It is crazy and amazing to see dreams come to fruition!!! I am a dreamer and visionary and constantly have ideas running through my head....however when those dreams are inspired by God they are even crazier:) Nonetheless, those dreams are actually becoming more of a reality as of late and I am soooo excited to share with you all a new an exciting journey for a God Sized Dream!!!
Check out the BOLD>REVOLUTION at www.theboldrevolution.weebly.com for all of the details!
-Madison
I an conducting a survey for my Sociology class and will likewise use the data collected for a book that I am currently working on. I would love for your to take part in the survey and add to my results!!
Create your own user feedback survey
Has life ever become so consuming, busy and overwhelming that it seems as if you are barely treading water? My life is crazy right now! Granted I am in college as I have been for the past couple of years, but it seems as if this semester is just so much more consuming than others have been. One week might be great, not to much homework or projects and I have plenty of time to study and get things done and then the next week I have tests in nearly every class, projects due, and papers to write!!!
If I stop to think about all the things I have to do I am most likely to start freaking out a little inside and start feeling tense in my chest. I honestly begin to feel so overwhelmed and even begin to doubt myself! However, even in the midst of my crazy life it never ceases to amaze me at all the lessons that I learn and that God sends my way about his faithfulness in any and every circumstance.
I have learned that as overwhelming as life can become and the tasks consuming all I can logically do is take it hour by hour, day by day, task by task, and week by week......taking a fare share of deep calming breaths along the way! While I could easily freeze in fear and stress (and at times might even unconciously respond this way) I know that getting worked up does nothing for me! Taking everything as it comes with faith in my abilities and confidence in God's guidance I know I can overcome any task that looms above me.
Furthermore, I now what it is to feel like you are drowning in stress, work, tasks, and consuming things of life....barely treading water!!! Most often it seems like I am using all of my strength just to keep my head above the water while I battle the current, but in the midst of weakening strength I look up to see that I am not alone! The only way I manage to keep my head above the water without sinking is because God gives me the strength to keep on......to keep treading the water.......and when all is said and done and life has calmed down the current will subside and I will be able to breath on my own.
God is continuoulsy working in my life!!! I know that now more than ever!!! Being in college and around people who I know don't always follow God I have realized how important my job is......of standing strong, being bold in my faith, and standing out as a follower of God.....as someone different and weird! Often, I wonder if just living my life in Christ is enough? Does God want me to stop and talk to someone, does he want me to go somewhere, I often have trouble discerning what his plan in this season is for me? Then of course he says "you want me to use you, okay, then I will" and he gives me something hard to do!!! Of course then I start questioning "why" but in the midst of my curiousity and wondering I realize that is the reason for me being in that particular class, the reason for me being given that topic to do a presentation on, the reason for just being here!!
Take courage in the fact that when the consuming and overwhelming tasks of life loom above, as you barely tread water, that your savior will never abandon you in the midst of it! He will give you the strength to persevere! Take it day by day, moment by moment, and rest in his never ending faithfulness! He has you where you are for a reason, just as I am where I am for a reason (though at times I wonder what that might be). All we need is found in our Heavenly Father....the courage to take on a hard task, the confidence with which to enter a battle, the strength with which to talk to someone, and the faith with which to live for Christ!
-Madison
 |
| Picture from Google |
Read Genesis 1:26-31 (Creation of Man)
Read Genesis 2:18-23 (Creation of Adam)
Have you ever stopped to think how you
came to be here today? How you are on earth as YOU?!!! How God miraculously
created you and every other person and thing around you???
We all know the story of creation, how
Adam and Eve were created, and we know how God created each of us. However,
there is a wonder about it all that we don’t always understand or perceive!
Life is such a precious gift, and sometimes because of the life we lives and
see around us we take advantage of its MIRACULOUS nature!
When you think of creation, what comes
to your mind? Do you automatically visualize God calling things into “being”,
making animals, trees, plants, fish, birds, dinosaurs, and most of all, molding
man from the dust of the ground?
Creation-
n. the act of bringing something into
existence.
(Refer to Notes
from the Tilt-A-Whirl on pg. 43, paragraph 2)
For those of you who are familiar with
the creation story in Genesis, or just now read it, you notice that when it
describes God creating everything on earth that it is His words that bring all
things into existence. For example, “God said let there be light, and there was
light.” God’s “Words” were the very things themselves. When God said “tree”, he
spoke it into being (Tilt-A-Whirl, pg. 43). His very words are the TREE and if
he were to stop speaking, it would cease to be!
It was through God’s great power that
he brought the world and everything in it into its marvelous existence!
However, do we all really fathom in our minds what he actually did?? I don’t
think we even realize how amazing and how EXRAordinary our world is!!!
