Smile

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by
If you smile through your pain and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
For you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile- What's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile- What's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile Even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky- You'll get by

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile- What's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

Smile - Charlie Chapman

What I learned from loneliness.

So much has happened since I last wrote that I don't know where to start. Life is flying by at a speed that leaves me spinning. Hopefully, I'll be able to make my posts a little more consistent, but it is crunch time for those of us in college - so don't hold me to it. :)

On a whim, I flipped back through my old journal of last summer and read through my thoughts and memories during that time. Some were really painful, others embarrassing, most pretty dramatic - the kind where you wince a little as you read, ya know? All of it though, was very real, and very difficult.

I learned so many lessons last summer, and grew a lot. It was far different from what I expected, in both positive and negative ways. I learned more about campus ministry (which I still have a heart for), and got to do things like sit in on meetings and help with summer projects. I started new friendships, and caught up with the ones that can easily get neglected in the business of the academic year. But the one word that described my summer overall, was loneliness. 

It was tough. I spent a lot of time by myself, or with people who (in my opinion) just didn’t “get me.” But almost a year later, I can honestly say I'm glad for it. I don't say that lightly, but it is true. After reading all of those entries, I felt like I should write about them, a different perspective at a different time. I started with a free-write in my current journal and wanted to share it, so here it is.

It hurts,

But I’m never completely alone.

It bends,

but does not break entirely.

I learned to count my blessings,

and treasure each moment with those that I love.

I learned that it’s easier said than done.

and that the toughest storms are sometimes internal.

I learned that God is closer than I know.

and His silence is different from his absence.

He never lets go,

but challenges me to be something greater than I am.

Those changes hurt, push me to my limits,

but in my weakness he still moves.

Through my foolishness he whispers wisdom.

Through my hurt he speaks of hope.

Life is full of contradictions:

            sweet and sour

            kind and harsh

            gentle and fierce

            lack and excess

but none of them have to control me. 

------

Some things can’t be taught, only experienced. I am better for that summer, although I couldn’t see it then. So if you are in that place, chin up, and look for moments of learning despite the tough stuff. I don’t say this to belittle what you are going through now, but you gotta know that the other side will come.

As always, I want to hear your questions, comments, or thoughts.

(Also, if you have any ideas on how to improve this poem-ish thing I have here, please let me know that too. I would love to hear [constructive] feedback).

E-mail updates

Hey,

I had someone ask if they could receive e-mails when I posted something new. You can! Drop to the bottom of this page where it says Subscribe To: posts. Follow the link and it's really easy to set up from there.

Thanks for reading :D

My Passion

Do you ever hear a song and wish it had been you that wrote it? This is one of those songs for me. They lyrics speak so powerfully. The song is My Passion by Jesus Culture from their album Come Away. 

I'm alive to bring, glory to You, King.
God of victory, You are my passion.
It's in the way you are, You don't change at all.
Great and humble God, You are my passion.

My strength in life, is I am Yours.
My soul delights because I am Yours.
Your will on earth is all I'm living for.

Jesus I glorify.
Jesus my love is Yours.
You are my heart's desire.
I live to know You more.

Light that breaks the darkness, showing what true love is.
Always full of goodness, You are my passion.
You never do me wrong, the meekest man but strong.
The most perfect song, You are my passion.

Life - Day 9

The past few days have been pretty rough. Woke up feeling really heavy and sluggish on Friday morning, and it hasn’t lifted since then.

Friday at 2:00pm. I went to the psychiatrist for the first time. It was incredibly scary for me. I didn’t want to think about it, and I almost didn’t go. They fine you if you no-show though. It’s probably a good thing. It got me there. That and the fact that I woke up feeling incredibly heavy and sluggish. I’m not happy that Friday morning was awful, but it helped me to see that as far as I’ve been able to come, I’m still struggling.

We talked about this semester and what I had been doing. I told him what I’d been doing based on my sessions with my new counselor – exercise, vitamins, journaling, eating better. I told him my fear – that I was afraid to be changed by the medicine. His response was almost harsh “well, you’re not yourself now, are you?”  Maybe it was only harsh because it was true. Either way, he noticed the look on my face and tried again, this time with a little more gentleness. 

He explained that the type of medicine he suggested was not going to affect my personality and that most people had very few ill effects. We talked through the possible side effects and the prospective dosage. After talking for nearly an hour, he finally asked me directly: what do you want to do?

