my afflictions eclipsed by Your glory

"Somewhere deep within we may still be asking, "Jesus, why am I suffering this way?" But before long that question, as valid as it may be, will be superseded by another one. 

Standing at the foot of the cross, we begin to ask, "Jesus, how can it be that You would suffer in that way?"

— Matt & Beth Redman, Blessed be Your Name

hold my heart

i'm not sure.

i'm not sure about tomorrow. i'm not sure what i'll be doing five / ten / twenty years from now. i'm not sure about my career. i'm not sure about my calling.

i'm not sure about my feelings. i'm not sure what you feel about me. i'm not sure about the mess that is my emotions and affections.

i'm not sure if i'm a sinner struggling to love God, or a lover of God struggling with sin.

i'm not sure about these things i cling onto. i'm not sure about the whys. i'm not sure about certain things i say, and certain things i do.

still i cling.

concerning leadership

"When Christ said, "Let the leader become as one who serves," He did not mean the leader ceases to be a leader. Even while He was on His knees washing the disciples feet, no one doubted who the leader was."

— John Piper, Desiring God

irene

you've probably heard of the phrase "hurt people, hurt people" right?

quite true, isn't it? and tragic.

it's easy to take offence when we get hurt, but even easier to use this phrase to condemn the person that hurt us.

there are two ways we could interpret / construe / use this phrase. the first being a statement to use against someone. to condemn, or to shame. which is to say, to further hurt him or her. you've hurt me so that means you're hurt so shame on you for being hurt then hurting me in the process because i am sooo much more important than you.

yikes.

or you could look at it from a different perspective. the perspective of love. to have someone hurt you, yet keep a cool head and take time to consider the fact that the tragedy is not that you got hurt, but that somewhere along the line he or she got hurt first. and now that you know this, what can you do to ease that hurt? 

it's not easy, heck no. but it is the right and better thing is it not?