"Don't Assume You Know It All"

Proverbs 3: 1-12 (The Message)

"Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They'll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.

Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this."

Recently, this passage has been knocking at my door. My heart longs to fulfill these things but sometimes, I feel reluctant. So, I've been asking myself these questions all week:

-Where have I assumed that I know it all?
-Which areas of my life do I honestly need God's loving discipline?

Reflection in writing and silence helps me to hear God. I feel so in tune with God when I write. I fall in love with words as I witness their unique curves on paper. Every thought turns into a stroke, which turns into a letter, which makes a word, which produces a sentence, which reveals the thought that lay floating in my mind. Words are a language. They are a form of expression. A pen makes them come alive on paper. Just like a baby takes its first breath, words are the key to a person's heart. If a person is loving, such complimentary actions will follow. If a person uses hurt as a form of communication, their words will express their agony and brokenness inside.

May we be humble enough to hear someone's cry for love, this simple love that looks and does not judge.

A love that hugs and does not kill.
A love that sees right through to a person's inner being and feels absolutely no shame.
A love that resembles a husband who looks at his wife and falls in love with her every day.
A love that enjoys spending time with a person. No words are needed here.
A love that witnesses the anguish and decides to act.
A love that just is.

Let Go

i'm being taken into the unknown and
learning the meaning of trust,
how to trust
and when to let go of the balloon.
does the scary outweigh the exciting
or
does the exciting outweigh the scary
or both?
my friends in high school used to jokingly say the phrase:
"Trust is the key."
can the unknown be familiar?
can the unknown be attractive?
can the unknown be beautiful?
can a friendship that's lasted so long seem like its only beginning?
is there a time where you can fully know a person?
is there a time where you can fully know God?
i say nay to the latter, for if I try to define God in exquisite words and wrap my mind around his infinite beauty then I am only creating a picture of a 'god' that I wish to see.
i need to worship God for who he is; that is,
the creator of all things,
the sky, the daffodils, the lillies, the grazing cows, and the crying baby.
the God who makes sadness beauty and who gives breath to a dying human neighbor.
a God who is not limitless but reaches his arms out to sew the barriers between race, culture and class.
i worship a God who is greater than myself.
i trust when I feel uncertain.
i believe when I am unbelieving.
i hope when situations are hopeless.
i love when i feel unloving.
i trust in knowing that God has me exactly where I am meant to be.

Amen.

(a poem and prayer written by alex)
(to see this image its original context, click reading.

Reflections on maps and God

So, I just got back from New Orleans. It was such an incredible experience that I would not trade it for anything else. The friendships that were formed will last forever as they are built on genuine love. It feels like I knew these people forever!

The thing that struck me the most is how happy I was. I'm usually very excited about serving other people but this experience was different. A different form excitement occured that built up everyday. All the concerns about safety and worries about hygenie were minute in comparison to the purpose of helping others. And, what's strange, is that I didn't look at this break as "losing" time for myself or "giving something up"; rather, it was a time to explore my walk with God, to grow closer to my friends, and to discover exactly how far I will trust God with my entire life.

You see, I am much of a planner. I like to make sure that I know exactly what's going on each day. This spring break, a friend told me to "throw the map away." Strange how our destination can be so easily dictated by a map and yet at the same time the journey may yield different results.

Where have you held onto the map far too long? Where do you need to "throw it away" and allow God to be your guide, your cartographer, your compass? He always has a way of working all things together. The surprises that you find when you let the wind blow your map away are absolutely endless.

memories

the twinkle in his eyes is still there.
the young, youthful look still apparent as happiness quietly pulls back the curtains of his aged mouth to reveal a smile.
his booming voice resonates within me;
someday my children will hear tales of "the great storyteller".
his caring nature exceeds beyond money
mixing love and hope in a bouquet of flowers.
as he gets dressed in his Sunday best,
that is, his naval suit, he is accompanied by a stunning woman,
whose beauty surpasses appearance, pumping life deep inside her heart.
she fixes his tie with purpose and adjusts his cap with a loving touch
helping him look ever more perfect as the minutes go by.
as time goes by, they silently find themselves sitting side by side on the old blue linen couch,
recalling the memories of years past
of that day when they wed,
him in his navy suit and her in a pressed brown suit
each complimenting the rest,
showing love for each other
caring for their children
smiling and laughing as on the day they first met.
so, even though times change and people mature,
their love never dies
a beautiful embrace wrapped in passion.

(written by alex)