Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I usually don’t introduce my posts with Bible verses. However, I read this passage from John 5 recently, and it really got my attention. Even though I think Jesus was directing these words at nonbelievers, verse 45 in particular hit my heart with a heavy thud and convicted me of several serious sins in my life.
Despite what many Christians will tell you (or imply), it's actually okay to feel empty. You're not less of a Christian because you can't see, hear, or feel God right now...even if that "right now" period lasts for a while. It isn't our job as believers to conjure up emotions that don't exist.
The coronavirus makes us angry and frustrated. Thinking about it is simply depressing. Everyone I’ve talked to has somehow been negatively affected by it—whether it’s getting laid off from a job, being sent home from college, or transitioning to teleworking. But I think that there’s an underlying reason why we hate COVID-19 so much.
What do we hope to gain by spending countless hours running, walking, weightlifting, and doing other exercises? What are we trying to achieve by sweating persistently, feeling utterly exhausted, and even permanently injuring our bodies? Are we truly trying to be healthy, (as we claim)? Or are our motives a bit messier than that?
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I am Grace in this story. However, unlike my name, I'm often lacking in grace for myself and for others.
Sometimes, I just want to walk up to him and ask him the question. I mean, what would he say? I’d love to know how he’d answer if I asked him, "So why don't you like me?"
Honestly, I’m tired of the lectures about not meeting my goals last year. And I’m tired of the lectures about meeting my goals in the upcoming year. Of course, I strongly encourage you to grow in Christ and always be intentional about deepening your faith. But sometimes, I struggle with being told how to live by fallible human beings.
I realize that most people hate the Christmas rush, but I think that it can be a great thing. You know—the rush to buy presents for family members and friends, the rush to watch every Christmas movie possible, the rush to decorate with cute Christmas décor, and the rush to make cards and cookies. The rush to get it all over with. I love the Christmas rush because it helps me escape…but only for so long.
Last year, I wrote about three things that I wasn’t thankful for. For this post, I'm going to share two more things that I’m not thankful for:
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 