Memoirs of a Newbie: High School Camp

I have never worked with high school students before.  Spending a week as a cabin leader this August was like learning a foreign language when you're already in the country, with a broken jaw.

My eight girls arrived Monday afternoon.  I woke up Tuesday morning and groaned, thinking: I'm still here! 

Lesson #1: Always seek advice from people who have been there before.  

Ten minutes of conversation with a 8-year cabin leader veteran told me everything I did wrong the day before. Mentality corrected, I lead the worst morning devotions ever.

Lesson #2: Never stop praying.

So, I started praying.  I prayed during lunch. I prayed during the all-camp game. I prayed while swimming. I prayed during dinner. I prayed during worship, hearing the burdens of some of my precious girls.

Breakthrough.

God took Rachel, Rachel's problems, and Rachel's emotions and set them aside.  When my strong girls broke and their hurt leaked out, my empty space soaked it up.  Helpless, hurting, we waited for Jesus. 

Lesson #3: The Holy Spirit will always come.

Tumbling from my lips in the shape of words, God came to bring hope. 

And the hurt siphoned away. And peace came.  

And for the rest of the week, I prayed.

Except Thursday.  Thursday I spent the afternoon swing dancing and playing on lake toys with a group of people only to happy to make sure I had a marvelous time. 

Lesson #4: God likes to have fun too.

My initial terror gave way, and I had a fantastic week.  No, I am not proficient in grades 9-12.  But God will always be around to build bridges across language gaps, and all will be well for it.

Insatiable

That bigger and better we all long for

That feeling I've always wanted

The ultimate sense of happiness, peace, joy, belonging--

I wont find it here.

It is eternity tugging at my heart

Pulling my soul from its deepest roots

Stirring the depths of every human

"He has also sent eternity in the hearts of men." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

That deep, insatiable yearning

will not be met here.

Yet, I will not despair.

I rest in faith stronger than hope.

Eternity will come.

I know I will be satisfied.

The Gamble

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and unite the cord of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—When you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.  “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Isaiah 58:6-11 (NIV)

I have underlined this passage in my bible again and again.  I read the words and think of my beautiful Haiti girls, my Mexico babies and the hundreds of women and children on the streets and in brothels I have only met through the pages of my books. These are the oppressed people I feel called to set free!

Then I realize how limiting that is!  The passage says to feed the hungry.  It does not say to feed the hungry people who are in an economically worse situation than you.  It says to clothe the naked. It does not say to clothe the naked who shop at Goodwill more often than you do.

Everyone says to eat your food, because there are starving children in Africa.  What about the starving children in Seattle?  

What about my classmate with uncomfortably worn out shoes?

What about the people I see every day, oppressed by a racist, sexist system?

They need me too.

I know, that sounds like a lot of people.  1 in 4 children in Washington are at risk of hunger, according to Food Lifeline.   

How can one person given enough to feed them all?

Before you fall into the depths of inadequacy and despair, remember the rest of the passage.

After this call to action, there is a promise!

If we do these things, we will be healed!  

If we do these things, God will answer our cry! 

Our light will rise, night will be like noonday and – my personal favorite – “[The Lord] will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.” 

How amazing would it be to feel satisfied? 

Not satisfaction from sitting in the lush green of nature with the sun caressing your face and the wind just barely lifting your hair, with the taste of bacon on your tongue and a Jane Austen novel in your hand.

Nothing like that.

Satisfaction in a place where none of this exists.  Satisfaction in a sun-scorched land where the only water is the perspiration on your brow caked with the dry dust that floats chokes your nostrils with every step.  

Satisfaction in that place of utter lack and desolation.   

I think we do not give because are afraid of that place.  

“If I clothe all the naked, what will I have left to wear?”  Well, should you reach a point of having no clothes, do not worry about it.  

You have reached the sun-scorched land and you are satisfied.  Having given so completely you will have reached a point where what you have simply does not matter anymore.

