I love learning foreign languages. They are interesting because they can present you with a different way of thinking about things. We use language to form thought, and so in some ways we are limited in our thinking by our linguistic capacity. Sure, we can think of things that we aren't able to explain with words, but for the most part we think with words. This is an amazing gift, it's something that sets us apart from the animals and makes us special, but it can also be limiting.
Memorizing lists of words and grammar structures is so different from actually communicating with someone in a foreign language. Especially if they don't understand your native language at all; because it means its entirely up to you to make yourself understood. My new neighbors are Hispanic, and the mother of the family next door only speaks Spanish, she doesn't really understand English at all. Which made having dinner with them an interesting experience. It takes patience to communicate when you only know half the language, a lot of patience and other forms of communication, like gestures and facial expressions. Eventually we make ourselves understood, but sometimes I am left feeling that I really only got half of her meaning.
Other times I have spoken with someone who does speak my language, but only about as well as I speak theirs. This is the case with the father of the family next door. I went to ask him for help with a minor plumbing problem. Did you ever learn the word for pipe or plumbing in your foreign language class? I didn't. Our conversations are half and half, half English half Spanish, and I think we understand each other. But sometimes, I still feel like I'm missing something.
I wonder if this is how God feels about us. He is trying to tell us something, but we don't understand. He is the one who has to translate His thinking and truth into our humble language. He can't use any other language, because this one is the only one we have. So he speaks slowly, carefully. He presents the same message in different ways at different times. He uses more than words; gestures, actions, signs in nature. Yet his speech to us, or at least what we understand of it, is like my simple Spanish when speaking with my neighbor. There's so much more I want to say, but since she can't understand English, our conversation is limited. But we don't stop trying, and the more we communicate, the easier it becomes.
Sometimes I feel like I only understand God halfway, like I'm still just learning the language and there's so much more there for me to see. I have to learn to listen before I can hear. Other times I feel like we're speaking half-and-half, like I am finally breaking into His language and getting the bigger, fuller picture that he intended, yet some of the words are still lost in translation.
It is a rewarding experience to learn a language well enough to carry on intelligent conversation with another speaker. You not only learn new words, but a new way of thinking, of communicating, of interacting with others. Let us not forget that even though we're made in His image, we don't speak God's language. At least, not yet. We're learners trying to flip through the vocabulary book and really catch the essence of the word.
I have found that, when communicating with a non-English speaker, they are usually kind and patient. They work with you because they know you are trying. God is this way. Getting to know God is like learning a new language. It is a never-ending process, and as non-native speakers, we'll never be fluent, never stop speaking with an accent. But we can get closer and closer, and the beautiful thing is that God draws closer to us. He tries to lay things out on our level, and then lift us up to the next. Right now when I pray I feel like I'm speaking half-and-half, I'm on my way, but I'm not there yet.
October 25, 2010
October 22, 2010
Six Days
We often hear about how God made the Sabbath, a day of rest, and how important it is to take time off, take it easy, relax and reflect on your creator. I don’t want to diminish this, we time to rest and time to slow down. But I also want to point out that we are only supposed to rest one-seventh of the time. God made one day for rest, and six for work.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people complain about work. It’s hard, it’s not fun, and we have to do it. No one really likes it, yet it is good for us. We need work. More importantly, we were made to work. Work is necessary to a healthy, balanced, Christian life. Jesus was one of the hardest working people on the planet, and we need to follow in his footsteps.
Work does many good things for us, besides earning money for food and water and other important things. I’m not just talking about a job, either. Work means being productive, doing something to contribute to this thing we call the world.
We connect to each other through work. How many of your friends are people you know from work or school (which is also work, you just don’t get paid)? We build relationships by doing things with other people. We learn to give and to cooperate through work, and we learn the joy of doing something for someone else.
Life without work would be like that spaceship on Wall-E, the Pixar movie where humans left Earth and lived for generations on a perpetual cruise. No one knew how to do anything productive, and since they didn’t work, they lost the ability even to walk or help themselves when trouble came. Work makes us strong, and keeps us healthy.
Work teaches us humility. People who don’t work don’t understand how much effort goes into sustaining life. They think they can do anything, and have anything, because they put out no effort to get it. Work teaches us to value what we have, and to understand that everything comes at a price.
There is a Reliant K song that sums it up well. “We have to face the cycle of the double-edged sword of being lazy and being bored, because it’s completely up to us to maintain consciousness.”
