"We are the body of Christ, broken and poured out, just as He was. Mercy has a cost: someone must be broken for someone else to be fed." - Jen Hatmaker, "Interrupted"
I am currently living in a spiritual dichotomy between brokenness and intentionality. God has used a variety of means to bring these two concepts to my attention.
I have always been ready to move mountains in the name of Jesus, but have struggled with giving God control of the outcome. I remember one of the moments where God's voice was just shy of audible as I read Psalm 46:10 (emphasis mine)- "Be still and know that I am God, I WILL BE exalted among the nations, I WILL BE exalted among the earth," (With or without your efforts, God seemed to tell me in parentheses.) My striving and actions were all "good things" but not if I couldn't slow down long enough to know the God I served. This was high school Alex.
College Alex is a little different. A lot has changed in the past three years. My perspectives on the the world have changed dramatically both in good and bad ways. When it comes to my faith, I'm learning what it truly means to live on mission. My heart was and still is absolutely shattered beyond repair for the hungry, the orphan, the destitute, the trafficked women, the disenfranchised. But over the past year, I've come to realize that while all of this is absolutely the heart of Jesus, there is more to Christian love than simply humanitarian work with a side of the gospel. Through my own quiet time, situations in my life, music, books like "Interrupted," sermons, and the on campus ministry I am part of (FOCUS), God has made it so clear to me that my job is to "live sent" wherever that may be. In high school, that meant being on the mission team and helping organize service projects. It meant fundraisers and mission trips.
But in college, I'm realizing that this is not it. While all of that is part of it, there is more to it. Living sent is about the situations and people right in front of you. When you truly are pressed into the love of Christ, you cannot help but have that spill over both at home and abroad. Every hero of the Bible, including Jesus himself, lived sent, lived on mission, lived a life that showed the higher calling they ascribed to.
But living sent has a cost. To live an intentional life is to live a life of brokenness.
Herein lies the dichotomy- when you live sent, you realize your inadequacies. You realize the depths and width of your brokenness and failings. No longer is ministry simply an after school activity, fun projects we get to do with friends that also happen to support a good cause. It goes so much deeper.
The struggle happens when we move from comfortable service to truly living sent. When we live sent, our entire perspective shifts. No longer is it just work, just my professor, just my family, just my classmates, just the barista at Starbucks. Every moment is a choice, every choice an opportunity to live as though I am sent, as though I am on mission, as though I have a purpose- to love people the way Christ loved. And the people that Christ loved?
That's every single person in front of me.
The ones that I too, love dearly. The ones starving and dying on the other side of the world that I've never met.
It's the ones that I pass in the halls as I'm rushing to get to class on time. The ones who bring my Sonic drink out to my car.
Also the ones that know just how to push my buttons to make me mad. And the ones that I can't stand because they hurt others.
And the ones that hurt me.
These are the ones. These are the ones that I am sent to every single day. These are the ones that I can choose to live intentionally for, or the ones that I can choose to ignore.
In "Interrupted," Jen Hatmaker discusses the idea of communion (The Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, whatever you prefer to call it) being more than just the sacrament we view it as. It's more than passing the bread and wine (or crackers and grape juice if you're nondenominational ;) ) and "doing this in remembrance of me." What is the "this?" What are we doing in remembrance of him? Certainly taking the sacrament is part of it, but could there be more? Jesus' body was broken for us and his blood spilled for us, and we remember that each time we take communion. But what if we are to follow in his footsteps a bit more closely? What if that means that our bodies and our blood are to be broken and spilled for the sake of others? Mercy has a cost, she says- just as Jesus had to be broken to bring the love of God to you, so we too have to be broken in order to truly love those around us. Love and mercy are two sides of the same coin, and it's a coin that has to be spent in order to reap the benefits.
When you truly live sent, you find yourself in a constant state of brokenness for others and their burdens, hurts, and separation from God. I've been listening to "Tears of the Saints" by Leeland lately, and I think this sums it up pretty well- "There are tears from the saints, for the lost and unsaved. We're crying for them come back home, we're crying for them come back home. And all your children will stretch out their hands and pick up the crippled man. Father we will lead them home." This is the cry of the broken bodied, blood spilled heart.
Jesus never leaves us where we're comfortable. I was so comfortable with my service projects in high school. I was actually getting to a place where I was getting more comfortable with at least the idea of living sent (although it's still pretty uncomfortable!) Then Jesus asks us to take that extra step so we aren't tiptoing the line of comfort, but fully out of it. This weekend, I went to a 24 hour retreat with FOCUS. Our theme this school year is "Live Sent" which was a little ironic as that's what God's been teaching me since the beginning of 2017. During one of the sessions, Jesus and I had this conversation:
Jesus: You know you have to forgive that person that hurt you, right?
Me: Yeahhh I don't really wanna do that
Jesus: ?
Me: Cuz you see I'm already hurting here and forgiving them will actually probably hurt worse and I'm just not really thinking that that's a great plan. Plus I kind of like being mad at them because they were a total jerkface and deserve it.
(My logic is not great, I am aware of this. I think this was around the point that Jesus popped some Excedrin for the headache I was giving him)
Jesus: But remember how we talked about how I laid down my body for you, and you're supposed to lay down yours for others?
Me: *swirls the juice in my communion cup*
Me: *looks to the left*
Me: *looks to the right*
Me: ...yes
Jesus: So I mean there's that.
Jesus: Living sent has always been about laying down yourself on behalf of others. And tonight, that means laying down your anger and pride for that person that hurt you."
I realized that what I was upset about was in essence, a broken person's sin affecting me. I then realized that that person and I? We're just the same. Both of our sin was fracturing our relationship with each other and with God- theirs the action that hurt me, and mine the choice to be bitter. Jesus was hurt by both of us, yet chose to die for us anyway. Who am I to sin against this person, just because he sinned against me, when Jesus has paid the penalty for both of us? In this moment I became so painfully aware of my own sin and my own selfishness that gets in the way of my living sent. In the same vein, I don't know if I would have been so acutely aware of my own need for Jesus if I didn't choose to engage in a sent lifestyle in that moment in time.