Creations masterpiece has an incredible
story and the way in which everything came into existence is the most unique
part of the account. God didn’t spend months on a committee of engineers and
scientist strategically planning out the makeup of earth and all that would
reside there. He didn’t have a scientific lab creating every animal he wanted
or plant he wished to grow. NO! HE SPOKE THE WORLD INTO EXISTENCE, HIS “WORD”
WAS ITS CREATIN AND ITS START!!!!
·
“God created the Heavens and the Earth”
(Gen. 1:1).
·
“God said, ‘let there be light and there was light’” (Gen. 1:3).
·
“God said, ‘let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water
from water’” (Gen. 1:6).
·
“God said, ‘let water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry ground appear’” (Gen. 1:9).
·
“God said, ‘let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and
trees on the land…’” (Gen. 1:11).
·
“God said, ‘let there be light in the expanses of the sky to separate
day from night…’” (Gen. 1:14).
·
“God said, ‘let the water team with living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth…’” (Gen. 1:20).
“In
the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was
God.”
-John
1:1-
This verse is probably familiar to you,
and is very important and applicable to many ways of looking at God. The term
“word” has many different meanings in the Hebrew scripture, but there is only
one meaning I want to look at right now. This view is that in Hebrew scripture,
“the word is an agent of creation”.
Psalm 33:6 states it this way:
“By the WORD of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the BREATH of his mouth.”
Isn’t this utterly incredible!!!!!
Through simply “the breath of His mouth,” His WORD, God creates! Simply and
wholly by what comes out of His mouth everything is given life. This is the incredible
phenomena of the creation story.
The incredible phenomena of creation,
is the fact that God created everything through his words and not through
engineers, scientists, and master builders; not that he would have needed them
anyway. A single WORD that God says is the creation of that very object itself.
It is the “magic word” if you want to call it such. God simply speaking one
word can bring and does bring into existence a new life. His words are the very
things themselves! When he says tree, a tree emerges from the hard ground,
sturdy and tall. He spoke it into being!! When he said “tree” he didn’t just
say the word, he spoke the “tree” itself, and if he were to stop the words from
coming, all would cease to exist (Tilt-A-Whirl).
Everything in creation was brought forth
through the creators spoken word. When he said streams, he spoke the trickling
crystal water into its flowing state of existence. When God said “Let there be
light” at the beginning of the world, his very words issued in the moon to cast
glittering gleams upon the moonlit paths and the golden sun to shine down its
warm piercing rays.
When we come to realize that
practically everything is created simply through God speaking it, we notice, as
we look around us in creation, that God is never quiet! He is constantly
speaking everything around us into existence. He is begging it to awaken and
come alive. He commands your garden to sprout through the wet soil. He beckons
the rose to open up its bud and face the day. It is his WORD which gives the
bird on the fence the song to sing. Look around and see everything that was
spoken and is speaking around you!!! Marvel in its creators words!!!
1
John 1:1-4
The
Word of Life
“1What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—2
for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible
to us—3 what we have
seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with
us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing
this so that our joy may be complete.”
If you ever doubt His presence, just
look out your window into the face of creation and you can see his hand upon
everything, and if you are quiet enough you might just be able to hear his
words, though even if you can’t hear him, you see the words he is spoke and is
speaking.
Therefore dear sister, marvel at
creations wonders and recognize your Heavenly Fathers voice in every corner of
his masterpiece. But most importantly, realize that you were a spoken piece of
creation and God speaks through you wherever you go!!! You and I are both a
part of creations wonders and molded into God’s image.
Some may call it a Burden, others a calling, and still some may choose to label it a weird blessing, but no matter the name associated with it we each face it. Every day we wake up, step out into the world and witness destruction. Destruction of homes, lives, and lifestyles........we might stand there motionless uncertain of how to handle what is going on......or we might be silent with fear......but no mater our reactions each time we look upon the world our hearts break!
I don't know if it is the same for you but ever since I was young this has been my life story! There are times when I am frozen...motionless in uncertainty and times where I have been silent, not uttering a word in rebutle all because fear gripped my spirit. However, each and every time I come face to face with the world, its lies, hurt, brokeness, and evil my heart breaks. My spirit becomes mournful....sometimes I want to cry, sometime I want to grab the person and say "Do you not know how much you are loved and treasured?" and other times I just don't know what to do because I am in such despair. My heart breaks over multiple things....it breaks when I see girls compromise their standards for a guy or because the world tells them too. My heart breaks when I see the evil that captivates off guard subjects. My heart breaks when I hear of hunger and sickness in other countries and even in my own country. My heart breaks when I hear of young girls being trafficked and trapped withing a dangerous and evil society. My heart breaks when I hear of young women who sell themselves because they don't see their worth in their Heavenly Father's eyes. My heart breaks when I heart the lies the world screams at all who live here. My Heart Breaks.