It is a risk; to give until you have no more.  You might end up with nothing, but according to this passage, it will not matter.  You will be satisfied.

Will you take that gamble?

Journey

Only in Washington does one go to the beach dressed ready for the next snowpocalypse.

Rain jacket, hoodie, columbia fleece, and a scarf wrapped across my forehead, over my ears, around my neck and tied under my chin.

I trekked along the water, wind blistering my face.  Three times the hail stung my nose and bounced off my glasses.  I pulled logs across the sand to build bridges where little rivers connected to the ocean, too wide to jump across.  Remarkably, my socks stayed dry even as I dashed away from the waves rushing towards the shore.

I walked and walked and walked.  Then I realized I was at my beach with my family, and they were probably starting to wonder where I went.  I turned around and walked back, leaping over puddles, praying the cars who drove across the sand would see me, because with the scarf tied around my head, I could not hear them.

As I walked along the path, crossing the sand dunes and entered the little town of Pacific Beach once more, I stopped short of the coffee shop at the rainbow looming in the sky.

Most rainbows I've see are multi-color streaks, shooting into the air.  This rainbow was almost a complete arch, stretching across the sky.  I could see the beginning and the end, but the part in the middle was somewhat hazy.

I found it somewhat applicable to my life.  I know where I am, and I sort of know where I am going, but that part in the middle - the part where everything happens - it's still a bit hazy.

Dear Jesus, I pray that you would give me just enough rainbow, just enough road, just enough direction, so I can keep stepping forward. Help my plan oriented self be satisfied with that.

I love you,

Amen.

Center

Dear Jesus,

I would like you to be in the middle of everything I do.

That's right, everything.  All that I think about every single moment.

Oh, but I do need to think about school still.  I've gotta read that textbook, so maybe I'll get to my bible later.  I have to get good grades after all.

And work of course.  I really don't see how I could think about you and purchase orders at the same time.  And since I have to buy myself food, I need to keep my job.

When I'm writing for the newspaper I just don't see how you'd fit.  I mean, what do you have to do with the haunted house?  No connection, so don't bother.

Then there is the prayer ministry.  You should be part of that too, just don't keep me from getting those e-mails sent.

Relationships...well, do I really just want to sit and pray with people all the time?  That doesn't seem like very much fun.  And if all we talk about is you, won't we run out of things to say?

When I'm trying to sleep, just let me sleep.  Don't bother me with deep thoughts because I'm tired.

I mean really, I've become a certain kind of person.  People expect particular things from me.  Don't screw that up.

So, be my center, just don't get in my way, okay?

You're the best!

Wait...

It breaks my heart to see this about myself.  I may not consciously make those choices, but really, what does my schedule show?

Jesus, I'm not even sure I have a center right now.  Teach me to put my focus on you.

Thanks,

-Rachel

Salt

God tastes like salt.

Or at least I think so; there is no other taste I can quite compare him too.

Salt is in cookies, pizza, home made macaroni and cheese, french fries, popcorn, and bacon. (God is in all things good to eat)

If ever in need of salt, boil seawater. (You cannot "run out" of God)

Salt is a preservative. (God keeps me alive)

Salt is in the ocean air. (God is in my favorite places)

Salt is in my tears. (God is in my pain)

If I use too much salt, I add more ingredients and have more yummy food. (There is no such thing as "too much" God.)

What does God taste like to you?

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Pslams 34:8

Seeds

Life hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

That hurt is a seed.

A seed that can grow into bitterness.

A seed that can grow into beauty.

Take that seed to Jesus.

Sow that seed with Jesus.

Sowing seeds takes effort.

Growing seeds takes time.

Wait on God.

He will turn that seed into joy.

It is so worth it, to trade sorrow for joy.

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." -Psalms 126:5-6

One Thing

If my soul had one ambition
I know it would be you.
If I chose one thing to go after
I know it would be you.

But therein lies the problem
of only choosing you
So many things are in my way
of only choosing you.

