Sorry that was so short-lived. I'm moving to WordPress. See you there!
My new blog.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"Why this road, why this pain and this load? Tell me, how far must I go till I see and I know why this road?"
"Just trust in me. I am your Creator, I am working out My plan. Through you I will show them I AM."
"I will embrace what every moment brings, 'cause You are with me. / All I want to do is give this life to You. Let Your will be done till it's all I want to do."
First of all, I find it so interesting how song lyrics speak to me. It's really cool. I honestly believe that God controls the shuffle option on my ipod.
Now on to what I was meaning to write! These lyrics by Ginny Owens from a few of her songs ("This Road"; "I Am"; "With Me"; "All I Want to Do") put really good words to a recurring heart conversation between me and God. I listened to these songs all the time growing up. I remember singing along in the car with my dad all over Jackson as a preteen, but the words never really sunk in until just recently.
Recently, I've been really closed off from my friends. I've distanced myself because of the pain that I've felt over the past few months. Lots of things happened over the summer that I just didn't understand. I still ask God, "Why?" Now, I do believe that He's sovereign, but I still don't get His reasoning in the big scheme of things or how He has a purpose for everything that happened.
...yet I can look back at times in my past where I've seen after trials that God had His blessing in them all along. I can see that God truly does work everything out for the good of those that love Him (Rom. 8:28).
"You hold my every moment. You calm my raging seas. You walk with me through fire, and heal all my disease. I trust in You. I believe that you're my Healer. Jesus, you're all I need."
"Just trust in me. I am your Creator, I am working out My plan. Through you I will show them I AM."
"I will embrace what every moment brings, 'cause You are with me. / All I want to do is give this life to You. Let Your will be done till it's all I want to do."
First of all, I find it so interesting how song lyrics speak to me. It's really cool. I honestly believe that God controls the shuffle option on my ipod.
Now on to what I was meaning to write! These lyrics by Ginny Owens from a few of her songs ("This Road"; "I Am"; "With Me"; "All I Want to Do") put really good words to a recurring heart conversation between me and God. I listened to these songs all the time growing up. I remember singing along in the car with my dad all over Jackson as a preteen, but the words never really sunk in until just recently.
Recently, I've been really closed off from my friends. I've distanced myself because of the pain that I've felt over the past few months. Lots of things happened over the summer that I just didn't understand. I still ask God, "Why?" Now, I do believe that He's sovereign, but I still don't get His reasoning in the big scheme of things or how He has a purpose for everything that happened.
...yet I can look back at times in my past where I've seen after trials that God had His blessing in them all along. I can see that God truly does work everything out for the good of those that love Him (Rom. 8:28).
"You hold my every moment. You calm my raging seas. You walk with me through fire, and heal all my disease. I trust in You. I believe that you're my Healer. Jesus, you're all I need."
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Empathy
Empathy.
Khen Lampert says that "[empathy] is what happens to us when we leave our own bodies...and find ourselves either momentarily or for a longer period of time in the mind of the other. We observe reality through her eyes, feel her emotions, share in her pain."
It's different from sympathy, which is more of a compassion or pity for someone than an actual feeling of that person's emotions.
People have always told me that empathy is impossible to achieve... but I'm inclined to disagree.
I've been thinking about pain lately. Other people's pain... but my pain. Somehow the line between the two blurs all too easily. I tend to live vicariously through my friends. I haven't neglected my own life in the process, but instead, I've taken on other people's lives as well, and it's just too much. I'm too empathetic, if that's the right word.
I hate it when people tell me, "You just wouldn't understand." Because, most of the time, I do understand. I really do. Sometimes more than I can comprehend. And understanding their struggles makes me want to fix them just as much as they do.
Why did God make me like this? Why does other people's pain so naturally become my pain? I tear myself to pieces in frustration sometimes because I can't figure out the purpose in that.
But then I consider the incredible capacity that I have for other people's joy to become my own as well. Excitement, passion, the like... a spark from someone else easily kindles a flame in me.
Imagine if I caught on to everyone's passion for God... all at the same time. "Put a fire in her bones." Hm. Something to consider, at least. I think I would want to do something about that passion just as much as they did... and God may have gifted me in such a way that it is possible for me to do something about it, when it may not be possible for them.
Heh. I couldn't have one without the other. I think it's worth the pain, after all. Cool how God works, isn't it?
Khen Lampert says that "[empathy] is what happens to us when we leave our own bodies...and find ourselves either momentarily or for a longer period of time in the mind of the other. We observe reality through her eyes, feel her emotions, share in her pain."
It's different from sympathy, which is more of a compassion or pity for someone than an actual feeling of that person's emotions.
People have always told me that empathy is impossible to achieve... but I'm inclined to disagree.
I've been thinking about pain lately. Other people's pain... but my pain. Somehow the line between the two blurs all too easily. I tend to live vicariously through my friends. I haven't neglected my own life in the process, but instead, I've taken on other people's lives as well, and it's just too much. I'm too empathetic, if that's the right word.
I hate it when people tell me, "You just wouldn't understand." Because, most of the time, I do understand. I really do. Sometimes more than I can comprehend. And understanding their struggles makes me want to fix them just as much as they do.
Why did God make me like this? Why does other people's pain so naturally become my pain? I tear myself to pieces in frustration sometimes because I can't figure out the purpose in that.
But then I consider the incredible capacity that I have for other people's joy to become my own as well. Excitement, passion, the like... a spark from someone else easily kindles a flame in me.
Imagine if I caught on to everyone's passion for God... all at the same time. "Put a fire in her bones." Hm. Something to consider, at least. I think I would want to do something about that passion just as much as they did... and God may have gifted me in such a way that it is possible for me to do something about it, when it may not be possible for them.
Heh. I couldn't have one without the other. I think it's worth the pain, after all. Cool how God works, isn't it?
Monday, October 4, 2010
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