Seen a darkness

Pushes past my sight, my secrets, into the back corners of my mind.
Winding its way through my thoughts, through my dreams.
Curling around my heart and binding it closed with a latch.
The darkness comes without warning and threatens.
Collapsing to my knees, I need You.
I turn my eyes to the clouds in desparation.  


Why does the Light seem so out of reach for so many? Why can't they see Him?


Take a look around you. What do you see? Darkness.
Sex is the norm.  One of the most personal and intimate things intended for marriage has been twisted and abused.
Beauty is expected.  Not the pure natural beauty of the heart, soul, and mind, but external, impossible perfection that is driving girls' hearts off the edge of a cliff.
Selfish ambition drives our lives forward. Tunnel vision to the goals of our own heart instead of the needs of those crying out for the Light.
Peoples' appearance objectified. Women and men are seen as shiny objects to drool over, not as human beings made in the image of God.  
Dating has become fleeting.  Reckless and quick, a bat of the eyes, a smile, and you're in a relationship, ready to surrender your heart.


Beyond the societal things, I see deep-rooted pain.  I have seen a darkness.
Beneath the jokes, the laughter, and the smiles are people who have been scarred.  Clinging to external beauty, to reputations and stereotypes they've accepted as their identity, tucking away real feelings because others don't seem to care beyond the surface.


Their eyes reflect the shadows they have dwelled in, the darkness they have seen.  Slapping on a smile and a calm exterior, their hearts rage on without healing waters to calm them.  They buy into the lies of our society, their friends, this world.  That they don't deserve to be loved, they aren't beautiful enough, they aren't capable.


Their souls cry out in longing for shelter from the storm but they've been left out in the rain.


Some claim to know God, go to church, say a prayer before eating, and celebrate Christmas yet they don't know Him.  He is the backdrop of their lives, not the reason.  They continue this life as a confused race, not truly knowing where the finish line is or what they're even running towards. 


They continue their journey in the valley of darkness without seeing that there is a God who has walked beside them since the day they stepped onto the Earth.  Cold and alone, their steps echo in the valley.


"Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,    they comfort me." [Psalm 23:4-5]


They do not know the hope when the world casts shadows on their hearts and darkness resides.


Yesterday, I was in my kitchen walking through when something caught my eye.


"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."-Helen Keller


I could choose to walk alone.  I could wake up every morning, do a devotional, go to church, worship, and have a little tight knit group of friends.  That was I did before.  That was so easy.


I don't have to reach out to those who are struggling.  I'm not required to stand up for God in conversations. I don't really have to seek out people who are wandering and lost.  I don't need to step into the darkness with friends to show them out when they've made bad choices or have found themselves stuck.  I could continue my walk in the Light basking in it, soaking up its warmth all for myself but that is not how Christ walked.  Out of Love, I choose a different path.


"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." -Ephesians 5:14


I want to wake up my heart to the reality that I only have one life and one chance to show the world who Christ is.
I want to reach into the darkness and bring people out.  
I want people to know the truth and to recognize the darkness of the world for what it is.  Though this isn't the norm, I am not letting up.  God has chosen me for a reason to further His kingdom in the lives of those around me.  God's power is so much deeper than anything His creation can thrust in your path and I know He has given me strength to carry it out.  


We are expected to follow.
We're expected to fall into step with the crowds, talk like them, walk like them, believe this is all there is.
We're expected to fix our eyes on the next two steps in front of us as we stumble through the dark with flickering lamps as our guides and not onto the golden path God is unraveling. 


I have news for you.
 His truth will show you where to go.  His Light will be your personal guide to the life you're meant for.

[Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.] -Psalm 119:105

Looking upwards, I see the sky.
I look to the clouds and I am overcome by the Light.  Splitting through the black skies, I can see with clarity the reason for life, the reason I was placed here.  I am overwhelmed by the God who has called me to be set apart for Him, to show people that the darkness will not reign over this world if we raise our lights high to light their way. 


