Sunday at church i heard an amazing sermon preached by the amazing Tammy Conrad..the kind of sermon that penetrates your heart so deep that you know God intentionally made sure, despite all odds, that you were at church that morning to hear it. I know that this was the case because i woke up at 10:06..giving me approximately 20 minutes to get ready. She said so many amazing things, but what I want to touch on that hit me the hardest is she kind of called all of us out for being selfish. For saying things like "What about me?" or "You don't know how hard I work." It immediately got the gears turning inside of my head..how many times have I said something so self centered? Something that I didn't even realize I was saying. How many times have I been upset because I pour myself into someone so that they can leave me disappointed? How many times have I dared someone to take a walk in my shoes, and see how they like it.
Suddenly I'm drowning in this huge pool of emotions. How on earth did I ever think that I wasn't a selfish person? Just when I thought I was content in my character, God smacks me in the face again and tells me to wake up. You see, when things get hard in my life, I think of literally every single bad thing that has ever happened to me and it all piles up until I can't handle it anymore. If you ask me, I can be somewhat of a baby..in fact, i think we all can be. But in that moment, I thought about Jesus. I know Jesus seems pretty appropriate to think about during church, but I thought about Him and how much He gave up for me to be sitting where I was in that very moment. I thought about all of the blessings He has given me that I don't even begin to deserve, and i'm overwhelmed by my self righteousness. I'm overwhelmed by the fact that I think I DESERVE to have more than i do. I'm overwhelmed by the fact that any of us think we deserve what we're given. Cause we don't.
I want you to think of the person you love the most in the entire world. Mom, Dad, brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, anyone. Now, pick the sin you struggle with the most. Got it? Now picture that person being nailed to a cross, suffering and dying because of that one thing you do and can't stop. And if you had just stopped, that person wouldn't have had to die. I bet you can't picture that..I bet right now in your mind you are thinking Come on Keller, if I had to pick between a sin and someone I love dying..i would pick to get rid of the sin. Right? Wrong. I think we choose to forget about Jesus when we're having fun. I think we forget about Jesus when we're sinning. Because we want to. Because we're selfish. And you know the worst part of it all? He knew we would forget Him but He died with us in mind.
You might think i'm rambling, you might not see where I'm going with anything I just said, so let me put it in simpler terms. We have one opportunity to live our lives. We have one shot at forever. We can blame our poor circumstances, our bad attitudes, our could have, would have and should haves on everyone else in the world. But when it comes down to it, we don't deserve anything we do have. My challenge for you is to think of whatever selfish desire you're struggling with and trash it..give it to Jesus because He knows your heart better than you do. His stopped beating so that yours could. And before you tell anyone else to take a walk in your shoes..why don't you take a walk in His.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
A Love So Loud- Here's to Us.
I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. Adults, I'm sorry but this isn't directed to you as much as it is directed to us teenagers. I check my twitter on a daily basis, and the things that I see on my TimeLine sometimes are absolutely awful. Written by people my age or people younger, things that aren't meant to be said by people like us, people who haven't even seen half of what the world has to offer. This post isn't going to be judgmental, that's not my intention. But I realized something now more than ever..we need a voice for our generation.
It's crazy to me because we hit age thirteen and suddenly everything we used to know feels a whole lot bigger. We start seeing the evil that consumes our world and we search for a light that helps make it all seem a whole lot brighter. We have big dreams of becoming amazing and they're crushed by a fist full of broken promises. They leave us sitting in an empty room full of what used to be. We get told who to be, what to wear, how to fit in and how to look. We get told that if you aren't stick thin, you're fat. If you're wearing glasses, you're a nerd. Braces? What a loser. This ride we call life is becoming a lot more like a stroll down the judgmental cat walk.
And that's where this voice I was talking about comes in. I need you to know something, teenagers, (since I will soon leave you all for the age of 20 haha.) but seriously, listen to me for just a second. It's okay to be different. And this isn't one of those quotes like "you were born an original, don't die a copy." this is a serious, serious statement. And there are so many I know that Keller, moments in my blog. But I feel like we need to talk about where I'm going with this.
