Hello readers. First thing I want to say is thank-you. It is a humbling thing to think you would take time out of your day to follow my journey. I am entering into my last two weeks of my time in South Africa before my squads 50 hour travel experience to Nicaragua. In these final two weeks I want to update you on what has been going on in ministry, my community, and my head. So expect some more blogs and possibly even some videos.
Sometimes on the race life seems slow. When TV, internet, getting in your car and going somewhere are no longer options, one picks up new hobbies. Some choose reading, journaling, writing and playing music, card games, watching movies, walking, or even napping. One hobby that I picked up in my days on the farm in Thailand was poetry. Not quite ready to share that realm of my life. But another hobby I acquired was creating lists. Odd, maybe. Fun, I believe so. Today I want to share one of those lists with you and next week I think I might share another.
Below is a brief list of some things that I have been learning and experiencing in the past five and half months through reading, listening, talking, writing and thinking.
Before I begin the list. I want to say that more than anything on this journey I have learned more and more how much God loves me. How crazy He is about me. And that more pleasing to Him then the works I do and the prayers I pray is that I would believe how much He loves me. If you know me at all you would think this was fairly cool.
A guy who sometimes takes jokes too far, often times cannot seem to find the balance between humbleness and pride, puts mere humans in front of the God he continually states is his first love, lusts over eating and other beautiful things, and frequently struggles with the concept of patience. Yes, the God of the universe loves this guy named Rye.
Walking and talking with authenticity with God have been some of the greatest moments of my journey. Every item on the list below stems from the foundational truth that God adores me.
Quick side note- guys have recently picked on me for using the word adore. But hey-My name is Rye Donohue and today I proclaim to the world that I like the word ADORE. I SAID IT. (Pent up resentment for three weeks. Thanks for letting me get it out-especially through a non-direct avenue such as a blog).
Okay. A quick list of 5 things I am learning.
1.) The longer that I am away, the more that I feel that there is a direct line between my level of humility and my ability and desire to glorify God. It is difficult to see the levels and sanctuaries of pride within me without being open and allowing God and others to help me see them. I do not know if there are many more worthy battles.
2.) Train yourself to look beyond both the praise and appreciation of others and keep driving forward to the rarified air of good Christian leadership.
3.) I think I like people. Older moms, chubby children, proud fathers, introvert book worms, anxious adults, people with addictions, those struggling with mental illness, high school hot heads, goofy teens entering into puberty (even the early and late bloomers), the attractive 50 year old man with a stunning touch of grey beard who is to proud to ask for help with his relational struggles, the man who is begging to you as you are trying to walk back to your car after a nice meal, those who do not know how to dress by society’s standards, the upper-middle class, the people who lack table manners, the refreshingly authentic twenty somethings, the pity-partiers, self-righteous Christians and especially people who state they are excellent at an activity and turn out to be sub-par. I like people.
4.) The danger with good works, spiritual investments, and all the rest of it is we construct a picture of ourselves in which we situate our self-worth. Complacency then replaces sheer delight in God’s unconditional love. Sometimes our doing becomes the very undoing of the gospel. The roller coaster ride of elation and depression continue. Maybe this is because we never lay hold of our nothingness before God, and consequently, we never enter into the deepest of reality of our relationship with Him
5.) There is a difference between ‘nothing wrong with it’ and ‘this is the choice which most honors and glorifies God.’
Until next week.
Rye
