Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Poemism
You. You stand there. You wait, you wonder, you see with eyes unclouded. What is it that stops you? Why when you see that, which few or none can see, do you simply stand? Shouldn't you run, shouldn't you trip over yourself in haste to catch up. It's there for a moment, then gone; like the shooting star, crossing the vastness of the rich black space, only appears for the few precious seconds, and then its gone. Why did you wait? Why don't you reach for it? You think, I'm not tall enough to grasp into the heavens for something like that. Well why not try? So what if you miss? At least you tried! You grew, like the young budding sapling tree, you grew a little more in the sleepy ray of sunshine staring down from the sky, raining the fire of life into you. Suddenly, you see it again. What now? You've grown, try again! Why does failure keep you from trying? You cannot grasp the heavens like the strong mighty redwood in a single grasp. It takes time, it takes more fire, more life, more growth. A little closer to the sky each day. A little closer to the deep valleys of water far underground in the black, still caverns filled to the brim and silent with the afterthought of depth and beauty. Slowly, slowly you gain momentum; growing both ways, till you become that mighty towering redwood. And then what? The sky is not the limit, only the expanse of the infinite universe is! No more stars to pass you by and be gone; here in the black wildness of space you see the Nebulae, the dwarf star, the swirl of light so wild and untamed and what stops you now? You would let the past dictate the present? You wouldn't explore the beauty of the Nebula? Here you are, and you let the thoughts of when you were a sapling stop you? No longer are you in the dust, hiding in the shadows of those taller than you. You may not catch the Nebula, but you can try, and try again. You can grow more. You can always move forward and get lost in the space of eternity. What stops you I say? What are you waiting for?
Conformity or Sincerity
One of the more harder issues I encounter is a desire to conform and be accepted to the world. When your on the edge of the 'normal' world, its hard to not want to be 'in.' To desire for a moment where you're not worrying if you might have offended somebody, or wanting to be the popular one that everyone grins and hangs out with. To be simply normal and not raise eyebrows amongst the other cool people who are perfectly normal. No weirdness, no abnormal hobbies. Its hard, even now I feel it creeping around in the back of my head. I can't stand watching sports games/tv like "other normal" guys. I enjoy cooking..what other normal guy does? I'm not a football player or slightly masochistic and handsome like every other 'normal' guy. And the worst part is...often its a matter of simple anti-self perception. I may perceive that I'm unaccepted when in actuality I'm fine.
But conformity is boring. I find the times when I'm among a group, and I conform to their normal'ness and "blend" in, it leaves me afterwards feeling empty and shallow. I wasn't really myself, wasn't really shining in all the glory that God made me in. Kind of takes away from God's handiwork in a way when we are not ourselves and truly sincere.
We're all so beautifully unique, and there's so many of us!!! Its crazy to even comprehend how many unique snowflakes there are on this planet that are completely different and never the same in thought, speech and attitude and life! And if we're desiring to hide that? What's that saying to God? God designed me; I can like myself, and I shouldn't attempt to conform to a normal pattern of people's perceptions. It takes away from His design if I attempt to not be myself and instead try to be somebody else. I enjoy poetry, and God's given me a mind to grasp at it...should I stop writing because maybe some people perceive my poetry as too fanciful or 'girly'? Should I be the perception of the world? Makes me think of the song 'Somebody Else's Song' by LifeHouse.
I believe the answer is no; yes I'll never quite be acceptable to some people. A lot of people won't understand me, a lot may laugh and make fun of my taste and odd thoughts. Maybe I don't do everything normal adult males are 'suppose' to do. But I'm content being me, because I know God saw something in my design, and He put a little bit of Himself in me, and now I'm walking around in this world; a little piece of the brightness that every single wonderful person contributes in the world. I wish more people could see this; even the normal people aren't so normal; they all have a bit of uniqueness and to deny it and be a 'standard conformity' in the world is to dim the light.
