Just a quick midnight thought...
Yesterday I was listening to Sara Groves sing about a little girl with angel wings on and encouraging her to "fly, fly, fly..." as her daughter got ready to sleep and dream, and I think of how dominated my schedule is with lesser important things than my family. I think of how much of a joy my children are to me, so much so that it brings me butterflies in my stomach of both love and concern for lack of a better expression. I also think of how sometimes I just,"want them out of the kitchen" or "just give me 5 more minutes of peace to finish this last piece of work on the computer" or "can't you guys go 5 minutes unsupervised without fighting" and I realize that many times the things we love the most are also the source of our greatest frustrations. I just want to live in light of the former instead of the latter, as to then take the frustrating moments as times to show a good example as the adult and both teach and learn in front of the kids in those difficult moments. More than anything I want them to feel loved. I want to jump on the trampoline with them, chase them around, snuggle them closely, tie on their angel wings while they are still young and cheer "fly, fly, fly..."
I just carried Abi from sleeping in our bed to hers. As I lifted her little body up and snuggled her as I walked down the hall I couldn't help but think about being 12 years down the road with her grown up and wishing I could go back to the days when she was young like this and love on her better, and for a moment I thought, "what if I am exactly that man having been granted his wish, what if God rolled back time, erased my memory and gave me this other chance with the only memory being, 'take advantage of the oppotrunities this time'" now I do not believe that is what happened but I think it is a healthy perspective and perhaps God is gracious enough to answer the prayers that he knows I will have 12 years from now, beforehand by impressing on me the dire need to express love and seek the important things of life for my children while I am still RIGHT HERE.
-Eric
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Walking the path...
We have just discovered the joys of Skype and have been calling a couple dear friends without fear of phone charges. I spoke with one such dear friend (who probably will read this post) who used to be involved in church but now does not believe in Jesus or the Bible. We spoke of the travesty that 'Christians' often treat those who choose not to believe as though they are bad people or even worse, the enemy.
Every person is responsible for their own path. They are the sole one responsible for what to believe for themselves. I am not saying that all things are truth but rather that each of us must decide for ourselves what we believe to be truth. Truth itself seems to be such an illusive thing and we all must hold our theology humbly in light of this. I am convinced that the path of Jesus and of the Bible is true, this is the path that I have chosen for a multitude of reasons. And as much as I would plead with my friend to walk this path with me, regardless of what I believe the consequences of rejecting Christ are, I cannot make him believe, guilt him to believe, or tell him he is bad. I must respect his choice and support him in what he honestly thinks is the right spiritual path for him. I am responsible for my path as he is responsible for his.
As far as my responsibility to him, it is the same as will all mankind. Jesus said we must LOVE them. We love those who believe AND those who do not. Jesus said in the gospel of John, "love one another, by this the world will know that you are mine, if you love one another" I know there will be people reading this post that will say this passage is talking about loving your brother in the church. I fear that you have missed the point. Regardless of how this particular passage is interpreted, no one can question Jesus' mandate and example to love all people.
Being married for near 10 years and having 4 kids has taught me much of what human love is. Just to sum up such a big topic. I understand it to be that inner motivation for the best of that person. One that desires success for them, growth, happiness... whether it be by my actions or lack there of. It is one of the remaining marks of the image of God on man. The trickiest part of love is doing it in a manner that is understood as love.
Do we love those who question our beliefs? really love them? Do we get defensive because we fear what they are asking? Do we fear not having the answers to give them or not having them to answer ourselves? These bring up questions of faith itself and on what it is based. This is much more of a topic than what I had intended at first. I will probably write more on that some other day but for now it suffices to say, feel free to doubt, ask yourselves the questions you fear and entrust those conversations with other godly people you trust. Be honest with God and yourself knowing that doubt itself is not evil but rather it is a fork in the road to choose Christ or not. Most will say that true love is a decision and Hebrews 11:1 implies a choice to believe the unseen. Our responsibility is to choose well, in whom we put our Faith, what do we Hope for, and will we Love; but the greatest of these is Love and love is from God.
-Eric
Every person is responsible for their own path. They are the sole one responsible for what to believe for themselves. I am not saying that all things are truth but rather that each of us must decide for ourselves what we believe to be truth. Truth itself seems to be such an illusive thing and we all must hold our theology humbly in light of this. I am convinced that the path of Jesus and of the Bible is true, this is the path that I have chosen for a multitude of reasons. And as much as I would plead with my friend to walk this path with me, regardless of what I believe the consequences of rejecting Christ are, I cannot make him believe, guilt him to believe, or tell him he is bad. I must respect his choice and support him in what he honestly thinks is the right spiritual path for him. I am responsible for my path as he is responsible for his.
As far as my responsibility to him, it is the same as will all mankind. Jesus said we must LOVE them. We love those who believe AND those who do not. Jesus said in the gospel of John, "love one another, by this the world will know that you are mine, if you love one another" I know there will be people reading this post that will say this passage is talking about loving your brother in the church. I fear that you have missed the point. Regardless of how this particular passage is interpreted, no one can question Jesus' mandate and example to love all people.
Being married for near 10 years and having 4 kids has taught me much of what human love is. Just to sum up such a big topic. I understand it to be that inner motivation for the best of that person. One that desires success for them, growth, happiness... whether it be by my actions or lack there of. It is one of the remaining marks of the image of God on man. The trickiest part of love is doing it in a manner that is understood as love.
Do we love those who question our beliefs? really love them? Do we get defensive because we fear what they are asking? Do we fear not having the answers to give them or not having them to answer ourselves? These bring up questions of faith itself and on what it is based. This is much more of a topic than what I had intended at first. I will probably write more on that some other day but for now it suffices to say, feel free to doubt, ask yourselves the questions you fear and entrust those conversations with other godly people you trust. Be honest with God and yourself knowing that doubt itself is not evil but rather it is a fork in the road to choose Christ or not. Most will say that true love is a decision and Hebrews 11:1 implies a choice to believe the unseen. Our responsibility is to choose well, in whom we put our Faith, what do we Hope for, and will we Love; but the greatest of these is Love and love is from God.
-Eric
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