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
That's where I'm going. I need you all to cling to this verse while you still have your innocence. While your mistakes are still so insignificant. While it seems so hard but is still so easy and so pure. Because in the next few years, you're going to hear someone tell you that you can't. You need to know you can. You're going to hear someone tell you who to be, don't let them. Be like a word in a dictionary, people can try to tell you what you are..but in the end you are whatever your creator made you to be. You are already defined through Christ, and no one can take that from you.
So talk to others with the same words you would use if you were talking to God. Make a difference. Don't think that because we are teenagers we can't make a wave in the worlds' ocean. Be bold and be passionate about anything and everything your heart desires. And cling to what is good around you in a not so good world. Stay faithful to the wife or husband you haven't met yet..because true love will wait. Set the example for others that no one else has. Be respectful and be polite. Be kind and be courageous. Try building someone up instead of tearing them down. Live by 1 Timothy 4:12. Take on the world with your voice, God's love, a bible and the ability to be heard. Here's to us, here's to making a change. And remember Romans 8:31- if God is for us, who can ever be against us?
It's crazy to me because we hit age thirteen and suddenly everything we used to know feels a whole lot bigger. We start seeing the evil that consumes our world and we search for a light that helps make it all seem a whole lot brighter. We have big dreams of becoming amazing and they're crushed by a fist full of broken promises. They leave us sitting in an empty room full of what used to be. We get told who to be, what to wear, how to fit in and how to look. We get told that if you aren't stick thin, you're fat. If you're wearing glasses, you're a nerd. Braces? What a loser. This ride we call life is becoming a lot more like a stroll down the judgmental cat walk.
And that's where this voice I was talking about comes in. I need you to know something, teenagers, (since I will soon leave you all for the age of 20 haha.) but seriously, listen to me for just a second. It's okay to be different. And this isn't one of those quotes like "you were born an original, don't die a copy." this is a serious, serious statement. And there are so many I know that Keller, moments in my blog. But I feel like we need to talk about where I'm going with this.
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
That's where I'm going. I need you all to cling to this verse while you still have your innocence. While your mistakes are still so insignificant. While it seems so hard but is still so easy and so pure. Because in the next few years, you're going to hear someone tell you that you can't. You need to know you can. You're going to hear someone tell you who to be, don't let them. Be like a word in a dictionary, people can try to tell you what you are..but in the end you are whatever your creator made you to be. You are already defined through Christ, and no one can take that from you.
So talk to others with the same words you would use if you were talking to God. Make a difference. Don't think that because we are teenagers we can't make a wave in the worlds' ocean. Be bold and be passionate about anything and everything your heart desires. And cling to what is good around you in a not so good world. Stay faithful to the wife or husband you haven't met yet..because true love will wait. Set the example for others that no one else has. Be respectful and be polite. Be kind and be courageous. Try building someone up instead of tearing them down. Live by 1 Timothy 4:12. Take on the world with your voice, God's love, a bible and the ability to be heard. Here's to us, here's to making a change. And remember Romans 8:31- if God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
A Love So Loud- Believe in Me.
My goal now is to write every single day, even if it is just a little something..to help keep me on the right path. Not everything I write will be posted, but- I'll be writing. You all know I write blog posts..but I actually grew up writing poems every night before I went to bed and they would help me go to sleep, I was never really sure why until recently.
So last night, I wrote a poem. In the sixth grade we had an assignment called "Believe in Me" and we either had to write a poem or a paper or something, but Believe in me was the focus of the project. In sixth grade I wrote a pretty awesome poem about believing in God that I still remember most of. But last night, I put a new spin on the project that we had in the sixth grade and I thought I should share it with you all and switch it up a little bit.
She got home from work today,
Slammed the keys on the counter, barely got paid.
