Silly Cat.......Silly Humans?

I love my cat Belle. I think she is beautiful and amazing. But she is silly. She can be such a scaredy cat. Belle loves to sit in my open window at the screen for hours at end. She cranes her neck to see birds in the tree outside the window. She paws at bugs that land on the screen. She will also sit by the screen door which goes to the back deck. By all appearances she would love to escape through the screen and enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors. But whenever I pick her up and move 4 feet out the screen door to sit in a chair on the deck with her on my lap she freaks out! She whimpers and whines pathetically, struggling to escape my grasp and run back in doors. Her observable behavior is deceptive. She looks like she would love the outdoors but it is not so. And it is disappointing! I would love to have a contented kitty cat on my lap as I sit enjoying the sunshine. But it seems that this will not likely happen for a long time if ever.

Are we like Belle? Would someone observing us come to conclusions that aren't actually so? Do we talk up who we aren't? Are we fascinated by lives we would never have the guts to lead? What about those professing a Christian life? I am reminded of a quote that goes something like, nominal Christians read mission stories but real Christians live mission stories. We live in a world that is all about entertainment but rarely about experiencing life. We watch others experience and expressing life. Think reality TV, think movies, think sports, think many books. But what are our own lives? Are we so entranced by what other people are doing that we don't do anything ourselves? Are we really living life?

Belle is missing out. She could feel the grass under her paws. She could look up at the big blue sky and watch the birds swooping above her head. She could be sniffing bugs and plants which her little nose has never experienced before. Her fear is holding her back in what she could see and what I could show her.

Is God disappointed with us? Is our fear holding back from what He is able to show us and do through us?

Belle has nothing to fear because I would be with her the entire time she would be outside. Likewise, we have nothing to fear as well. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe is at our side. What are we afraid of?

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

Weather of our Hearts

This past Sabbath afternoon as I came home the sky was dark and dreary. Rain was to be expected and rain it did. In fact, it stormed. I was reading on my bed with my cat Belle nearby. Her ears expressed concern at the sound of the thunder. I comforted her fears and continued to read. A little while later I noticed that Belle’s ears were no longer concerned; she was fast asleep and the room seemed visibly lighter than it had been before. I glanced out the window and indeed the mood was greatly changed. The sun was out and the blue sky was displayed around fluffy white clouds. Wow! What a change. Soon I found myself perusing the adjacent fields before settling under a tree to examine violets, watch the birds, ponder life and pray. The lavender of the lilacs, the green of the new leaves and the brightness of the blue sky all combined as a beautiful landscape set against the sound of the breeze and the serenade of the birds in the trees around me.

Isn’t it interesting how weather can dictate our behavior? Should the sky be stormy and thundering, we most likely will not do lawn work, clean the eaves or wash the car. We’re more likely to curl up with a cat on a bed or clean out the cupboards in the warm, dry and predictable indoors. Minus a tree falling on the house, those plans would be able to be accomplished with no hindrance by the storm. However, if the weather is bright, sunny and warm we are much more likely to tackle some landscaping or just sit and bask in the sun.

What is weather anyways? According to my Encarta encyclopedia “weather” can be described as “the state of the atmosphere.” Weather is certainly an external condition which we are all used to. But I think there is a valid comparison between the external weather and the internal weather of our hearts. What is the “state of the atmosphere” of your life? Are we like Tennessee a few weeks ago where one day was 80 degrees, the next 50 degrees and then it was stormy for a week straight? Or are we predictably pleasant like a stretch of summer in the Northeast?

What should the state of the atmosphere of our lives be?

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you,” – Isaiah 26:3.

This world is going out of control. It can be a blinding wind and a blur of confusion. Like the weather, our lives: our minds and hearts can become so muddled and confused. But God’s desire for His people is to live in peace.

As I sat under that tree and thought and prayed, the simplicity of the Christian life came in to my mind.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” Ecclesiastes 12:13b.

Trust God. Obey God. Be at peace. That is it. He will take care of His people. My mom experienced this this past week. She was nearly in an accident but God took care of her. He takes care of His people. We have nothing to fear if our faith is in Him. Our minds and our hearts can be as calm, clear and serene as a warm, sunny summer day. :-)

What I Learned At College

One of the most amusing things I liked to do randomly these past years was to call up my dad and say something along the lines of, "Hey, I learned something today! I learned _____." To which he would respond somewhat sarcastically, "Well I certainly hope we're sending you to college to learn something!"

Now that I have actually graduated from college, I am finding myself reflecting on these past four years. I have grown and learned a lot. As I think about it, much of what I have learned is hard to pin point to specific things. I did not learn a trade. I did not learn calculus or how to build a house. I have learned to write well. I have learned to critically think and do research. I have learned to work with people. Much of what I have learned at college does not necessarily revolve around facts and figures. It is based upon the experiences I have had and the people I have met.

