Give Me Your Eyes

I found this song on YouTube a few months back and fell in love with it. There are so many times in our lives where we get so self-absorbed and forget to think about others. There are people going through hardships in their lives everyday. We as Christians actually have it better because we are not going through our situations alone, we have Jesus Christ with us.

I listen to this song as and pray before I go to church and out. I want to see the world through God's eyes. I want to see people as God sees them. I want to love them and reach out for them. We as Christians are supposed to be the light of the world and are supposed to live like Christ. Therefore we should strive to have eyes like God. We shouldn't see people for the clothes that they wear or for the make-up that they put on. We should see them as the souls that are either going to Heaven or Hell one day.

God tells us not to judge others. So we shouldn't look at the "speck" in someone else's eye when we have "a log" in our own. Everyone has their own cross to bear. The least we can do is to look a them with God's eyes and share Jesus's love with them. Then they won't have to bear their cross alone. Jesus will bear it for them.

Just Wait

It an upsetting though when we realize that God's timing is not always our timing. There are times in my life where I get frustrated with God and go, “Why God? Why must I go through this hardship and pain? I’m tired of waiting.”  My situation is not a simple one and I am always trying to cope with it. It isn’t like I am dying, but it comes with its own frustrations. No, my situation is one that the doctors are still trying to define. They don’t know the exact name for it yet, but I know God is doing something in my life. I have a feeling that this will only be a single thread in a great tapestry.

                The other night I was reading the Bible and I had a startling revelation. It is probably one you have already had. I’ve heard the story thousands of times and even read it dozens of times myself.  It’s the story of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus. I had never truly realized the amount of pure emotion and inner turmoil that Jesus had to have faced in this time.

 In John chapter 11 it talks about how Jesus’s friend Lazarus was sick. Jesus loved this man dearly. They were close friends and Lazarus’s sister Mary was the one who cleaned Jesus’ feet with the perfume and her hair. This family had a huge place in Jesus’ heart. Now, even though He knew Lazarus was sick, Jesus remained where he was for two more days saying that this sickness was for “God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it”.  Jesus had just been in the city where Lazarus was living and was almost stoned but he returned anyway despite His disciples’ protests. Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus had died and that he was going to go and wake him up. He even told them “for your sake I am glad I was not there”.  When I read that verse I had the feeling that Jesus was a bit angry that Lazarus had to die, even though he knew he had to die for what was to happen next. 

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Martha, Lazarus’s sister, ran out to meet Jesus but Mary was mourning too much to get up. Martha told Jesus that if He had been there then her brother would not have died. He just told her that he will rise again. Then she went and told Mary to come. Mary rushed out to meet Jesus so quickly that the other mourners followed her as well.  When she found Him she fell at His feet weeping and saying if only He had been here earlier then her brother would not have died. When Jesus saw how distraught she was and saw all the mourners weeping He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled”. He then asked where Lazarus was laid and was led there. This is where we get the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept”.

Jesus then raised Lazarus from the dead. I think most people tend to focus on the miracle itself But what struck me the most was the story leading up to the miracle, the relationship between the characters of the story. It wouldn’t make complete sense by itself, but if you think about Christ’s own story. How He was sentenced to death. How in the Bible it constantly says how He could have been arrested or stoned but it was not His yet time. God could have saved Jesus from death and many would have believed that he was the Son of God, but we would not have redemption. In the same way, God could have saved Lazarus from death, but only a few would have believed, but because of his death and resurrection, many believed and we can see a glimpse of human emotion from Christ. Out of all of the characters in the Bible, Lazarus is probably one of the closest stories to Jesus’ own.

One thing I couldn’t stop thinking about as I read this passage was how much inner turmoil Jesus must have faced. He must have known what was going to happen to Lazarus, or at least suspected. He knew something would happen to His friend and He loved him dearly. He could have left immediately when He found out that Lazarus was sick, but instead He waited for two days before heading out. It was almost like He was telling Himself, “Just wait…just wait”. That is why He told His disciples to be glad that He wasn’t there when Lazarus died. The hurt He must have been feeling had to have been overwhelming. He knew the pain He was allowing to be inflicted among His loved ones. He knew how much it was hurting Mary and Martha. He knew that the light had left Lazarus’s eyes and Lazarus was in a better place. Jesus was going to have to take him out of that place and bring him back. When Martha and Mary came to Jesus and were weeping and crying out to him it broke His heart. Jesus already knew how much the situation was hurting them, but it was also hurting Him as well. I don’t think that life and death mean the same thing to Christ as they do to us, but in an essence almost more important in regards of our souls. This was not only an act of bringing a loved one back from the grave, but of bringing a loved one out of paradise.

Compelled by "Christianity" Devotional

So fine arts has once again started up. I am leading a group with my friend Brittany and it has been pretty interesting. The theme this year is "Compelled by Love", so Brittany and I wanted to do something different with our group. We decided to write and do a series of "compelled by..." devotions for our kids each week. We have been blessed with some amazing kids and I am so proud of them.  I wrote this week's devotion and it was "Compelled by 'Christianity'". Hope you all enjoy and get something out of it.