The kids are crying, there's not much to eat,
How are they ever going to get to sleep.
She kneels by her bedside, tears stream from her cheek,
Lord, I'm begging, believe in me.
He steps up to the line, knocks down two.
Time's running down and there's not much else to do.
Ten seconds left, down by three.
Asking- hey coach, believe in me.
It's finally here, it is the big day.
the interview is soon, she's well on her way.
before she walks in her phone vibrates, she sees..
A text from Mom, she believes in me.
Bullied at school, comes home to chores.
With a fist in the air- I can't do this anymore.
Life is too hard why can't anyone see?
He yells at the wall- someone please believe in me.
At the end of the day, its all the same.
Our circumstances are hard, we look for someone else to blame.
I think if we open our eyes we'd probably understand,
That in this world we will struggle while we're surrounded by man.
But the positive thing is for those who believe,
There's more to this life than just what we see.
To the mom that struggles to barely get by,
The kid that has the big game on the line.
The girl that's about to embark on something new,
The kid who doesn't know what to do.
It's bigger than what you're going through,
And most of the people around you are struggling too.
But in the midst of the troubles and the raging sea,
Stay calm and hear the voice saying believe in Me.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. -John 14:1
So last night, I wrote a poem. In the sixth grade we had an assignment called "Believe in Me" and we either had to write a poem or a paper or something, but Believe in me was the focus of the project. In sixth grade I wrote a pretty awesome poem about believing in God that I still remember most of. But last night, I put a new spin on the project that we had in the sixth grade and I thought I should share it with you all and switch it up a little bit.
She got home from work today,
Slammed the keys on the counter, barely got paid.
The kids are crying, there's not much to eat,
How are they ever going to get to sleep.
She kneels by her bedside, tears stream from her cheek,
Lord, I'm begging, believe in me.
He steps up to the line, knocks down two.
Time's running down and there's not much else to do.
Ten seconds left, down by three.
Asking- hey coach, believe in me.
It's finally here, it is the big day.
the interview is soon, she's well on her way.
before she walks in her phone vibrates, she sees..
A text from Mom, she believes in me.
Bullied at school, comes home to chores.
With a fist in the air- I can't do this anymore.
Life is too hard why can't anyone see?
He yells at the wall- someone please believe in me.
At the end of the day, its all the same.
Our circumstances are hard, we look for someone else to blame.
I think if we open our eyes we'd probably understand,
That in this world we will struggle while we're surrounded by man.
But the positive thing is for those who believe,
There's more to this life than just what we see.
To the mom that struggles to barely get by,
The kid that has the big game on the line.
The girl that's about to embark on something new,
The kid who doesn't know what to do.
It's bigger than what you're going through,
And most of the people around you are struggling too.
But in the midst of the troubles and the raging sea,
Stay calm and hear the voice saying believe in Me.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. -John 14:1
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A Love So Loud- How are YOU?
Its been a while since I've written, a long while. And it seems like that's how almost all of my posts lately have started out, and there is absolutely no excuse. With that being said, I have a twitter account that is specific to my blog (@ALoveSoLoud). It will feature when my new posts come out, and a lot of other pretty neat things that will hopefully hold me accountable for writing more but most importantly, try and bring us all a little closer to God.
I want to switch it up a little bit today. I want you to take the time and examine your heart. I want you to ask yourself how you are doing. Why? Because you matter. You matter to others, yourself, and most importantly you matter to God. I've been thinking about how easy it is to lose yourself in the hustle of every day life. Especially if you have a job, children, a husband, obligations..anything that can completely steer yourself away from, well..you. And I've come to the conclusion that no matter how ridiculous it may sound, it is important to sit down sometimes and ask yourself how you're doing. And this, is why.
1. You are the best version of yourself when you are happy. That seems like a pretty obvious statement, I know. But it's also one of those that we often overlook. Happiness means so many different things to each of us..so make an attempt to find what makes you smile. Cause you know what they say "Happiness is a journey, not a destination."
