Reflections in Non-Alphabetical Order

is for FATHER.

Tonight I started thinking about God in His role as the Father of humankind. I thought about my father here on earth. I was blessed to have a set of amazing parents. We’re pretty close. I might consider them my best friends. I know they do their best to support me, help me, guide me, worry about me when I’m sick, take care of me….

When I needed furniture for my apartment, my dad helped me get a nice cream sofa.  My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on it. When I wanted a prom dress, my father took me to meet seamstresses (mom was involved too, but we’re talking about fathers here ;-)). When my car stopped recently, I knew who to call.  My father jumped my car and took me to get a new battery just like the time when my tires were badly worn and he replaced them with two sets of top of the line tires. 

So if we think about how much our fathers (parents/guardians), who compared to God are sinful, imperfect, and powerless, do for us here on earth, know that God our Father will really show up and show out. I don’t even think you understand! God loves you more than anything.  He will provide.

Matthew 7:9-11  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 

is for FAITHFUL.

Sometimes we forget Who we’re dealing with. I have found it very valuable to take notes of what I know to be true from God. Those messages you hear at church on Sunday that speak to your heart, those encouraging words that the person at the supermarket randomly says to you but it instantly lifts your spirit - write those things down.

The enemy likes to prey on us in our moments of weakness. Moments when we’ve been faithfully waiting on a blessing that hasn’t come to fruition yet, and we forget the word that God has given us.

God uplifts us. The enemy chops down our spirit. When this happens, remember who you’re dealing with. God! He is faithful. He is up lifting. He will bring His promises to pass in due time. Don’t let the enemy make you feel frazzled and question God’s promises and presence in your life. The Lord always delivers on His word.

is for WAITING.

I dont know about you, but I may be a bit of control freak.  I plan and plan and plan some more.  I mull over every decision until it fits right with the plan I have in my head and then I go with it.

This reminds me of a message I read maybe a year back when I drove past one of my local churches.  It read, “If God is your co-pilot, switch seats.” Of course at the time, I thought, “right on!”  God is definitely in my pilot seat.  WRONG.

God doesn’t need to be micromanaged.  And I think that was or is a lesson that He has taught me recently.  I used to think of things maybe a year and a half out.  Now I don’t want to think of anything other than today and maybe a little about tomorrow.  This could be because I’m crept past the last birthday I would like to publicly acknowledge, and I don’t want to think about what’s next.  I kid. I kid.

But seriously, I’m learning to let go of the reigns.  Nobody can plan a life like God can anyway.  I felt worried because when I look at most of my peers, my life looks NOTHING like them.  But don’t compare your life to others. Your journey is your own.  Sometimes we focus so much on the things we’d like to have or where we’d like to go, that we don’t take the time to truly enjoy the blessings we have now.  And we all have something to be thankful for.  Enjoy it!

Sometimes we want results tomorrow.  I know I put pressure on myself to knock certain tasks out with a quickness.  But relax. “Time is on my side.” - Rolling Stones

I just read something about when your breakthrough takes a while to come, “God is developing, building, and polishing you for when the time is right.  He’ll release you and like a skillfully crafted and honed arrow, you’ll hit the mark.”  Wait on the Lord.

is for CONVENIENCE.

People use God when it’s convenient.

One minute we’re posting inappropriate pictures of things we like on the net.

The next minute we’re calling on God for protection.

Social media has me so confused.

is for HEART.

“Let us not become weary in doing good…” Galatians 6:9 

The phrase to whom much is given, much is requested really applies to those among us with big hearts who are capable of big love.  The more we love, the more pain we endure when those we love hurt us.  Society teaches us that the person who hurts the most is the weakest or the dumbest for letting someone get the best of us.  After-all, if you’re dumb enough to love others enough that they are able to hurt you or if you’re weak enough to think enough about someone else that their actions affect your life, then you got what you deserved.  You’re a loser and you should have done better.  

But we know the Lord says, “Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8

God’s word never says if you love someone more than they are able or willing to love you, that you should be embarrassed because you allowed yourself to get played.  That’s the foolishness that society teaches us.  

There is no strength in being emotionless with others. Or only loving those who we can get the most from.  Or getting someone before they get us.  Real strength lies in loving others regardless of the circumstances, or how well you know someone, or if they’re related to you or not, or if they have done something that merits it.

