine. We think of just redirecting a little bit in the dollar category, when He can move the trillions and beyond.

What I’m assured of time and again is that we are not alone. God is there to catch us, even though we may be falling and haven’t felt His arms yet.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior

-God speaking through the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 43:2-3

Health update: Thank you all for your prayers. I’ve been seeing a chiropractor and my back is actually improving. I’m trying to stay off the vicodin right now and hope that will be a permanent change. I still have the other pain, but I’m on a new drug that may help. Please pray that I will be able to manage the side effects of the drug and also pray for a safe move next week.