We are responsible for getting ourselves up off our rear-ends, getting out into the world, and DOING something. God doesn’t want us to sit back and just enjoy life. He wants us to have joy, yes, but life should never be a vacation. Life is work, whether you’re getting paid for what you do or not. Do something, do it well, and do it for the Lord. It’s the reason you were made.
Spend six days being productive. You only get one to relax. And that’s the way it should be. Because work is good.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people complain about work. It’s hard, it’s not fun, and we have to do it. No one really likes it, yet it is good for us. We need work. More importantly, we were made to work. Work is necessary to a healthy, balanced, Christian life. Jesus was one of the hardest working people on the planet, and we need to follow in his footsteps.
Work does many good things for us, besides earning money for food and water and other important things. I’m not just talking about a job, either. Work means being productive, doing something to contribute to this thing we call the world.
We connect to each other through work. How many of your friends are people you know from work or school (which is also work, you just don’t get paid)? We build relationships by doing things with other people. We learn to give and to cooperate through work, and we learn the joy of doing something for someone else.
Life without work would be like that spaceship on Wall-E, the Pixar movie where humans left Earth and lived for generations on a perpetual cruise. No one knew how to do anything productive, and since they didn’t work, they lost the ability even to walk or help themselves when trouble came. Work makes us strong, and keeps us healthy.
Work teaches us humility. People who don’t work don’t understand how much effort goes into sustaining life. They think they can do anything, and have anything, because they put out no effort to get it. Work teaches us to value what we have, and to understand that everything comes at a price.
There is a Reliant K song that sums it up well. “We have to face the cycle of the double-edged sword of being lazy and being bored, because it’s completely up to us to maintain consciousness.”
We are responsible for getting ourselves up off our rear-ends, getting out into the world, and DOING something. God doesn’t want us to sit back and just enjoy life. He wants us to have joy, yes, but life should never be a vacation. Life is work, whether you’re getting paid for what you do or not. Do something, do it well, and do it for the Lord. It’s the reason you were made.
Spend six days being productive. You only get one to relax. And that’s the way it should be. Because work is good.
October 18, 2010
Love is Fun
People often think of love as being such a serious topic. Love is patient, love is kind, love is hard, love is work. Love led Jesus to die on the cross. But that’s just one side of it. Love is also fun, and laughter is an expression of love.
Think about it. How many times do you laugh alone? How often do you laugh with other people? The times my sides have hurt the most and my cheeks ached because I couldn’t stop smiling were also the times I spent with the people I love the most. Laughter is infectious because when others are happy, it makes us happy. Even when you laugh alone, at a funny book or movie, you laugh because of something someone else did, something someone else made. Laughter is never a solitary act; it is about relationships, just like love.
Most games take at least two players. There must be contact, an exchange of information, interaction. We use games called ‘icebreakers’ to get people to know each other by having fun together. Relationships grow through games, through having fun. We have more fun with people than we can alone.
The funniest thing is that the fun is better for everyone when people give. The game starts to turn sour when one person hogs the ball, or gloats too much about their winning streak. Fun and games can test our bonds of love, teach us to win graciously and lose well.
Through play we see the simplest truths about the world, about people and about how to be happy. We learn when to let someone else take a turn, when to step in and take the lead, and how to work with others to get something accomplished. No wonder many high school athletes go on to be successful professionals, even if they don’t every play a sport again. Play teaches us how to live.
God mad us for great joy, but because it is our great strength, it can also be horribly misused.
Laughter can turn around and smack you in the face. It can do exactly the opposite of its intended task. Wrong laughter can be poison. We have all seen it, and felt it. When the group of girls laughs at someone who is poorly dressed, or the class giggles when the student the teacher called on answers wrong. Laughter is a powerful tool for unity, but that same power can be used destructively.
Scary that something so fun can be so bad. Being laughed at can be the worst emotional torment, just as laughter can be the best medicine. How you have fun is just as important as how you deal with the serious issues. Every aspect of your life is a chance to let God shine, especially in the laughter.
Think about it. How many times do you laugh alone? How often do you laugh with other people? The times my sides have hurt the most and my cheeks ached because I couldn’t stop smiling were also the times I spent with the people I love the most. Laughter is infectious because when others are happy, it makes us happy. Even when you laugh alone, at a funny book or movie, you laugh because of something someone else did, something someone else made. Laughter is never a solitary act; it is about relationships, just like love.
Most games take at least two players. There must be contact, an exchange of information, interaction. We use games called ‘icebreakers’ to get people to know each other by having fun together. Relationships grow through games, through having fun. We have more fun with people than we can alone.
