Dating on the Run

A day full of chick flicks and Michael Buble gets a girl wondering. As those around me begin relationships, get engaged and walk down the aisle, I have found myself content in the gift of singleness that God has blessed me with. However, after a day like today, Satan has had plenty of vulnerabilites to attack. Because I love sports, the athletic analogies catch my eye more than any other. In high school I ran the 100. From warming up and getting my feet steady in the blocks until the clock stopped, my eyes were constantly on the finish line. Looking to my left or right during the race would only slow me down and throw off my focus. In my walk with Christ, I am keeping my eyes on the finish; the day when I finally get to see my Savior! Sadly, I find myself looking around sometimes. I have set my blocks correctly, by believing the Christ is God's Son and that He indeed rose from the dead and is, shut up!, coming back again!! I know that I am His, and He is mine. My left foot is a foot ahead of my right one, and my blocks are two fists away from the starting line. I can lean out in faith that they will not slip when I take off. As I run, I should not look behind me. Get on my level! Yup. That's super sassy. However, the Bible clearly states that we should not be unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14). Yes, that automatically triggers the nonbelievers reaction in my brain, but let's take that to the believers as well. In a relationship, I want to be pushed toward Christ, not held back to wait. I am a competitive person so the thought of being spurred on my someone in the lane next to me to get to the end faster appeals to me. Think about it. Having someone who pushes you in your walk with Christ. Not like, I memorized all of Numbers...get on my level! But one who is truly seeking the Lord and as they get closer to Him, you find yourself wanting to get closer as well. Honestly, I need to give up the control of looking around. Thankfully, I have gotten better at this since my freshman year of college. God's timing is perfect, and I shouldn't settle as I wait for Him to bring someone along. I should be so focused on God and the finish line that all I see is a head run by me, sparking the competitive edge in me to catch up. Funny. What catches my attention isn't his appearance but the fact that he is so diligently running the race that I am. 1 Cor. 9:24 is perfect, but check it out in The Message. "You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win." Sometimes, my competitiveness can be a struggle, but in this light I see it as a blessing. In my mind, running just for the fun of it isn't appealing. Praise God one that runs to win is what catches my eye. I pray my future husband isn't just running the race to finish, but diligently running the race to obtain the prize. "All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally." 1 Cor. 9:25. For now, I need to bask in the gift that God has given me, full of no distractions, able to whole heartedly pursue Him who is pursuing me. And when He's ready, He will put someone by my side to push me even more towards Him.

Wake Up!

Complacency. We all struggle with it. Personally, I prayed at the beginning of the summer as my time began at the Ranch that God would reveal Himself to me and would kindle a fiery passion for Him. A week into this prayer, He slapped me in the face with Revelation 3:1-2, 15-16. "I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. WAKE UP and strengthen what remains." Alright, God. Got it. In the latter verses, John writes about being either hot or cold. Sure, I have heard that a ton during my life, being raised a minister's kid and all, but it never really sunk in. Think about it. God tells us to get out of the middle of the road and pick a side. Why? It is much safer to be on a side rather than chill in the middle of the road. The cool thing about picking a side is that He wants me on His side. Yet again, I have heard that God pursues me. Awesome, but it never clicked. Think about a hunting dog for a second. This dog knows what it is after and will stop at nothing until it brings the prey back. The pursuit is relentless. No matter how quickly the prey runs to escape the dog, the dog quickens its pace, never backing down. Shut. Up! What did I do to deserve this pursuit?! The God of the sunsets and flowers and stars and all of creation wants me. By no means does He need me at all, but the fact that He wants me should bring me to my knees daily. So why do I lose my passion for Him? I think that because I was raised in a Christian home that I sometimes feel like I know a lot about the Lord and that my knowledge is enough. Wrong! Who am I as a finite being to try and squeeze the infinite being of God into my small, little brain? I am restricted by time when He is timeless. I pray that daily I am blessed with the opportunity to rediscover Him and in the process, WAKE UP!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2LR2_Z3nfM

Be the Moon. Reflect the Son!

Hey y'all! So, we have all sung "This Little Light of Mine." Do you remember singing, "Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine!" Easier said than done. Back during staff training for camp, a few of us got lost in the woods after we got through with initiation. Thankfully, a few of us had lit tiki torches. Did those of us with light cup our hand around the flame so only we would be able to see? Ridiculous! We shared our light with those around us who couldn't see. Check out Matthew 5:14-16. We are called to let our light shine before men, but we would rather hide out light most of the time. Why? Because society tells us otherwise. Because we look around us and all we see is darkness. If we were to stand up for our God, we would be different and people would look at us. However, the light brings life. Who are we to hide it and keep it to ourselves when those around us are in desperate need of it? Sure, we will probably get made fun of in the process, but let's remember the martyrs. Now does getting made fun of seem so bad? We have been given life by the Father, the Creator, Yahweh. Who are we to keep it to ourselves? We pride ourselves on being strong Christians when in reality are we really strong or are we just spoiled?