In that instance, living sent came at the cost of giving up my anger yet also gave me a mirror into my own heart. Which circles back around- the only way we can truly live sent is by laying down ourselves, our desires, our comfort, and our pride for the sake of others. Living sent says in every single situation, you before me. It's a constant battle between your own selfishness and sin and the good of others, and that raw look into your own sin leaves you on your face in front of your Savior. Living sent is stopping to talk to the friend going through a hard time even though it's going to make you late. It's choosing to forgive the person that broke your heart even though you're so angry that your prayers start as "God, just help me not want to punch their face when I see them." (I wish I was kidding, but there's a transparent look at my brokenness!) It's knowing that it's not just coffee with a classmate, it's a chance to show love to them in a way they might not have experienced it before. Living sent is a daily lifestyle, daily choice, daily denial to self, and it's the most refining, growing, beautiful process I've ever been through.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Thursday, June 1, 2017
When Church Hurts
"80% of kids who grew up in the church will walk away from it in college."
It's a statistic that is endlessly drilled into the heads of those church kids during middle school and high school. It's usually the precursor to a lesson on apologetics, in an attempt to show us why this is 100% real and it would be foolish to walk away from.
Don't get me wrong. I love apologetics. I love learning how to defend the faith that I believe in so deeply. Most of all, I love Jesus with my whole being.
We assume that 80% walks away from the church because they begin to doubt the authenticity of Jesus. We assume that the 80% has suddenly begun to believe everything that a university teaches on an academic level. We assume that they have completely forsaken everything they've grown up with in favor of a world of sex, drugs, parties, or for unfounded theories and circular philosophies.
Certainly, some do. But what if some of the 80% has not rejected the church not because of these reasons, but because they have finally removed the rose colored glasses of the upper middle class white church and seen the world for what it truly is? What if they leave because the more they get to know Jesus, the less they see of him in religion?
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
Living in the Bible belt, there are not many people who have truly never heard of Jesus. There's a church on every street corner, and while by no means does that mean that everyone in the area is a Christian, it does help the general public at least be exposed to the idea of God, Jesus, and Christianity. Most around here know the basic "rules" of church. Don't lie, don't steal, don't curse, don't murder anyone, and for the love of God, don't be "a homosexual" (as so many "Christians" so eloquently phrase that lifestyle.) Follow these rules and you're sure to get a pass into those pearly gates, if they even exist.
But how many know that those "rules" are in fact not rules at all? How many of them know that the sanctuary is not a courtroom?
How many of them know that no matter what they have done or are doing, that they are so unconditionally loved?
How many of them have experienced unconditional love from a "Christian"?
No matter their color.
No matter their race.
No matter their gender or gender identity.
No matter who they love.
No matter what their abilities are.
No matter what their diagnosis.
No matter what their immigration status.
No matter what political party the align themselves with.
No matter what they have done.
No matter what they are doing now.
No matter.
"For God so loved the world"
"There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love"
We pride ourselves on worshiping the God of love. "It's a relationship, not a religion!" we love to tell anyone who is hesitant to get involved with religion.
Why is it, then, that the love of God is nowhere to be found among His people?
How can we profess our love for God, but silently (or outwardly) judge anyone who does not fit our cookie cutter Christian life?
My heart is broken today. The reason is twofold.
My heart is breaking for my friends. The ones I have class with. The ones I work with, the ones I pass in the halls and make small talk with. My heart is broken for my teachers, my supervisors, my academic mentors.
My heart is breaking for them because they have been so hurt by my people. They have been so deeply wounded by Christians. Some of them are part of that 80% that walked away from church because they could not reconcile the idea of such hateful people being the product of a loving God. And before you begin to judge the "Christians" that caused them to feel that way, let me tell you that I've heard this story from people from all kinds of churches and denominations...including my own church and denomination.
These people whom I love more than life itself are hurting so deeply. How many times, oh Christian, have you said "I can't imagine going through (insert situation) without God! He's been my rock!"
Well, my loved ones are going through the same situations you are. And because of the church, they do not have God to guide them through it the way you do. In fact, the church has just added insult to injury by judging them or telling them that they were not good enough, whether explicitly or implicitly.
My heart is also broken for the Christians who are causing this hurt to the world.
I know that they love God. I know that they are well intentioned in their crusades. But my heart is broken for them because they have never truly experienced the depths of the love of Jesus.
Just as "hurt people, hurt people," loved people love people. 1 John 4:8 says that "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." When you truly understand the depth of your sin and the even deeper love of God, there is suddenly no place for any kind of judgement, because you realize we are all on the same boat which is speeding towards an eternity of separation from God. You realize that you are just as filthy, broken, and destitute as anyone else, but that because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ- it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5.)
When you truly have tasted and seen that God is good (Psalm 38:4), you cannot help but let that love overflow to all around you. Your are so filled to the brim with the love of God that your cup overflows (Psalm 23:5.) You begin to see others with the eyes of God, with endless love and a desire that they too might experience this rich love of God no matter who they are or what they've done. Since there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39) that includes ourselves and our sins and others and their sins. There is nothing too big for God. When you have truly experienced God, you embrace this. Your heart bleeds for those who have not experienced this everlasting love, peace, and joy.
I think we need to give Christian college students a little more credit. For those of us who grew up in a Christian bubble, college is a little bit of a shock. There are definitely some who throw away everything they grew up with to fully embrace the college life. But there are definitely some who begin one of the loneliest journeys of their lives. They aren't part of the "same old, same old" Christian college students who attend church every Sunday and maybe show up to the on campus Bible study every Thursday if they don't have anything better to do. But they also aren't part of the partying, sex crazed, superficial life of most other students. They're falling more and more madly in love with Jesus by the day, but struggle to find a community that truly loves like they have been loved. So maybe some of that 80% is a small group of young adults who just want to know what it truly means to follow Jesus, the real Jesus, not the American construct of fear driven church that worships a God who looks oddly like ourselves.
So today, I hurt. And I pray to the God of love, that he might touch "sinner" and "righteous" both, that he might reach down to all of these people I love so deeply- the ones inside the whitewashed walls of the church and the ones in the sin ridden world. I know that as deeply as I love them all, God loves them infinitely more than I ever could- I just pray that they will truly experience this love.
It's a statistic that is endlessly drilled into the heads of those church kids during middle school and high school. It's usually the precursor to a lesson on apologetics, in an attempt to show us why this is 100% real and it would be foolish to walk away from.
Don't get me wrong. I love apologetics. I love learning how to defend the faith that I believe in so deeply. Most of all, I love Jesus with my whole being.
