Allyson, Amy, and I were sitting in the food court zoning when Allyson turned to me.
"The world is so obsessed with relationships!"
Her comment caught me off guard.
"You know," she continued, "like if you're single you're told you're not worth anything. And if you're in a relationship it's the best thing that has ever happened to you. I bet that's a way satan uses to distract us from God's love!"
Woah! That was way too deep for my hazy brain. As I regained full consciousness and began to process her words, I decided she is absolutely right!
I'm single. But a disgusting amount of time is spent wondering and day dreaming about my future husband and family. I spend a lot more time yearning for what I can't have rather than embracing the unfailing love that was graciously given to me.
Allyson wasn't done. "And if that one relationship is the best thing that ever happened to you, what about all of your other relationships? Don't they matter?"
Recently the loss of a close friendship has left me mourning and dejected. But what about all of the other flourishing relationships in my life? Don't they count for anything?
Sure they do. But they aren't the one completing relationship. The one we girls think a man can fill. The one, truthfully, only God can fill.
Allyson's thoughts were spurred by a music video I wasn't watching. I looked up at the end to see a mother and father playing with their two sons by splashing each other in the ocean and jumping on the bed. It was really sweet.
I hope to one day have that. But until then, can I embrace the love of God given to me? When I do have my own family, will I still put my joy and hope in Christ?
Right now, I honestly don't know if I can answer yes to both of those questions. Maybe that's why I'm single. There are still a lot of things for me to learn before someone else can walk into my life.
<>< Katie
Showing posts with label son. Show all posts
Showing posts with label son. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Crisis Averted
After almost a month of scrapbook, I'm getting close to finishing my Guatemala scrapbook. It's been wonderful to relive that week and reminisce about the silly stories, the God moments, and the tedious work.
One day, we went to Lago Atilan and took a boat ride to a market on the other side of the lake. The bus ride to the boat was about three hours and at one point we hit construction traffic so bad that our driver turned off the bus. The peddlers loved this as they swarmed our bus like bees on a piece of fruit. I can just imagine them saying to each other, "Look at that bus of rich American tourists! Let's go sell some stuff!" First of all, college students are not rich. Secondly, we wanted to buy our souvenirs at our final destination not on the road to the market.
Neal had a short list of items he wanted to take home to his kids, and he knew he wanted to get his son a slingshot. The peddlers had a cute slingshot with a man on the handle. Neal opted against passing up this opportunity and purchased a slingshot through the window.
Evan, one of our team members, had a sunhat he'd been wearing all week. Not very diligently, I might add, or he would not have been burnt to a crisp. Well, while we were on the boat, his hat blew off. We continued out journey leaving Evan's beloved hat in the distance. We teased about the Guatemalan kayaker who would enjoy Evan's hat and cherish it like a prized possession.
As we were about to disembark, our host warned us about an idol worshiped in Guatemala. Since we were indeed a Christian mission team, it would not be good for us to buy this idol but rather use that moment as a witnessing opportunity and scream "SOLO JESÚS CHRISTO" as we fled. :-)
"What does the idol look like so we don't buy it by mistake?"
"It's a man with a cigar and a sun hat," Neal explained.
"Sort of like Evan's that just blew away?"
"Yes! God took care of that one for us," Neal said with a smile.
"Hey, Neal," I asked, "what's the difference between this idol and the little man on the slingshot you bought for your son?"
Oops. The slingshot didn't actually have the idol on it but rather a similar knock-off, but either way Neal could not give this gift to his son.
Be careful what you buy and don't fret if you lose something, maybe God was just taking care of the situation for you.
In Christ,
<>< Katie
One day, we went to Lago Atilan and took a boat ride to a market on the other side of the lake. The bus ride to the boat was about three hours and at one point we hit construction traffic so bad that our driver turned off the bus. The peddlers loved this as they swarmed our bus like bees on a piece of fruit. I can just imagine them saying to each other, "Look at that bus of rich American tourists! Let's go sell some stuff!" First of all, college students are not rich. Secondly, we wanted to buy our souvenirs at our final destination not on the road to the market.
Neal had a short list of items he wanted to take home to his kids, and he knew he wanted to get his son a slingshot. The peddlers had a cute slingshot with a man on the handle. Neal opted against passing up this opportunity and purchased a slingshot through the window.
Evan, one of our team members, had a sunhat he'd been wearing all week. Not very diligently, I might add, or he would not have been burnt to a crisp. Well, while we were on the boat, his hat blew off. We continued out journey leaving Evan's beloved hat in the distance. We teased about the Guatemalan kayaker who would enjoy Evan's hat and cherish it like a prized possession.
As we were about to disembark, our host warned us about an idol worshiped in Guatemala. Since we were indeed a Christian mission team, it would not be good for us to buy this idol but rather use that moment as a witnessing opportunity and scream "SOLO JESÚS CHRISTO" as we fled. :-)
"What does the idol look like so we don't buy it by mistake?"
"It's a man with a cigar and a sun hat," Neal explained.
"Sort of like Evan's that just blew away?"
"Yes! God took care of that one for us," Neal said with a smile.
"Hey, Neal," I asked, "what's the difference between this idol and the little man on the slingshot you bought for your son?"
Oops. The slingshot didn't actually have the idol on it but rather a similar knock-off, but either way Neal could not give this gift to his son.
Be careful what you buy and don't fret if you lose something, maybe God was just taking care of the situation for you.
In Christ,
<>< Katie
Monday, December 22, 2008
Merry Christmas
Wait! I have a legitimate, good thought! (Maybe).
The other day at work, a mother came to pick up her son. Two of us went to get him (me and student). The mom yelled down the hall to her son not to put his shoes back on. He nor the other student heard her. "Mom said not to put your shoes on because you have to put your boots on instead," I told him and then he actually listened. She laughed about the incident and said, "At least someone listens to me." She went to go help her son find his boots and I went back to work.