2. Despite what anyone tells you, you matter. I want you to think about all of the things that wouldn't be possible if you didn't exist. For mothers, you wouldn't have been able to bless the world with your children- who will one day mean the world to someone else. For teenagers, think about all that you are for your best friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend, or siblings. For those who feel like they don't matter, I guarantee you have made someones day before, and you'll make it again. There is a reason you're here.
3. And the most important reason I have for you today is, it keeps your relationship with Jesus number one in your life. And I'm sure some of you are wondering where on earth I'm going with this..so let me explain. I don't claim to be a preacher, I haven't read the whole bible..but I have a relationship with my Savior that grows, in some way, every day. And a really big part of that is this step. Like I said, it's easy to get lost in the crazy of life, but it's easier to land in the arms of The One who gives it meaning.
So when you go to lay down tonight..or if you're just sitting around letting your mind wander; ask yourself how you're doing. Have a heart to heart with Jesus if you haven't in a while. Let Him know where you fall short. Let Him know where you stand and where you wish to be. Allow Him to work through your heart. Because in the end..
1. Jesus is your journey to happiness, and your destination.
2. You will never mean more to anyone than you do to Him. I mean, He did die to give us a life.
3. And sometimes, the one who doesn't directly talk back, is the very best listener.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. John 15:4 (NLT)
I want to switch it up a little bit today. I want you to take the time and examine your heart. I want you to ask yourself how you are doing. Why? Because you matter. You matter to others, yourself, and most importantly you matter to God. I've been thinking about how easy it is to lose yourself in the hustle of every day life. Especially if you have a job, children, a husband, obligations..anything that can completely steer yourself away from, well..you. And I've come to the conclusion that no matter how ridiculous it may sound, it is important to sit down sometimes and ask yourself how you're doing. And this, is why.
1. You are the best version of yourself when you are happy. That seems like a pretty obvious statement, I know. But it's also one of those that we often overlook. Happiness means so many different things to each of us..so make an attempt to find what makes you smile. Cause you know what they say "Happiness is a journey, not a destination."
2. Despite what anyone tells you, you matter. I want you to think about all of the things that wouldn't be possible if you didn't exist. For mothers, you wouldn't have been able to bless the world with your children- who will one day mean the world to someone else. For teenagers, think about all that you are for your best friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend, or siblings. For those who feel like they don't matter, I guarantee you have made someones day before, and you'll make it again. There is a reason you're here.
3. And the most important reason I have for you today is, it keeps your relationship with Jesus number one in your life. And I'm sure some of you are wondering where on earth I'm going with this..so let me explain. I don't claim to be a preacher, I haven't read the whole bible..but I have a relationship with my Savior that grows, in some way, every day. And a really big part of that is this step. Like I said, it's easy to get lost in the crazy of life, but it's easier to land in the arms of The One who gives it meaning.
So when you go to lay down tonight..or if you're just sitting around letting your mind wander; ask yourself how you're doing. Have a heart to heart with Jesus if you haven't in a while. Let Him know where you fall short. Let Him know where you stand and where you wish to be. Allow Him to work through your heart. Because in the end..
1. Jesus is your journey to happiness, and your destination.
2. You will never mean more to anyone than you do to Him. I mean, He did die to give us a life.
3. And sometimes, the one who doesn't directly talk back, is the very best listener.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. John 15:4 (NLT)
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A Love So Loud- The Motions.
For those of you who listen to Christian music, there is a song that was written by a gentleman that goes by the name of Matthew West called "The Motions." If you don't know it, I'm going to post some of the lyrics (I highly recommend you listen to the song as well) and that's what is going to get this post rolling for me on this Tuesday night.
This might hurt, It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change.
I don’t care If I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something.
‘Cause just okay is not enough,
Help me fight through the nothingness of life.
This might hurt, It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change.
I don’t care If I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something.
‘Cause just okay is not enough,
Help me fight through the nothingness of life.