1. People are who they are for reasons.
Everyone has a story. Do not judge. One of the more profound concepts I learned when I was first came to college was in a Marriage and Family class I took. I remember distinctly thinking, "I am 18 years old and know more about families than at least 1/2 of the countries population." The cycles of families is something which impressed me greatly. If you are from a divorced family, the probability of you getting divorced goes up tremendously. You parent the way you were parented. It makes sense. It the same with addictive behavior and medical conditions. If your dad died of a heart attack the predisposition toward such a medical condition is likely in you. Breaking cycles of abuse and dysfunction has to be intentional. Healthy relationships have to be intentional to make them work. That having been said, people are the way they are for reasons. If a person is controlling, there is an underlying issue. If someone cannot communicate, there is a reason. If someone is a basket-case, there is a reason. Too often we take people at face value and say "that is just how they are." No! Oftentimes behavior is a cry for help and also a symptom of a deeper issue. We as Christians cannot be judging people but when faced with difficult people need to pray to God that we can see the heart of the matter and help people. The breakdown of the family is an epidemic in America and the greatest cause of violence and the vast majority of problems in America. Things like: the percentage of people in jail from single-parent families is staggering. (end of that soap box)

2. We are called to service
Some of my greatest experiences of college were in extracurricular activities. For several of my classes we were required to do community service hours. Also with the clubs I was in we were involved with service activities. I volunteered at a school. I volunteered at a day care. (And was asked if a 3 year old was my child.) We went to nursing homes. We went to missions. We went to government housing. I was able to be involved with a lot of outreaches and this stretched me and was the source of great joy. Eventually I joined the Bible Workers Club and was involved in a Bible study which I think ministered more to me than to the lady. They were all great experiences! There is certainly blessing in serving others. It opens our eyes to the needs around us. It will be my challenge to look for these opportunities wherever I am and find what God has in store for me to help others in specific ways.

3. We are called to study
I admit it, I loved school. I honestly can't think of a class which I particularly did not like at all. Certainly there were some that I preferred more than others but I learned every class and gained something which is useful to life. From Shakespeare to Greek to Biology, it's been a joy! God wants us to take advantage of the resources and opportunities we have. The more educated we are the more diverse people we are able to reach for Him. While certainly the Bible and inspired writings need to be the heart of everything we do, we need to be well-rounded people and be interested in the life around us. I don't ever want to stop learning about people and the world which God has created.

4. We are called to be responsible
One of the burdens of school has been group work. When looking at a syllabus for a class and discovering some group project I would inwardly groan. Inevitably someone in the group would not do their work and usually someone like myself would take it upon themselves to do their work. It was always such an ordeal. I was responsible in school. I wanted to do my best in whatever I had to do. I don't want to lose that. However, there are other areas of life which my responsibility lacks. I can be extremely lazy and unmotivated when I have no accountability. By God's grace, I will overcome these areas and learn to be responsible in all areas of life even when it seems no one is watching. Cause, after all, He is.

5. We need relationships
Some of the most profound insights to myself and people in general are the results of relationships: whether male/female or friends. We are all so different. Whether personality types or backgrounds. I admit, it can be a huge struggle to understand some people. But I think in doing so, we discover so much about God. We are made to be together to reveal Christ's character together.

I have certainly learned more than just these points. I could talk about social norms, neurons in the brain, Daniel 4, different religions, history of native americans, yadda yadda. But I think these 5 points transcend the specifics. God has been so good. I am so grateful.

Today I felt the roughness of tree bark under my hand.

I felt the breeze in my hair.

I felt the cool grass under my bare feet.

And the soft delicate petal of a dogwood bloom.

I reveled in the bright beauty of an azalea bush.

I noticed the long shadows left by the setting sun.

I smelled the freshness of a new green leaf.

I noticed two birds chasing each other on the horizon.

I felt the sunshine on my face.

And the Son in my heart.

Thank you, Lord, for your reminders of love.


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Plans

Is it not funny how life can change instantaneously? You wait for months for something to happen and then >bam<, within 30 minutes there it is. Or you wait to meet someone and then >bam<, out of the blue there they are. Or you are unsure what you're doing and then >bam<, within 24 hours you get your answer. And is it not also funny how oftentimes, or usually, the answer is not what you hoped it would be, or imagined it would be, yet it is for the better because you know God orchestrated it?

Maybe funny is not the right word. The word could be aggravating, annoying, ironic, unnerving, or any other such negative word. But I prefer funny. Because when we look back, that is usually what we do: laugh.

Wall of Fame

My face is going to be on a wall. No, not a "most wanted" sign. My face will be on a plaque and displayed in a case in Hackman Hall. The words "outstanding scholastic achievement" will be near my picture. Along with a few other of my classmates, our faces will join the faces of other students gone before us who excelled while at Southern. It really is an honor to be part of that wall in Hackman hall. Until the Lord comes or some disaster strikes the school, a record of my time at Southern will be recorded on that wall. I excelled and attained "outstanding scholastic achievement" during my time at Southern.

