Of Chaos and Peace

Now and then I come to a point when I'm so busy that I don't get time to write for my blog, let alone the half dozen books I'm working on, my journal, and the many people I write letters to.  I love to write.  It's that simple.  But this is the first time this week that I've had a chance to sit down and write up a post that really reflects what I've been thinking lately. 

We started school this week, tackling the Geometry, Writing, and Spanish books like they're the worst challenge we'll ever face.  As I sit here, with a cup of green tea in front of me and the impending notion that I really need to work on my Spanish course, I'm beginning to find an old truth, and make it into a new one. 

The truth is this simple: everything will be done in its proper time.  Life will go on whether I do my Spanish lesson today or get in two tomorrow instead.  And sometimes other things are more important than a Spanish lesson or math homework.  This truth has been widely spread since the book of Ecclesiastes was written, but the modern world seems to have forgotten it in the meaningless busyness and bustle of our daily schedules. 

Moving back to a big city, I've noticed once again the hectic lifestyle modern American people live.  We need to go, go, go, and do, do, do.  Nothing can satisfy our desires better than to see the products of our efforts.  We need to continuously surpass each other in our accomplishments, and put ourselves as high up in the "caste system" as we can before we die.  But in reality, that's not what life's about. 

Life is about living.  To the best of your ability.  Not to become the most influential American of all times, or a well-known and famous inventor, or the millionaire of the century.  Our job here on earth is to live up to God's standards—to use our time wisely.  Not to build ourselves up, but to encourage and strengthen others in the faith.  And if the Spanish book waits a day in order to fulfill that job, the world is not going to end.

So many times we get caught up in the wiles of the world, sure that we need to "go above and beyond" and become the "top man," when all that we really need to do is live our lives to the fullest extent that God wants us to live our lives to.  To become the best is the world's way, and we are called to be a light to the world, not to become part of it.  This doesn't mean that you need to stop working hard, or quit trying to become good at something.  It just means that your top priority should not be to "look good" in the world's eyes.  Being the best and brightest, the top in your particular field, isn't always the adventure that the Lord is choosing to send you on.  Sometimes we simply need to live slowly, quietly, so we can impart peace in the chaos of this world. 

And that's the truth I relearned today.

100 Things I'm Thankful For

      1.       A Lord who loves me

2.       A father and mother who take care of me

3.       The sun

4.       My cat

5.       My dog

6.       Being able to cry

7.       Being able to laugh

8.       Love

9.       Life

10.   Books

11.   The Bible

12.   School (yes, even algebra and geometry...)

13.   Paper

14.   Pens

15.   Smiles

16.   The smell of a new baby

17.   The smell of a clean dog

18.   Music

19.   Joy

20.   Faith

21.   My journal

22.   Missions

23.   Orphans laughing

24.   Slaves set free

25.   Food

26.   The knowledge of how to prepare that food

27.   Blessings

28.   Prayer

29.   Poetry

30.   Imperfect people

31.   A perfect God

32.   Salvation

33.   Sacrifice

34.   Homemade bread

35.   buying yeast from a Mennonite store

36.   corn swaying in the wind

37.   the color of soy beans at harvest

38.   crinkly leaves

39.   the smell of rain

40.   the sound of thunder

41.   a whispering tree

42.   mountains

43.   baby calves with big brown  eyes

44.   homemade yogurt

45.   raw milk

46.   little children

47.   younger siblings

48.   the colors of a rainbow

49.   the eyes of a person with hope

50.   tears of happiness

51.   picking blueberries

52.   cooking garden-fresh pumpkins

53.   weeding a garden

54.   canning apple butter

55.   the smell of my mom's favorite candle

56.   friends I can trust

57.   letters

58.   patience

59.   petals of a dried rose

60.   hard times of testing

61.   good times of growth

62.   our Compassion children

63.   watching movies late at night

64.   reading my Bible in the quiet of morning

65.   the sunrise

66.   the sunset

67.   my favorite crocheting needle

68.   a bed

69.   being close with my siblings

70.   that the church isn't a building

71.   forgiveness

72.   windows that I can see through

73.   those days when you wake up and the world is perfect

74.   being able to serve people

75.   hugs

76.   that turkeys don't weigh much more than twenty pounds

77.   birds

78.   flight—and the miracle of humans flying

79.   pencils

80.   art

81.   faces

82.   beauty

83.   being homeschooled

84.   phase ten (my very favorite card game)