I think we all grow accustomed to a routine. We do the same things every single day, then we get to the end of the day and wonder where it went. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before. But if we think about how we spent it, most of the time we'll realize it was on useless things. We spent twenty-four hours of the life we only get to live once, doing nothing. Going through the motions. Lately, I've gotten in my routine. That's why I'm not writing as much, that's why I don't feel as whole as I used to. The things that shouldn't matter, do. The things that should matter the most, are slowly creeping further and further down my to-do list. For example, I'm going on vacation in July so I need to get my body in tip top shape. I am transferring colleges so I need to make sure my transcripts are sent in and everything is taken care of. I have to make sure I am taking care of my body properly and as my doctor says "listening to it when it says to quit." I just got a new job and I'm stressed about money. That nothingness of life? It has caught up to me. It's kicking my butt. And I'm to the point that I need to break, I need to change, I need to feel something. Because Matthew West says it best-
I don’t wanna go through the motions,
I don’t wanna go one more day,
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me.
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions.
I don’t wanna go one more day,
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me.
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions.
It's really an amazing thing when you have people in your life that love God. It's an even more amazing thing when they can come together to talk about how much they do. My best friend, Kristen Stainback, held a bible study last night that I attended, as well as a few other girls. The topic of the discussion was the Samaritan woman at the well. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, Jesus was a Jew, Jews didn't associate with Samaritans, yet Jesus came up to this woman at the well. You can read the story in John chapter 4. The part of the story that hit me the hardest was when Jesus told the woman that anyone who drank from the water of the well would become thirsty again, but those who drink from the water He gives will no longer thirst. If I lied to you all, I wouldn't write this blog, so I'll be honest. I have been extremely "thirsty" lately..and not the kind of thirsty that the people around my age use the word for (I know what you kids are thinking lol). But I'm just missing something. And the more I talked last night, the more it hit me. I'm thirsty because I keep trying to invest myself in people, in things, in activities..and each time I leave feeling disappointed. Each time I'm left longing for more. But then I read this story, of this promise that Jesus said- that if we drink the water He gives us, we will no longer thirst.
No regrets, not this time,
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind.
Let Your love make me whole,
I think I’m finally feeling something.
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind.
Let Your love make me whole,
I think I’m finally feeling something.
It's really an unfortunate thing how easy it is to get sidetracked. It's absolutely mind blowing how quickly we can just forget things that matter and move on to other, less important, things. Not this time, I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind. If we truly soul search, If we examine our hearts through the eyes of Christ, our priorities will quickly change. We will realize what's important, we will realize how fulfilling it is when we drink from the word of God. How satisfying it is to indulge into His plan for our lives. And how time and time again, He forgives us when we search the world for the feeling that we can only get when we're diving head first into Jesus. Let's make it our promise this week to not go through the motions, to not spend another day without the fire of God burning through our hearts and setting our lips soaring with praise.
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions.
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions.
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Love So Loud- Selfishness.
So many people have been asking me why I haven't written a new post lately. And my answer has been the same every single time..I can't find the inspiration that I need to write a heartfelt post. And while telling that to my best friend just now, I found my inspiration. Selfishness.
The reason I've been so uninspired is my selfishness. I remember my preacher said something one Sunday about how it seems like we have to keep having things happen in our lives to stay truly on fire for God. Like all that He does and all that He has made isn't enough? How is it that we are so selfish as human beings that we can't walk outside and just be inspired by the beautiful world? How is it that we are so selfish as human beings that we can't be inspired by a smile from a stranger? Who empowered us to believe that we are the ones who deserve to be inspired by things greater than what's typical in our day? Like it will only take a miracle or a job promotion or the big break you've been waiting for- to truly be happy.
