For Such a Time as Now.

liliesandsparrows:

Oh hello long lost friends of mine!

Recently I’ve seen more and more of the “make it happen, live it out, don’t settle for anything less than a life that sparkles” movement across this blog world of ours and I just had a little bit to say about that.

Especially since many of you just…

Here’s the deal. I am getting really sick of Facebook.

Like really sick of it. Not because MarkZ just paid [a billion] dollars to acquire Instagram today, which, whatever.

Allow me to turn this potentially redeeming blog post into a bit of a rant.

Someone who is a whole lot funnier then me should write a blog about social media show offs.

And trust me, I am not excusing myself from that one. I was a social media snob and a half this past summer, especially when I spent a few hours with Betty White (see what I did there?)

The point is, I am sick of boyfriend updates every day. Of the five course meals people eat (again, i geotag instagram the ish out of some J. Christophers) Of the cool bars you go to, of captions people so perfectly spin to make their night seem a whole lot cooler than it actually was. Of the “Boyfriend surprising me at work with daisies? Perfection. Love him :)” captions that make the rest of your 1,345 friends roll their eyes.

Hey, by all means, share away. There are people in your life who want to know the jewelry you just bought, the music you listened to all day at work (I learned that the hard way, whoops) of the articles you read, of the pastel easter outfits you coordinate with your beau.

To play devils advocate, what is the point of Facebook if you can’t share? If you can’t brag a little on accomplishments, vacations, work promotions and concerts that blow your mind?

Does anyone else notice Facebook getting a littttle bit out of hand?

Simple solution perhaps? There IS a unsubscribe button. Maybe I need to learn to use it.

Either way, feels good to blog feel. :)

Awesome post from Relevant.com—

the whole thing went viral in the early months of 2012, and for a couple of weeks, the internet was flooded with clichéd “$#!% [People] Say.”

People were clicking the links, watching videos uploaded by fame-seeking hopefuls, listening to $#!% New Yorkers say and girls say and rich people say and hipsters say. We recognized ourselves and each other. We saw the absurdity of it, and it was really funny—until it wasn’t, and we’d all had enough of the whole thing.

There’s a ballpark 5,570,000 of these types of videos strewn across YouTube now, scattered debris from the whirlwind craze. What that says to me is this: everyone has verbal tics, tired metaphors, words that have grown worn and trivial from use. And, of course, Christians are no different. A Christian language parody video would (of course) feature Kirk Cameron in a cameo, and the script would read something like this:

“It’s not religion; it’s a relationship”: A phrase commonly used when explaining the evangelical faith to outsiders. It’s meant to show how relevant it all is. How not lame Christians are. How the whole thing is really no different than just being in love.

“I have a heart for Kenya”: A passion for some country or demographic that is given to one by God, and thus can be discussed with anyone, at any time, ad nauseum. Note: This does not have to be Kenya. Other popular choices include junior highers, the homeless, unborn babies and Darfur.

“I’m dating Jesus right now”: To give up romantic relationships for a window of time in order to focus on your Relationship with Jesus. As a bonus, someone can add a slightly martyred tone and a nuanced “Sorry,” at the beginning of this phrase to diplomatically turn down unwanted dates.

“Lord, we just pray that you’d just fill this place, that you’d just send revival, God …” : The typical evangelical prayer—long and wordy, as if you get bonus blessings for every “just” you use, or a little extra helping of God’s riches for each time you say His name.

“I’m saving myself for marriage”: The evangelical response to anything having to do with sex. You can join the movement (True Love Waits), wear the purity ring (available in all colors and designs), and sign a pledge card while sitting next to your (wildly uncomfortable) father at a formal banquet hosted by your church youth group.

The list could go on and on, because all over America, Christians are penning their testimonies, musing about their calling. There are “prayer warriors” seeking revival. Believers are “planting seeds”, “having devos,” telling each other the truth in love.

And it’s nothing new, nothing all that specific to us. Five million YouTube videos don’t lie: everyone has a certain amount of $#!% they say.

No, the problem with evangelical language is not so much that it’s cliché. It’s that it’s not the whole truth.