I am always captivated by the words in Hillsongs Hosanna which say:
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity.
When our heart break Jesus heart breaks!!! In order to fully understand the heart of God we must ask Him to show us what breaks His heart and as us to break ours also!!! We must be willing to have our eyes opened by the one who sees everything and who mourns for his lost children.
We....each of us.....me......each one of you reading these words has been given a "Divine Burden."
What is this "Divine Burden?"
"A moment when God blesses you with a divine burden [is a moment that] something bothers you so deeply, you're moved from complacency to action."
(Groeschel, 207).
Has something ever bothered you so deeply that your spirit was moved? If not ask God to show you something that makes your heart break on behalf of Him. He will truly bless and does bless you with a burden.
God DID NOT put us here simply because he needed stick people to move around on his dioroma...NO! He placed us here for a reason....to do good work....to carry our the great commission.....to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
To be Lights (John 8:12)
City on a Hill (Matthew 5:14)
Children of the Light (1Thessalonians 5:5)
However, when we discover the divine burden that God has given us, we might want to ignore it.....for recognizing it means that we must step out of our comfort zone and be willing to follow Him! I know that for me, stepping outside of my comfort zone is the SCARIEST thing I can do and have done!! God has countless times pushed me beyond my limit and those times were only in small things (though they seemed like giants in my eyes)....I cannot even begin to fathom what it will be like when he pushes me beyond my limit in bigger things. However, we are not meant to hide or live small....we are meant to live BIG for we have a BIG GOD and he has given us a BIG calling!!
I want to be like Nehemiah who saw a problem and was so affected by it that he was greatly grieved and moved to tears by it. However, he didn't stop there.....he realized the burden God had placed on his heart and he acted upon it! He saw the crumbling walls of Jerusalem and the crumbling lives of all who lived there. He didn't stay home and watch Netflix and eat ice cream. NO SIR!!!! He got up out of his bed went to Jerusalem and started rebuilding the walls and the broken lives of the people!!! Man, if that isn't motivating I don't know what is!!!
He might have been threatened, accused, made fun of, mocked, and told that the task was to big.....but that didn't stop Nehemiah.....his response was God is BIGGER and with God ALL THINGS are possible!!! This is who I want to be....I want to be a modern Nehemiah.....I want to get up, go out, and act upon my divine calling!!! I want to rebuild the crumbling walls of the world and I want to move beyond my self and self-focused all to normal life and live out the weird blessing that God has called me to!!
However, I must admit I don't entirely know what that "Divine Blessing" is!!! However, I have realized over the last 6 months that God is calling me to something greater, something bigger, something better, something weird....."For such a Time as This!" (Ester 4:14).
Maybe that is why I started this blog? Actually that is one reason :) I wanted to share the things that God places on my heart and leads me towards, but I also want to encourage you who read these posts that you are not alone! You are not alone in your struggles and you are not alone in your Divine Callings. We are all called to something and each of us is finding out more each day about what God is calling us to do! I may have ideas about what my Weird Blessing and Divine Burden is from God....for I know the things that break my heart, but I an at a loss for how to act upon them. However, I know that when I ask God to show me what breaks his heart and allow my heart to do the same he will lead me to the path and be the one who is GREATER than I!!
This Burden is SCARY.....I will not lye!!!! It takes courage.......courage like I have never had before......I have to take risks!!!
You have to have COURAGE......you have to RISK!!!
What does that courage look like. One word or name.....DAVID! David was a young boy, the youngest out of a line of brothers. He was just a young lad looking after the sheep while everyone else (his brothers included) were out doing battle with the Philistines. Well, lo and behold that God would ever use anyone who was already great to carry out His work....he always used the least likely of candidates but that is what makes him so so AMAZING!!! David was simply minding his own business when suddenly the Philistines brought out their biggest warrior....a giant of a man named Goliath......well, you know what happens next, all the men in the army ran away in fear and wouldn't face him. However, David, this young shepherd boy armed with only a sling shot and stones stood up and said "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God (1 Sam. 17:26)?" While the other soldiers who ran away saw a scary giant, David saw an opportunity and large target that there was no way he could miss with his sling shot (and God's help of course). It was through the courage of a small shepherd boy that a giant was killed......and it is through that same courage that God gives us the power to face our own GIANTS every DAY!!!!!
However, even with a burden like Nehemiah and courage like David we may still find it hard to face our Divine Callings and step outside of ourselves to make a change. Sometimes we need to get a little angry! Not mad fuming fire out of the nostralls angry but a mad righteous anger!!! Where do we see this in the Bible? Remember that little Israelite baby that was put in a basket and sent down the Nile river to escape being killed by the Pharoah? Yeah....that baby....Moses. When Moses was older and living in the Pharoah's house he witnessed an Egyptian beating an Israelite, well Moses was so angered that he killed the Egyptian (Ex. 12:12)! Now, I am not saying that we should go out and kill the people who make us angry, but Moses had an excuse for this righteous anger. It was this act, somewhat cruel as it may seem, that showed the passion Moses had for the Israelite's and his anger at how they were being treated which started the ball rolling for God's plan to have Moses lead the Israelite's out of their captivity.