We assume that 80% walks away from the church because they begin to doubt the authenticity of Jesus. We assume that the 80% has suddenly begun to believe everything that a university teaches on an academic level. We assume that they have completely forsaken everything they've grown up with in favor of a world of sex, drugs, parties, or for unfounded theories and circular philosophies.
Certainly, some do. But what if some of the 80% has not rejected the church not because of these reasons, but because they have finally removed the rose colored glasses of the upper middle class white church and seen the world for what it truly is? What if they leave because the more they get to know Jesus, the less they see of him in religion?
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
Living in the Bible belt, there are not many people who have truly never heard of Jesus. There's a church on every street corner, and while by no means does that mean that everyone in the area is a Christian, it does help the general public at least be exposed to the idea of God, Jesus, and Christianity. Most around here know the basic "rules" of church. Don't lie, don't steal, don't curse, don't murder anyone, and for the love of God, don't be "a homosexual" (as so many "Christians" so eloquently phrase that lifestyle.) Follow these rules and you're sure to get a pass into those pearly gates, if they even exist.
But how many know that those "rules" are in fact not rules at all? How many of them know that the sanctuary is not a courtroom?
How many of them know that no matter what they have done or are doing, that they are so unconditionally loved?
How many of them have experienced unconditional love from a "Christian"?
No matter their color.
No matter their race.
No matter their gender or gender identity.
No matter who they love.
No matter what their abilities are.
No matter what their diagnosis.
No matter what their immigration status.
No matter what political party the align themselves with.
No matter what they have done.
No matter what they are doing now.
No matter.
"For God so loved the world"
"There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love"
We pride ourselves on worshiping the God of love. "It's a relationship, not a religion!" we love to tell anyone who is hesitant to get involved with religion.
Why is it, then, that the love of God is nowhere to be found among His people?
How can we profess our love for God, but silently (or outwardly) judge anyone who does not fit our cookie cutter Christian life?
My heart is broken today. The reason is twofold.
My heart is breaking for my friends. The ones I have class with. The ones I work with, the ones I pass in the halls and make small talk with. My heart is broken for my teachers, my supervisors, my academic mentors.
My heart is breaking for them because they have been so hurt by my people. They have been so deeply wounded by Christians. Some of them are part of that 80% that walked away from church because they could not reconcile the idea of such hateful people being the product of a loving God. And before you begin to judge the "Christians" that caused them to feel that way, let me tell you that I've heard this story from people from all kinds of churches and denominations...including my own church and denomination.
These people whom I love more than life itself are hurting so deeply. How many times, oh Christian, have you said "I can't imagine going through (insert situation) without God! He's been my rock!"
Well, my loved ones are going through the same situations you are. And because of the church, they do not have God to guide them through it the way you do. In fact, the church has just added insult to injury by judging them or telling them that they were not good enough, whether explicitly or implicitly.
My heart is also broken for the Christians who are causing this hurt to the world.
I know that they love God. I know that they are well intentioned in their crusades. But my heart is broken for them because they have never truly experienced the depths of the love of Jesus.
Just as "hurt people, hurt people," loved people love people. 1 John 4:8 says that "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." When you truly understand the depth of your sin and the even deeper love of God, there is suddenly no place for any kind of judgement, because you realize we are all on the same boat which is speeding towards an eternity of separation from God. You realize that you are just as filthy, broken, and destitute as anyone else, but that because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ- it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5.)
When you truly have tasted and seen that God is good (Psalm 38:4), you cannot help but let that love overflow to all around you. Your are so filled to the brim with the love of God that your cup overflows (Psalm 23:5.) You begin to see others with the eyes of God, with endless love and a desire that they too might experience this rich love of God no matter who they are or what they've done. Since there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39) that includes ourselves and our sins and others and their sins. There is nothing too big for God. When you have truly experienced God, you embrace this. Your heart bleeds for those who have not experienced this everlasting love, peace, and joy.
I think we need to give Christian college students a little more credit. For those of us who grew up in a Christian bubble, college is a little bit of a shock. There are definitely some who throw away everything they grew up with to fully embrace the college life. But there are definitely some who begin one of the loneliest journeys of their lives. They aren't part of the "same old, same old" Christian college students who attend church every Sunday and maybe show up to the on campus Bible study every Thursday if they don't have anything better to do. But they also aren't part of the partying, sex crazed, superficial life of most other students. They're falling more and more madly in love with Jesus by the day, but struggle to find a community that truly loves like they have been loved. So maybe some of that 80% is a small group of young adults who just want to know what it truly means to follow Jesus, the real Jesus, not the American construct of fear driven church that worships a God who looks oddly like ourselves.
So today, I hurt. And I pray to the God of love, that he might touch "sinner" and "righteous" both, that he might reach down to all of these people I love so deeply- the ones inside the whitewashed walls of the church and the ones in the sin ridden world. I know that as deeply as I love them all, God loves them infinitely more than I ever could- I just pray that they will truly experience this love.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
My Red Sea Road {Part Three}
{A few weeks later- August 26th, 2016}
A new message from Pavlina opens.
"HI! Good news :) ...my headteacher told me that it's a good idea! So you can come! :) December is better for our school but our winter holiday starts on December 22nd...." she filled me in on all the details and said that they would love to have us for the entire month!
I told her about our finals week, but that otherwise the dates could not be more perfect! We knew we wanted to go for two weeks and had a very narrow margin to do so, but it worked out to a perfect 14 days!
I am so excited and thankful for this opportunity! I could not believe how God pulled it all together. Even the trip I planned to visit my cousin fits into this story perfectly. I have never traveled alone (read: without my dad!) before, so the shorter domestic trip is perfect to help some of my anxiety about international travel with only Sarah and I.
I studied Exodus 14 pretty in depth a few weeks ago, and one verse stood out more than the others. Exodus 14:14 says "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." When they left Egypt, the Israelites did not know the end of the story. They were terrified. "Were there not enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die?" they asked Moses.
Then the Red Sea parted right before their eyes. But still, they had no idea if the Sea would stay parted the entire way over, or if the were walking into their death. They had no idea if it wouldn't STAY parted and the Egyptians would continue to follow them! They just had to put one foot in front of the other and continue forward, trusting that if God lead them there then He wouldn't leave them.