85.   adults who invest in the lives of kids

86.   dictionaries

87.   tulips

88.   sandals

89.   coats

90.   coffee

91.   spell check

92.   blogging

93.   martial arts

94.   running

95.   my camera

96.   hot chocolate on a cold day

97.   -30 wind chills to make life exciting

98.   Vitamins

99.   Two feet

100.      thanksgiving

Book of the Week: God's Smuggler, by Brother Andrew



When two people who don't know each other tell you about one book within a matter of a couple months, you know that you should read it. For me God's Smuggler was one of those books, and if you're looking for anything pertaining to adventure, suspense, faith, and/or modern miracles, I would definitely refer you to this book. 

Brother Andrew was born in 1928 and grew up in a world that was governed by war.  He and his friends' favorite games were spies and soldiers, and he had high hopes of going into the army.  He followed that dream as a young man, but God had different plans and sent him away from the action with a "permanent" ankle injury.  Andrew became a devout follower of God after his army adventure and searching for meaning in the life around him.  Later in life, he began visiting Communist countries, especially those in the Soviet Union.  His many hair-raising stories of how God provided for him during even the hardest scrapes are amazing!  He has inspired many people through this simple retelling of his life—including me.  I have learned, through God's Smuggler, to keep on believing in God even when a situation doesn't seem possible to fix.  Having the faith of a mustard seed is probably possible, but keeping the faith of a mustard seed seems to be the hard thing.  This is the true-life story of a man who had the bravery and faith to help his brothers and sisters suffering in other countries... and who knows, it may inspire you to do the same!

Burdened? (Part 2)

This is the second part of what I was sharing about the Lord's plans often seeming really different than our own plans.  I have edited it in a couple minor ways so it can be read by itself, but I would encourage you to read the first part before beginning this. 

The Lord had plans waiting for me that a half a year ago I would have thought would cause the end of the world.  He had a plan that tonight we would be eating pizza and watching a movie on the living room floor instead of a home cooked dinner at the dining room table because of an unintended (but welcome) house showing at 5:30 tonight. He had a plan that I would be sitting in Isaiah's bed at 9:45, shooting endless "I'm tired, make him go to sleep!" prayers up to the One who was probably laughing with delight.

Yes, delight.  I have a feeling that this is all to Christ's delight.   In one of Paul's letters he mentions a thorn in his flesh.  Some Bible scholars are pretty sure that this is a spiritual thorn, but I've always wondered if it was a real one.  I mean, Paul was human too, right?  And traveling through the rough country of the ancient Middle East couldn't be too free of thorns and other mishaps.  But back to the subject, I thought about Paul's thorn (or "handicap," in Eugene Peterson's Message version) today while looking at the Matthew passage.  I definitely feel like this constant tired and stressed and hectic lifestyle is a thorn, too.  But what did Paul do about his thorn... and what should I do about mine?  Here's his version of the story of his burden:

"Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, MSG)

Sometimes I feel like Paul.  I beg, plead, cry out to the Lord to simply get me through the hard times in my life and lead me to the easier pastures.  But it's not His plan.  It's not what He wants from me.  He wants me to use his strength to deal with my own weakness.  My human limitations, that "cut me down to size," are simply tests to see if I'll be humble enough to be cut down and torn up so I can be blessed enough to be able to see God carry me through and set me safe on the other side.  His delight and happiness only grows stronger as I become weaker and more humble and ultimately are able to say that I surrender my all to Him—that I can't handle this crazy life on my own.  And then, like Paul, I shall be able to say with a fervent thankfulness, "The weaker I get, the stronger I become."