Change Your World

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and years approach when you say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’—before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-5)

Although majoring in dance often leaves me feeling way older than my years, I am still young. As students, we are in such an exciting period of our lives—there’s so much to think about and explore and do. It can also be a completely overwhelming period as we have important decisions to make about majors, jobs, careers, relationships, etc. Right now we are used to learning, and are therefore still very teachable. That is why the author of Ecclesiastes implores us to remember our Creator now when we have the energy to make a huge impact for Christ.

We each have a unique, wonderful calling from God. It takes time, patience, and prayer to determine what it is, but He will reveal it. When I arrived at school, I had no idea why I was supposed to be at this particular college—all I knew was that God had sent me here for a reason. I spent a good deal of freshman year wondering. Gradually, He began to reveal aspects of His plan to me, and I know there are more surprises ahead.

I found out about an absolutely horrific global issue a few years ago—modern-day slavery—and knew I needed to do something about it. It was not until I arrived at Mercyhurst that God showed me what that something was. I started a group on campus, Project Abolition, which is dedicated to raising awareness of and funds to combat modern-day slavery (also known as human trafficking). I’m very excited to find out where the group will go and how much of an impact it will have. But for now, there is much planning and preparation before we see the results of our work.

Right here, right now, with what you have, is what you are called to use. Because your actions, words, and moods affect those around you, just by living every day, you are changing the world. That is an encouraging, scary thought to most of us. It puts a lot of responsibility on us to make sure that our change is positive. However, we’re young! We want to go out and prove ourselves, and many of us will take risks as a result. That’s why the author of Ecclesiastes says to remember God NOW, before we are afraid of heights and danger in the street, before we have little desire to stir ourselves into action.

An excellent movie, Amazing Grace, contains one of my all-time favorite quotes: “No one of our age has ever taken power, which is why we’re too young to realize that certain things are impossible. So we will do them anyway.”

Take a stand. Do the impossible. Remember your Creator. And change your world.

Identity Crisis

In an effort to find out who someone is when meeting them for the first time, our natural inclination is to ask, "What do you do for a living?" or "What are you majoring in?" We're really asking about the person. We are in no way getting a better idea of who they are. If you were to ask someone, "Who is Michael Jordan?" the answer would immediately be, "A famous basketball player." But that is not who he is. As a society, we tend not to think of identity correctly. No wonder so many people have no idea who they are.

The whole identity issue wraps around the question, "Do we see ourselves and others around us the way in which God sees us?" For many, the answer is no. I can tell you all the things identity is not, but I think it would be wiser to tell you what it is. The Bible has a lot to say about identity, and four promises how identity is determined through Christ.

1) Identity is determined by birth. 1 Peter 1:3, 23b says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...that is, through the living and enduring word of God."

2) Identity is determined by faith. Galations 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

3) Identity is determined by choices. 1 John 3:9 says, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

4) Identity is determined by actions. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world..." Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Even with all these wonderful promises of a set identity in Christ, people still feel unworthy. The problem is, if you don't feel worthy, you will never be able to thrive. Since when have you ever heard a butterfly called a "converted caterpillar?" Well then, don't go around calling Christians "converted sinners." Remember, you are a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come.

We don't have to work to be someone we already are - our spiritual identity is secure. Now go ahead and feel worthy. You are more than worthy, because God made you that way. Define yourself in terms of Biblical truth.

So I have a question for you. Who are you?

Compassion

I have recently noticed that many people seem to waltz through life with relatively little concern for the cares of others. It is so easy to get caught up in our own troubles and ignore everyone else's. As students, we are often found to be the most guilty. Our lives are so much about ourselves right now as we pursue our education for our futures that we fail to look at the world around us and realize just how much need is out there. Perhaps a reason is that we are so inundated with news of need that we have become numb to the reality. However, I suspect that is a more lenient explanation than we deserve. The more accurate (and harsh) explanation is probably that we have just stopped caring enough to look beyond ourselves. 

The first step towards changing our self-focused lives is to exhibit compassion. Compassion is "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." When we display compassion, we genuinely feel what the other person is going through, and it can go so far as to literally suffer with the person. As Rachel Joy Scott once said, "Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer."

Yet compassion is pretty worthless if we stop there. We have to act. We cannot simply feel compassionate toward someone's situation, but we must do something about it. Feeling sorry for the poor, starving children around the world will do absolutely nothing to alleviate their suffering. So get involved. You have way more time on your hands than you think you have. God blesses those who help others. Can you trust Him enough to give up a day or a few dollars, knowing that He will eventually return your generosity in full, often in ways you would not have expected? 

So how can you make compassion a lifestyle behavior? A few things to think about: first, compassionate service makes no distinctions between the large and the small. Volunteer any and all time you have. Give what you are able to. Every little bit truly does help. Secondly, compassionate service is free from the need to calculate the results. Forget what is in it for you. Do it all for the other person. Thirdly, compassionate service creates community, both with those you serve and with those who serve alongside you. Some of the closest bonds are formed when you volunteer, and you never know who you will meet. Finally, be compassionate even if you do not feel like it. There will be days when you honestly cannot stand the idea of thinking about someone else. Those are the days when you should especially look for ways to serve. Your day will become so much brighter as a result.