All the things of this world
stand in front of you
Their opinions, my wants,
stand in front of you.

What would happen if I cast it off
and chased solely after you?
Ignored their thoughts, forgot my wants
and chased solely after you?

I would be in paradise
Living, just me and you
There could be nothing better than
living, just me and you.

But how to quelch those other thoughts
distracting me from you?
Those worries, those cares,
distracting me from you?

I must turn my thoughts instead,
to only praising you.
Dedicated the all of me
to only praising you.

The battle will continue
as I fight to stay with you.
Praise I will forevermore
as I fight to stay with you.

Wait; Again

Okay Jesus,  I think I get it a little better now.

"...but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

The waiting is not about sitting around in expectation for something to happen.

The waiting is not looking for what is coming next.

The waiting is being where I am, soaring through the air, until God tells me to do something else.

No flapping, no searching, just soaring.

I suppose its really a matter of being content with where I am and not looking for the next best thing.

God might need to beat me over the head with this one again, but I'm going to try.

To read my first post about waiting, go here.

Battle Cry

Only a fool walks into battle without a weapon.

A contemporary soldier brings a gun.

A knight brings his sword.

A member of Star Fleet brings his phaser.

A warrior princess?

I bring truth.

The world tells me I'm ugly.

"The King is enthralled by my beauty" (Pslams 45:11)

Truth: I am beautiful.

The world tells me I'm not good enough.

"If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."  (2 Corinthians 8:12)

Truth: my best is good enough.

The world tells me I am alone.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b)

Truth: Jesus is always there-forever.

The world tells me God doesn't care.

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior; who daily bears our burdens." (Psalms 68:19)

Truth: God carries my pain every day.  It matters to him.

The world tells me I will not succeed.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,  'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Truth: God's got this under control.

Truth is a vast cavern of untapped power pressing outward, itching to be used in a fight.  It is a gun with endless ammunition, a sword that never dulls, a phaser that never malfunctions.

Truth will be my battle cry.  In the midst of a fight, surrounded by bullets and blades, I will cling to Jesus and scream the truth he whispers in my ear.

Truth: "But thanks be to God!  He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Psalms 15:57)

The battle is already won.

We are victorious.

Suffering, again.

I hate suffering.

Physical.

Mental.

Emotional.

All of it.

Paul was glad for his suffering.

Glad to suffer for the Lord.

Does it hurt less if you are glad for suffering?

I wish I could be glad for suffering.

But I am scared.

If I ask God to make me glad for suffering,

will it hurt?

Must I suffer to serve the Lord?

Or will fear hold me back?

God has a plan.

I will do his will.

But does that still mean I must suffer?

Perspective

When I am not at school, I am a bible seller.

I sell all sorts of Christian things really: books, music, figurines, plaques, church supplies, and even corny t-shirts.  But they aren't important right now.

What matters are the conversations I had with several customers about using multiple versions of the bible.

The bible was written by many people a very long time ago, in Greek and Hebrew.  Not English.  But, since the majority of the world does not read Greek or Hebrew, the bible has been translated into just about every language on the planet so that it can be read by everyone.

When something is being translated, there are different ways to interpret the original text.  This is why there are different translations to the bible.  Each is written from a different perspective.  That is why I think they are all very important.

Let me explain.

Imagine a sculpture.  It is utterly amazing, and you want to take a picture to share with your family.  Sadly, you have just one picture left on your camera.  So, you pick the best perspective you can find, snap a shot, and display it proudly.

Your friend Joe looks at the same sculpture, and wants to take a picture.  Unfortunately, he too has only one shot left on his camera.  So, he picks what he thinks the best perspective is, and takes a picture, again displaying it for all to see.

Susie likes the sculpture too.  She wants a picture too, but has the same problem.  She can only take one, but she takes it from her favorite perspective for all to see.