I'm guilty of this lately. I had surgery and I've been irritated about the fact that it has, and will continue to, change a lot of little things in my life. I donated my hair, my hair was my favorite thing in the world, and I'm sad that it's gone. WHAT? Is that living like Christ? Am I doing all I can be to bless the people around me with a Christ-like attitude? No. Not if I'm sitting around pouting about the pain I'm in and how short my hair is. I'm selfish. We are all selfish. And it took me reading Job to realize how absolutely ridiculous I can be when I let my human nature completely consume my heart. Because I can cry over how bad it hurts to move my legs, but at least I have them. And I can cry over how short my hair is but I couldn't imagine being the person on the other end of the donation.
Because ya see, I felt that God was pushing me away. I thought that God was testing me and trying to tear me down with all of the tiny things that kept building up in my life. But God is the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow. And our God is so good. He isn't the one who changes, we are the ones who change. He doesn't ever go away. He's there while you turn your mess into your message. He's there when you feel like you have no hope. And He's there when your selfishness is too. He's there to show you that your problems aren't that bad. That your world really isn't caving in. And to show you that you're never alone. Cause even in your darkest hour, even on the days you can't find inspiration- God will wake you up. He will show you the beauty of the world, He will show you the kindness of a stranger. He will prove to you that you are loved. Because you are. We just have to stop being so selfish, and realize all that God inspires us with if we just take a step back and take the time to see it- cause life isn't all that stinkin' bad after all when we serve a God like ours. A God that showed the greatest act of selflessness by giving His only Son to die so that we, in all of our sin and selfishness, could have an opportunity at an eternal life. I think the challenge this week is for all of us to think before we pout about something selfish..because imagine what our world would be like if God had been.
"He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
The reason I've been so uninspired is my selfishness. I remember my preacher said something one Sunday about how it seems like we have to keep having things happen in our lives to stay truly on fire for God. Like all that He does and all that He has made isn't enough? How is it that we are so selfish as human beings that we can't walk outside and just be inspired by the beautiful world? How is it that we are so selfish as human beings that we can't be inspired by a smile from a stranger? Who empowered us to believe that we are the ones who deserve to be inspired by things greater than what's typical in our day? Like it will only take a miracle or a job promotion or the big break you've been waiting for- to truly be happy.
I'm guilty of this lately. I had surgery and I've been irritated about the fact that it has, and will continue to, change a lot of little things in my life. I donated my hair, my hair was my favorite thing in the world, and I'm sad that it's gone. WHAT? Is that living like Christ? Am I doing all I can be to bless the people around me with a Christ-like attitude? No. Not if I'm sitting around pouting about the pain I'm in and how short my hair is. I'm selfish. We are all selfish. And it took me reading Job to realize how absolutely ridiculous I can be when I let my human nature completely consume my heart. Because I can cry over how bad it hurts to move my legs, but at least I have them. And I can cry over how short my hair is but I couldn't imagine being the person on the other end of the donation.
Because ya see, I felt that God was pushing me away. I thought that God was testing me and trying to tear me down with all of the tiny things that kept building up in my life. But God is the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow. And our God is so good. He isn't the one who changes, we are the ones who change. He doesn't ever go away. He's there while you turn your mess into your message. He's there when you feel like you have no hope. And He's there when your selfishness is too. He's there to show you that your problems aren't that bad. That your world really isn't caving in. And to show you that you're never alone. Cause even in your darkest hour, even on the days you can't find inspiration- God will wake you up. He will show you the beauty of the world, He will show you the kindness of a stranger. He will prove to you that you are loved. Because you are. We just have to stop being so selfish, and realize all that God inspires us with if we just take a step back and take the time to see it- cause life isn't all that stinkin' bad after all when we serve a God like ours. A God that showed the greatest act of selflessness by giving His only Son to die so that we, in all of our sin and selfishness, could have an opportunity at an eternal life. I think the challenge this week is for all of us to think before we pout about something selfish..because imagine what our world would be like if God had been.
"He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
Monday, May 14, 2012
A Love So Loud- Mackenzie's Testimony
My name is Mackenzie King and this is my testimony.