The funniest thing is that the fun is better for everyone when people give. The game starts to turn sour when one person hogs the ball, or gloats too much about their winning streak. Fun and games can test our bonds of love, teach us to win graciously and lose well.
Through play we see the simplest truths about the world, about people and about how to be happy. We learn when to let someone else take a turn, when to step in and take the lead, and how to work with others to get something accomplished. No wonder many high school athletes go on to be successful professionals, even if they don’t every play a sport again. Play teaches us how to live.
God mad us for great joy, but because it is our great strength, it can also be horribly misused.
Laughter can turn around and smack you in the face. It can do exactly the opposite of its intended task. Wrong laughter can be poison. We have all seen it, and felt it. When the group of girls laughs at someone who is poorly dressed, or the class giggles when the student the teacher called on answers wrong. Laughter is a powerful tool for unity, but that same power can be used destructively.
Scary that something so fun can be so bad. Being laughed at can be the worst emotional torment, just as laughter can be the best medicine. How you have fun is just as important as how you deal with the serious issues. Every aspect of your life is a chance to let God shine, especially in the laughter.
October 13, 2010
Family Web
Family is one of God's greatest inventions. Sometimes they can be annoying, sometimes we get mad at them. But when we have family, we are never alone. Family forms a web of support, binding each other together with many links so that if one strand breaks, the rest is still intact. If one member falls, there are many to lift them up.
We are getting ready to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday, and once again I am reminded of how important family is. In a few days I will go and spend the day with people that I don't actually see that often, people that have jobs and lives and homes and even other relatives somewhere else. Yet I trust each of these people completely, and I know that they love me. I know that if I need anything, help or advice, I can go to them without hesitation because they are family, and that is what family does.
I grew up strong because of my family. The particulars of how I was raised, forms of discipline, school selection and family rituals like Christmas-tree decorating aren't important. What is important is that my parents were there, my sisters were there for me, and they still are. I knew that whenever I had a hard day, I could come home to family, and that hasn't changed. I knew that when something bad happened, I would find sympathy at home. I knew that as long as I did my best, my parents were proud no matter what the result of my effort, and that in itself gives me the courage to try.
Knowing that someone cares for you is the strongest force in the world. It helps you get out of bed in the morning, helps you face failure, helps give you something to strive for. I want my family to know that I am ok. I take better care of myself because I know they worry about me. When getting ready to drive back to college, a four-hour trip, I would get a little sick of hearing everyone say "Drive safe!" Yet it was important that they said it, because I knew they meant it. Now I do it to my sister, and I pray for every hour she's on the road between Jopplin and Normal. At the end of the road, I would be so tired and not want to call Mom and Dad and say, "Arrived alive." Yet I cannot imagine how terribly lonely it must be to have no one to call, no one waiting on the other end who will check in if you don't call on time.
I have always been blessed with family, and I know that family is one of the greatest sources of strength in my life. Even if they aren't present, just knowing that they exist is a help. I know, however, that far too many people do not have family. They might have relatives, but there is no web, no deep bond of love that binds them together, no sense of security and help, no person waiting for the call at the end of a long trip.
Part of our responsibility as lovers of Jesus is to make family. Do you know anyone who is alone? Invite them in. Make them part of your family. Give them the web of support, a place full of warm fuzzies and people that, even if they don't know them that well, they know they can trust. This is what the church is supposed to be. Sometimes the church lives up to the task, and sometimes it doesn't. Never rely on the church to do the work, make sure that it happens yourself. Because family isn't about blood, family is about relationships. No one can survive alone. We need each other.
We are getting ready to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday, and once again I am reminded of how important family is. In a few days I will go and spend the day with people that I don't actually see that often, people that have jobs and lives and homes and even other relatives somewhere else. Yet I trust each of these people completely, and I know that they love me. I know that if I need anything, help or advice, I can go to them without hesitation because they are family, and that is what family does.
I grew up strong because of my family. The particulars of how I was raised, forms of discipline, school selection and family rituals like Christmas-tree decorating aren't important. What is important is that my parents were there, my sisters were there for me, and they still are. I knew that whenever I had a hard day, I could come home to family, and that hasn't changed. I knew that when something bad happened, I would find sympathy at home. I knew that as long as I did my best, my parents were proud no matter what the result of my effort, and that in itself gives me the courage to try.