[1 John 2:8]
"At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining..." 


The darkness is breaking. 
 God's people are rising up, reigniting the ultimate hope that our hearts have received.  Many peoples' eyes have been filled with the light, their hearts embracing His unfathomable love and mercy that rains down on bowed heads and bended knees.  The ways of the world are being broken and the candles of His people are illuminating the truth of His promises.

John 15:18-21 says,

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent Me."

You will be questioned for choosing a different path. You'll be called out by others, but only because God called you out to be all for Him.

Peoples' opinions of you may change.  They may choose to walk away when your life begins to look radically different than the world's and that's okay, because one day they'll see even if it isn't right away.

Stop underestimating Jesus to bring people back, to show them home.
Pray for open doors, for hearts to be softened, for more opportunities to shine His light.  Shove the darkness back into the depths of Hell where it belongs.

Show people by being a symbol of hope.

Build friendships out of love for Christ and show them who He is by loving them through it all.
By loving them through their flaws, their mistakes, their actions, their misgivings.
Build them up in love, inspire them, show them who you choose to live for.
You think God won't plant seeds? Think again.  People notice kindness, grace, and love.  Those are the things that will begin building up their hope in this life once again.
His grace should not be wasted on our lives alone and this is our only chance to show them.  We have been chosen to pass it on in love and fearlessly, that is what I am going to do.

"Can't spend my whole life wastin' everything I know I've been given, 'Cause you've made for so much more than sitting on the side lines..."-Mandisa

This darkness stands no chance against the God of Light who will never cease to shine.  We may be surrounded by darkness but our Light is already shining, waiting to be exposed.

"You're the Light in this darkness 
You're the Hope to the hopeless 
You're the Peace to the restless 
You are 
For greater things have yet to come 
And greater things are still to be done in this City 
Greater thing have yet to come 
And greater things are still to be done in this City"

Being a Light: How the Lost Get Found

"Don't let your lights go down
                             Don't let your fire burn out
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
                                                Why don't you rise up now?
                        Don't be afraid to stand out
                That's how the lost get found
                              The lost get found.."

.
Darkness closing in, pressing your dry spirit inward and your lungs to gasp for air, you stop.
Frantically glancing around you black is all you can see, not a light to be found.
The water's rising and your heart races.
Flailing, you grasp for anything to hold on as your screams bounce back off the walls to smack your ears.

You grab onto sharp jagged rocks that barely keep you afloat as their sharp edges leave your hands bloody and scarred.

Suddenly, the Light arrives.
Blinding and bright, the sweet light shines on your trembling body.
Overwhelming peace takes you over and all is well.
Your hands raised in surrender, strong hands pull you out of the darkness.

You'd been walking the path so long.
In agony, your body fights against your mind to keep moving onward.
Outwardly, all seemed decently fine, your heart was "satisfied" but never full.  Just enough light of your own flashlight and the distant highway billboards lit your path so that you could see a few feet in front of you.  Good enough for you because at least you were going somewhere, right?

What if there was a brighter Light?  One who would change everything.
The One who would lead your frightened and weary heart to a place of peace and rest.

In the past few years, I have had multiple friends deal with severe depression.      
It is a harsh reality to come to grips with but the fact is that on a daily basis people are taking their own life because they see it as the only option when hope is completely invisible to them.  Recently, a friend of mine lost someone who she had been close to with a suicide and he was only 18 years old.  18 years old and the story of his life has come to a close.  How can this be possible?

Hearing this, my heart aches and words won't come.  I am speechless when I think of the darkness this world can bring on people to bring them to such a point.  If you look around you, pain is prevalent and sometimes this pain veils the Light meant to shine for us.

We live in a world that's hurting.  A world that desperately needs Jesus Christ and His hope to restore the Light.

Depression is not the only avenue that those who are lost will journey to.