“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” TITUS 1:15-16
As Christians, this verse is sadly a perfect description of the majority. We claim to know God and to do His will, yet our actions cancel out any good we ever do. We are hypocrites. There are so many people that I know who don’t “walk the walk” and try to do great things for God and work in ministry. They try and try to “save” people, but tend to be unsuccessful and wonder why. How can you do anything to further God’s kingdom, when YOU are not even living His will for your life? You will be stuck in a rut until you take initiative and rid yourselves of sin. But be careful that you don’t just “clean up” your act in front of people for appearances sake.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” MATT 6:5


“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” MATT 23:25-26
“In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” MATT 23:28

So we need to clean ourselves fully, from the inside out. It has to be a total submission to God. Don’t worry, He didn’t abandon us to figure out how to rid ourselves of sin and unfit lives by ourselves though. He gave us instructions and guidelines to become more like him. The Bible is our road map and teaches us how.
“It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.” TITUS 2:12


“Be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” TITUS 3:1-11
“I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” GHANDI

Makes you think about how many people we have turned away because of our actions. As Christians we are supposed to reflect Christ and be a light that draws people to God. We don't always do that. How often do we do things in secret and around school that we would NEVER do in church or around our "godly Christian" friends? There is always someone watching what you do. If you say you are a Christian then they are going to watch you to see what a Christian is like and how they are different from everyone else. Someone is always watching. What do they see when they look at you? Are you like Christ? Or do you turn people away from Christ by your so-called- "Christianity"?

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.


To be a Christian is more than just saying it. It is waking up every day and making the choice of whether we will do the right thing and be open to what God has for us. If we start to really seek God: pray, read the Bible, go to church, follow His commandments; then He will start revealing stuff to us. But he can’t get to us if we have too much junk in our lives that keeps us separated from Him. Once we have cleaned ourselves and devoted ourselves to Him, then some amazing stuff happens. In the book of Philemon, Paul talks about being a "prisioner of Christ". He loved God so much and was bound by his love, like a prisioner. Paul was arrested numerous times and still tried to minister and be God’s vessel of ministry, even when he was in jail. He held an endurance that many today don’t even come close to. He was a true Christian. He loved God so much that he just couldn’t contain it and wanted to tell everyone.
(Operation Auca)In 1956 five missionaries: Nate Saint, Ed Mccully, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian tried to bring the gospel to a violent Indian tribe in South America. They were some of the first to ever contact this tribe. They set up a camp and a few days later after some brief moments of contact with the Indians; they were attacked and speared by the very people they were trying to save. A few years later, some of the family members of those men: their wives and sisters entered into the tribe’s encampment and lived among them. Many were saved and converted to Christianity. God used those circumstances and opened the hearts of those people. Because these people were open and willing to do what God asked of them, no matter the personal cost and hurt, God used them. Their legacy has inspired thousands over the years to pour into missions and become missionaries themselves.
The following quote is from Jim Elliot before he died.
“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow, do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the best you got anyway.”

What Faith Can Do

So I have been thinking a lot lately on what God has planned for my future. It is hard for me to think about because I am very afraid of what life has ahead of me due to my hearing issues. It makes me very afraid. Being a part of the Grassroots reps for 3rd Wave, PJ (Pastor Johnny) sent us all a youtube link with this song. I don't think he realizes how much this song really means to me now. It portrays a lot of the similar emotions I have gone through over the years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1JBSQMkQEo

Life Thoughts

Last week I went to a young lady's memorial. She was only in middle school and she committed suicide. I didn't know her very well but every time I saw her she had a big smile on her beautiful face while she was volunteering with the preschool. Looking back I remember ministering to her throughout her elementary years in Children's Church for years. She was one out of hundreds of children I help minister to every week. Originally a face that fades between all the chaos of ministry, and now one that will always be in my mind.

I knew her brother pretty well. He graduated a year before me at our high school. We were even in a human video together for Fine Arts once. His sister loved him and she meant the world to him. I remember the two of them getting along really well. It was heartwarming to watch. I hadn’t seen him in a while because he joined to army after he graduated. He has been away for about a year. I saw him last week at his baby sister’s memorial. He wasn’t the same guy that I remembered. Instead of being playful and energetic, he was somber and heartbroken. It seemed like life had been drained out of him. When I gave him a hug I could feel the affect his sister’s death had made on his life. He wasn’t the big strong guy that could handle anything anymore. He was now deeply heartbroken and it seemed like he was going to fall into pieces. His world had been shattered along with his heart. Looking into his eyes I could tell that he was barely hanging on to his emotions and my heart broke for him.

