Monday, May 29, 2017

Seeking Heart

Last week my blog was about moments of silence in our life that cause us to question God. So today, I thought I would write about the noise on the opposite side of the spectrum. It’s those times in our lives when there’s always something going on, people’s expectations and their voices add to the noise, the world pulls you in and chatters constantly in your ear…It is those times when we wish for silence. It is also in those times when we wish that the noise would just stop, even if just for a moment, so that we could hear God. So that we can find Him.

One amazing thing about sound is that there are different frequencies of sound waves. Humans can hear sounds that are within a certain frequency. Dolphins and bats can hear sounds that range far beyond the human range. All kinds of species have a certain range that they can hear sounds only within that range. I’m not a science whiz, but I know enough about how sound works to know that it is quite an incredible part of God’s unique craftsmanship.

The way sound works creates a great illustration of how people get trapped in the noise. We get so caught up listening to everything that’s within our own “frequency range.” We don’t even hear the sounds that aren’t immediately within that range. Now in real life, it isn’t quite possible for humans to just have super hearing and hear frequencies that bats could hear. But maybe in a way, the only way for us to find a quiet enough moment for us to hear God is for us to join Him in His frequency range. Maybe we have gotten so caught up in this idea that God is going to meet us where we are, that we have stopped searching for Him. Then we complain and mumble and wonder where God is in the midst of all the tragedy our world faces…But maybe one of the biggest tragedies we really face is when we stop seeking after God?

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” –Jeremiah 29:13

I don’t know how, where, and when God has and/or will show up in your life, but I do know that even though God can make himself known and present in your life in whatever way He chooses, there is a blessing in the process of searching for Him. There is a beauty in the effort it takes for us to find God’s frequency range. Because without a doubt, when you search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. It may not be within your “sound frequency,” your comfort zone, or your plans. It may take way more time than you are truly willing to give. It may stir up unwanted pain. It will take sacrifice, willingness, and a ready a heart, but it will be worth every bit of whatever you give. Pray for and strive to have a seeking heart, because when you genuinely seek after God, you never return empty-handed. 

“I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me will find me.” –Prov. 8:17

Monday, May 22, 2017

The Storm Breaks the Silence

Silence.
They say that’s what you need sometimes.
Silence.
Be quiet, then you’ll hear God.
But all I hear is
Silence.

I’ve been quiet,
I’ve slowed down,
Yet I sit here in complete
Silence.

Nothing, I hear nothing.
Unless you can hear
Silence.

Then I definitely hear
Silence.

It’s screaming and shouting.
It’s torturing me.
I blast the music louder.
I scream at God,
Begging Him to speak.

But the silence just screams right back.
“You’re all alone.”
“God isn’t here, He let you go.”
“He won’t help you now.”
“You’re worthless to Him.”
“You’ll never hear Him.”
“He doesn’t even hear you.”

Silence.
Silence.
Silence.

Then comes the wind.
Then comes the rain.
Then come the waves.

Like the disciples off at sea,
The storm is raging,
And it feels like Jesus is sleeping.

Just like the disciples doubted Jesus, here I am questioning.
“Jesus, don’t you care if I drown?”

Then comes more wind.
More rain.
More waves.

But I’ll take this storm over the silence any day.
Because above this hurricane of noise,
I hear Him say in a still, calm voice:

“Peace be still, my child.”

He was speaking to me.
He was speaking in the midst of the storm.
He was speaking through the storm.

“Quiet! Be still!”

No more wind.
No more rain.
No more waves.

Now I see the storm differently.
In the wind, Jesus is whispering.
Through the rain, Living Water is cleansing and satisfying.
Each wave is more and more of God’s love crashing over me.

The silence sparked a storm.
The storm broke the silence.
God spoke through the silence and the storm.


Jesus Calms the Storm- Mark 4:35-41

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’

They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”

Monday, May 15, 2017

Esther

The last two weeks have been crazy, amazing, and crazy amazing. It started with finals week and packing for the Dominican Republic and my trip back to Idaho and then turned into dealing with my car being stolen. Not knowing if I would have a car or not when I returned from the DR, I took off on a flight with my sister and a group of about 30 other incredible people.
There were so many amazing experiences from this trip with Compassion, so for now I will just share one. 

 Her name is Esther.

 Before leaving for this trip, I had the honor to sponsor Esther, a 5 year old girl living in poverty. In my eyes, I saw this sponsorship as giving her $38 a month to help with food, school, health, and other costs. I also saw it as writing her a few letters back and forth to get to know her a little bit. But this past week, I learned that sponsoring a child through Compassion is so, so much more. (If you want to learn more about Compassion International and the work they are doing, or if you are interested in sponsoring a child, please message me and I'd love to tell you more about it!) 
On Friday, I had the privilege of meeting Esther, who turned out to be the most incredible 5 year old I've ever met. She is fun-spirited, kind, grateful, joyful, and absolutely beautiful. Through Compassion, Esther's family not only receives physical help, but they also receive emotional, social-cognitive, and most importantly spiritual help. Esther and her mom attend church and are proud to call themselves Christians, who find hope in Jesus Christ and their future home with Him, even when their earthly home seems insufficient by my own standards. In a third world country where hope is merely an idea, Compassion is giving families and children a concrete hope by serving them in the name of Jesus.
One of the first things Esther did when I met her was asked if she could pray for us. Then, she recited the entire Lord's Prayer in Spanish. After that, she immediately asked me what my favorite Bible verse was and went on to recite one of her own favorite verses. Keep in mind, this little girl is only 5 years old.
As I spent time playing with her and learning about her and her family, I was continuously amazed not only by Esther’s wisdom, but how much joy she had even in the little things. When I asked what her favorite subject was at school, she quickly answered with a smile, “All of them!” When I asked her mom how far they lived from school and the Compassion Project that Esther attended, she was happy to say that it was only about a 10-minute walk. This is a family that takes nothing for granted. This is a child and a mother who love Jesus for who He is, and not for any worldly blessings they might have. This is a mother and a child who prayed, thanking God for the things they did have, instead of asking for the many things that they didn’t have.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says,
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Esther and her mother are living and breathing this verse. The joy they find in Christ is more than sufficient for them. Thankfulness seems so, so simple sometimes, but yet I struggle with it every single day. I find myself approaching God’s throne with requests and all my wants and needs, rather than with my gratitude and thankfulness.



This picture is now my desktop background. Not just because Esther is absolutely adorable, but because it serves as a reminder to find joy in the little things, and to be grateful in all things. Her smile came from a place of pure and genuine thankfulness, her joy was absolutely contagious, and her child-like faith will forever inspire me in my own walk with Christ. When I grow up, I want to be just like Esther.