Searching for meaning, many will choose alcohol to be their guide.  Some will put their worth in the grades printed on a report.  Many will stare into the mirror hoping to find beauty that will be accepted by the world so that they may be "noticed".  Some will choose sex to fill the gaping hole in their heart.  Trapped by darkness and sin, some will choose to continue on their path of emptiness, some will cut it painfully short, and some will frantically flail for shaky support to cling to in social groups, social acceptance, or cliques.

Living inside a material world and a material body, their sight will fall flat.

[ They may never see the Beautiful Kingdom of God burning bright beneath the fabric of this world unless we step up. ]

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."-Hebrews 12:28-29


As followers of Christ, we need to be lighthouses.  We need to be torches, candles, flashlights,  anything that will reignite the light in their eyes.
I used to belong to the shadows.  So consumed by the negatives, the sorrow, the lack of hope in myself and in God that I couldn't see until I allowed Jesus in to the door I had held shut so tightly.


Anthem Lights sings,
"So look in my eyes in the morning and see the hope there and the soul that still remains.  Darkness never stood a chance."


If people can reach a point where the Light is visible, the darkness can be banished.  It will flee when the Light arrives (James 4:7).

People all around are stumbling over rocks, inwardly screaming for their heart to be picked up off the ground and simply held.  Their crying eyes may be wiped dry by rough dry tissues, but the tears are still falling.  Afraid to reach out for somebody, many will clutch their pride tightly to their chest and continue empty living. It is our duty as Christians to open our eyes and to be an extension of Christ to the lonely, depressed, suffering, anguished children of God that are searching for light.  This needs to be our mission, not simply something to do "one day".  


In "The Lost Get Found" by Britt Nicole she sings, "Don't be afraid to stand out." This simple line strikes me so hard because for so long I was afraid.  


I was afraid to always feel so different and that I didn't fit in. I was afraid to be tall, afraid to be outgoing, afraid to share my faith, afraid to speak up when someone would hurt me, afraid to explain the reason I didn't drink, afraid to explain the ring I wear as symbol of purity until marriage, afraid to open up to anyone to reveal how deeply I was hurting.  Only when I realized that I had to embrace my differences, challenges, and flaws did Christ's love light my path towards His healing and the illumination of my purpose here.


Christ became my one and only Lighthouse guiding me home.

The faint lights led me away from Him.
They continue to lead the masses astray from Christ's all consuming fire.  We live in a cracked society based upon foundational lies. Screamed at us in movies, television, the news, magazines, reality TV, people around us, we are told:


Materialism will buy happiness.
Sex with anybody will be "fun" and will bring you love.
Celebrities are to be honored and glorified.
Athletes and movie stars deserve all the praise.
Careers that don't make a lot of money aren't honorable
Purity before marriage is "not possible and is unrealistic"
Victoria Secret models are the "ideal woman"
Objectifying woman and men in magazines is okay.
Swearing is a teenage thing, why not swear?
Alcohol's a normal aspect of college- everyone does it.
College is a time of experimentation with girls/boys, dating, drinking, etc.


Or one of my favorites, those who are hurting or lost aren't your problem. 


Oh really? Then whose problem is it? Please tell me.


They say you should be worried about taking care of yourself first before others.


God says this: 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." -Philippians 2:3

If it is a concern of God's then it is a concern of mine.
I refuse to back down in my fight for those who are lost and hurting because it is the deepest desire of my heart to be an instrument of God in their healing and to inspire others to do the same.


This past year I have visibly seen God at work through friends of mine and playing out in my own life.
People telling me they knew God had set me in their lives for a reason.
People telling me how much my presence in their lives has been of value to them.  In hearing this, I am reminded of the power our lives carry through the power of Christ alone.  Not through anything I, Taylor Elizabeth Ely, have written, spoken, painted, or shared but through Jesus shining brightly through my fragmented and broken pieces.