You, Joe, and Susie each have a photo showing one side, one viewpoint of the same sculpture.  Each is true, each is equally valid, but none can create a complete rendering of the sculpture in the minds of people who cannot see the sculpture for themselves. But, when all three pictures are seen together, Mary, who has never seen the sculpture, is able to imagine a more complete idea of what this sculpture looks like.

The more perspectives there are, the more complete the sculpture becomes.  In the same way, the more bible translations one reads, the better understanding they can get of what the original text says.

(Side Note: I'm not saying that every single translation of the bible is certainly valid.  Not every person on the planet is qualified to translate Greek and Hebrew into English, the same way almost anyone can take a picture.)

For this reason, I own an NLT, ESV, NRSV, NIV, and part of The Message bible.  For that reason too, I have all of them currently open to Jeremiah 1:17, to try and understand exactly what God means there.

I think, that with these multiple perspectives, I can better understand the beautiful wisdom in the book God has given us.

P.S. This same concept was applied in my Global and Urban Ministries class, but with an emphasis on cultural perspectives as opposed to bible translations.  Regardless, I think it applies.

Wait.

If there is anything I don't like about being a Christian, it is waiting for God. 

It is miserable.

I pray and pray for something to change, and nothing happens. I ask why he would put me through this.  And he says, "Trust me.  Keep waiting."

The spiritual side of me meekly responds, "Yes, God.  I know you know what you are doing, and I will keep waiting for you to do what you are going to do."

Everything else in me looks for ways to make it happen.

I am not supposed to do that.

Isaiah 40:30-31 says, "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV)

Soaring like an eagle sounds great and all, but, considering the human inability to fly without the aid of a machine, is impossible.  Why should I wait for something when I don't know what it is going to be?

Luckily, my ESV reference bible helps put the eagle idea into perspective. 

Exodus tells the story of the enslaved Isrealites leaving their captors and heading towards freedom.  In chapter 19 Moses is on Mount Sinai talking to God.  God says,

"(4)You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  (5) Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine..."

The Isrealites had a horrible life in Egypt. They had been stuck in slavery for hundreds of years, and were treated as horrible as you can imagine.  Then, God destroyed the Egyptians (see Exodus 7-11 for a complete description of the plagues on Egypt) and carried his people on "eagles' wings" to a place where they would be God's "treasured possession."  I don't know about you, but my "treasured possessions" are kept in safe, dry places, wrapped in socks and carefully stored, or displayed where everyone can admire their splendor. 

I think I feel God treasuring me most when I am doing his will, and sometimes that means waiting for something that seems painfully urgent.

One last note: Nate Boyt spoke at Puget Sound Christian Center last Sunday (January 2nd, 2011).  He pointed out that waiting on the Lord means soaring on eagle's wings.  No flapping, no fuss, no making-something-happen.  Simply outstretched arms trusting God to carry me where I need to go.

My goal?  No more flapping, no more scheduling miracles, and plenty of time enjoying life as a treasured possession.

P.S. As of this posting, Nate's sermon is not yet available. But I am sure that in the future it will be posted here, should you like to listen to it.  Stuff I learned in journalism class makes me feel like I should do this.

Forgiven

Crazy thing God showed me.

When I gave my little sister a swirly, she remembered.  A few weeks later, she dumped a huge glass of water on my head, despite the fact that I had apologized.

When I sin and ask for forgiveness from God, he forgets. Yes, I still have to suffer the consequences of my actions, but he does not hold the bad things I have done over my head.

It's like this:

I screw up.

Me: "God, I am so sorry for that thing I did the other day. It was wrong and I should not have done it."

God: "Beloved daughter, I forgive you."

Me: "Thank you Jesus! I really don't deserve that.  I mean, it was a really terrible thing."

God: "What was?"

Me: "That thing I did."

God: "I already forgiven, I have moved on.  Go and do better next time."

Me: "Thanks God.  I love you!"

God: "I love you too."

Whether a person forgives you for what you have done depends largely on the person.  But will they ever truly forget-excluding cases of memory loss? No.  It is always there. And, nine times out of ten, they want you to pay for what you did.