Now....do you see how God works in the unlikely situations of life to bring about a Diving Calling for the ones he has called? He moves us through what we see and experience around us. Have you ever realized that there are some things that effect us more than others? What could be the reason for this? Have you ever considered that what moves you more...what brings tears to your eyes and breaks your heart into a million pieces are things that God is specifically aiming directly at you? I know right now I can think of a number of things that break my heart more than others for whatever reason.....and when I think about it more I do realize that it is as if God specifically aims them at me! As crazy as it may sound it is true!!
Thus here is the thing......if God is the God of all creation, the one who created you and me, the one who sent the world into motion, and the one who knows the future.....don't you think he knows what he has called us to? He knew since the day we entered this world what he wanted us to do and he knows the exact moment in our history that he will choose for us to act upon our divine calling and glorify his magnificent name!! God has given each and every one of us gifts, talents and passions. Do not think that those are meant to go to waste....he gave them to us to carry out what he has called us to!!! He has equipped us with all we need to find what breaks out hearts and call upon him to guide us on the path of our Divine Burdens.
So ask yourself this and answer in the blank:
"My weird blessing is to have a burden for ________________."
You may feel overwhelmed with thinking that you need to do everything, but take heart that God has many children and each of them has a Divine Burden. You cannot to everything, but every little thing you do is something. You may not be able to save every starfish (Story Here)but your vigilance can make a difference to one!
As I was reading the chapter in the book that inspired me to write this post, the author started throwing out suggestions for allowing yourself the freedom to take action. As I was reading through the sentence I was struck by one suggestion he wrote: "Start a Blog". I went "Wow, what are the odds!!"
Maybe (like I mentioned) this is the reason for this blog? Maybe this blog is only my jumping off point? Maybe this blog is to connect me to others who have a similar calling so that we can come together and bring Glory to our Heavenly Father through our Divine Burdens? Whatever the reason, I know that this blog is no accident. I started it for a reason. I know full well that God is allowing my heart to break for the things he is calling me towards! I know one day soon He will show me how to take action and I hope when that day comes I have the courage to step out of myself and RISK!!
I want to be a modern Nehemiah and rebuild walls, I want to be a modern David and face my Giants, and I want to be a modern Moses...filled with righteous anger for the things that break my heart!!
In closing I leave you with this prayer from the book WEIRD:
"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May God bless you with the weirdest blessing possible---his divine burden."
If that blessing doesn't inspire you to the depths of your soul I don't know what will!
Blessings to you who seek to live as Nehemiah's, David's, and Moses's in a world that tells us it cannot be done!!!
What is something that breaks your heart or something that God lead you to when reading this post?
Do you feel there is a Divine Burden God is leading you towards?
What are your thoughts on this post?
-Madison
"WEIRD......Because Normal Isn't Working."
Did you read the title? Well, that about sums up today's post. WHAT? You are WEIRD???
Yes I am and proud of it!!
Okay, so maybe you are a little confused by my definition of "Weird" or how I use it in defining and describing me? If that is the case than all I have to say is that if you are reading this post right now you are weird too! Yup, you heard me....YOU ARE WEIRD!!!
Okay, okay, I get that you might be freaking out right now and creaming: "Noooooooo......I can't be weird I have tried my whole entire life and live each day trying to avoid being just that....weird......weird isn't cool!" What might I have to say to that declaration? You are right, to the world weird isn't cool and each day you try to avoid just that...being weird. However, to God weird is what he is ALL about!!!
Now are you confused? :) I see how you might be so lets clarify some things.
1) WEIRD means odd, different, and unusual (does that describe you?).
2) "Do not Conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." -Romans 12:2
3) Jesus calls us to be "not of this world" which means what it says...do not be like the world = be different, unusual, odd....BE LIKE JESUS!!
4) What Jesus teaches is WEIRD..... he teaches us "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other." - Luke 6:27-29
5) Jesus tells us to take the hard road, the narrow path...."Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14
6) Jesus call us to "BE ONE OF THE FEW!"
Don't be part of the majority in the crowd that travels the wrong path that leads to destruction even though the gate is wide...but with a dead end. Be "one of the few" who takes the path less traveled, the rocky path which leads to the narrow gate that gives LIFE!!!