‎[I have a seen a Light like the break of dawn giving blind men


 sight, letting lame men walk. I see a generation with


 Resurrection life, we are a generation filled with the 


power of Christ.]


Our lives have power.
They have significance because Christ can shine in us if we make the ultimate choice to be His light.


God has given us the vehicle to have His glory, healing, and peace shine through us if we open our hearts to let Him in.  These flickering lights are not strong enough to point the lost to their true home with God.  We have to muster the courage to shine because His work is never done in vain.  It is working towards a higher purpose that we will not fully understand until we are one with Him.

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." -1 Corinthians 15:58

What if we could be the change?
What if we could be that person who restores hope into somebody's life? What if we could be the one God uses to bring a lost child of His home?
Better yet, what are we waiting for?


"Like ships bound for shipwreck,
Most people just simply drift along
And miss their destination without knowing anything is wrong
No direction and without a care
Feels so good and then you’re lost out there
Don’t you remember how it felt ‘til someone showed you the way..."


Do you remember? Do you remember where you were in your life when somebody stepped into your path to redirect you to hope?  Were you in pain, seeking, lost, or completely unaware of your brokenness and what you were missing out on? Where would you be without them? Without God?


Start opening your eyes.
Notice the social groups and look beyond the surface to see the pain hiding beneath the eyes of many.  It is real, raw, brokenness you will find in each person you take the time to truly see.  Notice those who are always by themselves, those who have nowhere to sit at lunch, the ones who have "bad reputations" and get to know them.  Take time to check up on your friends to see how they're truly doing beyond the simple "how are you?".  Be there for the people in your life, you don't know how much you are worth to many.


Be that extension of the Light God has created you to be to this world.
I commit myself Lord to being that Light.
Lord, I want to be courageous in fighting to spread Christ so that You may touch the crying eyes and wipe away every tear with great healing.  
I want to be the type of person that as people get to know me, they get to know Christ better. 


I know many of you reading this are lost.  Some may not even realize it.  Many of you may know Christ but are struggling to feel His presence while others may have never experienced Christ.
So many of you ache for someone to care for you.  Someone to reaffirm that your life matters and that things are going to get better.  
You need healing from a broken past, the hope that has slipped so silently through your loosened grip, the mistakes that have left your soul empty and heart hardened.


I want each one of you to know that I am here.


I have no judgement for those of you who have made choices they're not proud of whether it is with partying, sex, or drugs.  I am not perfect either and will never pretend to be.  I have more flaws than I can list.


I am not afraid of talking about the issues I went through in years past if you need someone to talk to about body image and self confidence issues.  These two things plagued me in years past and God has been my strength in overcoming many of them.


If you are struggling with the fact that you aren't in a relationship right now and you've lost faith in yourself because of it, I have been there and would love to help you through it and encourage you.


Do not hesitate even for a moment to reach out to me by emailing me (taylor.ely@hope.edu), messaging me on Facebook, or calling me if you are in need of prayer, simply need a friend to listen, or someone to go to coffee with (if you're at Hope College or at home when I'm on breaks).  


Lord, my life is a Light for Your cause. 
With people walking far from you, some intentionally and some unintentionally, let me be the type of follower of Yours that is courageous and strong enough to shine for You.  Give me the peace to gently lead them back to you all the while living my out my purpose for You with a spirit of peace, a heart full of joy, and a life screaming of Your love.  Illuminate my priorities so that I may remember that showing others Christ is my first priority above every other thing in this life.  It comes down to love in this life and the relationships I will carefully build in love and seek out in Your name.  I want a heart that looks like Yours.  I want a spirit that is driven and works tirelessly for the cause of Christ at Hope College and beyond. 


Make us all into your Lights Lord.  Fan the flame so that we burn bright.  Inspire me and others to look outside the confines of a young age to dream of new and bigger ways to spread Your Light and ignite deeper passions for You.


Move our hearts to be convicted by the words You have spoken into so much of this world's darkness and let that be inspiration to pass the Light on.  In all things You are made visible if only we open the eyes of this world to see You.  