I have seen so many impossible situations fall and so many miracles unfold thus far and cannot wait to see how God is going to continue to move. This is my #RedSeaToCZ and I am stepping out in faith, knowing that God is my cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, leading me on to fulfill his purposes. I ask for your prayers as Sarah and I embark on this adventure together!
A new message from Pavlina opens.
"HI! Good news :) ...my headteacher told me that it's a good idea! So you can come! :) December is better for our school but our winter holiday starts on December 22nd...." she filled me in on all the details and said that they would love to have us for the entire month!
I told her about our finals week, but that otherwise the dates could not be more perfect! We knew we wanted to go for two weeks and had a very narrow margin to do so, but it worked out to a perfect 14 days!
I am so excited and thankful for this opportunity! I could not believe how God pulled it all together. Even the trip I planned to visit my cousin fits into this story perfectly. I have never traveled alone (read: without my dad!) before, so the shorter domestic trip is perfect to help some of my anxiety about international travel with only Sarah and I.
I studied Exodus 14 pretty in depth a few weeks ago, and one verse stood out more than the others. Exodus 14:14 says "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." When they left Egypt, the Israelites did not know the end of the story. They were terrified. "Were there not enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die?" they asked Moses.
Then the Red Sea parted right before their eyes. But still, they had no idea if the Sea would stay parted the entire way over, or if the were walking into their death. They had no idea if it wouldn't STAY parted and the Egyptians would continue to follow them! They just had to put one foot in front of the other and continue forward, trusting that if God lead them there then He wouldn't leave them.
I have seen so many impossible situations fall and so many miracles unfold thus far and cannot wait to see how God is going to continue to move. This is my #RedSeaToCZ and I am stepping out in faith, knowing that God is my cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, leading me on to fulfill his purposes. I ask for your prayers as Sarah and I embark on this adventure together!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
My Red Sea Road {Part Two}
I spent the rest of that day with Jesus, having a long discussion about missions trips and Czech Republic vs Romania. I talked with some friends. I talked with my parents. I came to the conclusion that God wanted me to go back to Czech Republic. Romania had just been the gateway to prepare my heart to accept the idea of another mission trip.
I didn't know how or when and nothing about it made sense, but I was certain that God was moving and telling me to go. There was so much unknown and so much that I should have been worried and stressed about, but I felt oddly at peace.
"Normally I would be so anxious and worried about something like this...nothing about this makes sense."
"Maybe you're content because you're right in the middle of God's will." suggested my friend Sarah.
We continued to talk about it, and she mentioned wanting to come with me. I was excited for whatever would happen next.
{Late July 2016}
I sat in the diner, waiting for my friends. I should have known not to leave so early- they are chronically late. I scrolled my phone, sipping my water. Finally, Sarah showed up. "Sorry I'm late!" and naturally, a funny story followed about *why* she was late. Always a story with that one.
She ordered her drink and we said we'd hold off ordering until the third person in our group arrived.
"How was your trip?" Sarah had just returned from a weeklong mission trip in Honduras, and I couldn't wait to hear about it.
"It was amazing. SO amazing. I'll tell you all about it once Veronica gets here. But I really feel like God wants me to be more involved with missions, like going on a mission trips every 6 months."
"Oh wow! That's so cool! So do you want to go to Honduras next year?"
"Yes, for sure! And I don't know if I should tell you this or wait for a better opportunity but I want to go to Czech Republic with you in December." She looked at me expectantly.
"Ah...what? I mean, yeah I want to go back to Czech Republic but I don't know about December! That's so soon..."
"I know, but I just feel like God told me we should go in December."
"Start praying for an actual opportunity to do something there and for plane ticket money and sure!"
I wasn't being sarcastic, but I wasn't being 100% serious either. I figured we'd be travelling next summer. It made much more sense, both logistically and financially.
{the rest of summer 2016}
I continue to ask God about the details of this trip, and all I hear is wait. Wait. Wait.
Meanwhile, I was completely over 100*+ heat deep in the heart of Texas and was ready for a break, both from the heat and from my monotonous daily life of school and work. I message my oldest cousin and ask if I could come visit him for a few days. I had yet to meet his wife, and thought a long weekend to the Pacific Northwest would be just what I needed. He ecstatically told me I was welcome to come and stay with them for as long as I wanted to. I booked a plane ticket for about a month out, in early fall. (Nobody ever said I was spontaneous- I need approximately three business days to process requests to drive more than 20 minutes from my house, let alone fly across the country by myself.)
{August 2016}
After praying one day, I felt lead to message a friend about opportunities to serve in Czech Republic. I had met Pavlina and her husband Ondra at one of the camps last year. She is a teacher at a private school in a small town in Czech Republic, and she is one of the few people I kept in contact with semi-regularly after the camps. A few weeks earlier I had messaged another friend in CZ, Aysa, but she did not know of any opportunities to serve in English camps.
"Hey Pavlina! I have a question for you :) I'm thinking about maybe coming back to Czech Republic next year...do you know of any English camps in December or next summer?"
"Hi, I am not sure, but if you want! In our school last year there was one American girl from Wisconsin [who came for] three months so if you want....you can help in our school and teach English! :)"
Well this would be interesting. I had just assumed that we would serve in an English camp like we had last time. I grilled her for details.
She told me that December would probably work best, but we could potentially make June work as well.
I was floored. December would be better? I think this was more than a coincidence. She told me that she would have to double check with her principal, but she had a good feeling about it. I talked it over with my parents and Sarah and we all agreed it was a cool opportunity but we'd have to wait and see what the principal said and when the school's Christmas break was- after all, it wouldn't do us any good to be there while they were on break. We had narrow window to squeeze this trip in between finals week and Christmas.
I didn't know how or when and nothing about it made sense, but I was certain that God was moving and telling me to go. There was so much unknown and so much that I should have been worried and stressed about, but I felt oddly at peace.
"Normally I would be so anxious and worried about something like this...nothing about this makes sense."
"Maybe you're content because you're right in the middle of God's will." suggested my friend Sarah.
We continued to talk about it, and she mentioned wanting to come with me. I was excited for whatever would happen next.
{Late July 2016}
I sat in the diner, waiting for my friends. I should have known not to leave so early- they are chronically late. I scrolled my phone, sipping my water. Finally, Sarah showed up. "Sorry I'm late!" and naturally, a funny story followed about *why* she was late. Always a story with that one.