So what are you? Are you weird? Maybe you are weird but you hide behind a mask seeking to disguise yourself to fit in and be unnoticed. You probably don't want to be thought of as weird right? You might think:" If they knew I was a Christian they would think I was a 'Jesus Freak'". Am I right? While the weird I am talking about isn't necessarily the "freak" type of weird though it is close to it:) And I know that might sound scary but just think about how Jesus calls us to live? He specifically calls us to be set apart.....he is calling us to be weird, be different, be unusual, and be proud of it. If we lived our lives being weird, the "God kind of weird (p.17)" just think about how much people would notice us. However, if they notice us as weird it is crazy awesome to realize that the weird they are noticing is Jesus living in and through us!!! CRAZY!!!! MIND BLOWN!!!!
In the world of today that constant flow of humans seeks to live a life that is "normal" by their standards and the worlds. However, by trying to live normal we forsake the life that Jesus specifically calls us to live adn through that choice we then run into so many barriars, battles, and heartbreaks in life.
In his book WEIRD, Craig Groeschel states a profound realization: "What if being the Christian kind of weird did not mean the same thing as the bad-weird, freak-show, annoying, carnival-barking, somewhat uncomfortable, weird-for-no-reason weird? What if the Bible is talking about a different-than-what-everyone-else-does, good type of Jesus weird?(p.17)"
Just think, maybe there is a completely different world of weird out there? A world a weird that God specifically designed us to embrace as our destiny and confidently live out each day! It all goes back to what STANDOUTgirlTM is all about....Stand Up...Stand Out....Be Different! This is our DESTINY dear sisters!! This is what we were born for! Lets embrace the "God kind of Weird" and go live like Jesus!!
Maybe you know you are weird, you have accepted that fact, maybe you even already embrace your destiny as a "God kind of weird" and live it out each day. Maybe you are one of those girls who tried to be normal for a day but failed? I tried being normal for a day, let just say I gave up and the next day I didn't even try to be normal:)
Maybe you are a girl who still struggles with the looming fear of being labeled as "weird"? Maybe that scares you so much, or maybe you just don't want to let go of being like everyone else, being accepted, cool, part of the popular crowd? Is this you? Do you worry that people will call you a freak, laugh at you, make fun of you? Let be honest, that might happen, but here is the promise we have, that in whatever situation, in whatever we are going through, no matter what people are saying about us we have God on our side (Romans 8:31). He gives us the strength to conquer all (Philippians 4:13). He doesn't give us more than we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13), so if life get tough just know he has faith in your abilities and will be with you every step of the way (Psalm 46). He is our shield (Psalm 28:7), our Fortress (Psalm 18:2), and "With God ALL things are POSSIBLE (Matthew 19:26)."
Take heart that you are never alone! We are all called by the same God with the same destiny. Let us not go with the flow on the wide path but be "one of the few" on the narrow path which lead to life and not destruction. Lets together embrace who we are called to be and be weird together!
What do you think about "God kind of weird"?
Are you weird or do you hide it?
Another week has gone by and I find myself in front of the computer screen late in the day on Monday...way past the scheduled time that I normally post here on STANDOUTgirl. However, life gets in the way with packing and moving back to college and well, things just get pushed aside until later in the day.
While I really would love to write a post deep from the heart I thought I would take today's post and share something a little different and fun! So the thing is, I LOVE music....like music inspires me, keeps me going, and makes me feel like I am in a different year (retro music). Thus, when I find those songs that speak to me or seem to encompass EVERYTHING I love by and base my life around I fall head over heals in love with the song, learn every word, buy the song, add it to my playlist, and listen to it over and over.
While I would easily go on and on about all of these songs I will let them speak for themselves....so sit back grab a pair of ear buds and let the music movie you:)
#1- Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James
#2- Hide Your Love Away by Anthem Lights
About The Song:
#3- I'll Wait for You by Moriah Peters
#4- Haven't Even Kissed by Moriah Peters
#5- Looking For a Girl by OBB
Couldn't Find a good video so you can check out their song on iTunes.
TOTALLY worth listening to:)
The more you hear me talk about my life and the standards that I live by the more you would realize that I kinda live out these songs every day or rather than my guidelines for life line up with these songs. Nothings wrong with that though, because now I have life Theme Songs:)
I hope you enjoyed listening to these songs and maybe even found a few new favorite tunes!!
“Apparently,
then, our lifelong nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the
universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which
we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy but the truest
index of our real situation. And to be at last summoned inside would be both
glory and honor beyond all our merits and also the healing of that old ache.”
- C.S. Lewis The Weight of Glory
Have you ever felt as though you don’t
belong in this world? Like.... wherever your turn you come face to face with people
and things that seem strange to you and wonder why you don’t really fit into the
things of this world? Maybe you even feel like nothing in this world, not even the
wondrous and beautiful can truly quench the greater desire you have deep inside? You don't understand where this passion for greater things comes from and you are certainly baffled by the feeling of "not fitting". Maybe that's just it! Have you ever stopped to think that it could be true? That maybe you always feel like you don't fit in because that is how you were created! CRAZY right!!! You
are not alone and trust me you don’t have these feelings simply because you feel
inferior, no. There is a greater, more glorious reason for this strange happening:) God created us like this for a reason so AMAZING!