We can awaken the wandering souls to the  wonder of knowing Christ by living a life that leads, a life that is bold and courageous in faith.  

And that is how { the lost get found } 

Child of mine

   "For all Your sons and daughters 
who are walking in the darkness,  
 You are calling us to 
              { lead them back to You }"

You pass them by,
walk right past them every single day.


In your classes, in the lunchroom, in your dorm, in your walk to chapel, in your neighborhood.  


Children of God.


By the grace of God, we are His children and can look to Him our Father in Heaven.
We are given the privilege of being called His own.


"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John 1:12-13


Have you ever stopped to realize that is who we are surrounded with?
That is who we are and people deserve to know they belong as well.


After all, isn't that what people are seeking?
To feel like they belong somewhere in their lives.


It is up to us as Christians to remind people that is who they are and to remind them of their spot in God's heart.


Do we treat everybody around us like children of God?  
I know I want to.


What about the people that are different? 
 The ones we don't agree with, the ones that annoy us, the ones that offend us, the ones who make choices that don't line up with our own?


If you are someone who knows Christ then you know.


You've felt Him and His healing.
You know His peace in the storms of your life.
You've seen His hand working in your life.
You've experienced the fullness of joy in Christ.


As I look back on the last six months of my life, I have had a 180 degree turn around.
I was never somebody who stumbled into partying, drugs, or hookups but I had my own sins.


Obsessed with perfectionism, perfect grades, searching for attention, reaching for acceptance from guys.
Never satisfied with God alone because I never looked to Him for fulfillment, I filled myself with empty things, surfacey relationships, and contentment based on my appearance.


I don't want that for you.
I want more for you and I know that God furiously desires more for your life.


Right here and right now, I have never felt such complete joy and fulfillment than I feel at this very moment.  He has truly helped me to know the height and depth of Phillipians 2:2.

Phillipians 2:2 says 

"...make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

Renewed, transformed, fulfilled, joyful.  Just empty words compared to the ultimate Treasure that my heart has embraced this year.


God has done more in my life in the past four months than He has ever done before as I've grown with Him and listened to His will.  Revealing His use for me here at Hope and pointing me to action every single day to work for His kingdom. I can finally see my life with clarity.


The thing that strikes me most is that my happiness has not stemmed from materialistic things, having a boyfriend, or having a size zero model body.   For so long, I thought that type of thing would bring me happiness.  


My happiness for the first time is found completely and solely in Christ.  
My confidence has become rooted in my mission for Christ and not in selfish living.


My eyes have begun to see those who many have simply skimmed over.


I have seen you.
You may even be reading this right now.


Hiding the pain beneath a hood or a hat.  Caking on the makeup to cover the scars of your past.  Going to parties to fill the burning hole in your soul for love.  Clinging to social groups to feel a sense of acceptance and identity. Handing pieces of your heart away to anybody who will accept you even if just for a night.


I've seen it all.


My question is this:


Don't you know?
Can't you see how deeply you are loved and pursued by God?
Don't you know that God laid down His life so that we could have life so much better than this?


No. 
The answer to this is that a large majority of this world does not know.  People on Hope's campus, in our families, our high school friend groups, and walking across our paths have yet to see Christ. So many walk the journey of their life without the ultimate shepherd to guide their confused souls to the cross. Their eyes have been veiled by earthly distractions, the noise too shrieking to make out the faint whispers of God.


Matthew 9:36 says, "When he saw the crowd, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."


What if we could be those shepherds?
What if we could reach down into the darkness of those in our lives to lift those who are scarred and wounded to their feet to stand in the Light of our savior?
That is the type of purposeful Christ-like life I want to lead.


I understand that you can't help everybody.  
I understand that attempting to reach everyone in this world is impossible but what if we started taking more steps to be intentional?  If we started breaking out of our comfort zones  to be symbols of love to those who don't know Him.