She ordered her drink and we said we'd hold off ordering until the third person in our group arrived.
"How was your trip?" Sarah had just returned from a weeklong mission trip in Honduras, and I couldn't wait to hear about it.
"It was amazing. SO amazing. I'll tell you all about it once Veronica gets here. But I really feel like God wants me to be more involved with missions, like going on a mission trips every 6 months."
"Oh wow! That's so cool! So do you want to go to Honduras next year?"
"Yes, for sure! And I don't know if I should tell you this or wait for a better opportunity but I want to go to Czech Republic with you in December." She looked at me expectantly.
"Ah...what? I mean, yeah I want to go back to Czech Republic but I don't know about December! That's so soon..."
"I know, but I just feel like God told me we should go in December."
"Start praying for an actual opportunity to do something there and for plane ticket money and sure!"
I wasn't being sarcastic, but I wasn't being 100% serious either. I figured we'd be travelling next summer. It made much more sense, both logistically and financially.
{the rest of summer 2016}
I continue to ask God about the details of this trip, and all I hear is wait. Wait. Wait.
Meanwhile, I was completely over 100*+ heat deep in the heart of Texas and was ready for a break, both from the heat and from my monotonous daily life of school and work. I message my oldest cousin and ask if I could come visit him for a few days. I had yet to meet his wife, and thought a long weekend to the Pacific Northwest would be just what I needed. He ecstatically told me I was welcome to come and stay with them for as long as I wanted to. I booked a plane ticket for about a month out, in early fall. (Nobody ever said I was spontaneous- I need approximately three business days to process requests to drive more than 20 minutes from my house, let alone fly across the country by myself.)
{August 2016}
After praying one day, I felt lead to message a friend about opportunities to serve in Czech Republic. I had met Pavlina and her husband Ondra at one of the camps last year. She is a teacher at a private school in a small town in Czech Republic, and she is one of the few people I kept in contact with semi-regularly after the camps. A few weeks earlier I had messaged another friend in CZ, Aysa, but she did not know of any opportunities to serve in English camps.
"Hey Pavlina! I have a question for you :) I'm thinking about maybe coming back to Czech Republic next year...do you know of any English camps in December or next summer?"
"Hi, I am not sure, but if you want! In our school last year there was one American girl from Wisconsin [who came for] three months so if you want....you can help in our school and teach English! :)"
Well this would be interesting. I had just assumed that we would serve in an English camp like we had last time. I grilled her for details.
She told me that December would probably work best, but we could potentially make June work as well.
I was floored. December would be better? I think this was more than a coincidence. She told me that she would have to double check with her principal, but she had a good feeling about it. I talked it over with my parents and Sarah and we all agreed it was a cool opportunity but we'd have to wait and see what the principal said and when the school's Christmas break was- after all, it wouldn't do us any good to be there while they were on break. We had narrow window to squeeze this trip in between finals week and Christmas.
Friday, August 26, 2016
My Red Sea Road {Part One}
{August 2015}
I had just spent two amazing weeks in Czech Republic. I couldn't have asked for a better team. I think we laughed and cried together more in those two weeks than I had all summer. We ran two English camps for local children, and met and worked alongside wonderful believers from all over the world. I was content with my time there- while I had loved it, I was content to come back and start my freshman year of college.
{February 2016}
I glanced around. I was at work, sitting at my desk outside the Dean's office. It was one of the rare times that everyone was out of the office- the Dean, the Assistant to the Dean, and the Administrative Assistant had all gone to lunch or taken the day off. Surely it wouldn't hurt to put some music on while I worked on this Excel project. I scrolled through Spotify and chose one of my favorites- Bethel's "You Make Me Brave" live album. As I typed, "We Dance" began to play, and a hundred memories of Czech Republic came racing back to my mind. I smiled, remembering how I had had this song on repeat the entire time we were there. Later, I flipped through some pictures of our trip, and reposted a few of them on Facebook. "Missing Czech Republic today!"
{March/April 2016}
"Yeah, my tuition went up too...I'm thinking Disney will have to wait a year or two," said my friend. Naturally, I was a little bummed that our girl's trip to Florida in December was off, but it wasn't too big of a deal. We're all college students with tight budgets, so it was completely understandable. I left the "Florida" savings bucket in my checking account alone though, thinking it would be nice to have some money put aside next time we wanted to take a trip.
{May 2016}
I clicked on the tab that had been open in my browser and in my mind for the past few weeks. God, do you want me to do this? I scrolled down. It was just such a big commitment. As much as I would love to go on a mission trip to Romania, I wasn't sure I could put together a trip from scratch. This organization was doing great things in the country, but they asked so much of a team leader. I clicked back to the previous tab and finished my homework, the idea still rolling around in my mind.
{June 2016}
Pulling back my crazy bedhead into a ponytail, I stumbled down the stairs, eyes still adjusting to the light. Grabbing a bowl of cereal and enjoying the rare quiet of the house, I picked up my cell phone. I saw my mother's Facebook chat bubble open. That's odd, I thought, setting down my breakfast. I knew that my family, my mom included, had all gone to the early service at church while I had planned on attending the later one. Mom never texts during church. I opened the message.
"God told me you should stay the course with ___" It read, naming a specific situation I was struggling with. I didn't know how to respond to such a statement over screens, so I decided to wait until after church to ask her about it.
A little while later, she returned home from church, and I asked her about the message. "I was sitting in church today and praying, and I just really felt like God wanted me to tell you to stick with it, even though it's hard. God's doing something really big in your life, and so of course you'll face spiritual opposition."
I was surprised by her words. While I felt like I was in a good place with my relationship with God, I had no idea what this "big thing" was.
{June 2016- approx. 2 weeks later}
It was about 11:00 at night. I pulled opened my favorite Bible study app, She Reads Truth. I flipped through some old reading plans. I found one that I had done while in Czech Republic. I opened it up. I am a very "sensory" person when it comes to memories- music, smells, foods, etc that I enjoyed during a certian period of my life will always bring back memories. So naturally, I figured this would bring back memories of Czech Republic. It was a great devotional though, so I began to reread it. After reading the day's section, I had an overwhelming desire to return to CZ. It wasn't a feeling of "Oh, it'd be nice to go back some day!" It was more like "I HAVE to get back there!"
