Snowing in April

The title of this post really has nothing to do with the content, I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that it is April 24th and earlier today it was snowing.  Yesterday it was in the 60s.  I'm not complaining, I've never been one to care about the weather; in fact, I like the variety.  It just cracks me up that God randomly decided to make it snow.

Okay so the real reason I'm posting is because I am again blown away by God's faithfulness.  This week is a crazy one--I have four tests in the next two days, and two take-home tests due and limited time to study, and I'm slightly behind because of my sickness (which is pretty much gone at the moment).  Every time I come into a week like this I just give it all to God.  Literally, sometimes I feel like the amount of work I need to do is humanly impossible--but luckily I don't have to depend on human strength!!  I trust God so hard and as a result, I am far less stressed.  And here's the cool thing: I think every time I have had a crazy week this semester, he has given me time!  Of course he's not going to make one day 28 hours just for me (as nice as that would be), but today one of my classes and a meeting was canceled, giving me at least an extra hour and a half!  I just love when God does stuff like that.  I just have to be sure to give him some of that time back and do devotions before I start to crack down on studying.

I don't know if that story sounds as cool to you as it is to me, but the point is: Prayer WORKS.  I've been praying a lot about this week, and I know people are praying for me (thank God for them!!), and my week is different because of the prayer.  Also, it is really encouraging to pray for other people, both for me and for them!  Praying is great because God is everywhere I am, I can tell him whatever I want, and he can read my mind!  Oh, and God doesn't fail to listen or answer.  Pray without ceasing.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

An attitude dependent on God's faithfulness

Most of you probably already know this, but I've been sick pretty much all semester.  I would get a bad cold/flu thing and be out for a few days, then recover for a week or two, then get sick again.  My voice has really taken a toll as well.  I wouldn't really call myself a singer, but I'm in choir and in addition to the regular concerts we went on tour over spring break so having a working singing voice is pretty important.  The week preceding tour I pretty much couldn't sing at all.  I avoided talking, mouthed an entire concert, and struggled with a bad attitude.  I had been excitedly waiting for tour all year--"why is my voice dying now?"  Anyway, I'm normally a fairly sickness-free and optimistic person, and dealing with sickness and voice issues all semester on top of my classes has affected my attitude.  I've been complaining more, and sometimes have a hard time thinking of anything to be thankful about.

But God came through with perspective once again!  Seriously, he teaches me something in every life experience.  It's kinda crazy.  I want to share a story from last month because it relates to today.  A few days before choir tour I was texting (okay, complaining to) my mom about my frustrations.  How could I spend all year preparing so many awesome songs for tour only to go and be unable to sing them?  My mom is so awesome.  She replied simply saying "Where is your faith?"  At first I was kind of taken aback, and then I realized she was so right!  Our tour theme was the hopelessness of humanity and the grace and redemption of God--our song set consisted of eleven powerful songs that could really touch and minister to people if we were in the right mindset when performing.  Who cares if I could sing?  Yes, I was one of only ten altos, but it would be so much more of a witness if I was able to go into the week ready to glorify God whether I could sing or not.  The week was about glorifying God so that our audiences and hosts could really see the love of God through us.  Here's a snippet from my prayer journal several days before tour: "You know what?  If I have a good attitude because I love you, that will bless other people more than me being able to sing.  So I guess one, please heal my voice but more importantly, give me an attitude of humility and servant heart."  And guess what!  I learned a lesson, and God healed my voice for tour.  By mid-week, I was singing all the songs and it was an amazing experience.

Now back to the present.  Last Monday (one week ago) I was preparing for the upcoming week (which is beginning now) because it's a crazy one, full of tests and lab projects.  I had been well for about a week or two and I was hoping that my sickness spree was done.  Alas, Monday night the dreaded sore throat came out of nowhere and I was knocked out for several days.  Today I'm finally feeling like I'm recovering again.  This bout was a bad one.  At some point mid-week, I was sitting on my couch feeling miserable and wallowing in self-pity, literally unable to think of one thing I was thankful for.  Pretty pathetic.  "Why can't I just have a good attitude? What is wrong with me this semester?" I asked God.  All of a sudden it hit me--normally having a thankful attitude and mood is relatively easy for me, even when I should be stressed, because I depend on God.  But drawn-out sickness is something I've never had to deal with before, and I was letting my attitude hinge on my health--not good!  I should give thanks in all circumstances, regardless of my health status--that's God's will, yo! (1 Thessalonians 5, paraphrased. :)

Here's another journal snippet.  "My good attitude of thankfulness should not be dependent on my health!  Yes, it's stressful and inconvenient, but that's my life right now!  No one benefits from my complaining, especially me!  It is your will for me to give thanks in all circumstances!"  If Paul can manage to praise God and be a witness while in freaking prison (Phil. 1), I can do it when I'm sick!

So if you were freaked out by my super long post (sorry about that, by the way...brevity is not my strong suit), here's the gist.  Our attitude should not be dependent on anything in this world, because it is fleeting!  Health, stuff, friendships, grades, success, you name it.  Isaiah 40:8 says that the grass withers and the flowers fade--only the word of God lasts forever.  In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven, because the things of this earth will rot and ruin.  Now I'm definitely not saying that things like health and grades and relationships are not important--they are!  But our joyful attitudes should stem from a knowledge of God's crazy love and faithfulness!  Those things never change!

Give thanks to the Lord,
              his love endures forever.

If any joy!

hello friends!

God has been teaching me so much this year that I thought it's about time that I started a blog so I can share his lessons with you.  First of all, let me explain the name.  I am awful at coming up with creative names for things--my writing professor always wants us to come up with "brilliant" names for our papers and I don't know if mine are ever up to par--so when I clicked Create Blog, it was a somewhat unpleasant surprise when the first thing it asked for was a name. Oh dear.  But then I remembered one of my current favorite passages, which is Philippians 2:1-4: Imitating Christ's Humility.

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Wow. That verse packs a lot of punch.  But I was rereading it recently and all of a sudden I realized what Paul meant!  If we get anything out of our relationship with God--encouragement, comfort, joy--it is the least we can do to humble ourselves and do things for others, for the glory of God and the uplifting of other people.  Love others with the love that God has shown me.  Now I know that the phrase "if any joy" is not specifically in that passage, but one of the biggest things I get out of my relationship with God is joy!  God's love for me is unfathomable, and his faithfulness is more than I can understand.  He carries me through every day, good or bad, and gives me joy.

the JOY of the Lord is my strength!

The take-home for this verse is simple, but very hard.  Guys, humility is so hard.  But God asks us to be humble so that he can teach us and work through us!  Sometimes, selfishness seems like the easy way out--and usually it is--but that's not what God wants.  Selfishness benefits no one.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  That's what God is working on in me right now.

ttfn!