Knowing that someone cares for you is the strongest force in the world. It helps you get out of bed in the morning, helps you face failure, helps give you something to strive for. I want my family to know that I am ok. I take better care of myself because I know they worry about me. When getting ready to drive back to college, a four-hour trip, I would get a little sick of hearing everyone say "Drive safe!" Yet it was important that they said it, because I knew they meant it. Now I do it to my sister, and I pray for every hour she's on the road between Jopplin and Normal. At the end of the road, I would be so tired and not want to call Mom and Dad and say, "Arrived alive." Yet I cannot imagine how terribly lonely it must be to have no one to call, no one waiting on the other end who will check in if you don't call on time.
I have always been blessed with family, and I know that family is one of the greatest sources of strength in my life. Even if they aren't present, just knowing that they exist is a help. I know, however, that far too many people do not have family. They might have relatives, but there is no web, no deep bond of love that binds them together, no sense of security and help, no person waiting for the call at the end of a long trip.
Part of our responsibility as lovers of Jesus is to make family. Do you know anyone who is alone? Invite them in. Make them part of your family. Give them the web of support, a place full of warm fuzzies and people that, even if they don't know them that well, they know they can trust. This is what the church is supposed to be. Sometimes the church lives up to the task, and sometimes it doesn't. Never rely on the church to do the work, make sure that it happens yourself. Because family isn't about blood, family is about relationships. No one can survive alone. We need each other.
My Jericho
Why does the lark sing as the night dies?
What does the dawn bring but more unhappy skies?
Why do we go on in this dark world?
What moves us ahead where spears and darts are hurled?
I cry out in a barren land.
I reach out for your hidden hand.
I hope for help because you can
Make the walls fall down,
My Jericho.
Why does the day dawn with blood in its eye?
What does the noon bring but sweat and white-hot skies?
Why do we smile when we should weep?
Why do we work hard for nothing we can keep?
I cry out in a barren land.
I reach out for your hidden hand.
I hope for help because you can
Make the walls fall down,
My Jericho.
Why does a poor boy sing with new joy?
What does he see now that makes his heart rejoice?
Why does a lost girl smile at her fate?
What has she found now that can make this life great?
You bring hope to a barren land.
You show us your hidden hand.
There’s hope for help because you have
Brought the walls tumbling down around Jericho.
What does the dawn bring but more unhappy skies?
Why do we go on in this dark world?
What moves us ahead where spears and darts are hurled?
I cry out in a barren land.
I reach out for your hidden hand.
I hope for help because you can
Make the walls fall down,
My Jericho.
Why does the day dawn with blood in its eye?
What does the noon bring but sweat and white-hot skies?
Why do we smile when we should weep?
Why do we work hard for nothing we can keep?
I cry out in a barren land.
I reach out for your hidden hand.
I hope for help because you can
Make the walls fall down,
My Jericho.
Why does a poor boy sing with new joy?
What does he see now that makes his heart rejoice?
Why does a lost girl smile at her fate?
What has she found now that can make this life great?
You bring hope to a barren land.
You show us your hidden hand.
There’s hope for help because you have
Brought the walls tumbling down around Jericho.
October 8, 2010
The Family is Here
Hide your face away. They cannot see you cry.
You cannot win this fight unless your eyes are dry.
Hide your heart away. They cannot see your pain.
You cannot lose if you have nothing to gain.
Now the body is here to soothe your fears.
Now the body is here to dry your tears.
You’ve been alone for all these years,
Now the family’s here.
Now the family’s here.
Hide your love away. They cannot see you care.
You cannot loose if you never take the dare.
Hide your trust away. They cannot see you hope.
You cannot win if you lose the will to cope.
Now the body is here to soothe your fears.
Now the body is here to dry your tears.
You’ve been alone for all these years,
Now the family’s here.
Now the family’s here.
Troubled heart, wounded soul,
Searching for a hand to hold.
Fallen world saved by grace
Help the lost find a place.
You cannot win this fight unless your eyes are dry.
Hide your heart away. They cannot see your pain.
You cannot lose if you have nothing to gain.
Now the body is here to soothe your fears.
Now the body is here to dry your tears.
You’ve been alone for all these years,
Now the family’s here.
Now the family’s here.
Hide your love away. They cannot see you care.
You cannot loose if you never take the dare.
Hide your trust away. They cannot see you hope.
You cannot win if you lose the will to cope.
Now the body is here to soothe your fears.
Now the body is here to dry your tears.
You’ve been alone for all these years,
Now the family’s here.
Now the family’s here.
Troubled heart, wounded soul,
Searching for a hand to hold.
