Who needs a mental dump? That's right, this mess-of-a-person right here. So brace yourselves- this could get crazy.
Thank the good Lord for friends who randomly pick you up from work and take you to the sea!! Reason # 4,132 I love the ocean? My eyes have ( space ). When I look toward the horizon over the water, I can rest knowing my eyes are looking to the furthest reaches of their grasp, unblocked by a computer screen, wall, building, car, tree, star, anything! Puts me in my place every time. The sea goes on far, far, far beyond my sight. What looks like a drop off into oblivion is really my eyes' inability to follow the curvature of the earth to Africa, Australia... Physical proof that I am limited. But God is not. and I can trust Him.
And uh, speaking about trusting God, He's brought me through quite the ride these past few days. Remember I was wrestling with the cost of following Christ? Well...
So many things. I don't really know how to accurately express them. One out of every 3 women around the world are sexually abused. 1 out of three. There are 3 women in my immediate family alone. What gives us the right to be the one? No, NO ONE deserves abuse. But sin is destroying our world, and I have been beyond blessed in my life when I compare it to the statistics. The very least I can do is spend my life rescuing and healing the other two. Sinner that I am, I deserve NOTHING, no good thing, no assurance of freedom from present suffering, nor of eternal salvation, yet God generously and freely gives me salvation, so what care I of present safety? I have Him. My sins are not counted against me. I will be with Him in Paradise. What else matters? What cost could possibly cause me to waiver? What could possibly be worth more than Jesus? Look at those who have gone before me. When they had to choose between Jesus or anything else, Jesus was the only possible option.
Stephen- while people stone him to death, he cries out to God for their forgiveness. Why? His soul was committed to Jesus. He was eternally secure. Stephen knew the people stoning him were in a far more tragic state than he was, and he was overcome with pity.
Paul- knowing he is about to be executed, declares to Timothy, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom."
John Huss- burned to death but singing God's praises until the roar of the flames consumed his voice.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, millions of others....
And Jesus. "who did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant... he humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross!" Jesus, who "was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed!" Jesus suffered beyond recognition for me. Died for me. Took the responsibility for my sin. How utterly ashamed this makes me feel to think I could ever doubt His worthiness.
I don't want safety and comfort to rule my life. I want Jesus. I want to be eternally focused, focused on the place my Groom has prepared for me to be forever with Him. A real, tangible place, that will come on a real, tangible day.
My brother Jason said it so well,
"We are Alliens in a foreign land, misfits, outsiders. But we focus our attention on the great City. We speak of its beauty, its majesty. How the King is just and pure, that there is only love and joy for all Eternity in this City, this City of our King. We live in darkness but are filled with light. We walk in the shadows but our path is lit by the Truth. We are Alliens, the Salt of the earth. His glory shines from our lips leaving a sweet taste in the hungry mouth."- Jason "The Taste of Eternity is here on our lips. With Every Breath we sing, with every breath we sing of your Majesty here in our mists!"
"For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the City that is to come."
Thank the good Lord for friends who randomly pick you up from work and take you to the sea!! Reason # 4,132 I love the ocean? My eyes have ( space ). When I look toward the horizon over the water, I can rest knowing my eyes are looking to the furthest reaches of their grasp, unblocked by a computer screen, wall, building, car, tree, star, anything! Puts me in my place every time. The sea goes on far, far, far beyond my sight. What looks like a drop off into oblivion is really my eyes' inability to follow the curvature of the earth to Africa, Australia... Physical proof that I am limited. But God is not. and I can trust Him.
And uh, speaking about trusting God, He's brought me through quite the ride these past few days. Remember I was wrestling with the cost of following Christ? Well...
So many things. I don't really know how to accurately express them. One out of every 3 women around the world are sexually abused. 1 out of three. There are 3 women in my immediate family alone. What gives us the right to be the one? No, NO ONE deserves abuse. But sin is destroying our world, and I have been beyond blessed in my life when I compare it to the statistics. The very least I can do is spend my life rescuing and healing the other two. Sinner that I am, I deserve NOTHING, no good thing, no assurance of freedom from present suffering, nor of eternal salvation, yet God generously and freely gives me salvation, so what care I of present safety? I have Him. My sins are not counted against me. I will be with Him in Paradise. What else matters? What cost could possibly cause me to waiver? What could possibly be worth more than Jesus? Look at those who have gone before me. When they had to choose between Jesus or anything else, Jesus was the only possible option.
Stephen- while people stone him to death, he cries out to God for their forgiveness. Why? His soul was committed to Jesus. He was eternally secure. Stephen knew the people stoning him were in a far more tragic state than he was, and he was overcome with pity.
Paul- knowing he is about to be executed, declares to Timothy, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom."
John Huss- burned to death but singing God's praises until the roar of the flames consumed his voice.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, millions of others....
And Jesus. "who did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant... he humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross!" Jesus, who "was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed!" Jesus suffered beyond recognition for me. Died for me. Took the responsibility for my sin. How utterly ashamed this makes me feel to think I could ever doubt His worthiness.
I don't want safety and comfort to rule my life. I want Jesus. I want to be eternally focused, focused on the place my Groom has prepared for me to be forever with Him. A real, tangible place, that will come on a real, tangible day.
My brother Jason said it so well,
"We are Alliens in a foreign land, misfits, outsiders. But we focus our attention on the great City. We speak of its beauty, its majesty. How the King is just and pure, that there is only love and joy for all Eternity in this City, this City of our King. We live in darkness but are filled with light. We walk in the shadows but our path is lit by the Truth. We are Alliens, the Salt of the earth. His glory shines from our lips leaving a sweet taste in the hungry mouth."- Jason "The Taste of Eternity is here on our lips. With Every Breath we sing, with every breath we sing of your Majesty here in our mists!"
"For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the City that is to come."
2 comments:
Dang. Looks like you're figuring things out.
um.
nailed much.
needed this today.
thank you for taking your wrestlings to scripture.
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