Loving people is hard. People are imperfect and the hurt that comes with that is inevitable.  A strong person knows this and still loves big.  So brothers and sisters, do not become weary in doing good, in being kind, in loving during difficult times, because that is how God instructed us to live, and greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world.  We can’t be bound by the broken ways of the world.

is for GROWTH.

I’ve recently had a few discussions with a good friend of mine about being a different person now than I was a few years ago. Honestly, from age 18 until now, I’ve felt like I was going through this crazy non-physical growth spurt. I could look back even just a few months prior and see noticeable changes in myself.

But I never really thought about what it meant to grow up spiritually… until now. Today, I know better. Compared to when I first renewed my faith as an adult some years ago and recommitted myself to God, I’ve been through the ropes. I know how this thing works. So when trials come my way and I’m sitting here like, “Okay, I know God knows I’m down here struggling, but so far He hasn’t come to my aid,” I can think about a message I heard this weekend likening it to when a baby cries. After a while, parents don’t immediately rush over to see what’s wrong. They know that if the baby is crying because their paci fell out, and the baby has already learned how to put the paci in his mouth, he can settle the matter on his own. It also makes me think about some of the kids I work with. We used to run over to rescue any kid that fell. Now, we wait to see if the kid can get up and dust himself off.

In the same way,as your relationship with God develops, He gives us more opportunities to exercise our faith. The things that used to shake us, shouldn’t have that effect anymore. We know through experience that everything will be okay.

is for LOVE.

When I read the Bible, a general theme that consistently pops up is LOVE.  ”For God so loved the world…” “The greatest of these is love…” “”  And yet look at how we treat each other.  I recently read a scientific account of the crucifixion of Jesus.  I’m pretty squeamish, so it was a difficult read.  But it made me think about His death like I never had before.  Each word in the description made me feel all the pain Christ went through to save us.  We don’t love our brothers and sisters enough to at the very least, not take advantage of one another.  Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. If we spent more time in our words and actions, myself included, loving each other, this world would be a much better place.  

is for RESPONSIBILITY.

This is what gets me. Living in Chicago, and I’m sure people all across urban and rural areas will relate to this in some way, but we always hear about the unspeakable violence that happens right in our backyards. Today, I heard about a 6-month old baby being shot. How unfair does that sound? In their innocence, children rely on us for safety. We’re the knowledgeable ones, remember? But we let them down left and right. We hear about high school dropouts. We hear about pregnant teenage girls. And then we complain about it. We shake our heads, call them names, and go back to listening to our rap music that encourages the very thing we just shook our heads about.

At some point we have to grow up and see that we are responsible for the world around us. We promote these issues in our community. We teach kids in the classroom during the weekdays, and on the weeknights, we’re posting pictures on instagram advertising the fact that we like to have casual sex. By all means, you’re an adult. You’re entitled to engage in adult activities, but why promote it like it’s the 1st place medal from the statewide spelling bee? Our kids take notice of these qualities in us. They think that if I participate in this negative activity, people will value me.

When you know better, you do better. We can’t hide behind our college degrees like we’ve made some astonishing contribution to society, but then the very people that we should be a beacon of light to, we only let them see the nothingness that they could become. When our daily actions put materialism, occasional drug usage, promiscuity, and harshness towards other people on a pedestal, what do we think the next generation will become?

is for FORGIVENESS.

Last Sunday, pastor said, “‘The first time, it’s the dogs fault.’ I don’t even know what that means. When we find out somebody lied to us, we act like we’ve never lied before. We’re too quick to cut off people.’”

Although I think I do my best to live my life according to Christ, I know I fall short daily in my thoughts alone. God forgives me. In the Bible, Christ said that we should forgive our brothers 77 times when they sin against us. We have to remember that if someone comes to us sorry for their course of actions, we need to forgive them the same way God is always gracious enough to forgive us.

But let us not think that this means that we can just do whatever because forgiveness is on the way. Even if people don’t know your heart, the Lord does… and I would be more afraid of God than of the people here on earth.

P.S. Sometimes you have to forgive and love people from far away.  God says to get rid of things that make you stumble.  If something brings out the worst in you, you don’t need it around in your daily life.  If you allow other things to knock you off course, what good or joy can you bring to the other people God uses you to bless?  

is for INVALIDATION.

Don’t expect everyone to understand your situation.  Though they may try and God bless them for trying, but how in the world can someone who’s not you, who hasn’t walked a mile in your shoes, who hasn’t been there to experience your interactions, or who doesn’t know your complete history and why things may make you feel the way you feel, tell you how you should feel?  Don’t let people make you feel like your feelings are INVALID.