But what in the world does that mean? One could say that the past 17 years of education are what led to a plaque and recognition for a scholastic achievement. From Kindergarten to a Senior in college, I have done very well. "Well done, Lorrie, you have done an outstanding job." Why thank you. I appreciate it. I really do. I am grateful for the journey I have been able to take through the halls of acadamia. But attaining "outstanding scholastic achievement" really gives me no bragging rights. It does not guarantee me a job. It does not guarantee me anything. Perhaps it is a sentence to put on my resume. Maybe it will give me a boost if I go to Grad School. But it may not as well. Scholastics is not experience.

As I reflect on my face on the wall, I guess I do approach the feat a bit cynically. I suppose it is a big deal? And I do care. I am very thankful. It is an honor. But I am not bursting with joy. Perhaps it is the realization of an end of a journey. Perhaps it is the uncertainty of future plans.

Perhaps it is because I was not trying to get on the wall. If I did not win the honor and get my face on the wall I would not have cried a tear. I have never had ambitions of glory, I have just always tried to do my best. I have studied and listened. I have taken notes and researched. I have gone to class every day and done what the syllabus said to do.

I guess I realize that if it were not for the first 5 years of my life before stating this long academic journey that the past 17 years of success in school would not have been possible. Psychologists say that in the first 6 years of life the majority of your personality and disposition is solidified. So who you were in Kindergarten is most likely very similar to the way you are today.

So I really owe that plaque to my parents and to God. I would not be on that wall if it were not to them. Now obviously I am not a cookie-cutter product of people but by submitting to God my parents have raised me the way they have. By submitting to God I have been able to do my best in school with the gifts He has given me.

So when I walk down that aisle in less than 3 weeks with my honor cords and flowing gown, I will be proud. I will be proud of the success that we have achieved. And I will pray that this knowledge within will produce a servant of Him in the future. After all, I owe Him everything.

A Tale of Tori

There once was a girl named Tori* who lived in the state of NY. Over Christmas that year she had a grand ole’ time but during that vacation something unfortunate happened. Her father got sick. Her mother got sick and then her brother got sick. But Tori didn’t get sick. She denied that it was a possibility. “I never get sick” she prided herself and tried to ignore the slight cough she started to develop. Tori was relieved when she went back to school. “Tennessee may not be warm in January “she said “but it is a lot warmer than home”. However Tori’s cough continued and to her astonishment it got worse. “I don’t understand” she thought each day when she would catch her breath after a good cough. Several weeks after getting back Tori realized how cold it was in her room. It was So Cold. Sitting on her bed which is in front of the window she looked around and noticed how much colder it was at that specific part of her room. Then she saw something. “Aha!” Her window, though closed and locked had a crack all along the front. Putting her hand there she felt the cold air wafting in to the room. “No wonder I am coughing. This is what I am breathing every night as I sleep.” So Tori, being the sensible girl that she is, made haste to cover that window up good and tight. “Ah, now I will get better,” Tori thought.

But she didn’t. In fact she got worse. In time she developed a fever and sniffles to add to her cough. Tori even moved her mattress to the living room and slept there to not infect her roommate. Tori did not understand what was going on.

Now this seems like a sad tale but it illustrates some important points which we as Christians need to be careful of. Tori was sleeping next to the means of her illness. She was oblivious to the fact that she was essentially cuddling up to what was making her sick. How much do we in our own lives subject ourselves to the influences of sinful behaviors without our conscious knowing? If Tori had just been observant she would have noticed the window right in front of her which was letting in that cold air. What do we have in our lives- like a window- which is not in itself- bad but what it can let through that produces evil? Computers- something Tori tends to waste a lot of time on-books, relationships, frivolous things- are they influencing you for the right or for the wrong?

Tori had a weakness when she was coming back to school since she had been exposed to her family’s sickness. This weakness got exploited by the faulty window. So Satan knows our weaknesses and takes advantage of our often oblivious natures. We need to be alert and conscious of what is in our lives and our predispositions. We need to have our attention on examining our hearts that we be ready for the Christ to come every day.

Tori did not immediately get well after she discovered the problem. In fact she got worse. The damage had been done. She had to reap the consequences. So we have to reap the consequences of sin and often times they are much more tragic than a cough. This should cause us to be cautious.

Tori finally had to leave the room of her initial illness. She had to separate herself from the situation so that she didn’t spread the illness. Sometimes we have to make decisions to separate ourselves entirely from influences that cause us to turn our attention from that which is of God. This sometimes may seem trivial as banning yourself from YouTube for a couple weeks like Tori did once. After all, the small if not dealt with often becomes much larger.

What Tori would like you to get from her sad story is that we need to be intentional in our walk with Christ. Whatever takes our attention and affections from Christ should be removed from our lives. We need to call sin by its name and flee from it. Sin is like an illness. It takes advantage of our weak moments and creeps in to our lives unawares. When we see it we need to block it, get rid of it and move away from it.

Ephesians 5: 15-17 reads, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.”

*resemblance to a familiar name is entirely intentional