This whole scenario has been replaying in my head all week and I have developed some thoughts on the matter. Although we will never truly know why someone commits suicide, we realize things that should have been noticed or done differently a little too late. Maybe if that young lady felt like she could tell someone how she felt things would have been different. Maybe she tried but got frustrated when they didn’t understand. Maybe in the end she just gave in at a brief moment of weakness.

You see, no matter who you are you need someone you trust and can talk to. Human beings cannot go through this life alone. We need companionship to thrive. That means that we need loved ones to help us carry the burdens we face along our paths. We should be there for them just as they are there for us. I’ve noticed that more often than not, the people who are enormously giving and are constantly there for other people to carry their loads are actually the ones who need it the most.  They are so busy caring about others that they pile their burdens sky high and never obtain release. It keeps building and building until they can’t take it anymore and they snap. They need the same consideration that they give to others.

Although people say that they understand what you are going though, in reality, they don’t. No one knows exactly what another person is going through. They may have had a similar experience or may be sympathetic, but they will never share the same pain. You can try and try all you want to explain how you feel but they can never fully grasp all the emotions that you are going through. That is part of what makes each person special. They all handle situations and emotional or physical difficulties in numerous ways. It can be lonesome and frustrating. There is only one being who knows exactly what you are feeling. The only being that had gone through more pain, heartbreak, hardships, and torture than any man should ever have to endure. That man is Jesus Christ. The being that created everything you see and everything you don’t see. He created you. He knows exactly what makes you tick and what can break you.

There is nothing in this world like losing someone extremely important to you. It rips a part of your very soul away and leaves a scar that only the love and comfort of Christ can heal. The only thing you can do afterwards is learn from your mistakes and try to move forward in your life. Never truly forgetting those you have lost, but honoring their memory by using the lessons you gained from their lives. I have realized so many things after losing this young lady’s shining light in this world. It is sad that something like this had to have happened in order for me to realize them. It’s like she was the beacon in a world that is covered with darkness. Therefore I will be paying better attention to those around me. Tell the kids that I minister to every week that they are loved. Not just by me but also my many others including Christ. Make sure you tell your loved ones the same thing. Who knows, it might be just the thing they needed to hear.

Blessing, Yet A Curse

I don't know if I have mentioned this on my blog yet, but I am severely hearing impaired. When I was younger I was diagnosed with two types of hearing loss. In one ear I could hear mid tones and in the other I could hear high and low sounds. I lived like that for about 9-10 years. Needless to say, I got pretty good at lip-reading.

 

Then in 2009 around April I woke up with no hearing in my right ear. It was so sudden that the doctors ran numerous tests trying to figure out the cause. I was in the hospital twice that spring. To this day the doctors still do not know the cause. They are still running tests on me. A hearing aide doesn't help in that ear. Now I have a hearing aide in my left ear to help me get by and without it, I can barely hear at all.

 

 So, last November I was reading through some of my old poems and it made me want to write again. So I was sitting in my bed contemplating what to write then my ears started to ring, yet again. Next thing I knew I wrote a poem.  It is entitled "Blessing, Yet a Curse". Please let me know what you think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring...
What a bittersweet sound.
It is the one and only sound I hear in the depth of this abyss of silence.
It leaves my heart in utter turmoil.
This one simple sound is both my blessing and my curse.

When all else is quiet and gone, I see the world, but don't hear it.
No more joyful sounds that uplift my heart with happiness.
No more sounds of laughter, birds singing their own songs as they fly free in the air, or waves crashing on the shore, not even the faint sound of the wind rustling through the trees.
Oh, how I long to hear the wondrous noise of God's creation once again.
Yet all I hear is one constant sound and nothing else.
This is my curse.

Ring...
What a bittersweet sound.
It is the proof that my world of sound is no more, yet at the same time, it gives these ears of mine something to hear once more.
Although it may not be the sounds that I long for in my heart, it is a reprieve from this nightmare of silence.

To some this ringing sensation would be annoying, but to me it is a gift from above.
This one sound is like the voice of angels promising that I will hear once again.
It reminds me that I am not alone in this abyss of silence.
Similar to how the ringing is my one companion in this nightmare, so is the one who gave me the gift of hearing in the first place, my creator, Jesus Christ. He is always with me and promises me a perfect body in his kingdom. So although I may endure this abyss of silence for now, one day, I will once again hear the wondrous noise of God's creation.
This is my blessing.

Life

Hey everyone. Over the next few days I'm going to be sharing some of my old poems and short stories. I was experimenting with a lot of different styles. This poem is entitled "Life", not a very original title but it's simple. Enjoy. Please don't use take this without my permission.
Thanks,
Heather

Life is like the ocean.

It's vast and deep.

Life is like the earth.
You never know how many layers there are until you take a deeper look.

Life is like a book.

Don't judge it by its cover.

Life is like a freefall.

You experience new and exciting feelings.

Life is like a mystery.
You never know what's going to happen next.

Life is like a roller coaster.

There are ups and downs.

Life is like a song

You have to keep listening to discover the ending.