It's easy to see God move in big ways. When he makes the impossible come to life by saving a life or changing a life, it's hard to deny he is moving. But when He is just orchestrating the background, or just showing us glimpses at his will, we all just tend to ignore it. When we least expect it, He is moving.
We may not always pay attention, but God, or fate as He is called in the secular world, is always pointing us in the right direction. It's Him working when you miss the bus to school and you just happen to run into an old friend who needs help, or makes you hit traffic on your way to work so you are fired and find a new job that is better. When we least expect it, He is moving.
Sometimes though he doesn't he just presents a sign and it's up to our free will to decide to obey or not. While we could have before not helped our friend or accepted the new job, those are things we would normally do if we could; God just set up the situation. But when God sets up a yield sign, it's entirely up to us what we do. Sometimes its the answer to a prayer we didn't want, like a sign of a failing relationship or someone moving away, or just those little coincidences that we shrug off, like just the right song playing when we hit shuffle or the right person calling when we need a friend, that show us down the path God wants us on or that He just wants us out of a situation all together. When we least expect it, He is moving.
What we need to be careful of is taking every thing that happens to us as an act of God. No, unless you just happen to fall backwards into an open Bible that reveals something you needed to know, God didn't make you stub your toe. Just because He works in mysterious ways doesn't mean he always dropping you hints. We just need to be able to recognize the moments when He speaks and distinguish them from when He isn't. If it isn't pointing us towards Him and where He wants us to be, it probably isn't Him. When we least expect it He is moving, but not everything is a movement.
We today, as a whole, tend to put God in a box and only bring him out on Sunday mornings, failing to realize that, even when it hurts us, he is working. God doesn't want cookie-cutter Christians, but He also doesn't want us spilling out of the pan, that's why, whenever we need it, He nudges us or points us in the right direction. So go ahead and be a oatmeal-raisin, chocolate-chip, snickerdoodle, or whatever kind of cookie you want in whatever shape you want, but never forget to listen to the things God is telling you... Even when it's just a whisper.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
It's easy to talk when no one is listening
The right words tend to get lost when we are under pressure. Maybe it's the anxiety of making a fool of ourselves in front of others or the lack of time to collect our thoughts but, when the moment is right, we all tend to be at a loss for words. That is why we all vent off camera, out of sight, where no one can see us stumble until we get everything just the way we want. It's not the ideal arrangement, but sometimes the only way to tell the truth is when you are alone.
Self searching plays a big part in discovering our true emotions and thoughts. Without it we can only go skin deep into ourselves, never reaching the heart of the matter. For many of us that search is through prayer or meditation, some fill time with mind-numbing tasks until it hits them, and others just sit in silence hoping the answers will come. Whatever the method is we all come to our answers, but how we share them is another matter completely.
Even the most extroverted person fears the people who they admire and seek approval of. For some reason we cannot put our collected thoughts to words that easily, forcing us to seek alternate means of communication. The number of relationships that hide behind a letter or an instant messenger to tell the truth is great, but the number of relationships that go discussed is greater. In some way, form, or fashion, we all need our own way to tell someone else what we are thinking.
As the song goes, "Every time the time was right all the words just came out wrong, So I'll have to say I love you, in a song." Music is just one form of telling someone the truth. Somehow hiding behind a guitar or a recording is the safety net someone needs to convey what they are thinking, sometimes it's something as simple as a poem, painting, or blog, but one thing is certain; it's something that more of us need to start doing.
The truth is useless if it is never said. What good is a testimony if it is never told or a song that is never sung? It doesn't matter how we do it or what we do it on, but we all need someway of saying what we think and we need to start telling our thoughts. Trust is the most important thing two people can share, but we need to be willing to share the truth first. I have my blog, poems, and music; what do you have? Whatever it is, you need to start using it. Go ahead: no one is listening.
Self searching plays a big part in discovering our true emotions and thoughts. Without it we can only go skin deep into ourselves, never reaching the heart of the matter. For many of us that search is through prayer or meditation, some fill time with mind-numbing tasks until it hits them, and others just sit in silence hoping the answers will come. Whatever the method is we all come to our answers, but how we share them is another matter completely.
Even the most extroverted person fears the people who they admire and seek approval of. For some reason we cannot put our collected thoughts to words that easily, forcing us to seek alternate means of communication. The number of relationships that hide behind a letter or an instant messenger to tell the truth is great, but the number of relationships that go discussed is greater. In some way, form, or fashion, we all need our own way to tell someone else what we are thinking.
As the song goes, "Every time the time was right all the words just came out wrong, So I'll have to say I love you, in a song." Music is just one form of telling someone the truth. Somehow hiding behind a guitar or a recording is the safety net someone needs to convey what they are thinking, sometimes it's something as simple as a poem, painting, or blog, but one thing is certain; it's something that more of us need to start doing.
