This month has been a very physcially demanding month for all of us. We are building a "house" to put all the looms that the women work on in and we have also been clearing alot of land for gardens. First of all.. The ground here is DrY and full of rocks. I have blisters all over my hands from trying to dig and make foundations for the concrete. We have also been clearing out a ton of bushes. Now these aren't everyday, normal bushes. This things are weapons. I have never in my life seen thorns like this. Miniature swards. We were thinking about making kabobs on them. Its crazy because they are everywhere.
Traits of the thorn:
- just when you think you are safe.. and a branch looks like its clear.. you take a grab at it and it has little sharp ones all over it. Sneaky thorns.
- The more you try to esacpe the thorns.. the more stuck you become.
- They grow out of solid rock- pretty sure thats a true statement. The more you dig to get the roots out the more rock you hit.
- The attack… hard core
- When attacked by thus mentioned thorn.. it always leaves a little piece behind.. as a sort of souvenier
After asking why there were so many, i was told that because there isn't much water – the plants grow thorns to protect themselves agains anything that would steal the water inside them- crazy huh? So thorns have kinda been the theme of the month.
So after writing my last blog which i had so many things i still wanted to say but didn't want to make my blog too long.. and i was feeling a bit scattered. But i've been reading Luke.. which has been awesome, but i got to Luke 8:14 where it says "The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity!" How funny.. that God takes the very thing that has been a difficulty to me this month (thorns) and leads me directly into his Word where it reveals exactly the issue that has been laying on my heart this month (the American Church) and ties them together. This is exactly what is happening back home. Our nation is built on Christian values! We were planted as good seeds fully surrendered to live for Him.. His plane was for us to grow mighty and strong.. and because thorns are fighting for survival and are scary and dominating.. the good plants (us) fight and struggle but give in to them because it is just easier. We often time don't feel courageous enough to fight the thorns, afraid if we fight through the things that can hold us back..that we will get pricked and hurt. Well It's true- you will get pricked, you will get hurt. Its a part of living… This earth is full of pain.. but through the suffering is when the good stuff happens. Even when we believe we have removed the thorns of OUR choices and OUR life by our OWN power we are wrong… the thorns leave a small peice in us as a reminder that we are imperfect and of this world- that is where we need to call on God to use His power to make us clean again and remind us that we aren't scarred and imperfect anymore. Only by the blood of Jesus Christ are our thorns removed and we are cleansed from any debree. The glory you can give God in fighting against the thorns of this life and pushing through and growing strong in Him is infinite. The cares and riches of this world are the tricky ones. Its just when we think we are safe.. when it looks like things are going well.. when you think you are doing what you are supposed to be doing when the enemy is laughing and bragging about how much he has fooled you. These are the very things that are causing the Church to stay in a place of complacency back home. A place where they don't have to push further.. they don't have to go outside of their comfort zone, but this is what His words commands of us! Hebrews 5:12 "You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and deoesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong."
God has given us a gift of community, which includes buildings we call churches and small group or life groups for smaller more intimate relationship. It wasn't until i started fully taking advantage of these gifts did I actually start growing in my faith and relationship. We are called to be encouragers and uplifters of each other. To push others to become to women or men of God that He has created us to be, but we can't do that if we are still being fed spiritual milk. We go to church every sunday.. let the pastor say things that make us think or feel good.. then we go home and most people i know don't think about it ever again. That is not why we were created. Think about that more deeply right now.. say this out loud- WE WERE CREATED FOR HIS GLORY- that is why we were created.. we weren't created for anything else.. and the other stuff of this world means nothing.. absolutely nothing.. say you die tomorrow.. what will anything you have acquired in your time on earth mean? Can you say you did anything to further His kingdom? Can you say you tried your hardest to bring justice to the nations and to comfort the broken hearted? If we all gave even just 75% of the gifts and talents God has given us specifically for Him and Him alone.. can you imagine how different this world would be? Even just 50%?! For someone who gave everything that you could- His life- can we even sacrifice a small portion of our lives back to Him? What else is there to live for anyways?
Luke 17:33 "If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let you life go, you will save it."
