Breaking point

Genesis 9:7
And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it.

This line of the Bible is often quoted, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, spread out over the earth, procreate, reproduce, but from so many other sources we hear the downside of filling the earth.

As the population on earth continues to increase we will reach breaking points such as food shortages and fresh drinking water shortages.  These shortages already exist in many places, but the current shortages are not due to a lack of resources, but rather an unequal dispersion of these resources throughout the earth.  As the population continues to increase these shortages will eventually become a reality for everyone.

Why would God ask us to fill the earth? Why would He knowingly push us to such an extreme breaking point?

In science and research, the extremes are where things get interesting.  The extremes are where things change and discoveries are made.

Is God looking for things to get interesting?  Is He looking for change?

Imagine for a moment that we have reached the point where shortages and rationing have become a reality for everyone one earth.  On this day both the rich and the poor of the old world will stand in the same line for food and water.  Will they be able to shed their old images and labels of rich and poor and see their news ones as students and teachers?

The poor of the old world will know how to survive on very little food and water.

  1. Will the poor of the old world be willing to teach?
  2. Will the rich of the old world be willing to learn?

Isn’t populating and filling the earth pushing us towards a forced equality?  Imagine how overjoyed God would be if we reached a desire for equality and true action to provide the basic needs for all of our brothers and sisters before our hands were forced, before we reached the breaking point.

God please inspire generosity within me and the motivation to act on it.

Luke 3:10-11
And the crowds asked [John the Baptist], “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”

Who is your teacher?

I saw a documentary today with a man in it who had been searching for a guru or teacher since he was young.  He had found one and then the story went on from there, but it made me think.  Who is my teacher?  I haven’t been searching (at least actively or consciously) since I was young.

When we are not searching then who fills the space of teacher for us?

Obviously the answer is different for everyone, but I think I have always allowed my associations (including my television viewing) to step in and fill the void of teacher in my life.

Only since I have been a stay at home mother (with a little extra time, a lack of colleagues and a recent blessing of a lack of interest in television other than documentaries) have I for the first time in my life been indirectly searching for a teacher because no one/ no thing has been here to fill the void by default.

Jesus, please guide me to people, books, documentaries and any others sources that will teach me what You want me to know.  Please help me to prepare to be a sign post, a guide, a light in the night for others or maybe even a teacher if a student ever comes my way.

It’s Our Best Life!  The choice is ours, we must choose our teachers wisely and not follow others or ideas blindly or by default.

Warriors of Love!

I heard the song His Kind of Love by Group 1 Crew today on KSBJ in Houston (my favorite station)!  I am sure I have heard it many times, but I was planning to run today and the great beat struck me.  I drove home from dropping the girls off, bought it for my i-pod, put it on repeat, and ran out the door.

The song got me really pumped up for a run, and as I running I was really listening to the words and feeling His love, praying for understanding His love, and wanting to share His love.  I made it home and as I was stepping into the house I was listening to the line in the song, “Is reckless for us” and do you know who I thought of?  I thought of women in abusive relationships and marriages.

I thought to myself these women understand reckless love.  They stay with their partner or husband through the beatings, through the verbal abuse, through the humiliation.  They love their partners and they wait out the bad times and hope for the good times to return. They haven’t forgotten the glimmer of Jesus that they saw in their spouses eyes when they first met and they probably see Jesus again every morning after the storm in the apologies, hugs, kisses and promises that it will never happen again.  They lose friends and family who don’t understand why they won’t leave.  In the end others give up on them or even start to hate them for their weakness for staying… just as Jesus was despised by so many.  The bruises, scars, and pain are their battles wounds showing us that they know a lot about loving as Jesus loves.  They know about Reckless Love.

I am in no way suggesting these women stay in these relationships or continue to put up with abuse. I don’t want that for them or anyone!

However since realizing this, I will never again look upon these women with pity.  I will see them as Warriors of Love!  I will want to kiss their battle wounds and pray for a quick recovery.  I will want to ask how to help them and not take the assumption that I know how to help them.  I will want to thank them for showing me that it is possible in our world to love recklessly as Jesus loves us.  I will want to ask them how they do it (not as a put down or to embarrass them, but as a student would ask a teacher)  so that I can humbly try to spread the love that they are spreading through this one lost individual that they have been appointed to care for, teach and love!

Jesus please help us to love as these women love and help us to change our perspective and see these women as You want them to be seen, as Your Warriors of Love!