The lost and broken walk among us everyday.  Hidden by the newest trends, plastered smiles, fake exchanges of "how are you?", the sharing of empty gossip.  They are around us on all sides.  Pray for your eyes to be opened and you will see lying beneath the cracks that people are crying out in pain.


Outward appearance is not telling of the state of the heart and if that's where you're looking then look beyond. God looks much deeper than that and we need to follow His lead if we are to help (1 Samuel 16:7).


Every single person around us is of of value to God.  They have a unique story God has written for them that they may never experience if they're kept in the darkness.  WE are the light to this world. As Christians we are CALLED to seek these people out, to bring them into the Light of Christ with every ounce of strength that we have.


[What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.]
-Matthew 10:27


God has called us as children of God to bring His lost children back into the light. To love others radically. To speak truth into the brokenness so that they may see.


God has called us to show love so that this world would know God through us.

You may know what it's like to look at the world through a different lens, the lens of Heaven.  To see yourself as a child of the King and not of this world.  
This is LIFE CHANGING and not something you can just tuck away into your drawers to whip out on Sundays.  It is transformative.


"You are a child of Mine, 
born of My own design and 
you bear the heart of life. 
No matter where you go, 
Oh, you will always know. 
You have been made free in Christ, you are a child of Mine.."


The highest privilege of all.
Broken, scarred, wounded, fallen, yet still we are children of God.  


The treasure of Christ is what this world needs to see from us, because if we don't show them then how shall they ever know whose they are?
How will they know what they're missing out on?


Lord, I see them.  I see them all around me.  Lost, hurting, broken, searching, confused, unfulfilled like sheep without a shepherd.  They remind me of who I was before and this drives me forward to reach out to them even more because I know that pain.  I want them to know You, to feel Your love, to have joy, to know Your complete and unfathomable power.  I want it all for them.  


I want girls to see beyond their surface appearance, body type, and jeans size into the captivating woman Christ has made them to be.  I want them to see how valued they are in God's sights. I want them to know there is a man God has picked for them worth waiting for and that giving yourself away only results in emptiness.  I want to open their eyes to what God has gifted them with so that fulfillment may be found in that.


I want guys to know that they don't need to put on an act for girls to like them.  I want them to know that the right kind of girls will value a strong faith not someone who is swayed by society, their friends, or anybody else besides Christ.  I want guys to know that going from girl to girl will never produce the life-long love so many of you yearn for.  I want them to know that they belong to You and no social group can fill that longing.


Jesus, give me the strength to show those in my life the power of Your cross. Help me to be Your eyes to seek out the broken and lost, even if it means going out on a limb.  Give me the courage to share who You are with every page of my story.  It's all for you.  Every second of every day, I strive to be of use to You. 


I will live for Love no matter what they say.


In Your name, Amen.


"With You Jesus, I'm going to set the world on fire..."

Ready for Change: Colorless Dreams

[I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed, I have Holy Spirit power. I've stepped over the line, the decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down , back away, or be still. My past redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarf goals.] 
-Worth Dying For

Black and white.


That was my life before Christ.
Every day motions, blinded by gray materialism, a slowed heart bored by the ordinary and chock full of colorless dreams.


Dreams of MY college, MY new friends, MY career for me, MY husband, MY comfort.


I didn't know what I was missing.


Glancing up, suddenly it had changed. It was different in every way.
 The dream shifted and my eyes blinked to adjust to a whole new surrounding.
Blooming violets, blinding sun, and skies split open to make way for Heaven.
Amidst the beauty, I heard the anguish of pain splitting the air and I covered my ears.


Color had lit my soul.  The blood of Christ revealed to me the brokenness of this place I called home. 
I found myself in an aching world bigger than myself.  Cities crying out for someone who would heal them and put an end to their pain.


For so long, I thought I wanted to only be surrounded by Christians.
Keep myself protected, keep my personal shield of faith rock solid.  I reasoned that would help me grow.