I am sure that many of you have never read
C.S. Lewis’s The Weight of Glory. If
you have not read this work, I highly encourage you to do so, because it is absolutely incredibly amazing and intriguing and shines a light on a topic which we do not
give much contemplation towards. However, before I dive head first into talking about all this work has to tell
us, let me first give you a little bit of background for when it was first
released.
The
Weight of Glory was a sermon preached by C.S. Lewis on June 8, 1941, when
England was at war with Germany. Now if you consider when this sermon was
given, it was spoken in a time when many people where in hard times due to
WWII, which definitely makes the words from the sermon much more powerful. The
main point of C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of
Glory is that a desire for something greater and something that we have not
yet seen is built into our fundamental human nature. Within each of us is a
desire for heaven, because that is what we were made for. Earth is just our
temporary home (thank God!). We have a desire for Heaven because that is how God created us!
C.S. Lewis titled his sermon The Weight
of Glory because that is our eternal reward upon arrival to heaven. C.S. Lewis
states, “The promise of scripture may very roughly to reduce to five heads. It
is promised, firstly, that we shall be with Christ; secondly, that we shall be
like him; thirdly, with an enormous
wealth of imagery, that we shall have 'glory;' fourthly, that we shall, in
some sense, be fed or feasted or entertained; and finally that we shall have
some sort of position in the Universe.”
While every promise is so unfathomable and incredible we now know that what we have to look forward to is something "Glorious" (for lack of a better word). Let us
however focus on the third promise of scripture; for the others are indeed a
topic for another day. The third promise we are given is that “we shall have
glory.” But what is “glory” in the sense that it is used? What does it really
mean for us?
Picture in your head for a moment what
comes to mind when you hear the word “glory.” Maybe you are seeing angels, or
think that it means some type of elevation? Those are both slightly true, but
let us look at a definition to understand what it means:
Glory à n. 1) very great praise, honor, and
distinction bestowed by common consent.
2) Resplendent beauty or magnificence.
While those are both accurate
definitions of glory and give us a glimpse of its brilliance, let us further look at the definition we are given by C.S. Lewis which is truly magnificent:
“Either glory means to me fame, or it means luminosity (The Weight of Glory).”
When you think of “Glory”, you might think something along the lines of the first definition (fame) given by C.S. Lewis; I know I
do. However, while you probably always look at glory as someone or something
receiving fame, do you ever look of “glory” as being luminosity? You might be
wondering what does “luminosity” mean? I could give you the dictionary
definition, but why don’t we look back at The
Weight of Glory to see if it explains this perspective in more detail:
“As
for the first, since to be famous means to be better known than other people,
the desire for fame appears to me as a competitive passion and
therefore of hell rather than heaven. As for the second, who wants to become a
kind of living electric light bulb?”
Wow!!! A light bulb...yes please:) That is quite an interesting
description and picture of what luminosity will be, but if you think about it,
it is completely accurate. And honestly, don’t you think it is cool that we will be
like a light bulb? Not in the sense of really being a light bulb, but in the
sense, that we will be bright, a shining “Luminous” light when we arrive in
heaven!! Way Cool!!!!
However, while C.S. Lewis’s point is that we
ourselves (our soul) in Heaven will be something like a “living electric light
bulb,” that is however, just one of the main points of this work that he is
trying to get across to us. Rather, the overall point of his work, is that we
have a desire built inside of us for Heaven and the even more so, the treasures and things of heaven, but here is the absolutely amazing part! Your
desire for the things of heaven comes from your desires of the things that you marvel
at or take joy in here on earth every day! I know that is an interesting concept,
but understand it this way. Let us say you adore music. You cannot ever get
enough of it, and anytime those notes reach your ears you are drawn towards
the music. There is a reason for this desire for music deep within you and the reason being
that your inner yearning is really for the music of heaven. However, because
your inner being yearns for the music of heaven, no earthly melody will ever be
enough to satisfy your desire, because the harmonies on earth will never be anything compared to the music of heaven! Oh how glorious that music will sound:) You can apply this concept to anything else in life, if you love nature: flowers, plants, etc...just think of Heavenly beauty such as this!!! C.S. Lewis discusses this inner desire
in his work, The Weight of Glory:
“We want something else which can
hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it,
to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”
Isn’t this utterly amazing!!!! Our longing
for the things of Heaven is within us, because it is Gods way of building an inner
longing for heaven within our being. And though this might seem strange at
times, it is so powerful because it truly shows us that Heaven is our real
home; earth is just our present stop. Therefore, do not despair! When it seems
like you don’t fit in and are different, you really are! We were made since the dawn of time to be different! We were made for a place other than this world.....our true home, Heaven! Embrace the magnificence of God's plan in how he created you and the longings he planted within your soul!
