It has been only one week of being home and it feels like I have never left. Fat greasy food every day, healthy food seems to be scarce, niece and nephew watching every move I take and every word I speak, phone gets stolen, police shootings in broad daylight, dad messed up my car, can't go outside for 5 minutes without sweating like crazy, there is no such thing as a breeze, run to the store is a common request ,everyday is a hoop session at the park, roaches becoming common to me again (I hadn't seen a roach in years), WELCOME BACK HOME! By no means am I complaining, I'm just expressing how crazy it is that a person can be from a place for a very long time but there are certain things that make it seem like you have never left that place. Looking back at some of those things I listed I realized that nothing is too odd to learn from. No person, no situation, no circumstance, absolutely nothing. Let me tell you a little bit about what I learned.
1. Fat greasy food is the same as the adulterous woman. Beauty, smell, speech is used to draw you and once you give in to it enough times it can cost you your life. Sometimes all it takes is 1 time.
"Proverbs 7: 21-23 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose 23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life"
Stay healthy physically but more important spiritually!
2. Niece and nephew watching every move I take and every word I speak is just a reminder that we are always being watched and it is important to be very mindful of what we do and say. Christians are to be Christlike so our hearts have been changed to live a certain lifestyle point blank! When I read my bible they were by my side which led me to explain what I was reading to two kids and the WHY question is never ending. When I danced, prayed, sang they were right there doing it too and asking WHY Uncle Richet. "2nd Corinthians 3: 1-2 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men"
Christians we are like living letters of recommendation. Our lifestyles testify to the power of God to radically change us from people who loved sin but now love righteousness and we are read by all men.
3. My phone getting stolen & my car getting messed up is teaching me how to live less and be perfectly content with what I do have. The beauty of it is that I feel like this is already training me for the World Race "living with less" is a goal. It's funny how we can live with less and be perfectly fine without a lot of things we do have. Side note: I wasn't upset about the phone and car but I did get a little upset because my bible ripped :(.
"Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me" "1 Timoth 6:6-8 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content" Let's just say I have food and clothing God is good and regardless of circumstances he always will be good.
4. Police shootings in broad daylight is actually a bit scary because it only happened 30 seconds away from where I live. It just shows that there is a problem in this world. The stealing, killing, lusting, lying, idolatry, drunkenness, homosexuality, etc. is widely accepted because the nature of our hearts doesn't see anything wrong with such evil. We think because God is love he will let such things go unpunished but for anyone who has read scripture they would know that it is not true. The more I hear and see these situations the more it teaches me that praying without cease is vital. Satan is running rampant and the body of Christ has to be ready to wage war through prayer. "Ephesians 6;12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" "1 Thessalonians 5:17pray without ceasing"It's not about us so take time to pray against the evil of this world and pray for God's grace and mercy to save souls.
5. This one is a little weird so bare with me :). Roaches becoming common to me again is really nasty when you think about it. I mean typically roaches dwell in the nastiest places like alleys, garbage, sewers etc. but oddly enough they are one of the cleanest insects on the planet (look it up). Roaches are obsessive compulsive about cleanliness! They spend most of their time resting, and the rest of their time cleaning themselves, much like a cat. Now don't think we have roaches all over our house and we live nasty lol, but we do have them near our garbage when we take the garbage out and it sits over night in the driveway or garage. Somehow they find themselves to it. Anyway what did I learn from a roach, they reminded me of the Christian faith walk in a small but significant way. Roaches are obsessed with being clean and pure but they are always dwelling in the filthiest places. You look at where they dwell and you assume they are no different than their environment. WRONG! Just like us once we have been changed we are obsessed with becoming clean/pure in thought, motive, heart, speech, walk, etc. This same cleanliness thrives to dwell in the poorest, dirtiest, parasite filled, disease filled, hopeless, naked, hungriest, oppressed places in the world knowing that this is where your light will break forth 😉 "Isaiah 58: 6-11 is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail"
CONSIDER THE WORLD RACE A BUNCH OF COCKROACHES OBEYING THE TYPE OF FAST OUR FATHER CALLS US TO LOL