Returning to The Word

Christians say to each other, to those who are wondering, “It’s not religion, it’s a relationship!” And this is all well and good until the depression comes or loneliness breaks through and it doesn’t feel like relationship. It feels like emptiness. Like God is a million miles away.

Someone may “have a heart for Kenya,” and the language is passive, possessive, capable of creating distance, making the whole thing theoretical. They can love a demographic without ever having to learn the names of its individuals.

Someone asks a girl out, and she says, “Sorry, I’m dating Jesus right now,” in order to terminate the possibility of a relationship with all its messiness, its capacity for breaking her heart. Christian singles say “saving ourselves for marriage,” as if they could ever arrive at “I Do” without some amount of brokenness, some painful fractures on their own fragile soul.

Believers pepper their communal prayers with that word, “just,” and maybe it’s a verbal tic, or maybe it betrays something deeper: a theology of not enough. As if God does not have enough for us or simply doesn’t want to give it. So we ask for this. Just this.

Someone is lonely; the Church says “get plugged in.” Someone is struggling and it is shrugged off. “You should really get into the Word.”

These phrases are not the beginning of the discussion, they are the end of it. They are a reduction, a door closed, a bow tied neatly over the whole complicated thing.

But at the heart of the Christian faith is this: we were broken and we couldn’t figure it out and, instead of sending us some tired cliché, God sent Christ. The Word, John called Him. He had hands and feet, dust-covered from all that walking.

Here is what happens when the Word of God brushes against humanity: Stories. Discussion. Fresh metaphor, strung together like so many beads on a string. The Kingdom of God is like this … and like this … and like this other thing over here. It’s a seven-mile walk to a place called Emmaus without a Gospel tract in hand or the Roman’s Road paradigm to quote—just the messy truth of it all, hashed out among new friends.
    
This whole faith thing is big and mysterious. Just when Christians think they’ve got it pinned down with the right phrase or word or metaphor—”It’s not religion, OK? It’s relationship!”—the light changes and we can see it afresh. If we’re willing.

This is the work of it, the vulnerability of it. It’s easier to say “just get plugged in!” than to dive into someone else’s loneliness. It’s easier to say “Sorry, I’m dating Jesus” than to say “No” to the hopeful-looking boy.

But then, Jesus has never really been about what’s easy.

He’s walking that long, dirt road with those road-worn travelers. He’s saying it fresh, cutting through the cliché, making it all new.

He’s talking, listening, explaining, discussing.

He’s staying until the words add up. Until they see that it was Jesus’ Word all along.

I’ve let (almost) a year go by. Tumblr is foreign to me now.

Let me update you in a round about paragraph (we’ll see) for those interested: Summer 2011 was one for the books. Kid Cudi concert with my best intern friend (I love how I picked that one to go first) six close friends got married, swam with some cool creatures at a really neat place, lots of braves games, random trips, a literal run in with a certain celebrity. I came home everyday thinking- what #postgrad life? I was enjoying it all (and was a social media snob about it) and honestly, leaving some solid friendships and great little town behind hadn’t sunk in just yet. 

(Also, yeah right. I knew i couldn’t keep this short.)

Anyways, I worked at a makeup place called Authentic Beauty for a short time doing bridal shows and selling makeup services to brides for the day of their wedding. That was a tremendous amount of fun, and if you know me you probably know have been asked a time or two if I could do your makeup. I learned a lot. That entertainment slash beauty industry, I tell ya, is a whirlwind. But alas, I could not start saving money and get my own place in any substantial amount of time if I stuck with that.

I got a marketing job that I’ve been with for almost 5 months. I really am starting to appreciate the environment and the people. The day to day grind is realll challenging. I don’t think college can ever really prepare you for that part. You have to just dive in.

This place that I am in now is quite odd. I’ve tried to do it on my own. Guys, it never, ever works. I have been living for and living in fear of money. I have been living in bitterness when certain relationships end abruptly. I have been comparing where I’m at with my life to others (Guys, Comparison Trap series by Andy Stanley, I’m telling you.) I’ve bought into some really awful lies. Something tragic happened in my friend group that made me completely question His goodness and love and character. I hurt people that became close to me quickly. Whirlwind!