We are 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. I think I admire my Father the most for summing up His own identity when Moses asked Him who He was? "I AM WHO I AM." God didn't say "hmm well, I'm a little like Baal, only less angry all the time. And I'm something like Asherah, but don't have anything to do with the pole worship." No, instead he firmly established his identity and went forth with it into a world in Egypt where the Pharaoh scoffed at God. I AM WHO I AM; all my strangeness, my uniqueness, the things about me you can't understand, or think funny; I AM WHO I AM.
I wish I could get to that point someday and say it with supreme confidence and zero hesitation that 'I am who I am', which is something awesome, and I don't need to second guess.
But conformity is boring. I find the times when I'm among a group, and I conform to their normal'ness and "blend" in, it leaves me afterwards feeling empty and shallow. I wasn't really myself, wasn't really shining in all the glory that God made me in. Kind of takes away from God's handiwork in a way when we are not ourselves and truly sincere.
We're all so beautifully unique, and there's so many of us!!! Its crazy to even comprehend how many unique snowflakes there are on this planet that are completely different and never the same in thought, speech and attitude and life! And if we're desiring to hide that? What's that saying to God? God designed me; I can like myself, and I shouldn't attempt to conform to a normal pattern of people's perceptions. It takes away from His design if I attempt to not be myself and instead try to be somebody else. I enjoy poetry, and God's given me a mind to grasp at it...should I stop writing because maybe some people perceive my poetry as too fanciful or 'girly'? Should I be the perception of the world? Makes me think of the song 'Somebody Else's Song' by LifeHouse.
I believe the answer is no; yes I'll never quite be acceptable to some people. A lot of people won't understand me, a lot may laugh and make fun of my taste and odd thoughts. Maybe I don't do everything normal adult males are 'suppose' to do. But I'm content being me, because I know God saw something in my design, and He put a little bit of Himself in me, and now I'm walking around in this world; a little piece of the brightness that every single wonderful person contributes in the world. I wish more people could see this; even the normal people aren't so normal; they all have a bit of uniqueness and to deny it and be a 'standard conformity' in the world is to dim the light.
We are 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. I think I admire my Father the most for summing up His own identity when Moses asked Him who He was? "I AM WHO I AM." God didn't say "hmm well, I'm a little like Baal, only less angry all the time. And I'm something like Asherah, but don't have anything to do with the pole worship." No, instead he firmly established his identity and went forth with it into a world in Egypt where the Pharaoh scoffed at God. I AM WHO I AM; all my strangeness, my uniqueness, the things about me you can't understand, or think funny; I AM WHO I AM.
I wish I could get to that point someday and say it with supreme confidence and zero hesitation that 'I am who I am', which is something awesome, and I don't need to second guess.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Knowing About Knowing
Ever wonder how friends are made? I guess there are a variety of ways; you have common interests, or you see each other often enough, or something draws you to a person. And through all that you suddenly become friends. What kind of friend you become to them, or they to you, depends on a factor called knowing!
Do you know about your friend? Like how they've played cello for 12 years, read the Wall street news all the time, and always have coffee in the morning before class or work? You know they go to church, like to go fishing for a hobby. Or that they like to go party, socialize, bars, whatever. And maybe you even go and do some of those activities with them. But do you know them?
Or do you just know about them?
Knowing someone is entirely different than knowing about them. Knowing implies a depth that goes beyond factual and shallow interaction. To know someone is to in someways become vulnerable to them, as well as they becoming vulnerable to you. It takes friendship to a new level that is far more exciting than the general humdrum.
When you know someone, you know what hurts them, you know what makes them truly laugh; you understand them mostly or partly. And you build into their lives by enriching them. It goes so much more beyond simply knowing about them, and doing the knowing about stuff with them...you know? Depth always reveals surprising things. One last thought to finish this off, which I find, amazing, mind-staggering and vastly interesting to think about....Jesus knows all of us already, intimately, and to the very depth of our soul. Do we know Him? Or simply about Him? Thought to ponder...