Service is a choice, a commitment. It is never easy, it takes a lot of time and resources, but it is always worth it. I have never looked back and wished I had not volunteered. Instead, I have looked back and wished I could have done more. It might be difficult, but serving others is always the right choice. When somebody I helped looks me in the eye with a huge smile on their face and says, “Thank you,” I cannot help but smile back. It is a great feeling—the knowledge that I am doing what is right—that makes me continue to volunteer with my whole heart involved. I know that for my present and my future, I will live to make a positive difference. I hope you will, too. 

When It Rains

I don't know about you, but for the longest time, I hated when it rained. Plans I had made months in advance could suddenly be cancelled. It always felt like a disappointment, rather than an adventure. Yet as I've gotten older, I have begun to see why the rain is so beautiful, and why, even if my plans do have to change as a result, they often change for the better.

I've learned that it rains on everyone. How you decide to respond to the rain is up to you. Sometimes rain can be uncomfortable, maybe even painful. But if we stay inside waiting for it to pass, complaining about the horrible weather all the while, we will lose special opportunities to learn how to dance in the rain. Life often brings difficult choreography, but our attitude in the way we respond will determine whether we give up dancing altogether or come out dancing stronger.

Sure, a little rain never did hurt anyone. But what about when it pours? What happens when the rain just won't stop and you're exhausted from dealing with it? God promises us He will not give us more than we can endure. The reason He's sending the rain is to force us to grow. Without it, why would we ever bother stepping outside of our comfort zones? If we don't open our doors and walk outside, we will miss the amazing adventures God has in store for our lives. Even worse, we will miss the rainbow that often follows a downpour.

So what are you waiting for? Leave the umbrella at home. You won't be needing it on this adventure. Learn how to count your blessings and dance in the rain. When you finally learn how to, it will turn your world upside-down. Instead of wishing the rain would go away and not come again another day, you will look forward to it. To me, there's no greater joy than to walk outside on a rainy day and twirl.

I hope you, too, decide to twirl in the rain.

The Beauty of Nature

Just thought I'd post a few photos I've taken of nature. I'm easily inspired by nature to be more than I think I can be. When God was completely finished with creation, He said it was "very good." It amazes me that I am one of His chosen works in progress, and that the story He is writing for my life will be beyond my wildest imagination. One of my favorite songs, "Fingerprints of God" by Steven Curtis Chapman, talks about this. Part of the song is below:

"Never has there been and never again
Will there be another you
Fashioned by God’s hand
And perfectly planned
To be just who you are
And what He’s been creating
Since the first beat of your heart
Is a living, breathing, priceless work of art

Just look at you
You’re a wonder in the making
Oh and God’s not through, no
In fact, He’s just getting started

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it’s true
You’re a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you’re covered with the fingerprints of God"


Now there's reason to be inspired!

Pursuit of Happiness

In church two weeks ago, the pastor opened up his sermon with the question, "Are you happy?" My immediate inclination was to say yes. After all, I tend to be a very happy, optimistic person. But then he got me thinking. If I were to be honest with myself, I would have to admit that I had not been happy recently. In fact, at the beginning of this term (about the first month), I was miserable. I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my life, I could not figure out what I was doing at this college, and I questioned just about everything (besides God ~ He and I had already been through a time of questioning several years ago). I remember being so upset at myself for feeling that way. After all, I was supposed to be this responsible, mature, put-together adult now, and then I was the one unable to keep my emotions under control. My sweet dad laughed at me, and told me that what I was feeling was normal and he would be worried if I did not feel that way. I'll never forget that. It was just what I needed to hear.


There was another time when I sat at my computer desk and positively sobbed while talking to my brother over IM. I remember telling him that I was so scared that I would end up wasting my life. He replied, "A life is an extremely difficult thing to waste when you care about not wasting it." I'll never forget that either.


And then I started to recover. Mom had told me to "bloom where you're planted" and I gradually began to blossom. It has taken time, but life has gotten better a little every day. I read a Psalm every night before falling asleep, and I took its promises to heart. When Psalm 30:11 said that God has "turned my mourning into dancing" I decided to live that out. And I began to remember happiness.


You see, I have found that happiness has little to do with what I have, but a lot to do with what I make of what I have. I am here, in this place, for a reason. I can't change it, and I don't think I am supposed to, so I might as well make the most of the time. If I throw myself into my task at hand, and focus on the positive aspects of life, I end up becoming happy without realizing it or even trying. Happiness comes about on its own without my conscious influence.

So am I happy? Yes, I am. And I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Moments of Wonder

Yesterday we had the most glorious weather. It was 60 degrees, partly sunny, and breezy. The wind that gently hurried me along my way was exhilarating. I felt I could go twirl on some obliging mountain and sing The Hills Are Alive. I took a ten-minute walk in the late afternoon around campus to enjoy the brief respite from winter. While I walked, I paid careful attention to the colors around me. Nature is simply breathtaking, and I noticed things I had not in a long time ~ the way that the tops of trees sway while their trunks remain firmly rooted; the lone bird singing on the roof of a dreary academic building; the white clouds softly painted across the blue sky; the layer of acorns on top of the brown mulch; the individual blades of green grass. I took the time to pray and thank God for His creation. He reminded me that as I face the insanity of the next few weeks, He will give me strength to get through (Isaiah 40:28-31). He often shows me the most amazing moments of wonder in the midst of the most stressful situations. Every day I search for something beautiful. When I recall it before falling asleep, I have often found not just one, but many, beautiful things. I think moments of wonder are God's way of saying He loves us and He's right here with us in the midst of it all. I'm incredibly grateful for those moments. It's because of them that I can take a deep breath and keep dancing through life.