Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Miracles
I have been bothered by something lately. Miracles. We read about them in the Bible, we believe them because we have faith, we pray for them when people are sick, we pray for them people have "gone astray" and we even pray for them when people's spirits have been burned. If we don't believe it why do we pray for it?
I have come to see something for the first time concerning miracles. We believe it can happen BEFORE it does, we believe it happened when it's OVER but where the heck is our faith in the midst of it? I'm not talking about the sick person who over night seems to be getting better, it's easy to believe God is part of that because we can write it off if we need to. A miracle disguised in natural processes. I'm talking about the people pray specifically for someone to be free from a certain sin when there is no explanation as to why anyone should know about the sin in that persons life. I'm talking about the people who seem to always be in the right place at the right time to save people. I'm talking about believing what we pray for. Having an expectant faith.
If we would have an expectant faith, would we then be more of a people who see the bread breaking as the 5,000 are being fed, who see the footprints on top of the water as Jesus is walking out to us and who watch the woman at the well spread the word of Christ, or would be still be the people we are, who pray but do not believe until the result is showcased?
I don't know where I fall into all of this. I fear that skepticism has taken over expectation for far too long in my life. What I am finding now, is that in the midst of a miracle my passion for people to believe in Him and my desire to expect God to complete something he has started in the people I care about has fed my spirit in a way that fires me up about my faith! Our human nature drives us to the cynical prayers. No doubt those prayers will always be around but how long do we go on sitting and letting Satan jog around our faith, every now and then poking at it planting seeds of doubt and skepticism in our lass than expectant faith. I'm done with it. For now I will stand strong in the expectant faith God calls me to and I will have no doubt in my mind that God will fulfill his promises in my life. I will expect God to finish what he started.
I have come to see something for the first time concerning miracles. We believe it can happen BEFORE it does, we believe it happened when it's OVER but where the heck is our faith in the midst of it? I'm not talking about the sick person who over night seems to be getting better, it's easy to believe God is part of that because we can write it off if we need to. A miracle disguised in natural processes. I'm talking about the people pray specifically for someone to be free from a certain sin when there is no explanation as to why anyone should know about the sin in that persons life. I'm talking about the people who seem to always be in the right place at the right time to save people. I'm talking about believing what we pray for. Having an expectant faith.
If we would have an expectant faith, would we then be more of a people who see the bread breaking as the 5,000 are being fed, who see the footprints on top of the water as Jesus is walking out to us and who watch the woman at the well spread the word of Christ, or would be still be the people we are, who pray but do not believe until the result is showcased?
I don't know where I fall into all of this. I fear that skepticism has taken over expectation for far too long in my life. What I am finding now, is that in the midst of a miracle my passion for people to believe in Him and my desire to expect God to complete something he has started in the people I care about has fed my spirit in a way that fires me up about my faith! Our human nature drives us to the cynical prayers. No doubt those prayers will always be around but how long do we go on sitting and letting Satan jog around our faith, every now and then poking at it planting seeds of doubt and skepticism in our lass than expectant faith. I'm done with it. For now I will stand strong in the expectant faith God calls me to and I will have no doubt in my mind that God will fulfill his promises in my life. I will expect God to finish what he started.
Monday, October 23, 2006
For real
The word for the day is authentic. I love this word because it's so freeing. Be who you are, whereever you are. Be real. If we were real we wouldn't ever have to worry about trusting each other. We could know that what someone tells us is the truth and that what they tell us lines up directly with how they act and treat us.
I want to be real. I want people to know that I am who I say I am. Not only that but I am who HE says I am. HE says I am beautiful. HE says I am loved. HE says I am worth it and I believe him. I want to act that way in all aspects of life. May you be so blessed this week that you will believe what HE says and in that, find a way to be free; for real!
I want to be real. I want people to know that I am who I say I am. Not only that but I am who HE says I am. HE says I am beautiful. HE says I am loved. HE says I am worth it and I believe him. I want to act that way in all aspects of life. May you be so blessed this week that you will believe what HE says and in that, find a way to be free; for real!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I have AIDS
Well, I don't but a girl named Olivia in Africa does. I stepped into her life this weekend. For 20 minutes I listened to the sounds of Olivia's world and experienced some of her emotions. I waited for the results of the blood test and I was stamped with the 'X.' I have AIDS. Olivia has AIDS.
For 30 seconds I experienced hopelessness. No friends, no family, only an 'X' and a quarantined bench to sit on. I waited. I waited for a "clean" person to reach out and offer hope. Hope came and so did the tears. I listened to how Olivia's life turned out. She has chosen the road less traveled and has become an advocate for AIDS Awareness. She has started a support group in her own community.
My heart cried for her and so many who are like her living in the humiliation of this disease. Sin has caused such great pain for the children of God. I believe in the cause now. I only regret that it took me so long. Pray for the many many out there who struggle daily to see how a God who is good and loving can allow family member after family member to die in front of them of this awful disease.
For 30 seconds I experienced hopelessness. No friends, no family, only an 'X' and a quarantined bench to sit on. I waited. I waited for a "clean" person to reach out and offer hope. Hope came and so did the tears. I listened to how Olivia's life turned out. She has chosen the road less traveled and has become an advocate for AIDS Awareness. She has started a support group in her own community.
My heart cried for her and so many who are like her living in the humiliation of this disease. Sin has caused such great pain for the children of God. I believe in the cause now. I only regret that it took me so long. Pray for the many many out there who struggle daily to see how a God who is good and loving can allow family member after family member to die in front of them of this awful disease.
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