The truth is useless if it is never said. What good is a testimony if it is never told or a song that is never sung? It doesn't matter how we do it or what we do it on, but we all need someway of saying what we think and we need to start telling our thoughts. Trust is the most important thing two people can share, but we need to be willing to share the truth first. I have my blog, poems, and music; what do you have? Whatever it is, you need to start using it. Go ahead: no one is listening.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
It's easy to not pursue it
There are many types of wants and needs in life; the want of possessions, the want or need of attention, and the need of affection just to name a few. The issue with all of these things is that there are many variables that control our ability to get them. We need money to buy something, the courage to stand out and get noticed, or just the openness to love like you want to be loved, but that's not all even these things depend on. Sometimes we ignore our wants and needs because we make ourselves. It's easy to say no when the odds are stacked against us.
The most obvious thing that comes to mind is possessions. It is so easy nowadays to just put all our dream items, like a car, on a credit card or payment plan and worry about paying later, but we train ourselves to not do so. Why? Because we know that it would be irresponsible, yes, but also because we know that, in the long run, we wouldn't be happy when we can't pay for it and it is taken away. It's easy to say no when the odds are stacked against us.
Another prime example that effects all of us is the want or, sometimes, need of attention. Whenever we want to be noticed, its very simple to do something either shocking or "comical" just to get attention, but we don't always do that? Again, why? For most people it's the fact that it is not in their nature to act out, but for some it's the shame they feel when a certain someone notices what they did or the rejection from someone who didn't even notice. Yes, we would get attention, but it probably wouldn't be the kind we wanted. It's easy to say no when the odds are stacked against us.
Something that we all need however is affection. This most basic of human needs is also one of the hardest to get and also the hardest to lose, but we all struggle with it at some point. Some say its as simple as asking for it and getting a parent or close friend to devote time to you, or declaring your affection for someone and hoping they return it to you, and yet we all struggle with doing these things. Why? Unfortunately there are too many answers to list, but some of the reasons would that perhaps, after you ask for affection, the other party would perceive you differently or consider you weak. In the case of returning affection, the fear of rejection if that person did not return their affection is almost unbearable to some, others have a fear of altering their relationship for the worse, while still others "just know" that it wouldn't work out. It's easy to say no when the odds are stack against us.
However, sometimes it's not so easy. Sometimes that want, desire, or need is so great is so great that it breaks all boundaries of common sense and drives us to go for the goal. It's those moments, when we lay everything out on the line, when life happens. It may not always turn out the way we want it to, but it's the price we pay for living it. We must never be afraid to follow through with our hearts true desires. While we are often unprepared for what may happen, it's easy to say yes when we want it bad enough.
The most obvious thing that comes to mind is possessions. It is so easy nowadays to just put all our dream items, like a car, on a credit card or payment plan and worry about paying later, but we train ourselves to not do so. Why? Because we know that it would be irresponsible, yes, but also because we know that, in the long run, we wouldn't be happy when we can't pay for it and it is taken away. It's easy to say no when the odds are stacked against us.
Another prime example that effects all of us is the want or, sometimes, need of attention. Whenever we want to be noticed, its very simple to do something either shocking or "comical" just to get attention, but we don't always do that? Again, why? For most people it's the fact that it is not in their nature to act out, but for some it's the shame they feel when a certain someone notices what they did or the rejection from someone who didn't even notice. Yes, we would get attention, but it probably wouldn't be the kind we wanted. It's easy to say no when the odds are stacked against us.
Something that we all need however is affection. This most basic of human needs is also one of the hardest to get and also the hardest to lose, but we all struggle with it at some point. Some say its as simple as asking for it and getting a parent or close friend to devote time to you, or declaring your affection for someone and hoping they return it to you, and yet we all struggle with doing these things. Why? Unfortunately there are too many answers to list, but some of the reasons would that perhaps, after you ask for affection, the other party would perceive you differently or consider you weak. In the case of returning affection, the fear of rejection if that person did not return their affection is almost unbearable to some, others have a fear of altering their relationship for the worse, while still others "just know" that it wouldn't work out. It's easy to say no when the odds are stack against us.
However, sometimes it's not so easy. Sometimes that want, desire, or need is so great is so great that it breaks all boundaries of common sense and drives us to go for the goal. It's those moments, when we lay everything out on the line, when life happens. It may not always turn out the way we want it to, but it's the price we pay for living it. We must never be afraid to follow through with our hearts true desires. While we are often unprepared for what may happen, it's easy to say yes when we want it bad enough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)