Fallen world saved by grace
Help the lost find a place.
Without You
A desert, empty, cracked earth and sand.
This is the world without you.
A night of clouds, no stars or moon.
This is my life without you.
Air full of fog, no sight or sound.
This is my heart without you.
Your name means love, and that is what saves me.
Your life was grace, and that will change me.
Your death is hope, and this is what guides me into your arms.
This is the world without you.
A night of clouds, no stars or moon.
This is my life without you.
Air full of fog, no sight or sound.
This is my heart without you.
Your name means love, and that is what saves me.
Your life was grace, and that will change me.
Your death is hope, and this is what guides me into your arms.
October 2, 2010
Exercise
You can hardly drive down the street anymore without seeing it. People dressed in sweats and t-shirts, usually with ear buds and an i-pod on, running, biking, or speed walking. It's called exercise, and most people don't do it because they enjoy it, they do it because they're supposed to. It's an important part of staying healthy, being fit and skinny (which is essential for our culture's definition of beauty) and to live a longer life. As if running every day will keep death at bay.
There are hundreds more you don't see, who exercise inside their homes or in fancy gyms with all sort of equipment and trainers who help them get the most out of their twenty-thirty minutes of activity.
The thing is, we only need to exercise because our lives are too sedentary. The exercise craze began when activity halted. People started working at desks all day instead of out in the field. Someone who is on their feet for eight hours a day doesn't need to go spend half an hour specifically burning calories the same way someone who sits in a cubicle does. Our bodies were made to be active, and we only have to schedule activity, plan exercise, go out of our way to maintain healthy muscles and bones because our lifestyle no longer naturally gives it to us. If we would get up, get out, and live active lives like we used to, the gym would become obsolete. Kids are obese because they sit in front of video games instead of playing outside.
Sometimes I think the same is true of our spiritual life. People compare Bible study to spiritual exercise. We need to get our twenty-minutes a day in, or else we will loose focus, become more worldly. We have to try hard to work it into our schedule and stay disciplined, or else we'll fall off and not get closer to God.
But the only reason we have to work Bible study into our schedule, the only reason we are in need of spiritual exercise is because we don't live spiritually engaging lives. If we were truly setting out to serve God every day, we would be spiritually healthy. If we served him, we would pray for strength and help in our work. If we walked with him, we wouldn't have to schedule a daily devotional time because we'd be immersed in the Bible already.
When living a spiritual, Christ-centered life becomes something that you have to schedule, have to find time for, it is not Chrsit-centered at all. We shouldn't need to exercise if we would life healthy, active lives. We shouldn't have to worry about our spiritual health if we would actually step up and live spritiual lives. Put God first. Because reading your Bible and praying isn't just your twenty minutes of spritual exercise. It should be the service of your life.
There are hundreds more you don't see, who exercise inside their homes or in fancy gyms with all sort of equipment and trainers who help them get the most out of their twenty-thirty minutes of activity.
The thing is, we only need to exercise because our lives are too sedentary. The exercise craze began when activity halted. People started working at desks all day instead of out in the field. Someone who is on their feet for eight hours a day doesn't need to go spend half an hour specifically burning calories the same way someone who sits in a cubicle does. Our bodies were made to be active, and we only have to schedule activity, plan exercise, go out of our way to maintain healthy muscles and bones because our lifestyle no longer naturally gives it to us. If we would get up, get out, and live active lives like we used to, the gym would become obsolete. Kids are obese because they sit in front of video games instead of playing outside.
Sometimes I think the same is true of our spiritual life. People compare Bible study to spiritual exercise. We need to get our twenty-minutes a day in, or else we will loose focus, become more worldly. We have to try hard to work it into our schedule and stay disciplined, or else we'll fall off and not get closer to God.
But the only reason we have to work Bible study into our schedule, the only reason we are in need of spiritual exercise is because we don't live spiritually engaging lives. If we were truly setting out to serve God every day, we would be spiritually healthy. If we served him, we would pray for strength and help in our work. If we walked with him, we wouldn't have to schedule a daily devotional time because we'd be immersed in the Bible already.
When living a spiritual, Christ-centered life becomes something that you have to schedule, have to find time for, it is not Chrsit-centered at all. We shouldn't need to exercise if we would life healthy, active lives. We shouldn't have to worry about our spiritual health if we would actually step up and live spritiual lives. Put God first. Because reading your Bible and praying isn't just your twenty minutes of spritual exercise. It should be the service of your life.
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