Despite all these (tumblr alert: vent!) message—

I just know that He is loving me and slapping me with truth and tugging at me to spend time with Him. He wants to engage and make this relationship work. I know this, yet I wonder. I know the truth- I’ve read the Word- yet I’ve let it become stale. I have to separate His goodness from circumstance. And I have to separate His loving me so well and so persistently from my own lack of receiving it. 

My Kingdom dream right now consists of shaking it up. It’d be so, so scary. It’d be by myself. It’d be (a 12 hour time zone difference) away. Perhaps I have to go through this time of doubt and uncertainty for awhile before I can come on the other side of all that, confident in the person He made me and ready to love well and love for His glory, not for my own adventuresome, wondering heart.

summer really is sweet. Pool time is at its prime and I caught up with one of my best friends today, which we havent done in so long. Tomorrow is the “day of firsts” that I somehow managed not to do these past four years:

-Trolley Ride

-Lockerly Pictures

-Bridge Jumping

-Asian Bistro $2 sushi

-Spooning Under the Stars at Murder Creek

and I played Frisbee Golf for the first time today- SO much fun. completely missed that memo. And Something Borrowed with my bests-what could be better.

I love my week of summer!

last summer at the airport- i miss maymester!

TODAY:

-58 page campaign book- DONE! Present to client at 2!

-Officially going to be living out of a suitcase tonight.

-Studying for my last final (but not too much)

-wishing I could make other people swoon when I talk spanish to them. whoops.

-Inwardly freaking out (3 days) but not showing it.

-Wishing I could go to Georgia’s wedding!

Talking to sweet Angel, a women from the Philippines who recently moved in with her parents (girl, I feel you) and is trying to minister to them while applying to DTS.

Me: It’s 2 a.m. my time- I’m going to bed!

Angel: Salamat. I need it so much. You need to sleep now…butterfly.

Angel: I call you butterfly cuz u reminds me of creation of god.

:)

Interesting Status’s I saw tonight

• AMURICA!!!
• “Tell them, ‘As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?’”-Ezekiel 33:11
• Damn right I’m wearing my Smathers American Flag belt every single day this week. TFM.
  
• Don’t let anyone’s misinterpretation of isolated scriptures make you feel guilty about rejoicing in the triumph of good over evil- SFurtick
  
• Wish I coulda heard the USA Chant at the Pearly Gates when St. Peter said “SORRY BOUT IT, Osama.”
  

Not stating my opinion, I just think this is all very interesting. 

So i definitely feel like I’m done despite the massive campaign book and desktop publishing final I have this week. I’m acting like its maymester or something. The weekend has been memorable with senior night, reading my wills at buffingtons and amici, Jared’s birthday party and dt with sarah and holly, bar hopping with madeline, pool on three different occasions, time with dad moving out, and time with a great group of people at the end of college bonfire. Seven different people asked me how I’m feeling about graduating this morning at church. I can’t say that I’m feeling anything. I feel like I’ve dealt with it, talked about it, wrote about it, blogged about it, and talked about it some more for the past year. I’m exhausted. I’m numb to the fact that I graduate in 6 days, almost emotionless. I didn’t cry like I thought at senior night, and I continue to shrug my shoulders when people ask me what its like. 

Whether I want to leave Milledgeville or not, graduation happens for everyone. I have reminisced and tried to hold on to it kicking and screaming, but I can’t change the inevitable: I’m gonna walk across that stage soon and then go out to eat with 17 family members on Saturday. Its going to be surreal and its going to feel like another GCSU event. It’s not going to hit me until I’m back at home living vicariously through everyone else still here. Or not. Its time for me to branch out and challenge myself. Though the friends I’ve made here I would not want to change for the entire world, I’m stoked to join a church in Atlanta soon and start becoming a part of a new body. I’m stoked to be at the Aquarium applying what the MSCM dept. taught me all these years. 

I’m ready. We ALL are ready. Lets do this thing. 

And I just really like this verse.