Friday, August 2, 2013
Pens
I used to think that people can be compared to a pencil, but a pen makes much more sense now. I say that because pens can be used to create things, and what they do is permanent, it can't be undone. They can be used to make something beautiful of their own, they can combine with other pens to make something even more stellar, or they can cross out others people's work. What they do cannot be undone. They can't erase, but they can make another pen not want to write, or draw. There can even be different colors of ink in the pen, but they're all pens. They all can be used to make something beautiful. And what they do can't be undone.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Fearing Change
Disclaimer: My example may seem kinda lame but I think it portrays a bigger picture, on that everyone struggles with at some point in their life.
Tonight I shut off my Xbox for the last time, deleted everything from it and unhooked all the cords. The reason for this is because I'm selling it tomorrow to get some money to save up for the new Xbox coming out this November. But for some reason I got really depressed while thinking about it because its a mirror of what is happening in my life right now. It's not that I really care that I won't get to play Xbox for awhile, because I frankly don't care anymore. Despite me not caring all that much, it's hard not to remember all the good times I had on my old Xbox and I see this as the end of an era.
The reason I say that this mirrors my life, is because I'll be moving in to college in a few weeks and my whole life will be flipped upside down in the matter of days. It's change. It's a trade-in. But more than that, it's an upgrade... hopefully. I couldn't care less about leaving high school, but it's hard not to remember all the good times I had during high school, and I see this as the end of an era.
With this new Xbox coming out, I've seen previews of it and it looks really awesome, but for all I know it could be a complete flop. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to get it and play it and more than likely enjoy it.
With college coming up, I've heard stories about it and it looks really awesome, but for all I know it could be a complete flop. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to go and participate and more than likely enjoy it.
I'm done with repeating myself now, but that's the point I'm trying to make. I'm trying to prove this more to myself than anybody else, but I figure some of you are also going through times of change. Wait, let me restate that, I know all of you reading this are going through some sort of change in your life. No matter how many times things change though, I know that I am still afraid of it. It's something I will probably never fully get used to, because by the time I find myself getting comfortable I'm getting swept away somewhere else. The change that's on my mind right now is obviously college, but there's been so much change in my life with family members dying, people coming in and out of my life, changing churches, and other smaller things. But I still hate change at first, even if it is for the better.
Story Time! Have you ever read the beginning of Joshua in the bible and see that God tells Joshua and the Israelites to "Be strong and courageous" multiple times? I think that God is telling us to "Be strong and courageous" during these times of change in our lives. The Israelites had been roaming aimlessly in the desert for 40 years waiting for all the old farts to die off so they could get into the promised land. And when they all finally died and they went in the land God had said he'd given them, they didn't find the land unoccupied with palaces for everyone. They found other people, with strong armies, living in the place God told them was theirs.
When you look at this in regards to life now, I say this from experience that I feel like so many people act like when God tells them to do something, or has "promised" them something, it won't get them out of their comfort zone or require them to do anything. That's far from true though, when God has promised us something, he doesn't hand us it, he wants us to fight for it so we can appreciate it more (which we still don't always do).
What ends up happening in Joshua? Well, they do what the Lord says and they drive the Canaanites out of the promised land and the Israelites take possession.
So what ends up happening in your life?
I know that despite all of this I will still hate and fear change, maybe not as much as I used to, but I actually want to fight for what God's promised me now instead of just being spoon fed.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
Tonight I shut off my Xbox for the last time, deleted everything from it and unhooked all the cords. The reason for this is because I'm selling it tomorrow to get some money to save up for the new Xbox coming out this November. But for some reason I got really depressed while thinking about it because its a mirror of what is happening in my life right now. It's not that I really care that I won't get to play Xbox for awhile, because I frankly don't care anymore. Despite me not caring all that much, it's hard not to remember all the good times I had on my old Xbox and I see this as the end of an era.
The reason I say that this mirrors my life, is because I'll be moving in to college in a few weeks and my whole life will be flipped upside down in the matter of days. It's change. It's a trade-in. But more than that, it's an upgrade... hopefully. I couldn't care less about leaving high school, but it's hard not to remember all the good times I had during high school, and I see this as the end of an era.
With this new Xbox coming out, I've seen previews of it and it looks really awesome, but for all I know it could be a complete flop. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to get it and play it and more than likely enjoy it.
With college coming up, I've heard stories about it and it looks really awesome, but for all I know it could be a complete flop. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to go and participate and more than likely enjoy it.
I'm done with repeating myself now, but that's the point I'm trying to make. I'm trying to prove this more to myself than anybody else, but I figure some of you are also going through times of change. Wait, let me restate that, I know all of you reading this are going through some sort of change in your life. No matter how many times things change though, I know that I am still afraid of it. It's something I will probably never fully get used to, because by the time I find myself getting comfortable I'm getting swept away somewhere else. The change that's on my mind right now is obviously college, but there's been so much change in my life with family members dying, people coming in and out of my life, changing churches, and other smaller things. But I still hate change at first, even if it is for the better.
Story Time! Have you ever read the beginning of Joshua in the bible and see that God tells Joshua and the Israelites to "Be strong and courageous" multiple times? I think that God is telling us to "Be strong and courageous" during these times of change in our lives. The Israelites had been roaming aimlessly in the desert for 40 years waiting for all the old farts to die off so they could get into the promised land. And when they all finally died and they went in the land God had said he'd given them, they didn't find the land unoccupied with palaces for everyone. They found other people, with strong armies, living in the place God told them was theirs.
When you look at this in regards to life now, I say this from experience that I feel like so many people act like when God tells them to do something, or has "promised" them something, it won't get them out of their comfort zone or require them to do anything. That's far from true though, when God has promised us something, he doesn't hand us it, he wants us to fight for it so we can appreciate it more (which we still don't always do).
What ends up happening in Joshua? Well, they do what the Lord says and they drive the Canaanites out of the promised land and the Israelites take possession.
So what ends up happening in your life?
I know that despite all of this I will still hate and fear change, maybe not as much as I used to, but I actually want to fight for what God's promised me now instead of just being spoon fed.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
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