I sat there, thinking of every possible reason to say no. Then I thought of the reasons to say yes. I thought of the six absences in my 9:00 class. I thought of all the late work I’ve turned in. I thought of the difficulty I have focusing and the constant low energy. I realized then that I’ve been surviving this semester, not living it. I don’t want to barely make it through every winter for the rest of my life. I want to thrive and live and give freely to those around me. I can’t do that in a consistent manner now.

Don’t get me wrong, there are bright days, and good moments in even in the dark ones. Each day has contained quiet notes of grace that compose a melody if I just listen. It plays in the big things. Echoes in the little things. A class canceled on a day that I just couldn’t grasp the strength to get there. A friendly classmate who bumps into me on her way to the gym just as I was about to drop the idea of working out that day.  Amazing friends who will cry with me one day and laugh with me the next. Those rare and wonderful individuals who just “get it” and don’t ask for apologies or explanations. I am incredibly fortunate.  

I told him I wanted to try it. He wrote a prescription and handed it to me. I walked out of the office feeling numb. I walked to the pharmacy, had it filled, and left.

Immediately, doubts surfaced.

            Those side effects are going to be awful!

Things might just get worse.

It’s midway through March, why can’t you just handle it for a little bit longer?

What will people say if they find out?

I don’t really know how this will turn out, but I’ve decided to try. I’m definitely still struggling with my fears and doubts. There’s no pretty ribbon wrap up at the end for now. I just have to keep walking.

My heart is with Japan

I am at a loss for words. I pray that Japan will come together as a country to help pick up the pieces and rebuild. I hope other countries including our own will come along side them to support in whatever way is needed.

Seeing Me - Day 8

I definitely realize that my last post wasn't very clear. I've been reading a lot of "how to blog" advice and many of them say that a blog should have a central focus. I thought that I had one, but then I wasn't sure, and I let that keep me from writing. I really don't know the best answer for  this, but I miss writing.

So for now, I'll just keep posting my thoughts and asking for yours in return, okay?

-------

Something I’ve noticed about people in general is that we are really good at misunderstanding each other. We get so focused on our way of living, being, doing that we can’t really see each other. I see this everywhere, but because of my experience I notice it a lot in the church.

I know that because of who I am, I can get caught up in deficits – what’s not right in a certain situation. That’s not the mindset I’m trying to set forth. I don’t want this to be a “what I hate about the American church” spiel. That’s not my goal at all. 

But what I see often is an inability to relate to people who do things differently. Maybe it’s how someone dresses or wears their hair. Maybe it’s the “calling” or purpose that they feel is on their life. Whatever it is, our tendency as humans is to consider the way we do things as the best way. 

In the church, it seems to play out in two extremes with lots of variations in between. There are those that have a very strict mindset: “Wear this, do these things, and stay in church as much as possible. Follow the rules set by those in authority.”  They tend to say things like “that person just need to get right” and are intensely prideful about the way they live their lives. The other extreme is to look with disdain on those who subscribe to a more traditional way of doing church. They mock those that persevere through the problems that do occur, and consider those that stick around as lame or “legalistic” without trying to understand the heart behind it.

Although I don’t think I was necessarily at either extreme, I definitely had an attitude of judgment. I was unconsciously “ranking” people’s choices or ways of living according to my personal convictions or ideas about how the world works.

I think that I missed out on a lot of great people and ideas because of that. 

It’s humbling to realize that my attitude was so wrong, and so limiting. Through that humility though, I can see things and people in a way that is so incredibly exciting. I’m learning to welcome and be thrilled by differences because I’m okay with knowing I don’t have it all together. That doesn’t change my value, nor does it make my opinions invalid. 

I believe that God is limitless, complex, and wonderfully creative.  Being godly isn’t about how you dress or about fitting into people’s perception of what it means to be a Christian. It’s all about Jesus. It’s about learning to hear what he has to say to you daily, and following that faithfully. Every day. Step by step. It’s so simple, yet it’s incredibly difficult to do. It requires effort and uncertainty. There are days that I feel confident and know exactly where to go. There are others where I struggle to hear clearly and feel like I’m screwing up completely. Sometimes I’ll feel both in the same day. 

I think that might be why it’s easy to fall into just following the rules, or in sticking to a prescribed way of doing things. I believe many people mean well, and want to live flawlessly. So we boil things down, oversimplify, and confine ourselves to what we know.

But where’s the adventure in that? 

I'm learning to see God’s plan for me as just that: perfectly and wonderfully for me. I’m learning to be confident in what I believe I am supposed to do, without setting myself above someone else. I can authentically embrace people that are doing things differently, and be excited about their journey even if it is wildly different from mine.

I think that’s pretty cool, just sayin’ :D