Renewed

Tonight my soul is refreshed.

Sunday night I had the opportunity to go to a Switchfoot/Lecrae concert with two of my role models from my church. On the way down we chatted and talked about casual stuff, and upon arriving at the outdoor amphitheater where the concert was held we discovered that the weather was perfect. Not a cloud in sight, not too warm or cold, and a beautiful gentle breeze. Getting to worship outside next to two young adults and friends I highly respect was amazing, especially when God gave us such good weather. Then on the way back, we had a deep, good conversation about faith and high school. In the end, those six hours really rejuvenated me, and my heart was happy. 

Then tonight, after working a shift at church during vacation bible school and getting to see so many kids hyped up about Jesus, my friend and I went and ate ice cream on a dock on the river, once again the weather was beautiful. The combination also gave me peace.

These past few occurances have been so good for me, especially now that I'm so busy with two jobs. God is good at giving me just the right breaks when I need them! Praise Him from whom all blessing flow, Amen!

My summer endeavor

This summer I've had to take on the grueling task of completing a summer school class due to my inability to fit it into my schedule and it being a graduation requirement. The class: Government.  Right off the bat, I've decided I detest it. My friends have all questioned me, "Is it really that bad?". Yes, it is, and here's why.

Everything about the course material screams patriotism, and all I can hear ringing in my head is, "You're a grand old flag, you're a high flying flag," and other equally peppy patriotic songs.  The course is so peachy about America and democracy and you're a citizen, wow!, here's why that's soooo important and here are your duties! It reminds me of a plastic, overly enthusiastic sales person.

Because you know what, the course doesn't give a damn about the fact that our government has gotten so corrupt and money controlled, and that countless people are being abused by the system. We're supposed to use our civilian-granted rights to help keep the government in check, you say? Well maybe you need to do a reality check because that's not working out so well right now.  Equal rights for citizens, you say? Maybe you should look into that a little deeper, beneath the glowing red white and blue glamour covering the true darkness in the country.

In all honesty, the course eerily reminds me of something Big Brother-ish, a little 1984-esque, where its brainwashing into how perfect things are and how proud we should be to be citizens of the  grand ol' United States.

Now don't get me wrong, the United States stands for some great things, like equality and freedom, it's just that quite honestly that's not how things are in the government right now.  I'm happy to be a citizen of the US on the account of what it's supposed to stand for, but am I proud of how we appear to the rest of the world? No, I'm quite ashamed. I feel similar to how a mom does when her toddler is throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a crowded grocery store, or a mom who has to talk to the other parents about how her kid got caught being a bully again.  Embarrassment.

So now, I have a month and a half left of glamorized government to suffer through, pray that I survive a course that pretends the topic at hand isn't ridiculously corrupt and manipulated by money. Oh boy.

Where does value lie?

Value is an incredibly frustrating topic.  It means different things to everyone, be it sentimental value or monetary value.  But where should emphasis be placed when it comes to what's valuable in this world?

Most of the first world would argue that monetary value is the most important.  After all, without money what can be done? Nothing.  Although it is true that things can be made easier by having money, living in such a materialistic world, things of monetary value are really just used to show status and power.

Coming from the viewpoint of someone who believes in heaven and firmly believes in the pointlessness of storing up treasures on earth, I find that emphasis should be placed on the value of deeds, character, and memories.  When we all inevitably die, the amount of money we made on this earth isn't going to mean a single thing.  The position of our job, the savings, the fancy cars and name brand items will all just return to the earth.  What will matter however, is how God looks at what we did with our resources, how we served other people, and how we actively pursue His mission on the earth.

In many places in the bible God mentions this. A well known example is the parable in Matthew 25:

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In the end, everything kind of boils down to how willing we are to part with things of material value in order to serve others, and obviously God places a lot of importance on this since it comes down to the matter of eternity.

So, where do you place your value? Are you willing to give up your earthly comforts? In the end, only God will judge if you clothed, fed, and sheltered Him and His people.