How far we have fallen from the way we should be, yet how wonderful to know the guilt of our mistakes need not weigh down our hearts.

Ask God to forgive you, and enter the new year free from the weight of your past mistakes.

It is a glorious feeling.

Inspiration

I like to write.

I would like to write well. 

I would like to write things that people need to hear.

I would like to write encouraging and thought provoking things.

I would like to write the type of things that spark revolutionary living.

I would like to write things from heaven that people on earth need to hear.

I cannot do this alone.

I am from this world.

I write like one from this world.

This world is corrupt.

Do I write things that are corrupt?

Jesus is above the corrupt world.

I would like Jesus to be my inspiration.

I would like to write things from above the corruption.

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs t0 the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.  The one who comes from heaven is above all."  -John 3:31

Dear Jesus,

Be my inspiration in all that I do.

Amen.

Life Calling

The most stressful day of the quarter is not what you might think.

Some would say it is the first day of class.  Walking into a new class, trying to find a good seat, and hoping some one you know will walk through the doors and the two of you can be bosom friends throughout the hour and twenty minutes you will be sitting there.

Others will declare that is completely incorrect!  The most stressful time in college is not a day at all, but the three days of finals, and the "dead week" that proceeds them. 

I disagree with both of these statements.  The most agonizing time for me is registration.

Every single time I pick classes I seem to re-evaluate what I want to do with my life, and what major/double major/minor/double minor combination would be the best path to getting me there.

And of course, now that I have registered I have been doubting if I am taking the correct classes and constantly scan the "open class" list, searching for a class that particularly calls out to me.  None have yet screamed my name.

These thoughts have been running through my head all week.  All month, really.  But last night, when I went to my secret place to spend time with Jesus, I wasn't thinking about it at all.

I said, "Jesus, I love you.  I'm listening."

And this is what he said to me:

"I am like the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" -John 1:23b

"A voice of one calling, 'In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill laid low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." -Isaiah 40:3-5

First I thought, "If everything is made smooth, we will have no hills for sledding!  Instead, we will fly on our joy."

Then I wondered what exactly this meant for me?  The voice that calls out in the desert promises that all obstacles will be removed at the glory of God will shine everywhere.  That is such a hopeful message! I need to share that message with people in deserts.  Does that mean a literal desert?  No.  It means places where there is no life.  It is there that I should go.

Haiti.

I asked if I thought it out of habit, but I am certain that God whispered it in my ear.

I am going to go there and say good things for them

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31:8-9

and to them

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your moths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." -Ephesians 4:29

I know I am headed in the right direction because

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." -Psalms 37:23-24

You can bet I'm shaking, but I have not fallen yet.

So I'm going to stick with a communications major, but I plan to throw in some english courses (for writing purposes), some theology courses (for a more sound biblical education), and political science courses (because I like them so much that they must be important for something in my life).

Now that you have read this, I ask that you help me.  When I can't seem to have forgotten what direction I am supposed to be going with my life, remind me to read this post.  Then I can remember where exactly I am going. 

It'll make the most stressful time of the quarter a little easier on me.

Splattered Orange Juice

Once upon a time, I sat at a large round table in the lunch room with a group of band friends.

A boy from a different table, one of the "cool kids" who no one at my table was friends with, came and sat next to us, bringing his plastic bottle of orange juice.

Odd thing about this bottle; he had squished in the sides, destroying the original shape.

After a few moments he left, forgetting his juice in the crushed bottle.

Just as I was about to take his orange juice to his table for him, the squished sides popped out, and juice came flying out of the bottle and splattered my friends and I.

The guy's table busted up laughing.
Rude.

I grabbed the bottle and tossed it in the garbage.  Only after did I consider pouring the remaining juice on his carefully combed hair and all over his designer t-shirt.

