Pure

A friend once said:

"a glass can only spill what it actually contains."

I believe that this is the kind of commitment and sacrifice and love that Jesus asks of all of his followers. I believe that this is exactly what Jesus did and accomplished on the cross. I also believe that everyone (whether you identify as a follower of Jesus or not) is called to lay themselves down for someone else. We all have had experiences (or are having them now) that require us to put our neighbor's needs before our own. And sometimes, that is uncomfortable and/or exciting.

Jesus calls us to live such a life daily. He gets no extra fees and this choice comes without any gimmicks. This self-less life is often overlooked as "too good to be true." Similliar to those informercials that say if you buy this product in the next 90 seconds, your life will be great! But, Jesus is not an advertisement running across the television screen or a billboard on the highway. He is not absent from our lives only to be called upon when we are in desperate need. He is active and living today and everyday. He is all around us, through us and in us.

His life is like that of a glass cup. But, I think that the deeper part comes down to this: "What's in your cup?" Because if we can really get to the meaning behind the truth, then we have come to understanding. Before you pour the liquid into your cup, do you read the ingredients list on the back of the can or bottle? Are you filling up on just sugar and chemicals and preservatives? Or is it all natural?  Is it made from real things in the environment? Does the nutrition label say: "made with grace, peace, forgiveness and love"?

When you finally pour that liquid into the glass, what does that substance say about you? About your life? Whatever you choose to quench your thirst is a direct reflection of you.

And when your glass is knocked over, (either planned or not) what flows out? Does the liquid bring forth help and healing or does it choke up anger and resentment?

Truthfully, I think that we all have a little Splenda in our drink. But, what does it take for us/me/you to work to make it pure? To be nothing but "all natural"?

You know how some waters (like Aquafina) say: "contains: water and salt"? How can water be anything but water? Why do we find the need to always enhance the flavor that is already so rich? In the same way, why do we all feel the need to enhance our lives with additional items and artificial ingredients?

Why do we do this?

I think that one of the many answers is that we feel uncomfortable being ourselves. We don't relish the opportunity of showing people our true selves. Our identity (whatever you find yourself immersed in) greatly impacts others. We never know how much we really impact a fellow human being (either positively or negatively). Our lives are always on display. They are a showcase. If we really examine the ways in which we live and it reveals that we are not comfortable with ourselves, then how will we ever be able to counsul and help others? If Christians are not able to find their sole purpose and satisfaction of new life in Christ, how will their friends know that there is another way to live apart from the sweeteners?

I also believe that another reason we enhance our drink with man-made materials is that we are afraid of making mistakes. We need to come to terms with the fact that as humans, we are not always going to get it right. It's important to learn from our mistakes so that we can become better stewards of our world and help others not to make the same ones that we did. Mistakes are one of life's learning tools. I'm not saying to go out and fill up on caffeine but what I am saying is that we are constantly reminded that through every fall, stumble and trip we acknowledge that we can't get through life on our own. Life is not supposed to be an independent journey. Humans were made for relationships and to experience and be dependent to the extent that it helps us not hurt us.

For those who identify as followers of Jesus, may he teach us how to be dependent on Him; to know that we are partners on life's journey. For those who may not profess to be followers of Jesus, may we begin to understand and take comfort in knowing that though all of us long for an artifical sweetener to add flavor to our drink, may we begin the process (however that may look for you personally) of removing this unncessary addition to making our drink pure.

Copyright July 2010: Alex

"because he loves me"

I came across this poem in the Providence Sunday Journal today and wanted to share it with you.

"our father who art in heaven"

he comes back
to the family now
with a vengeance
that seems odd
even to me,
the Queen of
never let them forget.
what could he
possibly hope to achieve
by arriving at the door
twenty some odd
many years
too late.
he offers us
a loaf of bread
telling us how long
he kneaded it,
and let it rise
until he knew it had
become
perfection.
he picked
the grapes from
his garden, where
they were grown
with optimism
and great faith.
tells us
all he is looking for
is one last meal
with his children,
a place to rest his head.
surely we could grant him that.
our father,
 -Lynnie Gobeille

[it really spoke to me today. i also see some spiritual allusions...not sure if the poet intended them to be there, but they are.]

in love with Love

"Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps." - Psalm 85:13

"Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you."
- Psalm 86:2

"Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name."
-Psalm 86: 11


/////////////

God has already prepared the way for me. Jesus and his disciples have already gone before me. One of the writers of the Bible talks about "running the race that is marked before us." So, why the worry? For my Father says: "Do not worry." God has taken care of it all. He has provided for the birds and thus has provided an endless bounty for me. I keep on coming back to this passage in Luke 12:22-34. Verse 33 says to "sell your possessions and give to the poor." Poverty is more than a lack of material riches, homelessness and hunger. From personal experience, I know that there are people who are poor and look as if they have it all together. Poverty wears many different masks. Love wears none. True love is naked, exposed and vulnerable. The epitome of love is Jesus. The epitome of that love is God. The Holy Spirit lives inside us to make this love personal, alive and real. It's tangibility is evident everywhere, even in the most broken of places.

..."for where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." (verse 34).

If my heart is on the things that God desires and I am moving and listening and seeking his advice from older Christians in the faith, then I know in my heart that God has it {my fears, concerns, worries, uncertainties} worked out.

Jeremiah 29:11 says:

"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Now, I know that verses such as these can be taken out of context if not read carefully; but for me, today, this comforting verse lets me know that just like I am devoted to God with my life, my spiritual purity and his purpose for me, I know that God is devoted to me. For my heart and my mind are on the things of God and though I get stuck in a rut sometimes, I am aware of my identity in Christ. I know that I am loved. When I come back to his word I am constantly brought closer to my only lover and Father. My reflection is in him and he is in me.

poor in spirit

"The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become-the more we realize that everything in life is a gift" (The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning, page 81).

far beyond the vow of "i do"

"To have the mind of Christ Jesus, to think his thoughts, share his ideals, dream his dreams, throb with his desires, replace our natural responses to persons and situations with the concern of Jesus, and make the mindset of Christ so completely our own that "the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" is not the secret of or shortcut to transparency. It is transparency" (Manning 38).

- it is a laying down of our own wants and needs and picking up Christ's wants and needs. It is humbly accepting a new perspective; a way of life completely different than mine. This new life that Christ offers is a daily struggle; it is not easy but it is worth it. a complete surrender to one person far surpasses my detailed map of life.


"Christianity, then, comprises more than involvement in human rights struggles, environmental causes, or peace programs. Fullness of life in the Spirit is more than finding Christ in others and serving him there. It is a summons to personal holiness, ongoing conversion, and new creation through union with Christ Jesus" (Manning 53).

- Living for Christ is work. i can never be perfected through actions and works if my heart and mind are not aligned with Christ's. If my desires become so weighty that they take precedence over God's than I have created a fictional character. Only a daily commitment and a lifetime of devotion to Jesus with our lives, our souls and our hearts will help to change our world that is governed by fear to a world passionately in love with its creator.



~ the above quotes came from Brennan Manning's book, The Importance of Being Foolish