Connected....But Not Really

You know, I remember a time without internet.

I know, shocking.  I actually did not go onto the internet until I was probably a freshman in high school? Maybe a sophomore?  And we certainly didn't have internet at our house before I was out of high school.  Or cell phones.  And guess what?

I survived.  Praise the Lord.

And one day I will be able to tell my grandchildren (God willing He provides me that beautiful opportunity) that I was alive before the internet and that information will blow their minds.  I can't wait.

And now?  I can't seem to live without it.  It's the easiest way for me to update my family and friends (but mostly my family) on what is happening in my life here in Prinsburg.  Whether it is this building project or camp stuff or day to day life stuff, they can log into Facebook and keep up with me and I with them.

But is it TOO convenient?  Too easy?  Perhaps too isolating?

Facebook is addicting.  And now I have this thing called snapchat.  It's fun, but doesn't really replace my need to communicate face to face with someone.  And I tire of trying to figure it all out.  The things that are suppose to make it easier to keep in touch with people are the very things that create a barrier.

Perhaps the barrier is okay, though, in some circumstances.  I suppose if people really wanted to stay in touch they would try.  And maybe I am old fashioned when it comes to community and communication.  I like to be able to sit across from someone, perhaps with a cup of coffee or tea or something, and talk.  Like we used to.  In the good old days (yep, I just went there).  You know, before Facebook and Yahoo Messenger and AOL and Twitter and Snapchat and Instagram and Skype and Facetime....and the list goes on and on and on and on and on.

For those of us who aren't so technological, all of this looks absolutely insane.  From the outside looking in, I am just shocked that for being SO connected, and sometimes overly so, that people are still lonely.  That suicide rates are as high as they are.  That depression is such a huge epidemic.  And that value and worth are coming from how many likes you get or if someone comments on your photo or status.

Let me drop this on you: Jesus is your value.  Your worth.  He is connectivity like we have never seen.  All places at all times. Omnipresent.  Omniscient. All encompassing.  Personal.  Real.  Authentic.  Relational. He can give all of those social media things a run for their money.

I pray that this generation of high schoolers and college students and young adults would see their worth in who God has created them to be.  How many times you have been retweeted is not your value.  How many likes you received for a Facebook status does not determine who you are.  How many snapchats you received in a day or how much time you logged on Skype does not set the stage for how valued you are. YOU ARE ALREADY VALUED AND DEARLY LOVED BY THE ONLY OPINION THAT IS WORTH VALUE.  And that love has a name, and that name is Jesus Christ. Do you know?  You are already accepted.  Already.  His Word tells us so.  Seriously, take Him at His Word.

I guess we could all use a time of disconnecting...not from each other, but from social media.  Get back to the heart of what genuine, fulfilling conversation is.  Dive into community and communication with the same aggressiveness that we use for all of that internet stuff.  Find authentic relationships instead of the Skyped ones.  Do life together in person, not via someones computer or mobile device.  Seek out the community around you and develop friendships.  Be what the body of Christ is intended to be because deep down, we all crave community.  There is just something so precious about just being able to sit with people even if no one is saying a word.  Sometimes it's the purpose of sitting and being present that some people need so that they know that they are not alone. So that you know you are not alone.  God designed community to be this beautiful, interconnecting relationship.  Why take it for granted?

So, when was the last time you actually sat down face to face with someone?  I would challenge you to try it this week.  And most importantly, sit down and be silent before Jesus and let Him remind you of your value and worth.

His opinion of you is masterfully, amazingly, and uniquely beautiful.  He should know best.  After all, He created you.

Goodnight.

Communication and a prayer for my camp family

Yeah, life moves forward.  Quickly.

Today I went to the new library for the first time since I've been home.  I walked in and felt this feeling of being completely overwhelmed and unsure where to even begin in the process of putting this new library together.  I took a deep breath.  I kept myself from hyperventilating.  Thank goodness for Tricia, who is overseeing this project. She has a very calming, take it one step at a time approach that I appreciate.

So now there is a plan.  Thank goodness.  And the overwhelming panic that had tried to overtake me from before isn't there.  And now I can throw myself into this project.  Thank goodness for that, too. I am going kinda batty trying to occupy my time and my mind since I got back from camp.