Those kids thought they were better than us and could push us around.  It is easy to laugh at those who aren't as bold, flashy, or laugh quite as loudly as you do.  But it is one of the most humiliating things that could possibly happen to a high school freshman.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." -Romans 15:1

That means if you are the confident, fun loving kid with all the friends, you should not tease the kid who sits alone in the lunch room because it makes you laugh.  Instead, you need to stand by the loner kid-they need your help.

Senior year of high school, I became friends with those cool kids.

A Vietnamese girl was sitting with us at the table during lunch.  She had lived in America for several years, but her English still wasn't the best.

When she got up to leave the table, a "cool dude" said that she should learn to speak English or get out of America.

I laid into him for his rude, uncalled for, insensitive comment.

We never spoke again.

I would so much rather never speak to the "cool kids" if it means I can uphold the weak in society.

The Man Whose Daughter Died

"Don't be afraid; just believe," said Jesus to a man who had just heard his daughter was dead.

Not exactly what I would want to hear if my daughter just died. Seriously, grief has begun to cloud my mind.  "Just believe?"  Who the heck wants to hear that?

And yet, that is exactly what this man needed to hear!

This man's name was Jairus, and was a Synagogue Ruler.  He had found Jesus and asked him to come and heal his daughter at his house.  She was very sick, but Jairus believed that if Jesus put his hand on her, she would be healed.

Jesus, Jairus, and a large crowd were on their way to get this little girl healed, when some men from Jairus's house told him that his daughter was dead; that it was usless to bring Jesus over anymore. 

That's when Jesus said his line: "Don't be afraid; just believe."

The man continued to believe.

How do I know this?  Because when Jesus got to Jairus's house, he healed the little girl.  Without Jairus's faith, that could not have happened, but it did.  Faith was certainly there.

The moral of the story?  Yes, faith can do anything;, Jesus can do anything, but I believe there is more.  Jesus knew that when Jairus heard his daughter was dead, he would plunge into the depths of despair.  His mind would cloud; grief would take over.  Tears were going to flow, and hope would flee.  Jesus understood what those words would mean to Jairus.

So, instead of declaring "Well, you obviously don't have enough faith, so I'm gonna jet," Jesus said "What a second; don't panic.  I've got this.  Just believe in me like you did before.  Nothing has really changed, I can still do this."

Jesus had grace for the poor Jairus. Grace grace grace.  Whenever our faith is fleeting, whenever we are ready to despair, Jesus has grace.

P.S. This story can be found in Mark 5:21-43

The Bleeding Woman

A woman was bleeding for twelve years. Anything she did to get better only made it worse.

Misery.

Taking a step of faith, she saw Jesus in a crowd and manuvered close to him. Reaching out and touching the edge of his cloak, she was healed. Twelve years of shame, and pain, gone.

Despite the fact that Jesus was surrounded by people touching him, pushing against him, pressing close upon him, he knew that one woman had touched him.  He wanted to see her face and speak to her. She mattered that much to him.  It was not important that he was supposed to be going with a Synogogue Ruler to his house; Mr. Big Cheese could wait.  Jesus needed to talk to this woman.

The woman fell at his feet, trembling with fear, and told him what happened.  He told her "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Faith.

After twelve long years.  After many, many doctors who only made her condition worse.  After suffering continuously, without respite.  After being shut out from society.  After having shame reaped on upon her head.  After all of this, she had faith enough to try one more thing. 

Heck, who knows?  Perhaps her mind was filled with doubt.  Perhaps the screams telling her it would not work all but drowned out the tiny whisper of hope; but that tiny whisper was all it took.  That miniscule breeze that could scarcely stir the fog of despair was all the faith it took to reach for the cloak hem and heal 12 years of suffering.

Woah. 

If that little faith can accomplish that much, then why haven't the Christians of the world stepped up and used it yet?

P.S.  This story can be found in Mark 5:25-34

Blushes

God blushes.  

I know this because when I sincerely tell him how wonderful he is, I can feel the heat from his cheeks warm me to the core.