His Great Name The Great I Am

    The other day I went on a walk. I hadn't gotten out and walked in quite a while. I always enjoy my walks, because they give me time to meditate on things that have been on my mind. I also enjoy the chance to listen to my music without any distractions. On this particular walk, I had a great time of thinking. I listened to this song that has been on my iPod for a while- Your Great Name by Natalie Grant. Now, this is one of those songs that will blow your mind. I've had it on my iPod for close to a year now, and it still hasn't gotten old- in fact, it's one of my most played songs. All in all, I love this song. Then, when you mix it up with New Life Worship's Great I Am, sparks fly. When I listen to these two songs, I get chill bumps, I literally want to jump out of my skin, it makes me want to do something- save a life, do the "impossible", help someone in need, be closer to God, and do His will. These songs floor me to do what we've all been called to do. I feel the Holy Spirit moving when these two songs are played, but why can't I feel the Holy Spirit moving at other times- for it is moving at all times, right? My mind likes to blot out a lot of good things that happen on a day-to-day basis, because of my unapparent liking to dwell on the bad. School, especially, is a catalyst to that train of thought. But, if I took the time to think about the way the Holy Spirit had moved in my life that day, rather than what so-and-so did in such-and-such class, my life would be less stressful and my younger head less graying. These songs that I brought up earlier are in my most played playlist for a reason- they bring me back to where I'm supposed to be mentally. If I thought every day how in God's great name I can overcome anything and how's He's the Great I Am, I believe I would be able to catch the little things the Holy Spirit does in my life that are typically overlooked. So I now walk in His Great Name- The Great I Am's path, the one He has lay out for me, the one He put His time into, the one He adds small blessings in that I overlook. I want to think more positive about His Great Name- The Great I Am...

A Second In Time, But A Lifetime In My Mind

       I was walking down the hall at school the other day right as a fight was being broken apart. The one person left from the brawl was a slightly heavy-set guy with a soaked face. That's right people- he was crying. Now, this kid had to have been in 11th grade- a big boy and, with his size, slightly intimidating. Looking at his face, I knew exactly what had been the spark of the fight-he was getting picked on about his weight and size. Walking down the hallway and seeing his face doused in tears had an effect on me. I'm not sure what it was pity, sympathy, empathy, or maybe even guilt, all I knew was that by looking in his face something happened inside of me. I continued to walk down the hall to my class with the thoughts of this tear-faced guy implanted in my brain. As I sat in class that day, the lecture on Harry Truman and space exploration was given little attention to as this face remained in my head. Why was this person I didn't even know having such a major toll on my thoughts? I've never met him, and for all I know, might never. I sauntered out of school that day, still in my own little world, not sure about anything that had happened that day. I sat in the car on the ride home, headphones in, thinking, "God, what's the significance of this? Why is this such a big deal?" Thoughts loomed through my head the rest of the way home of what the reason behind these feelings could be. Later on, I told someone about the events that aroused that day. Although they couldn't quite understand why the whole scenario was such a big thing to me because they hadn't experienced the feeling inside that I had when looking into this person's eyes. A few days later, I received a text from the person I told saying that they had something to tell me about the incident in the hallway. Me, being curious to know some insight on the ordeal, asked what they had concluded. Compassion. Compassion is what I had felt in the hallway that day. But why compassion for someone I didn't even know? And why was compassion an emotion that had suddenly rushed into my system, wasn't it already there? Compassion.... So, I sit there wondering about this insight; wanting a slightly clearer and better explanation for this reasoning. Then a flood of text messages flooded my inbox. God had given me these feelings towards the event, not to confuse me, but to allow me recognize an area I had dealt with Him on- hurt. God wasn't showing me this to judge the other person by, but to show discernment and empathize with them, help them, or even just to pray for them. I sat there reading through those messages over and over again, wondering what the significance of knowing this was. Then it hit me. God was using this whole experience to grow me in areas that I fully believe will be needed as apart of my calling. Not only was this a major time in my life, but it was also a huge piece to the puzzle of my calling God's slowly been putting together for me. This event, as little as it may seem to the unwatching eye, was much larger in importance than it appeared to me. So, now I'm faced with the question of "God, how do you want me to use this?"

Don't Fear, Be Weird

        Is being different, or weird, a negative thing? I would say it's quite the contrary. I believe being weird or different is pretty positive. I would go so far as to encourage stepping out and being the "weird one." But, what do I mean when I say the "weird one?" The one who picks their nose in the back of the class, the one who breathes heavily everywhere they go, the one who wears their pants too high, the one who wears super short shorts and high socks, maybe the one who has the spiritual gift of getting on everyone's last nerve? No. When I say, "be the weird one," I mean- DON'T BLEND IN WITH THE WORLD. Don't act a certain way because of what others will think of you, don't be mean to others because of the crowd you're in, don't say things you wouldn't otherwise say to try and "be cool," and most of all- don't be afraid to spread the love of Christ with others because of what it could do to your social status. As Christians and disciples of Christ, we are called to be different. In 1 Peter 2: 11-12, it says, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." Not only does Peter address us as "aliens and strangers in the world," but he even goes to tell us to live such good lives that people NOTICE. How can people NOTICE you're actions if they blend in with everyone else's? The way I summarize this verse from 1 Peter is- God says we're to be weird and different, now go do so. One way to be sure that you won't hear from God is to believe that God will conform to your comfort zone. If you go on believing that, you will never achieve what God has planned for you. God calls us to do things that are out of our comfort zone, which means we constantly need to be prepared to be "uncomfortable." Now, understand this, not everything God calls us to do is out of our comfort zone, but our comfort zone doesn't stop God from asking us to do something. Although, us allowing our comfort zone to control our actions stops us from doing what God is asking us to do. Don't allow other people to go through this world rejected, over-looked, or forgotten for fear of being different or weird. It's in the face of the rejected where we see the face of Jesus. You are reaping and sowing at all times, what are you reaping and sowing? Likewise, you are always telling someone about Jesus through your words, actions, and responses, what are you telling them? Don't fear, be weird.