“
The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the bringing to be
acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some chasm that yawns
between us and reality, is part of our inconsolable secret…”
The reality for each one of us,
is that we will always have a longing for the splendors of Heaven, because we
do not belong here. C.S Lewis states, “There
are no ordinary people…But it is immortals, whom we joke with, work with,
marry, snub, exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendorous (Lewis
9).” That quote always gives me chills! There
truly are no ordinary people and the sooner we realize this, the better off we
will be. We might have an idea of what our glory in Heaven will be like, but we
will never be able to fathom how it marvelous!!!
2 Corinthians 3:10-11
“For
what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And
if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that
which lasts.”
Elizabeth Elliot describes heaven as
this, “Heaven is not here, it’s there. If
we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather
than the next. God is forever loving us up and away from this one, wooing us to
Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we
so keenly long for.”
"Apparently, then, our lifelong nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation. And to be at last summoned inside would be both glory and honor beyond all our merits and also the healing of that old ache." (The Weight of Glory)
Though it is Heaven and everything
beyond its gates of splendor that we have a strong desire for, it is also glory
that is bestowed upon us in heaven. We cannot even begin to imaging what the
glory of Heaven will be like, but it is not just Heaven that will have glory and be "luminous". Remember, each of us will posses a since of “glory”, and as C.S. Lewis so picturesquely
stated, we will be a “living electric lightbulb!”
One day GLORY will truly be ours in our Heavenly Home!!! Therefore, when you feel despaired because of the world and its pressures, lies, and brokenness.....remember that "there are no ORDINARY people" for you were made for a different place, a higher calling, a glorious life! Nothing on earth can ever quench the longing and desire withing our soul for the things of Heaven, but we have the confidence to know that one day "we will get in"!!! I can't even begin to imagine how amazing and awe inspiring that day will be but all I can do is dream about a place beyond world!!!
Have you ever read The Weight of Glory?
What do you think about the Glory that we will have one day?
Have you ever wondered what your
part was in the story? What role do you play? How could a little speck of a
person like you fit into the bigger picture, the main production of life? This
is your time, your “role call,” so what is it that you are here for?
There is a reason and a purpose for
everything in life (though sometimes it may be unknown to us). Everything has a
purpose, otherwise what would be the use of having it. Inventions, gadgets, and
gizmo's are all created with an idea in mind; meant to help us in some way,
solve problems, save time, etc. etc. But what do gadgets and gizmo's have to do
with our life? Well, if God was the inventor and creator behind who we are,
then we can be certain that we are not a sperr of the moment decision. Our
Heavenly Father thought long and hard about you before he created and brought
you into this world. He didn’t just create you, he cast you as an important part
of the story. However, unlike gadgets and gizmo's, which come accompanied by an
instruction manual and directions for use, we were not handed such a helpful
packet. We are cast into the story and learn our part along the way.
Do you know your part in the story? I highly doubt it,
because neither do I. It is not necessarily our place to know our part in the
greater scheme of things, for once again that is the marvelous mystery of God.
Nonetheless, this does not prevent Him from adding lines to our script and
scenes to our story. For slowly, along the way in life, you begin to see
glimpses of the bigger picture. Mind you, it is not all revealed, for that
would ruin the surprise, but yet, every charter will in the end known the
purpose for which they were cast!
Yes, we live without knowing.
Without seeing the full picture. Why? I am not quite sure, for at times I still
question God’s reasoning. Yet, I know that there is a reason, because I am here.
I was given a speaking part and as small as it might seem at the time, I know I
was cast as an important character!
I can’t help but reflect on and want
to read over, and over, and over again the words of one of my favorite authors
N.D. Wilson, when he talks about our roles in the production of life, stating:
We are always on stage. We are always in a novel, and
even when no other characters are
around, the art continues. The Triune audience watches. You have been given
your body, you have been given
your ancestors, your natural strengths and your natural weaknesses. The back story is all in place. You have been drawn,
described, and placed on a
stage unlike any other—the Globe. And you have been given your freedom to act. Your story has begun
already….Apparently you were worth bringing onto this stage. But why? Are you here as an extra in
somebody else’s scene? Are you here as a casualty?...Are
you a cautionary tale? We are all watching. We are all watched….Listen to your dialogue. Look at your
thoughts. Be horrified. Be grateful that God loves characters, and loves characters on journeys, characters
honestly striving to grow….Scene
after scene is given to you and the teeming universe in the audience waits for your reaction (Tilt-A-Whirl; 33-35).