And that moved on, too.  The bittersweet part of the whole camp thing is the people that you meet.  For six weeks they become close like family. They swear that they will keep in touch.  You make a similar promise to them.  And then it is done.  They move on. You move on.  The communication is halted.  And unlike most of them, I am from a generation that didn't have to depend on technology to keep in touch.  Believe it or not, I was from the generation before the internet...and cell phones (I see that look of shock).  And the technology that I use to try and stay in touch feels so foreign and impersonal.  We are the most connected we have ever been because of Facebook and texting, but the most lonely we have ever been.

For me, nothing beats a face to face conversation.  However, when not everyone you know lives in the same state you do, that is hard.  Then I have to rely on modes of communication that I could really be okay without just to keep in touch with people who I may or may not still be communicating with in a month...six months...a year.  It helps to have those options, but it is a poor substitute for actual in person, human interaction.

At least when you are with someone, you can hear the inflection in their voice and you can tell what they mean when they say something by their facial expressions and their tone.  You lose that with Facebook and snapchat and texting.  You write out a sentence, and to you it is taken one way but to someone else it is taken completely different.  It takes the personal out of communication.

I guess I can't keep up with these kids.  Believe me, I am trying but not successfully.  Maybe, because of the generation I grew up in, there is a barrier that keeps me from effectively communicating with them.  It's kind of maddening.  And maybe that's for the better.  One less thing to stress out about.

And if we were honest, if you were a teenager would you want to communicate with a 30-something year old person?  I mean, it's cool while you are at camp, but maybe weird and creepy in the real world.  Maybe I need to stop trying so hard to be the cool kid.  I need to be the adult and pray for them.

Prayer.  An extremely effective mode of communication.  A direct line to the One who knows our hearts, our thoughts, our hurts, our struggles, and our joys.  A beautiful relationship that stems from our God who loves us and love that pours out from hearts that long to know Him intimately.

What a beautiful way to communicate.  What a beautiful Savior to communicate with.  I don't need to Facebook Him, snapchat Him or text Him and wait for a response.  He hears me each time I call out to Him, or cry out to Him.  And He is there.  Time nor distance separates me from the love of my Father or from His presence.  He is steady and He longs for me to interact with Him daily.

I wonder what would happen if we talked to God as frequently as we sent a text?  A snapchat?  A Facebook message?  What would our walk with Him be like if we communicated with Him as freely?

I think it would blow our minds.

So, dear camp friends, I think my energy is better spent in prayer for you.  Because God is God and we are family in Christ, we will see each other again.  I will make every effort to try and stay connected.  I get to go to the cities on Thursday and see some of you, and I greatly look forward to having that time to reconnect face to face.  However, if you can't get a hold of me via the endless modes of communication that are out there, don't be offended.  Know that I am praying for you. Feel free to let me know what to pray about for you.  And I am always here if you need someone to talk to, but not over Facebook.  Not through a ten second snapchat.  And not via text.  Skype I can handle.  At least I can see you and talk with you that way. But the most important conversations are the ones where you are on your knees and praying.  Don't let the pull of technology take your heart away from God.  Don't let that replace hanging out with your friends in person.  Don't let that become an idol in your life that takes God's place.

My prayer for you all is that this summer changed you.  That you collided in such a tangible way with God that you will never be the same.  I pray that as you travel this path called life, that you would allow God to lead you.  Follow His path, let His Word be a lamp that guides your steps and let the Truth be the firm foundation that you stand on.  Cast your cares, worries, anxieties, heartaches, and fears onto Him, because He is a Father who cares for you and will never let you down.  He will not abandon you.

Don't let hurt and hard feelings come between you.  Instead, address the problem.  Make things right, because goodness knows this life is too short to let things fester or to live with the regret of never offering an apology or accepting one.  Allow God to be the center and focus of each relationship, especially the ones right now that are blooming into more than just friendship.  Be careful and proceed with God's guidance. You are all so young yet.   Let God be the love of your life, and when He is ready, He will bring that right person to you.  And not just because you are lonely or because they are cute.  He will join you together to bring Him honor and glory above all things.  Be patient.  Let God grow love in your heart.  Don't let the world dictate that, because the world's idea of love and God's idea of love are two completely different things.  Let Him write your love story. I guarantee it will be worth it.