{The next morning}
My dad and I were in the kitchen chatting as he washed the dishes. Company was coming, and a brisket had just come out of the smoker. While we are Texas transplants, we've readily accepted the local cuisine and so of course a celebration or company of any sort calls for smoked meat (God bless Texas.)
I believe the topic of conversation was barbecue sauce. There was a slight pause, and my dad looked up at me. "Since you're not going to Florida in December, you should go on a mission trip."
I stared at him, gaping. "Uh, um, yeah, I was actually thinking about it." I said slowly. "That was random," I added.
"I know." He went back to the dishes.
I had just spent two amazing weeks in Czech Republic. I couldn't have asked for a better team. I think we laughed and cried together more in those two weeks than I had all summer. We ran two English camps for local children, and met and worked alongside wonderful believers from all over the world. I was content with my time there- while I had loved it, I was content to come back and start my freshman year of college.
{February 2016}
I glanced around. I was at work, sitting at my desk outside the Dean's office. It was one of the rare times that everyone was out of the office- the Dean, the Assistant to the Dean, and the Administrative Assistant had all gone to lunch or taken the day off. Surely it wouldn't hurt to put some music on while I worked on this Excel project. I scrolled through Spotify and chose one of my favorites- Bethel's "You Make Me Brave" live album. As I typed, "We Dance" began to play, and a hundred memories of Czech Republic came racing back to my mind. I smiled, remembering how I had had this song on repeat the entire time we were there. Later, I flipped through some pictures of our trip, and reposted a few of them on Facebook. "Missing Czech Republic today!"
{March/April 2016}
"Yeah, my tuition went up too...I'm thinking Disney will have to wait a year or two," said my friend. Naturally, I was a little bummed that our girl's trip to Florida in December was off, but it wasn't too big of a deal. We're all college students with tight budgets, so it was completely understandable. I left the "Florida" savings bucket in my checking account alone though, thinking it would be nice to have some money put aside next time we wanted to take a trip.
{May 2016}
I clicked on the tab that had been open in my browser and in my mind for the past few weeks. God, do you want me to do this? I scrolled down. It was just such a big commitment. As much as I would love to go on a mission trip to Romania, I wasn't sure I could put together a trip from scratch. This organization was doing great things in the country, but they asked so much of a team leader. I clicked back to the previous tab and finished my homework, the idea still rolling around in my mind.
{June 2016}
Pulling back my crazy bedhead into a ponytail, I stumbled down the stairs, eyes still adjusting to the light. Grabbing a bowl of cereal and enjoying the rare quiet of the house, I picked up my cell phone. I saw my mother's Facebook chat bubble open. That's odd, I thought, setting down my breakfast. I knew that my family, my mom included, had all gone to the early service at church while I had planned on attending the later one. Mom never texts during church. I opened the message.
"God told me you should stay the course with ___" It read, naming a specific situation I was struggling with. I didn't know how to respond to such a statement over screens, so I decided to wait until after church to ask her about it.
A little while later, she returned home from church, and I asked her about the message. "I was sitting in church today and praying, and I just really felt like God wanted me to tell you to stick with it, even though it's hard. God's doing something really big in your life, and so of course you'll face spiritual opposition."
I was surprised by her words. While I felt like I was in a good place with my relationship with God, I had no idea what this "big thing" was.
{June 2016- approx. 2 weeks later}
It was about 11:00 at night. I pulled opened my favorite Bible study app, She Reads Truth. I flipped through some old reading plans. I found one that I had done while in Czech Republic. I opened it up. I am a very "sensory" person when it comes to memories- music, smells, foods, etc that I enjoyed during a certian period of my life will always bring back memories. So naturally, I figured this would bring back memories of Czech Republic. It was a great devotional though, so I began to reread it. After reading the day's section, I had an overwhelming desire to return to CZ. It wasn't a feeling of "Oh, it'd be nice to go back some day!" It was more like "I HAVE to get back there!"
{The next morning}
My dad and I were in the kitchen chatting as he washed the dishes. Company was coming, and a brisket had just come out of the smoker. While we are Texas transplants, we've readily accepted the local cuisine and so of course a celebration or company of any sort calls for smoked meat (God bless Texas.)
I believe the topic of conversation was barbecue sauce. There was a slight pause, and my dad looked up at me. "Since you're not going to Florida in December, you should go on a mission trip."
I stared at him, gaping. "Uh, um, yeah, I was actually thinking about it." I said slowly. "That was random," I added.
"I know." He went back to the dishes.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Blurring the Lines
*wipes dust off page* I'm ba--ack! For now.
I feel bad for people who are different, but not in the way you might think.
Today as I was leaving school, I was walking down the hall with a friend. We were discussing how long and exhausting the week had been and how thankful we were that it was finally Friday. We had parked in different lots, so we parted ways, and as I turned to walk away I saw a man out of the corner of my eye approach my friend and ask her if she needed help. She politely refused. I chuckled sadly and shook my head. "Poor ____". I thought. I knew that my friend was perfectly capable of getting herself from the atrium to where her ride was waiting outside to pick her up, but the well intentioned gentlemen couldn't see past the canes she uses to get around. It was sweet of him to offer his assistance, but it was completely unnecessary for my friend. She's an independent adult who happens to use canes, and if that limits her from doing something, then she'll ask for help.
What the world sees as "difference" is my everyday normal. Let's start with my family- we're definitely not your 2.5 child, Caucasian, upper middle class family. 10 people, 3 countries, and a rainbow of colors. Biological and adopted. Even in the adoption world, we're a little bit odd- 3 separate adoptions, 6 kids, international and domestic, yet no foster care or private infant adoption. I've grown up with "different" in my family, and it was and is the most normal part of my life.
I'm an American Sign Language/Deaf Interpretation major. Which means? More of the what the world views as "different" is my literal everyday norm. You wouldn't believe how many students are turning their heads backwards to stare at me and my friend having a conversation in ASL. (Interestingly enough, nobody bats an eye when two people are voicing a language other than English. It's completely normal to walk right on by as two people have a heated debate in Hindi in the hallway, but walking by the ASL lab requires ALL THE STARES). And don't get me started about when a hearing kids accidentally wanders into the lab asking for directions- it's hysterical. (Fun fact- created a signed number story about that last semester. HA) No, the staring doesn't bother me. But it's just a reminder that while it's "normal" for me to be conversing in a visual language everyday, and for some of my good friends, coworkers, and teachers to be Deaf and proud of it, it is different for most people. I tell them that my teachers are Deaf, and they give me this incredulous look. "HOW in the WORLD does that even WORK?!"