"Katie," the mom called again. "Merry Christmas."
Simple words, yet they stuck with me the whole day. If I would have passed her at some other point in time and she wished me a Merry Christmas I probably would not have thought anything of it. Yet, she called me back to wish me a Merry Christmas. Not a happy holiday. A Merry Christmas. I knew her before I was working with her son, and we're both Christians, yet I think it made both of our hearts smile to be able to wish sisters in Christ a Merry Christmas without worrying about offending anyone. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas!
<>< Katie
"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with Child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.'" Luke 2:30-33
The other day at work, a mother came to pick up her son. Two of us went to get him (me and student). The mom yelled down the hall to her son not to put his shoes back on. He nor the other student heard her. "Mom said not to put your shoes on because you have to put your boots on instead," I told him and then he actually listened. She laughed about the incident and said, "At least someone listens to me." She went to go help her son find his boots and I went back to work.
"Katie," the mom called again. "Merry Christmas."
Simple words, yet they stuck with me the whole day. If I would have passed her at some other point in time and she wished me a Merry Christmas I probably would not have thought anything of it. Yet, she called me back to wish me a Merry Christmas. Not a happy holiday. A Merry Christmas. I knew her before I was working with her son, and we're both Christians, yet I think it made both of our hearts smile to be able to wish sisters in Christ a Merry Christmas without worrying about offending anyone. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas!
<>< Katie
"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with Child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.'" Luke 2:30-33
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Persistence and Insistence
I had the opportunity to witness family life again this weekend and it was good. :-)
The youngest son spend quite a while leaping off of the couch attempting to retrieve a lady bug from the ceiling. Eventually he was successful and ran to show his parents in the kitchen.
"Look, Dad! He's not dead anymore!" The son stretched out his finger allowing his father to take a closer look at the ladybug stretching his wings.
"I don't know; I think he's dead," the father teased.
"No! Dad! Look! He's not dead! He's moving!"
"I don't think he's really moving; I think it's your imagination."
"NO! DAD! LOOK!!" The son insisted.
Eventually the lady bug flew up right into the father's face and onto the window.
"You were right, son!" the father admitted as they both watched the ladybug explore his new freedom.
Like the son worked persistently to retrieve the bug, we have to persevere in life. Even once we're successful, there will be skeptics telling us we're wrong. However, in the end, our efforts will not be futile because God is faithful.
This most certainly is true. :-)
<>< Katie
"More than that we rejoice in our sufferings because we know sufferings produce endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us down to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
The youngest son spend quite a while leaping off of the couch attempting to retrieve a lady bug from the ceiling. Eventually he was successful and ran to show his parents in the kitchen.
"Look, Dad! He's not dead anymore!" The son stretched out his finger allowing his father to take a closer look at the ladybug stretching his wings.
"I don't know; I think he's dead," the father teased.
"No! Dad! Look! He's not dead! He's moving!"
"I don't think he's really moving; I think it's your imagination."
"NO! DAD! LOOK!!" The son insisted.
Eventually the lady bug flew up right into the father's face and onto the window.
"You were right, son!" the father admitted as they both watched the ladybug explore his new freedom.
Like the son worked persistently to retrieve the bug, we have to persevere in life. Even once we're successful, there will be skeptics telling us we're wrong. However, in the end, our efforts will not be futile because God is faithful.
This most certainly is true. :-)
<>< Katie
"More than that we rejoice in our sufferings because we know sufferings produce endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us down to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
Thursday, July 31, 2008
2016
When I renewed my driver's license the other day, it now does not expire until 2016. That's eight years from now! I realized I may not have to renew my license again until I'm living in a different state! My mom commented that none of my family may be living here by 2016. What by 2016 I'm living in a different state and have a different name? Now that's creepy! BUT sometimes change can be good (ok, Lutherans, one, two, three GROAN!)...
My family and I were having a conversation the other day and it was quite humorous. My sister and I realized that I'm going to have little girl kids and she's going to have little boy kids. Why? Because she loves to run around like a crazed maniac and wrestle, etc. While I love to sit and cuddle and have tea parties, etc. After dinner the other day, Christina looked at me and said,
"Katie, if you have little girls, they can have my American Girl doll clothes." I thanked her and reminded her the clothes were mostly mine to begin with. ;-)
Laura then added with a laugh, "Katie, if you have little boys and I have little girls, you can have my little girls and I'll have your little boys."
"And Grandma will take them all to the zoo, right?" I added.
It was around this point that my dad returned from outer spaced and wondered what the heck we were talking about and quickly commented he wanted no more kids.
Last night between our two games of Life, I had no boy kids but three girl kids. Foreshadowing???
Sorry, no deep Biblical connection today. Tomorrow perhaps.
In Christ,
<>< Katie
My family and I were having a conversation the other day and it was quite humorous. My sister and I realized that I'm going to have little girl kids and she's going to have little boy kids. Why? Because she loves to run around like a crazed maniac and wrestle, etc. While I love to sit and cuddle and have tea parties, etc. After dinner the other day, Christina looked at me and said,
"Katie, if you have little girls, they can have my American Girl doll clothes." I thanked her and reminded her the clothes were mostly mine to begin with. ;-)
Laura then added with a laugh, "Katie, if you have little boys and I have little girls, you can have my little girls and I'll have your little boys."
"And Grandma will take them all to the zoo, right?" I added.
It was around this point that my dad returned from outer spaced and wondered what the heck we were talking about and quickly commented he wanted no more kids.
Last night between our two games of Life, I had no boy kids but three girl kids. Foreshadowing???
Sorry, no deep Biblical connection today. Tomorrow perhaps.
In Christ,
<>< Katie
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