Do you know about your friend? Like how they've played cello for 12 years, read the Wall street news all the time, and always have coffee in the morning before class or work? You know they go to church, like to go fishing for a hobby. Or that they like to go party, socialize, bars, whatever. And maybe you even go and do some of those activities with them. But do you know them?
Or do you just know about them?
Knowing someone is entirely different than knowing about them. Knowing implies a depth that goes beyond factual and shallow interaction. To know someone is to in someways become vulnerable to them, as well as they becoming vulnerable to you. It takes friendship to a new level that is far more exciting than the general humdrum.
When you know someone, you know what hurts them, you know what makes them truly laugh; you understand them mostly or partly. And you build into their lives by enriching them. It goes so much more beyond simply knowing about them, and doing the knowing about stuff with them...you know? Depth always reveals surprising things. One last thought to finish this off, which I find, amazing, mind-staggering and vastly interesting to think about....Jesus knows all of us already, intimately, and to the very depth of our soul. Do we know Him? Or simply about Him? Thought to ponder...
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Actions speak louder than words...but words bring life to action
Action's speak louder than words. Most people have heard of that saying, and it is also a common theme found in the bible. And its not a bad saying at all; generally actions are louder than words, and who wants a 'talker' who doesn't do something.
I was thinking, if actions speak louder than words, then words must not be as useful or really important. And I think (at least I can say for me) that I've often felt that I can overlook words because the action matters the most and therein lays the most importance.
After puzzling some more, I came to this realization: Action's speak louder than words, but words give life to action. Without words, you can't really have action. Think about it!
-God spoke light into existence as the very first thing He did (Gen 1:3)
-In the very beginning there was the word, not action. (John 1:1)
-God also spoke before He acted. Look at all the miracles performed for the Israelites. Look at how Moses was appointed to speak for God (and in turned appointed Aaron to speak for him) to proclaim the plagues on Egypt.
-Jesus spoke first before doing. The one exception I can think of, was when the woman touched his garment and she was healed. However I'd note he was speaking to a crowd at the time; and also spoke to the woman afterward confirming her healing.
-The New and old testament have several verses speaking about guarding one's tongue and the power of words.
-The word was first before the end. The last thing Jesus did on the cross was to say "It is finished." then He died. He spoke first before He died. (John 19:30)
-The scrolls in the end times are written and spoken before they happen.
-The last 2 verse in the bible are spoken words. Which creates a sort of beautiful complete circle of the Word being there in the beginning and the end. (Rev 22:20-21)
Just my thoughts I thought were interesting. I'm not trying to say that doing actions is less important; rather that both words and actions are important, and neither one should be dismissed over the other.
I was thinking, if actions speak louder than words, then words must not be as useful or really important. And I think (at least I can say for me) that I've often felt that I can overlook words because the action matters the most and therein lays the most importance.
After puzzling some more, I came to this realization: Action's speak louder than words, but words give life to action. Without words, you can't really have action. Think about it!
-God spoke light into existence as the very first thing He did (Gen 1:3)
-In the very beginning there was the word, not action. (John 1:1)
-God also spoke before He acted. Look at all the miracles performed for the Israelites. Look at how Moses was appointed to speak for God (and in turned appointed Aaron to speak for him) to proclaim the plagues on Egypt.
-Jesus spoke first before doing. The one exception I can think of, was when the woman touched his garment and she was healed. However I'd note he was speaking to a crowd at the time; and also spoke to the woman afterward confirming her healing.
-The New and old testament have several verses speaking about guarding one's tongue and the power of words.
-The word was first before the end. The last thing Jesus did on the cross was to say "It is finished." then He died. He spoke first before He died. (John 19:30)
-The scrolls in the end times are written and spoken before they happen.
-The last 2 verse in the bible are spoken words. Which creates a sort of beautiful complete circle of the Word being there in the beginning and the end. (Rev 22:20-21)
Just my thoughts I thought were interesting. I'm not trying to say that doing actions is less important; rather that both words and actions are important, and neither one should be dismissed over the other.
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