...last time I checked, "Deaf" doesn't mean "idiot".
Which brings us to our next topic. "Disability". Such an interesting word. "Dis"- according to dictionary.com,
"a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force"
Apart from ability. Ability gone asunder.
Sorry. No. in ASL, WRONG YOU.
My goal is to become a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration therapy.
That's a lot of big words that essentially means, "I want to be paid to play with kids with 'disabilities' and help them reach their full potential and become comfortable with the world around them that is taken in by their five senses." (If you're interested, read more here)
So yes, "disability" will be a part of my everyday. More than anything, I want to adopt kids with a variety of special needs. "Different" is why I'm paying to spend six valuable years of my life in a classroom. Do you want to know why?
I love it.
I love different.
I love you being you and me being me.
I love seeing people love who they are.
I love seeing people begin to realize that "different" is the most beautiful thing in the world.
I'm not a Lady Gaga fan, but she hit the nail on the head with this one:
Difference is my past, my present, and my future.
And I wouldn't change it for the world. I see so many people afraid of difference. The funny thing is, everyone seems to think that everything that they are is "normal". But even amongst the most "normal" people by society's standards, their lives look nothing alike! Because, as we learned from every Sesame Street and Barney the Dinosaurs episodes at age 2, EVERYONE is different, and world is a better place for it. I wholeheartedly believe that the concept of "normal" is absolutely ridiculous and illogical. Essentially, normal does not exist other than a state of mind, not to get all weirdly psychedelic and/or philosophical on you. But truly, who gets to define "normal"? If everyone is different, how does the concept of "normal" even make sense?
I feel bad for people the world views as different, not because I feel they need my pity or are lacking something. Not at all. I feel bad for my friends and family with visible difference because the "normal people" are notorious for having deep misconceptions about them. They get unfairly labeled before people take the time to get to know them.
But you know what?
More than that, I feel bad for the people who fear difference.
They are missing out.
If you're the kind of person who is comfortable in your bubble and only run with "your type", whatever that may be- if all of your friends seem to look a lot like you, whether physical or in terms of lifestyle,
YOU ARE MISSING OUT.
Diversity is awesome. It is beautiful, frustrating, interesting, and takes some learning and growing. It is inexplicable wonderful to be part of multiple worlds.
And the curious thing is, the more you stretch yourself and learn to live in a beatifuly diverse world, the more you realize
really,
on the inside,
where it counts,
we're all the same.
We all have the same need for love and community. We all have dreams, fears, hopes, and insecurities. We all want to be known for who we really are. We're all a little afraid to open up our worlds to include people who are different than us.
But once we take that step, a whole new colorful world is open and available to us, and there is nothing better.
I challenge you to do two things. First, in the words of St. Catherine of Sienna, "Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire."
Stop striving for normal. You'll never get there, because it's not real. But what is real is YOU. You are real, you are amazing, and you were created to do great things.
Secondly, take that scary step and include a little difference in your life! Make a new friend :) Whether that is a different color, religion, ability, culture, or whatever else, I promise your life will be richer because of it!
I feel bad for people who are different, but not in the way you might think.
Today as I was leaving school, I was walking down the hall with a friend. We were discussing how long and exhausting the week had been and how thankful we were that it was finally Friday. We had parked in different lots, so we parted ways, and as I turned to walk away I saw a man out of the corner of my eye approach my friend and ask her if she needed help. She politely refused. I chuckled sadly and shook my head. "Poor ____". I thought. I knew that my friend was perfectly capable of getting herself from the atrium to where her ride was waiting outside to pick her up, but the well intentioned gentlemen couldn't see past the canes she uses to get around. It was sweet of him to offer his assistance, but it was completely unnecessary for my friend. She's an independent adult who happens to use canes, and if that limits her from doing something, then she'll ask for help.
What the world sees as "difference" is my everyday normal. Let's start with my family- we're definitely not your 2.5 child, Caucasian, upper middle class family. 10 people, 3 countries, and a rainbow of colors. Biological and adopted. Even in the adoption world, we're a little bit odd- 3 separate adoptions, 6 kids, international and domestic, yet no foster care or private infant adoption. I've grown up with "different" in my family, and it was and is the most normal part of my life.
...last time I checked, "Deaf" doesn't mean "idiot".
(at least we can make fun of them in front of their faces)
Which brings us to our next topic. "Disability". Such an interesting word. "Dis"- according to dictionary.com,
"a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force"
Apart from ability. Ability gone asunder.
Sorry. No. in ASL, WRONG YOU.
My goal is to become a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration therapy.
So yes, "disability" will be a part of my everyday. More than anything, I want to adopt kids with a variety of special needs. "Different" is why I'm paying to spend six valuable years of my life in a classroom. Do you want to know why?
I love it.
I love different.
I love you being you and me being me.
I love seeing people love who they are.
I love seeing people begin to realize that "different" is the most beautiful thing in the world.
I'm not a Lady Gaga fan, but she hit the nail on the head with this one:
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way, born this way
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way, born this way
Difference is my past, my present, and my future.
And I wouldn't change it for the world. I see so many people afraid of difference. The funny thing is, everyone seems to think that everything that they are is "normal". But even amongst the most "normal" people by society's standards, their lives look nothing alike! Because, as we learned from every Sesame Street and Barney the Dinosaurs episodes at age 2, EVERYONE is different, and world is a better place for it. I wholeheartedly believe that the concept of "normal" is absolutely ridiculous and illogical. Essentially, normal does not exist other than a state of mind, not to get all weirdly psychedelic and/or philosophical on you. But truly, who gets to define "normal"? If everyone is different, how does the concept of "normal" even make sense?
I feel bad for people the world views as different, not because I feel they need my pity or are lacking something. Not at all. I feel bad for my friends and family with visible difference because the "normal people" are notorious for having deep misconceptions about them. They get unfairly labeled before people take the time to get to know them.
But you know what?
More than that, I feel bad for the people who fear difference.
They are missing out.
If you're the kind of person who is comfortable in your bubble and only run with "your type", whatever that may be- if all of your friends seem to look a lot like you, whether physical or in terms of lifestyle,
YOU ARE MISSING OUT.
Diversity is awesome. It is beautiful, frustrating, interesting, and takes some learning and growing. It is inexplicable wonderful to be part of multiple worlds.
And the curious thing is, the more you stretch yourself and learn to live in a beatifuly diverse world, the more you realize
really,
on the inside,
where it counts,
we're all the same.
We all have the same need for love and community. We all have dreams, fears, hopes, and insecurities. We all want to be known for who we really are. We're all a little afraid to open up our worlds to include people who are different than us.
But once we take that step, a whole new colorful world is open and available to us, and there is nothing better.
I challenge you to do two things. First, in the words of St. Catherine of Sienna, "Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire."
Stop striving for normal. You'll never get there, because it's not real. But what is real is YOU. You are real, you are amazing, and you were created to do great things.
Secondly, take that scary step and include a little difference in your life! Make a new friend :) Whether that is a different color, religion, ability, culture, or whatever else, I promise your life will be richer because of it!
Friday, January 31, 2014
The Most Important Thing I've Ever Written
Little hands, shoeless feet, lonely eyes looking back at me
What do you see in this picture?
Will we leave behind the innocent to grieve? On their own, on the run, when their lives have only begun...
This is "Salome". She has cerebral palsy, microcephaly, and "a deep mental hadicap". She is an orphan in "the U". According to someone who met her, "Her thinness is heart stopping! She was twisted and sucking on a bottle, such a lost and forgotten soul! Obviously in such desperate need!"
Oh, and did I mention that she's 15 years old?
These could be our daughters and our sons
This is "Salome". She's "a lost and forgotten soul". Her parents abandoned her most likely because of her cerebral palsy and microcephaly. She lives in an Eastern European mental institution or orphanage. For children with special needs, these places are like hell.
American prisons are paradise in comparison.
If an animal was treated the way these children are treated, America would be in an uproar.
She's been left in a crib for years and years, fed enough to keep her alive, most likely in the most inhumane of ways (with food/formula substances running down her throat so fast that she would choke or aspirate--and if it fell, then she was done until the next feeding.) Left to lie in her own waste.
Often kids are also drugged with tranquilizers to keep them quiet. Sometimes they're tied to their cribs.
They are not stimulated. See the marks and bruises on her forehead? That's from her banging her head on the side of her crib out of sheer lack of stimulation.
She needed to feel something.
She needed some sort of stimulation.
That is what she was forced to resort to.
They are not loved. They are ignored.
They do not experience life outside of the confines of their room.
All of this is to be blamed for her tiny stature.
Friends, CP and microcephaly and "a deep mental hadicap" (which was most likely caused by such gross neglect and abandonment by the orphanage) do not leave children this tiny. They do not. Salome is about 2.5-3 months younger than me. Let that sink in for a moment.
"She has got back problems, so the thing she sees most frequently is the ornament [pattern] on her bed linen. Seldom she gets lucky and is able to see colorful toys in the playroom. But as for going outside, this is a joy that the girl can miss for many long months at a time....the same is with the attention of adults. For some nurses, a bedridden child is automatically perceived as a living doll...something that they only have to feed and bathe from time to time. And that's it." ~From "Salome's" profile on a adoption website from "the U"
and just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating - I know my God won't let them be defeated. Every child has a dream to belong and be loved....
This is "Salome." She has been hurt deeply physically, emotionally, and mentally by the people who she trusted to care for her. She is desperate for love. She is beautiful. She is potential just waiting to be exposed. She is a soul who has been dealt the worst of hands in life. She is a fighter. I know this because she has made it to 15 years old despite the fact that she is in a living hell. She is still "in there." She hasn't given up. She is not defined by the labels that people have put on her, labels that gave her such a life in the first place. Labels such as "undesirable". Labels such as "unwanted." Labels that tell her she will never amount to anything.
Boys become kings, girls become queens, wrapped in Your majesty...when we love, when we love the least of these.
I believe all of that with my whole heart. I am pro-life. I believe that EVERY life has value. I believe that every single person whom God put on this planet has is precious in His sight and has PURPOSE. Every life, no matter how long, has a purpose to fulfill. Salome's family didn't see that. Her orphanage does not see that.
But somewhere out there, there is a family who sees that.
Then they will be brave and free, shout Your name in victory...when we love, when we love the least of these
A family who sees a beautiful girl who has been denied everything in life. Everything from the basic human right of freedom to the femininity her hair brings.
Friends, "Salome" turns sixteen in March.
Her sweet sixteen will be a death sentence if her family does not step forward to adopt her before then.
US law states that a child may not be adopted internationally after he or she turns sixteen unless the family has filed with USCIS prior to the child's sixteenth birthday.
If she turns sixteen before a family files with USCIS, then she will forever loose her chance at having a family.
Forever loose her chance at love.
Forever loose her chance at reaching her God-given potential.
Her country has already rejected her.
Her family has already rejected her.
The staff at the orphanage has already rejected her.
Break our hearts once again, help us to remember when we were only children hoping for a friend.
Won't you look around? These are the lives that the world has forgotten, waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open...
If we allow "Salome" to turn sixteen without a committed family, then we are rejecting her.
We are echoing the statements of her country, family and orphanage.
We are saying that she is undesirable.
We are saying that she's unlovable.
We are saying that she is "too much work."
We are saying that her life is meaningless.
That our comfort is of more value than her life.
Can we really sit back and do that? Can I sit here in my upper middle class home, full belly, nice and warm, typing on a nice laptop, comfortable bed to go to tonight, loving family, perfect health, and ignore this precious girl?
We cannot. I cannot.
Boys become kings, girls become queens, wrapped in your majesty...when we love, when we love the least of these.
See the potential in "Salome". Check out some of these amazing stories of kids just like her....Katie, Hailee and Hasya, Carrington, Maiah. They have disproven every stereotype the people in their countries (Katie, Hasya, and Maiah from "B" and Carrington and Hailee from "the U") had about them.
See the sweet spirit within her.
Then they will be brave and free shout Your name in victory....when we love, when we love the least of these.
When we love the least of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iStKtWlLEVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iStKtWlLEVw
Watch that video and then tell me how you can sit back and ignore this issue.
Join me in storming heaven on behalf of "Salome". Share this post. Tell your friends. Advocate for her on your blogs and social media sites.
She has until March.
For more information on "Salome"
Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline
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