I'm going to tell you about one of my oddest habits. This may seem morbid, but when I hear that someone has died (whether I know them or not), I like to go to their Facebook wall and read their last postings. To me, it is the modern day equivalent to hearing their last words. Rarely do their words seem to be written by someone who knew their time was up. These statuses are usually filled with frustrations over traffic, or worry about a job, or irritations with someone who annoyed them.
As I read their musings, I can't help but think "what if I were judged by my last status update?" If I were to die tonight, could my friends and family take comfort that I really knew the Lord by reading what I wrote? Don't get me wrong, I know that there are millions of people who wear a mask online, trying to convince us that they are great Christians. However, I also know that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (in this case, the hands typeth) and that you know a tree by its fruit. While asking myself this question, I have a tremendous amount of guilt about the times I have let a bad day hurt my witness. I have lashed out and not shown much love in the past, and for that I am sorry.
So why such a peppy blog today, Lindsey? Because today was the funeral of a man I met just a few weeks ago. When we met, I had no idea it would be the first and last time we would speak. Last week, while on vacation and without warning, he took his last breath on this earth. He was fine one minute, and gone the next. When I heard of his death, a single verse came to mind: "...you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:14 (New King James Version). We aren't promised tomorrow, in fact we aren't promised the next hour, so let's make our words (spoken and typed) count. You may not have another shot to tell your family you love them. You may not have another day to take back an unkind word you wrote about someone. Treat everyday like it's your last chance to testify to love, grace, and mercy.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Prepare Her Heart
For as long as I can remember, my mother has prayed the same prayer for me everyday. It includes petitions for my protection and that I would always serve the Lord and work for Him. But the part of the prayer that has always stood out was towards the end, when she prays "prepare her heart for a young man, and a young man's heart for her." Now at ten years old I had no idea what that meant. At 20 years old I figured it meant that she knew that whom ever I ended up with was going to be ready to deal with me. But now, at 26 years old, I think I finally see what she was driving at. This revelation occurred to me when I began to think on the oft-quoted Psalm 37:4, which says "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Often times this verse is contorted to read as "God will give you whatever you want." But that isn't what it means at all. Generally when this scripture is discussed, the first half is left off. When you read it in context you start to see that what the Psalmist is actually saying is that when you find your delight in the Lord, what you want begins to change, your desires shift.
So with the knowledge of what the verse actually means, my mom's prayer took on new meaning. The prayer of preparing my heart was less about getting ready for a commitment, and more about desiring the right things in my mate. There was a time when my biggest concern was finding someone who made a lot of money, had an impressive career, and could provide the best for me. But as time moved on, my desires began to change. I saw that just because someone spends money on you, it doesn't mean they will be there for you, and having that great job could mean less time together, and the guarantee of providing an extravagant lifestyle often comes at the costs of emotional stability. As the Lord began to open more doors for me in ministry, I saw that the kind of person I need for my spouse will have to possess an entirely different set of characteristics than what I had once sought and that the changes in my wants had occurred because the Lord knew what I would need.
Often times we think we know exactly what we want, but delighting in the Lord means that our desires will change. It may seem scary to abandon what you have always wanted, but He knows what you need, so find your joy in Him and see how He changes your heart.
So with the knowledge of what the verse actually means, my mom's prayer took on new meaning. The prayer of preparing my heart was less about getting ready for a commitment, and more about desiring the right things in my mate. There was a time when my biggest concern was finding someone who made a lot of money, had an impressive career, and could provide the best for me. But as time moved on, my desires began to change. I saw that just because someone spends money on you, it doesn't mean they will be there for you, and having that great job could mean less time together, and the guarantee of providing an extravagant lifestyle often comes at the costs of emotional stability. As the Lord began to open more doors for me in ministry, I saw that the kind of person I need for my spouse will have to possess an entirely different set of characteristics than what I had once sought and that the changes in my wants had occurred because the Lord knew what I would need.
Often times we think we know exactly what we want, but delighting in the Lord means that our desires will change. It may seem scary to abandon what you have always wanted, but He knows what you need, so find your joy in Him and see how He changes your heart.
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