When I was ten years old my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder, which means it affects the brain and its functions. This disorder has several effects but they all link back to legions on the brain. Some people who have MS may not be able to walk sometimes or move certain limbs of their body, and some people may get really bad headaches and stress out so bad they just have to be alone in quiet to ease the pain. The latter is the type of MS that my mother has.
The past couple of months haven’t been the greatest and I’ve taken on a lot of responsibility. I have gone back and forth from home, to my grandparents, to my aunt and uncle’s dozens of times in the span of about a month. I’ve tried very hard to make sure my 14 year old brother is doing what homework he has, is transported to sports practices, youth group, and wherever else he needs to go, while making sure he has everything he needs. Between gas, food, transportation, etc, it got kind of expensive. I have a job but I make minimum wage and only get paid every two weeks.
More importantly, I had become very stressed and tired. I started to have headaches about as frequently as my mom. A lot of stress/strain was put on our relationship. I was trying to balance school, work, musical practices, time with friends, getting ready for prom, and taking care of my little brother and it had gotten difficult. But at the same time, I was leaning on God more than I ever had. I began to pray and read my Bible more than I ever had. This really began to ease the distress I had been feeling. But I still felt a little discontent.
My mom had always told me about tithing, or giving money to the church’s offering, and how God always rewards people who do that. Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” I was unaware of this verse exactly at the time, but I began to do so, and blessings were definitely “poured into [my] lap.”
One week, I decided I would start tithing. I put about $4 in the offering that Sunday (10% of what I had) and prayed that God would use it. I felt like this was a necessary step and it is. A school week had gone by and I continued taking care of my brother, driving back and forth to his football practice, work, and practices of my own. I had almost forgotten that I had even given money in our offering, when Friday I was called to the office just as I was leaving school. I entered the office of our attendance clerk and without looking up she handed me a sealed envelope labeled “Makenzie King.” “Someone left this for you,” she said. I walked out of the office carrying this mysterious envelope and as I looked at it, I saw a twenty dollar bill. Strange. I opened it up and to my surprise found $30 entitled to me. I was amazed. The very week I started tithing I spontaneously receive money and I didn’t even know who it was from. I left school with a huge smile on my face and feeling blessed as ever.
But it only gets crazier. The following Sunday, I tithed again, this time about $7 (10% of what I had). I didn’t expect anything else to happen and I was pretty content with the $30 I had received the week earlier. But boy, was I ever wrong. That Tuesday, I was called out of my second period class to report to the office again. I made my way down there without the thought of what happened the week earlier even crossing my mind. I entered the attendance clerk’s office and again she handed me another envelope labeled “Makenzie King” in the same penmanship as the one I had received the week earlier. “Who is leaving me these!?” I asked, absolutely stunned. She shook her head, looking just as astonished as I, “I have no idea. I went to the bathroom and when I came back it was just laying on my desk.” I shook my head in amazement and left the office. I had gotten about halfway up hall 1 when I realized I hadn’t even checked the envelope out. I stopped in my tracks and began to unseal it. My jaw dropped and my hand immediately covered my mouth when I saws the first hundred dollar bill; yes, first. I took the contents out of the envelope and to my surprise had been given $400. Tears immediately began to well in my eyes as I started to cry. Amazement, thankfulness, gratefulness, comfort, and absolute awe were just a few emotions running through me, but confusion was not one. This was a God thing.
God promises to always stay true to His word. When he says he’s going to always take care of us, that’s exactly what He means. I received a text message this past week saying that someone had anonymously ordered and paid for graduation invitations as well as name cards for me. Is it from the same person? I’m not sure. I’m not sure who any of it is from. No one had seen me put money in the offering at church or really had any idea of what I had been going through. But were they sent by God? Absolutely. This is without a doubt a miracle and has taught me that even through hard times God is there taking care of us. I know I can always trust God and because of this I will forever put my full faith in Him and know that there’s hope. Sometimes, mercies really do come in disguise.
