I went for a nice walk out in the wonderfully "sticky" part of the day. I needed to run some errands, and I thought why not walk the few miles instead of taking public transit. Well, just as soon as I was almost there, the sticky weather ended when the clouds broke open and I got to experience monsoon first hand. I can't complain, I love rain, but it is funny when you go in to get your groceries and your hair is creating a puddle around the peaches.
James (you know, the one from the Good book) really has a way of convicting, assuring, and inspiring one to action. One of my favorite new verses is James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." As an adopting mother, I really LOVE the first part of the verse, (I will care for whatever orphans God puts in our path!) but the second part has deep truth as well. What is keeping oneself from being polluted by the world? Well, think about pollution. Being in one of the most populated cities in the world in a country where no one seems to care about the environment, I am surrounded by world pollution. It is everywhere. And let me tell you, it is not great. The smell can be so much that you almost choke. Here is Beth Moore's question I LOVE: "How on earth do we serve in the world without smelling like it?" I pondered this on my walk today, and as I was running to get out of the rain, I was reminded that no matter how much you try, there is no way to stay completely "clean" if we are going to go out and serve. But what a blessing to know the One who can truly clean us up at the end of the day, and the more dirt, the more He will wipe away. I want to hear well done, good and faithful one, and if that means some days when I arrive home, I have nothing but worn, blistered feet and dirt under my nails, I am willing. Beth Moore goes on to say, "Living this way requires serious disciple and determination. With courage and deep conviction. You don't live this kind of life accidentally. You make up your mind who you want to be and daily die to the rest. You surrender yourself to living in the tension where you'll always be stretched and often be broken." That is the kind of life I want.
James (you know, the one from the Good book) really has a way of convicting, assuring, and inspiring one to action. One of my favorite new verses is James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." As an adopting mother, I really LOVE the first part of the verse, (I will care for whatever orphans God puts in our path!) but the second part has deep truth as well. What is keeping oneself from being polluted by the world? Well, think about pollution. Being in one of the most populated cities in the world in a country where no one seems to care about the environment, I am surrounded by world pollution. It is everywhere. And let me tell you, it is not great. The smell can be so much that you almost choke. Here is Beth Moore's question I LOVE: "How on earth do we serve in the world without smelling like it?" I pondered this on my walk today, and as I was running to get out of the rain, I was reminded that no matter how much you try, there is no way to stay completely "clean" if we are going to go out and serve. But what a blessing to know the One who can truly clean us up at the end of the day, and the more dirt, the more He will wipe away. I want to hear well done, good and faithful one, and if that means some days when I arrive home, I have nothing but worn, blistered feet and dirt under my nails, I am willing. Beth Moore goes on to say, "Living this way requires serious disciple and determination. With courage and deep conviction. You don't live this kind of life accidentally. You make up your mind who you want to be and daily die to the rest. You surrender yourself to living in the tension where you'll always be stretched and often be broken." That is the kind of life I want.
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