I can’t help but LOVE every word written in N.D. Wilson’s
book Tilt-A-Whirl because it is all
so profoundly relevant to our life. When reading I constantly find myself
nodding my head, reading aloud and murmuring in agreement as goosebumps run down
my arm and an inspiring shiver travels down my back and trickles to my toes. This is what life is all about!!! This is
why we are here!!! This spinning globe is not only our home,
but it is our stage! We were called, we were cast, and now it is our turn to
take on our roll.
However, do you have questions? You might
beg to ask: Why now? Why me? For what purpose? Why was I put on this earth at
the time that I was born into existence? Everyone at some time or another
wrestles with these questions, not knowing or realizing the importance of their
part in the story. Sometimes it is a question battling it out with God and
crying in despair “Why!” Other times it is mere curiosity at the reasoning and
workings of a God so amazing and baffling that we wish we could get into his
mind and understand why he does what he does. But then again, I don’t think we
will ever be able to wrap our minds around the things he does, we just have to
know he has a reason for everything. He created the world and everything around
us for goodness sake, we should be able to trust him with something so small as
our part in the story.
On the flip side…….have you ever
thought to wonder what life would be like if you had never been born or born at
a different time in life? Maybe there have even been times that you wished you
might never have existed at all? Out of curiosity or despair we do contemplate
this at times, but what we cannot see is the impact we have had on those around
us.
What! “Lil ole me” has an impact on
people?
Yes, you most certainly do, but most likely you have never had the
opportunity to see it, or if you have, it has been on very rare occasions. Never
the less….you do have an impact….you are important!!
When writing this particular post, I was struck with the idea of using an example from a very famous
classic movie. Most of you have seen it I am sure, but if you never had the
opportunity to watch this film, you really should stop right here and go watch it J!!
This movie It’s a Wonderful Life gives viewers a chance to see what life would
be like if someone wished they had never been born. Teaching a lesson in
cherishing what we have and help us realize the importance of our life……
I remember watching It’s a Wonderful Life when I was younger, but I never grasped the
full meaning of the plot until I had to watch it again as an assignment for my World
View class. While it is a widely celebrated classic, it is even more celebrated
for the lesson and message it gives to viewers.
The movie focuses on the main
character George Bailey who has sacrificed nearly everything in life, giving up
his big dreams to stay and run the family business, take care of his family,
help others and never leave his home town of Bedford Falls; while his brother
goes off to college and everyone else moves on to bigger and better things. At
the climax of the film, George has had enough of his life and decided to commit
suicide on Christmas Eve. That is when Clarence, his guardian Angel, jumps
(literally) into the picture. Clarence shows George the importance of his life,
all the lives that he has touched and what life and Bedford falls would have
become if it were not for George Bailey. George’s brother Harry would have died
as a boy, because George would not have been there to save him and as a result
many a solder would have died in the war because Harry never lived to save
them. His uncle would have been put in an insane asylum, his mother would have
become a poor bitter widow, and Mary (his wife) would have been a deprived
spinster; all because George Bailey was never born. George finally realized the
impact of his life on all those around him, and he begs to be spared from
death. While his troubles are not over yet, as he is faced with possible arrest
because of a failing business, all those that he had helped over the years
gather together and donate enough money to save him and the family business.
His brother salutes him as being “The Richest Man,” and George realizes how
blessed he is.
I love that story!!!! That is just
one example I could think of showing how important our lives are even though we
might not realize it. Thus, the lesson learned here is that we won’t always
know the impact we have. Sometimes we might see our impact, but most often it
is hidden from our view. Because we cannot always see the impact God allows us
to have, it is easy to become discouraged and think that you are not important
to the story….that you do not have a purpose!
But
just think if you never existed!! What would life be…who would your family
be…your friends… Take a character out of a story and you are left with gaps.
Jobs are abandoned, tasks not done, places unvisited, people unmet or
un-introduced.
Taking a character out of a story
would be like taking out a stitch in a garment (bear with me, I like to
sew)…and what would result? The seam would unravel and fall apart. Why? Because
just one little stitch is important in helping hold the entire seam together.
Without the stitch and the seam, there would be no garment…your shirt would
fall to pieces when you put it on…all because of one stitch.
So think of yourself as a stitch in
time or a character on stage or in a novel…I don’t really care how you view
yourself in the greater scheme of things…all that matters to me is that you
know you have a role… you are
valuable…you matter...you are important…you are
treasured…necessary…created…called!
You were created for a purpose and if
you wish it any other way, life as we know it would be changed forever.
You are a Masterpiece,
a character in the story, a piece to the puzzle, a spec of dust, a stitch in
time….LIVE…..you are more than you realize and your story is just beginning!!
Do you feel at times like you don't have a purpose in God's Plan?
Have you ever been in the predicament of George Bailey?
Do you feel at times like you don't have a purpose in God's Plan?
Have you ever been in the predicament of George Bailey?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons