Month: September 2012

Purpose and Gifting…Most of all Understanding

The Richness of Fall

Writing has always been a part of my life. I love words and wanted to do something with them. I have found myself in several fields that did not give me the reward I receive when I write. The older I get, the more I find that being true to oneself is key. What does that mean for many of us? Some people might not understand who they truly are.

As a Christian, I do believe that God gives each individual a purpose and gifts each person with a way to fulfill that purpose. Many of us spend years chasing circles because we either don’t understand or are not willing to listen to advice being given. Generally, young people tend to want to experience everything believing that things change with every generation. I think age has more to do with this perspective – idealistic, enthusiastic, and invincible. Some things change, everything doesn’t.

Well into mid-life, I find that I have come full circle. Even though I need work to pay the bills, I am content with writing. My heartfelt wish in writing is to share understanding about life and traveling life’s journey. Maybe someone reading what I write will be inspired and have that moment of clarity to fulfill what God has in store for them.

When I consider what type of writer I am, I believe my words cause readers to feel. The emotion a reader feels can be used to propel them further into realizing their dreams. While feelings are certainly fleeting, it is important to take what that feeling offers and move forward. For instance, anger has propelled into motion some of the greatest causes for freedom and liberty.

Anger is only one emotion, but used correctly can change a course of events to impact lives for the better. My point is this. As we move forward in our journeys, look to make an impact. Quit circling. I have never believed that I have to experience everything in my life to receive understanding. (I do not have to get burned just to believe the fire is hot.) Understand where you are headed and where you want to go. God is not slack concerning His purpose for your life and when you need additional clarity, He’ll give it to you. It may be in an actual experience, in reading, in listening, in seeing or just plain silence.

NKJV – Proverbs 2:2 – “So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding.”

Life is too short…

Life is too short…

Realizing the depth of the pain of loss from death can be overwhelming. A close friend has recently experienced the loss of a loved one from death. I understand that I cannot touch her pain but I did experience pain for her in that loss. The thing about death that separates it from other loss like divorce is the finality of it in this world. The realization that you will never see that person again can feel like a sharp blow to the chest at certain times. Moments will occur when you miss them terribly such as at the dinner table or out and about weekend afternoons. Family night or going out to eat are the times when the sharp pain of loss seems to take the wind out of us.

With that being said, it is important to really grasp that life is too short to take relationships for granted. There are no guarantees and only the Lord has your calendar appointment. You can be here today and gone tomorrow. The love of God is so great that God suffered first that loss by sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, for us. In spite of our sinful nature, Christ died for us. He gave up His life that we might have eternal life. He experienced death for us in such a capacity that we have hope when the pain of that loss seems overwhelming.

My emphasis on death may seem a bit morbid. But, that is only for those who have not grasped the importance of our lives to the One who loves us more than life itself. It is important to value those you love. Forgive them, for the big things and the little things. We would not even know pain or joy if not for the love of others and the love we have to give. Understanding true love understands what Christ did when He died for us. In spite of all that we do, Christ loves us and is present when we are hurting from this pain and any other pain. He is present because He said He would never leave us nor forsake us.

The importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ is that this relationship guides us with the relationships here on earth. And, this is the first and foremost relationship of all. Do not take for granted your spouse, your child, your sister, your brother, your friend, your aunt, your uncle, your cousin, your mother or your father. Whatever relationships you have that are an important part of your life, reflect on how significant they are to you and how quickly they can be gone. Even the difficult relationships are equally important as they help to build character and the means God does use to move us forward in His great plan for our lives here on earth although temporary.

Defined…

Deep Thought

DEFINED

This last five weeks in school have been most challenging. Taking online classes for a full degree may seem like it is easy. I beg to differ. You are responsible for all the work like campus classes. You are also responsible for doing the research, legwork, getting the understanding, etc. etc. etc. The difference in being on campus is that the involvement with other students while doing this can help a great deal in getting through the challenges.

This is the big difference in the process. While online technology has been a great tool in so many areas of our culture, it can still get in the way of the relationships we need. An online student can talk or rather chat with their peers but actually getting together face to face is typically not an option. Many online students live in various states or cities and a physical meeting is out of the question.

Okay, the point is this. I appreciate the opportunity albeit not an easy one. But I also now see more of the value in acquiring an education on a physical campus. Even in this God did not intend that we accomplish things alone. While I do have the support of those I love, I just wanted to share that even in the positive aspirations there is recognition of the need for others to be involved.

We are not defined by the degrees, grades, certificates and other objects that only have the value placed on them that we give them. We are defined by the relationships that we have in this life and it begins with the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have a relationship with the Savior? I do realize that this is just another challenge that I have been helped through by having my own relationship with Jesus.

Being a straight-A student in my educational career, C’s give me the shakes. However, during these five weeks, I was reminded that I am not defined by the grades. Okay, I not saying getting F’s is the way to go. Smile. I am saying that as we take the road to educating ourselves, we cannot elevate the educational process above who we really are. We cannot allow the process to undermine how we define ourselves.