How ignorant those thoughts were.
How selfish to think this. 
How much I limited my power as a Christian to only be with those in my inner Christian circle.


2 Timothy 1:7 states this:
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline."


Undeniable, unfathomable, undying love that consumes our spirit from the inside out and brings us courage to be His love in this world.


He has given us Holy Spirit power to be His voice, 


[Isaiah 61:1-2]
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound..."


the compassionate heart to extend our hand to gently calm the raging hearts in our paths,

[Matthew 9:36]

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

the passionate drive to bring those who are lost back into His arms and through God's gates into an abundant and blessed life.


[Matthew 7:14]
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."


For so long, my faith was MINE.  


I used to hide my faith.
I wasn't ashamed of it but I never wanted to make other people feel uncomfortable or to get made fun of.
Generally when I would come into contact with someone who was making certain choices, I would slowly back away and look for people more similar to myself because that was safe.  
I'd give them advice but it'd make me uneasy to make people feel like they were in the wrong.  In fear of rejection, I would simply listen because it's their "personal choice".


I would turn my eyes away from an opportunity God was giving to show them love and guidance because my faith was not something to share but merely a personal choice that only affected me and my heart.


Afraid of judgement, afraid of being hypocritical, afraid of coming off to strong.  That was what drove me on.


What was I thinking? What a mistake!
We are called to look out for one another, to speak the truth in love no matter how challenging that may be.


Jesus calls us to reach out to the lonely, the broken, the hurting, those farthest from Him.

[Matthew 5:46] "If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much."

Jesus was the most perfect being to walk this Earth and yet He bent down in the dirt to lift up the face of the leper, the prostitute.  He wasn't afraid of being associated with those dwelling in the darkness because He knew God and the blessing of knowing Him. He knew that it was His duty to share it.  A good of friend of mine at Hope has been a blaring reminder from God on this and as I write this that is my call as part of this life.


It's time for a change.
It's time to start reaching out to those who are walking in darkness to show them God's amazing and transformative light.
I was that girl who walked in darkness myself and knowing that pain reminds me how important it is to extend my hand to them.


Hearing a powerful sermon yesterday, I was reminded of a need to sacrifice yourself so that others may see and to grow more and more like Christ.
To change into being a person of sacrificial, unconditional love for all those around me in different seasons of life-including those who choose to drink, to slam down faith, to curse, to be materialistic, to be selfish, or unwise in their decisions.  
I'm imperfect too. 
It is not about me and how perfect I can try and be. 
It's not about how comfortable I can make my life here on Earth but what Christ can do throughout my life to touch others.


It's not about accepting the brokenness of others as their final fate but embracing them where they're at to bring them to a place of clarity to see Christ


In my FYS class I wrote a poem on embracing those in their weakness where they're at.

The Light Has Come

Set Fire to My Heart

“…You are a letter from Christ…not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” -2 Corinthians 3:3

He writes on my heart,

I scratch it out blindly.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."-Isaiah 30:21

He whispers the way of Love into my ears,

I drown it with static.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” -1 Peter 5:7

He reaches down to take on my burdens and shame,

My back is against the wall.

“God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”-1 John 1:5

Looking to the hills, my eyes are lit with the fire of the sun

and the Light of life has come.

I drop the dark veil from my eyes,

Waves crash against the shore,

He has come.

The door of my soul swings open

I feel His burning fire

He directs me to shattered souls all around me

Embracing them, I run onward.

Carrying the secret,

Illuminating the truth,

Moving through the thorns,

I run.

Though many choose to stray

I will run to the light

No fear can steal the light from my eyes

now that You have come.

Undeserving,

Unworthy,

Broken,

Yet I am Yours.

A servant for the Kingdom,

A daughter of the most high King,

A dreamer of love bigger than this world,

I am Yours alone.