My greatest prayer for you is that you KNOW God- intimately, furiously, recklessly. That you would not be ashamed to proclaim His Name in all things that you do.  That in everything, God would be honored.  If you are going off to college, be a student that honors God in all things.  If you are in high school, do everything to the best of your ability for an audience of One.  If you are getting into the workforce, give your work days and everything you have as an offering to Him.  Let the relationship you have with Jesus be the most important relationship in your life.  Don't be afraid of what others say, and don't let anyone look down on you because you are young.  Be the beacon of light that a world in darkness needs to see.  Set yourself so on fire that those around you have no choice but to watch you burn for Him.

Step into the identity God has already created for you.  And then hang on for the greatest adventure of your life.

I love you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ.  You are all very near to my heart.  I cannot wait to hear how God has moved in your lives and to see what He does with each and every one of you.  Just know that I will be cheering you on from the sidelines. God is so proud of you and I am, too.

God bless and take care, family.

Amen.  

  

Purpose? Passion? Both?

Do you know that in everything you do, everywhere you go, with every interaction that you are given a chance to show those around you the very nature and beauty of our God? 

Yeah, it's pretty awesome. 

However, more often than not, we don't see things that way.  We go about out humdrum life, at our humdrum job and never ever really consider that each moment we are given is divinely orchestrated by God. Each interaction with a child, a co-worker, a friend.  Each moment standing in line a coffee shop, on vacation with your family, sitting next to someone at a movie theater.   With every text or message or whatever other mode of communication.  Each and every moment we have on this earth has been planned by God to bring Him glory and to bring His people to Him.

Kind of blows your mind, doesn't it?

Today I went back to my home church for the first time in two months.  I was apprehensive, a little nervous, and more than a bit reserved when I showed up.  I really didn't want to talk to anyone.  I was comparing my camp church experience with my home church experience.  That was the wrong attitude to walk into this with.  God convicted me of that very quickly.  So, once I was able to let down my guard and start talking to people, it was such a blessing.  I love the hearts of my friends at Harvest and the very real way they want to reach out to those in our community who are less fortunate.

Less fortunate.  That's a fun term.  Because, if you really think about it, we are all the same in God's eyes. We are all deprived, undeserving, sinful people who are saved by a gracious God who loves us.  We are all sons and daughters of the King and He qualifies us all.  It's society that puts that label on people.  Society decides who is better than who based on your income level, your job, your social status.  And we let that rule and dictate our lives.  

I wonder sometimes if people think I have a lower position because I am a librarian and the stigma that comes with that.  I wonder if they know that this is a mission field and that first and foremost God has placed me in ministry at Central.  The librarian aspect of my job is my catalyst into having some sweet conversations with kids about God.  I think it is really quite hurtful when someone just says "and now you shelve books" when they have absolutely no idea the ministry aspect of what I am honored and called to do at this particular school.

I believe that God's purpose, no matter how long that lasts for me here, is to reach these kids for Jesus Christ.  The fact that I get to use my passion for reading and writing and to get them to love it too is a bonus. God knows my heart. He created me for goodness sake.  He knows the passions and loves that He placed in my life.  He knows that one of my greatest passions in life is to see those around me really KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that God loves them.  Furiously.  Wildly.  Unconditionally.  In whatever capacity that may be, whether as a camp counselor or as a librarian.  

He will use you.  Baker.  Convenience store clerk. College student.  High school student.  Cook.  Banker. Grocery store bagger. Burger flipper.  CEO.   It doesn't matter what you do.  We do it all for the glory of God anyway....at least we should.  Because He created all and is in all and through all, He deserves all of the honor and glory.  All of it.  We get the great honor of being able to serve a mighty God.  Win/win.

Pastor Brent said this quote in church today: "Pray a prayer that is so big that it is doomed to fail if God is not in the middle of it."  Whoa.  I loved that. 

Be willing.  Be open.  Say yes to the identity that God has created for you and step into it.  Use that love for whatever He has placed in you to glorify Him and to draw others to Him.  Let His light shine through you, no matter what that may look like.  Set yourself on fire and let the world watch you burn for Him. 

Just say yes.  I guarantee it is worth the adventure that is waiting.

Goodnight.