When I was ten years old my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder, which means it affects the brain and its functions. This disorder has several effects but they all link back to legions on the brain. Some people who have MS may not be able to walk sometimes or move certain limbs of their body, and some people may get really bad headaches and stress out so bad they just have to be alone in quiet to ease the pain. The latter is the type of MS that my mother has.
The past couple of months haven’t been the greatest and I’ve taken on a lot of responsibility. I have gone back and forth from home, to my grandparents, to my aunt and uncle’s dozens of times in the span of about a month. I’ve tried very hard to make sure my 14 year old brother is doing what homework he has, is transported to sports practices, youth group, and wherever else he needs to go, while making sure he has everything he needs. Between gas, food, transportation, etc, it got kind of expensive. I have a job but I make minimum wage and only get paid every two weeks.
More importantly, I had become very stressed and tired. I started to have headaches about as frequently as my mom. A lot of stress/strain was put on our relationship. I was trying to balance school, work, musical practices, time with friends, getting ready for prom, and taking care of my little brother and it had gotten difficult. But at the same time, I was leaning on God more than I ever had. I began to pray and read my Bible more than I ever had. This really began to ease the distress I had been feeling. But I still felt a little discontent.
My mom had always told me about tithing, or giving money to the church’s offering, and how God always rewards people who do that. Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” I was unaware of this verse exactly at the time, but I began to do so, and blessings were definitely “poured into [my] lap.”
One week, I decided I would start tithing. I put about $4 in the offering that Sunday (10% of what I had) and prayed that God would use it. I felt like this was a necessary step and it is. A school week had gone by and I continued taking care of my brother, driving back and forth to his football practice, work, and practices of my own. I had almost forgotten that I had even given money in our offering, when Friday I was called to the office just as I was leaving school. I entered the office of our attendance clerk and without looking up she handed me a sealed envelope labeled “Makenzie King.” “Someone left this for you,” she said. I walked out of the office carrying this mysterious envelope and as I looked at it, I saw a twenty dollar bill. Strange. I opened it up and to my surprise found $30 entitled to me. I was amazed. The very week I started tithing I spontaneously receive money and I didn’t even know who it was from. I left school with a huge smile on my face and feeling blessed as ever.
But it only gets crazier. The following Sunday, I tithed again, this time about $7 (10% of what I had). I didn’t expect anything else to happen and I was pretty content with the $30 I had received the week earlier. But boy, was I ever wrong. That Tuesday, I was called out of my second period class to report to the office again. I made my way down there without the thought of what happened the week earlier even crossing my mind. I entered the attendance clerk’s office and again she handed me another envelope labeled “Makenzie King” in the same penmanship as the one I had received the week earlier. “Who is leaving me these!?” I asked, absolutely stunned. She shook her head, looking just as astonished as I, “I have no idea. I went to the bathroom and when I came back it was just laying on my desk.” I shook my head in amazement and left the office. I had gotten about halfway up hall 1 when I realized I hadn’t even checked the envelope out. I stopped in my tracks and began to unseal it. My jaw dropped and my hand immediately covered my mouth when I saws the first hundred dollar bill; yes, first. I took the contents out of the envelope and to my surprise had been given $400. Tears immediately began to well in my eyes as I started to cry. Amazement, thankfulness, gratefulness, comfort, and absolute awe were just a few emotions running through me, but confusion was not one. This was a God thing.
God promises to always stay true to His word. When he says he’s going to always take care of us, that’s exactly what He means. I received a text message this past week saying that someone had anonymously ordered and paid for graduation invitations as well as name cards for me. Is it from the same person? I’m not sure. I’m not sure who any of it is from. No one had seen me put money in the offering at church or really had any idea of what I had been going through. But were they sent by God? Absolutely. This is without a doubt a miracle and has taught me that even through hard times God is there taking care of us. I know I can always trust God and because of this I will forever put my full faith in Him and know that there’s hope. Sometimes, mercies really do come in disguise.
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