Not for the works I will complete,

Not for the journey I will run,

Or the story I will tell,

But because of what You’ve done.

Out of the darkness,

I will carry Your banner high,

Fighting for You,

I will come out swinging.

Living out the love written on my heart,

Listening to the gentle whispers of Your truth,

I will take His beckoning hand

to lead me.

My heart is ablaze,

My eyes they shine,

The Light has come.

-------

I am done doubting God. He has shown His power. I know He has the power to reach those farthest from Him and transform a light of emptiness to a life of complete fulfillment in Christ because that is a piece of my own story.


I am through being selfish and bottling up my faith.  It is far too precious to be wasted on only myself.
I don't want my faith to be something only shared with other Christians exactly like me where faith remains comfortable.
I want to step out into the open and have people see Christ in the way that I love them like He does with every moment, every word, every action.


It's time to start using the time we've been given to advance the kingdom of God.
Every single second ticks by and we are one step closer to the day where we will face Him.


Start building relationships outside of your tight knit group of friends to reach out to those who need a friend.
Evaluate the time you spend on the computer, watching television, watching movies, procrastinating...start intentionally living and putting every moment towards something so much bigger than yourself.  Faith is what about the things you do not simply the words you say.


"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
[James 2:17]


I want to come to the edge of a mountain and take a leap of faith.  I want to live a life that brings glory to God and fulfillment not only to me but others around me.
I don't want to be the Christian who professes her love for God and lets my empty words fall to the ground.


I want to be someone whose choices are intentional, whose dream are God-inspired.
I want to show others the miracle of God through my unrelenting love for God's children.  
Not through shoving God in their face with an Evangelism brochure and dragging them along the roadside to go to church with me.


Being an insider in God's grace means knowing that God can reach people by showing them His heart through actions of your own.


By loving them unconditionally through their hardships, their trials, their sin, their malicious words, their mistakes.


After all, have you forgotten?


God loves us even when we reflect that ugliness.
 I don't care how great of a Christian you think you are or how amazing everyone sees you as on the surface.  Beneath that lies the sin: the desires, the selfish nature, the evil thoughts, the boastful pride, the jealousy, the doubting.


But with Christ we are covered and beautiful in God's sight.
We can be someone of character, integrity, dignity, purity, grace, compassion, and faith in the midst of the darkness.


We are all a people shattered by sin, even Christians.
  I am someone constantly finding errors in myself.  Selfishly side stepping someone in need because I'm "not in the mood", envying another, pridefully accepting compliments as my own and not in His name.  


We are called to show others the grace we've received by compassionately loving and seeking the people around us with Jesus' eyes and heart.  
We are His hands and feet in this world, and wearing the badge of Christ means making your life a mission to spread it in the everyday.


A famous quote reminds me of the reason why I run.
And this reason is because this life has a time span, it is not forever.


"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to suck the marrow from the bones of life; to put to rout all that was not life, and not to come to the end of life, and discover that I had not lived. 
- Henry David Thoreau


I have reached a point in my life where I am ready for change, for deliberate and passionate living. To live a life where people come to know God through knowing me.


This world is ready for change.  It's awaiting the people that step outside of their selves to proclaim Christ and to boast in hope that awaits us beyond our final hour.


Many people do not know Christ and how shall they know if nobody raises their voice to tell them?  May we raise our voices to sing of His great love in our lives so that they may see.


"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
[Romans 10:14]


Lord, I pray you would be our Light.  Lead us away from a life of comfort zones.  Don't allow us to settle for selfish living, but may your love move us to action for Your kingdom to bring others into a relationship with the God who heals and makes sense of us in all of our brokenness. As Christians, stir us to awaken others to your truth simply in the way we develop intentional relationships and go about our lives.  Push us to set aside colorless dreams when You have shown us the way to fullness  that You've hand-painted for each one of us.  


Convict us of Your power to make change in ourselves as well as those stumbling..  Give us a heart for them.


In Your name, Amen.