My Reply: "Through My Eyes: Childhood Memories"

I recently found the blog of one of my LCA friends. I was reading through it tonight and came across a blog that really made me think...
It's stuff that I've thought about before, but still... Every time it comes to mind, I have a new realization, a new determination, a new outcome.
Through My Eyes: Childhood Memories

Some of my childhood memories are, I'm sure, some of the same ones Ben would have... Things like climbing a tree... But I also have memories of other things...
-shoving a friend in the dirt
-bossing my brother
-demanding my way
-manipulating at a concert to sit by who I wanted to...and I'm sure hurting other friends in the process...

Now I stop and think some more... Am I different now than I was? Would I still do these things, and others that I barely even admit to myself that I did? Am I different? Am I worse?

I can see so many ways that I'm different now from who I was a year ago, before LCA, before LGBC, from my earliest memories...
But I can also see so many ways that I'm not nearly as different as I would like to be...

"Wait and See" by Brandon Heath puts it so perfectly:

There is hope, for me yet,
because God won't forget,
all the plans He's made for me
I have to wait and see,
He's not finished with me yet,
He's not finished with me yet!

Still wonderin' why I'm here.
Still wrestlin' with my fear.
But oh...He's up to something,
And the farther out I go,
I've seen enough to know
that I'm not here for nothin'.
He's up to somethin'!

He Loves Us

"Cause He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves..."


He loves us. When the world is crooked, lies, cheats, steals... He is in control. He will take care of us.

'Cause He loves us.

Jumping Armadillos

God sets his lowest standard just above the highest reach of the tallest person. Thus, we never have an excuse to stop growing or trying.




Many people take this fact and decide that - since they can never reach the standard anyway - they won't even try. How tragic!
Our Father loves us! He doesn't ask that we reach the highest that someone else can. Instead, He asks us to reach the highest that we can.


Imagine going to a zoo and finding that an armadillo's food was kept up as high as a giraffe's food. You've all seen the giraffe's pen at the zoo. You've seen that funny little cage thing hanging way up in the air by where the giraffes' heads are. The zoo keeper is not going to expect an armadillo to reach that high.

Now, if the armadillo is being trained to stretch or jump, his food still isn't going to put the where the giraffe's is. Instead, it will be put just at the top of the armadillo's reach. The zoo keeper does not expect more than the armadillo can give. The keeper instead puts the food just high enough that the armadillo has to try its hardest. Then, when the armadillo is no longer trying as hard as it can, the keeper would raise the food higher.


Now, given, this is a crazy example ( - product of my tired mind...). However, I still think it goes far in exemplifying my point. (How's THAT for a $20 word, considering it came from a mind that's teaching armadillos to jump??)

God wants each of us to do our best, not our neighbor (or friend, or sibling, or anyone else)'s best. While we can't reach God's standard, we can always reach higher than we are reaching now.


Now, imagine that the keeper at the zoo is teaching the giraffe to stretch or jump. The keeper will not be satisfied with the giraffe when it reaches the armadillo's best. The keeper knows the giraffe can do better.


God's standard is high, but only so we can never become complacent with where we are.

Be still, my soul

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow for forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.



My soul needs rest...
God, grant me rest.

Discouraged

What is the opposite of discouraged?
Enthusiastic? Optimistic? Excited?

I was at small groups tonight and all of a sudden (not like I've thought about it before), I realized that the opposite of "discouraged" is (well, "encouraged," technically... but) COURAGE.

We think of "discouraged" as "weary, weighed down, frustrated, demoralized" etc.
We think of "encouraged" as "feeling good, knowing we can do it, having been built up" etc.

The root word (now, I am no word scholar or language scholar or anything like that) [it seems to me] is COURAGE.

Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear. (dictionary.com)



So...

With this whole coffee shop... All I feel any more is discouragement, fear, overwhelm-tion (yes, I made that word up), stress, beaten down-ness (I make words up a lot), broken-hearted-ness. I'm dead tired. I just want it to be over - or better yet, to never have started.


However...
I'm feeling all this discouragement. I need to instead have courage.

We are told over and over and over in the Bible not to be discouraged. Given - it's usually to a specific person to whom God has given a specific task.
We really do feel like God wants us to open this shop, though, so I think it still applies.
God tells these people over and over that He will go with them. (Look at this.)

This isn't a matter of feeling up, or excited or what-have-you, about the shop. It's about having courage.

Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear. (dictionary.com)

It's not that I have to feel all "up" or whatever, but I DO have to have COURAGE. COURAGE that God knows what He is doing. He loves me and wants the best for me.


Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)