Family

You know what I've realized this weekend?

I love my church body. They are amazing.

Standing to the side of the room and watching everyone, there was so much to see....

The little kids, running from room to room. Yelling, chasing, tickling, throwing...

The new Moms, holding their baby, all the older ladies crowded around as they "ooh" and "ahh."

The young Dads, chasing their little ones from one side of the room to the other.. Catching them up, kissing them, and throwing them into the air...

The sweet people who served the meal today, laughing and joking with everyone who came through the line...

The tear-down crew, who cheerfully pull plugs, wind cables, stack chairs, move tables, take down lights...

Over all? I saw a family. A family that has been united in our Love for Christ, and our desire to glorify Him as we Love on the people that come through our doors. The friendship that we have is the kind that will stick out the hard times. It is the kind of friendship that will cause us to come together when one of us is going through a hard time. It is the kind of friendship that will live on forever one day in Heaven... When we worship together yet again, in His presence.

Mercies in Disguise

Mom played this song for me this afternoon when I got home.. This song could be her theme song. Or our family's theme song. The things we viewed as trials; the sleepless nights, the tears, and the raindrops have all lead to His mercies, which are new every morning.

This is a reminder (and a well timed one at that) that sometimes what I pray for won't always come looking the way I want it to. Sometimes our plan isn't His plan, and sometimes life hurts. But this is not our home! I find so much comfort in the fact that all that we go through on this earth is leading to THE moment. The moment when I am in His presence. The moment when I can see His eyes. Touch His hands. Feel His embrace.

All that I worry about now is simply an opportunity to surrender to Him, and see how He blesses us. You can't read through the Psalms without seeing that He wants to bless us. Sometimes though, our own stubbornness and self-sufficiency get in the way, and we fail to see the 'mercies in disguise.'

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

But long that we'd have the faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home,

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

Life Worth Living

So many times over the past few months I have caught myself watching someone and wondering what makes them tick. I want to ask them why they get out of bed morning after morning, why they have any motivation to do anything, and what they think their purpose in life is. With the majority of these people, as I listen to them talk about how wasted they got, who they hooked up with, their last big project at work, or the game they just won, I become increasingly heartbroken for them.. Because really, they have no idea of how amazing their life could be.

For we are His workmanship,

Created in Christ Jesus unto good works,

Which God has before ordained,

That we should walk in them.

(Ephesians 2:10)

This is what they're missing. They're missing out on the idea that Christ created us for His good works. Good works that might not always take us where we want to go. Good works that might have us doing something we didn't think we'd ever do. Good works that might be difficult or uncomfortable. But they are His good works, and if we follow them then there will be a sense of purpose to our lives.

Honestly? I wonder how someone could live day-to-day living for themselves. There are so many people who don't believe in God, and even fewer who live like they are living for Him rather then themselves. What would the point be? Here's your life story:

You're born.. You become an adult.. You might get married.. You die. The end.

And while my life story isn't glamorous or incredible, I would hope that it reads something more like:

She was born.. She walked in His ways in all she did.. She saw His Face.

Do you see how that works? The only things in common there are that we were both born. In my story, I may or may not get married. I may or may not go to school. I may or may not be a highly successful business woman. But no matter what I do, I walk in the ways that He has set before me, trusting as He leads me through each new thing. To me, that is much more fulfilling then living for myself, filling my own physical pleasures. I can see why people are so depressed when they don't have this viewpoint on their lives. It would be downright depressing, because there would be no real purpose to anything that they did.

Thankfully, we have a purpose. We aren't here just to be a 'step above' the plants and animals. We are called to walk in His ways, glorifying and Loving Him so that those around us may see Him and glorify Him as well. And if we do that? We are going to get one heck of a reception when we get to meet Him; Face to face... =).