Difficulties

After the great sermon on Sunday, it was followed by a wonderful Sunday School lesson led by my dear sister Kelly.  Even though she doesn't think she did well facilitating the discussions I took a lot out of it--maybe not in terms of the lesson per se, but what others contributed in terms of answering the questions that she posed.  I don't know what to think of some of them though!

How do we as Christians deal differently with difficulties in our lives?  I wanted to post my thoughts earlier about this, but now I know why it didn't happen until now.  Personally, I do not feel like I am going through difficulties anymore, not like 2-3 weeks ago where I was so heavily burdened.  After tonight's PM it even puts more things into perspective and how my problems seem so small.  However, I also know that God will solve all problems, big and small, mines and others.  We just really need to rely on God in these times of trouble and to claim onto his promises for our lives.

Shepherd

Yesterday's message was so good!  Some of the things that Pastor Scott spoke about really rang true, and it was crazy that he did not even get past the first line of Psalm 23!

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

I have heard sermons before about the lifestyle of being a shepherd and how sheep are really dumb (which are analogous to us as human beings).  However, Pastor Scott put a new perspective on shepherds and shepherding.

1. As a shepherd, you are more than likely to be quite poor.  This is because as a shepherd you have saved and saved until you can purchase a flock of your own and then once you have purchased your flock, it is a lifelong commitment because the sheep depend on you for everything.  Further, there is no real rest for the shepherd as he has to tend to his flock in the blistering heat of summer and the frigid cold of winter.  The shepherd invests everything into taking care of his flock.

This is so much like Jesus where he took care of us by leaving everything he had on the cross.  I loved Pastor Scott's story about this boy and his boat:

There once was this boy who became very interested in boats.  After seeing this very nice toy ship he decided to make one of his own.  He worked so hard on it and it was finally ready to be used on the water.  He brought it down to the water and in the beginning everything was going great, the boat was sailing back and forth, but then there was a change in the wind and his boat started sailing further and further away from the boy, until he could no longer see it in the distance.  He had lost his boat.  

Then one day while he was walking down the street, something caught his eye in the toy store.  He had to look 2 or 3 times to make sure that it was true, but there it was, it was his boat!  

He quickly ran into the toy shop and told the owner, "That is my boat in the window!  I made it!  Can I have it back?"  

The store owner replied, "Of course you can... As long as you have the money to pay for it."

So the boy ran home and worked hard to get enough money to pay for the boat.  When he finally had enough, he ran to the store, pulled out all his money and coins onto the table.  The store owner counted the money and took the boat from the store window.

The boy took the boat, hugged it and said, "You are mine."

Isn't that such a great story?  This is an analogy to God's relationship with us.  We are twice his--He made us, yet we fall short of his glory because of our sin, we are sinners by nature and by choice, and become separated from him, but he buys us back through his son, Jesus Christ, and we become his once more.

2. God had to mark and name his flock.  This is where the second part of the first line comes into play.  In order to differentiate their own flock from others, shepherds would have to mark their flock with symbols and colours.  As Christians we have that mark as well.  It may not be as evident as the symbols on the sheep, but when we have Christ in our lives we are changed and it makes us different from other flocks.

In addition, when we know God, we will be content in Christ and trust that God knows the best for us.  This includes blessings and trials.  And we have to remember that sometimes God's richest blessings are trials, this is when we draw the closest to God.

Sore

I don't believe that I am that out of shape (refrain from your comments =p).  But yesterday's gym day of dodgeball and volleyball has definitely destroyed me.  I was already feeling the effects of it last night during the TC rally where I could not get comfortable sitting in any position in the pews.  My back and leg muscles just felt really tired.  Then my soreness gets worse after I come home and fall asleep.  I am actually awaken by the soreness in my legs when I rolled around in my bed.  Man, today it was pretty bad going up and down stairs, even walking and getting up after sitting down in particular positions for long periods of time. If only I could know that I had a great workout without feeling the effects of it afterwards!

Dumb

Last night I went out with Ruby and Jeff after the TC rally.  I didn't want Jeff to just go home by himself on his birthday so I suggested we go out for some food and fun, and Ruby agreed!  We went to BR and had some interesting and funny conversations!

We somehow got on to the subject of some of the dumb things we did when we were younger and in our high school days.  When I think back upon high school I definitely realize now how dumb some of thing I did were!  The one incident that sticks out in my head is piling 9 people into a Dodge Neon and actually travelling some distance, at least 10 minutes, on city roads where people could definitely see us!  That was quite dumb.  Found out some funny things about Jeff and Ruby as well, but I guess you'll have to ask them yourselves.  It's crazy how our thinking is when we are 16 years old, we are invincible and on top of the world, no one can stop us.

Pray

In this time where there is so much going on around me, with family and friends, what else can I do but pray, lifting all their burdens and anxieties into the hands of our holy Father who is there to listen when we call.  So much to pray for, yet so comforting to know that God is there to listen to us -- especially in our darkness.  I pray that the glorious light engulf all who are experiencing the darkness and for their brokenness to be put back together by the love and power of the Holy Spirit.  In a time like this, what else can we do but pray?

Change

Since last week's prayer meeting, I feel a total change in my perspective and heart.  No longer am I burdened to the point of tears nor do I feel the whole weight of the world on my shoulders.  This is only through the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit to calm my heart and lift the weight.  In addition it is crazy how God has done a total 360 in terms of my relationship with my mentor.  Last week she was carrying my burdens, being my listening ear, caring and praying for me.  This week has been the opposite and I am glad that God is continuing to refine and mold us and strengthening our relationship together and with Him.

So much has happened this week, God has definitely been speaking, however, I do not know if I have done an extremely good job at listening.  I have been reading through a few Psalms and they have spoken to me, given me comfort, and empowering me.  I do not think that I have actually done this before, really just go through the Psalms and reflect, meditate and pray about them.

God really changed my perspective on someone this past week and I know that it will be the best for our church.  Each day the sermon from Sunday still reverberates in my mind; how God demonstrates his love for us even though we don't deserve it, I am definitely a sinner and fall so far from the glory of God, but because of God's love for us he gave his one and only son to be an atoning sacrifice for us to die the most shameful death.  In reflection and talking with others about it, far too often I do not understand or fail to remember the depth of God's love for us and the what the cross symbolizes.  And further, thinking about the question that was posed at the end of the sermon, Do I know the love of God experentially?  And if I do, do I love people like God loves them or are they contingent on others?  I need to remember, the love of Christ came to me when I least deserved it.

Participate

We are merely just participants in God's great and awesome plan.  This gave me peace along with the prayers, of course.