Friday, January 6, 2012

Living in My Car.

I've decided that I'll just start living in my car.

Wait. I should probably justify that statement (or not, because I love its ambiguity).

Here's why. I do all my best thinking while I'm on the road. For example, I decided to apply for an internship while on a road trip (granted, it was a complete bust, but a good experience none the less), I decided to into engineering on a road trip, and I had my view of missions completely changed while on a trip to New York. See a pattern?

Me+Cars=Thinking.
(not my best derivation, but it will do).

Yesterday, while driving back home from visiting a friend at another school, I had a major conviction/aha! moment. But, I should probably back up to what went down before that glorious moment in my car.

Me and this friend, Lydia, go way back. She knew me freshman year of high school (and we're still friends...God bless her), and we've kept up this friendship which is a perpetual breath of fresh air. I pulled  up to her apartment, and walked in for a homemade meal. After we had sufficiently stuffed our faces, we drove to campus to take pictures (artist meets nerd. me an engineer, her a violinist). About half way through, we took a coffee break.

As we sat and talked about life, our relationship with God, and college, I found myself forming a lot of questions in my mind. Questions that I didn't have the answer to. She talked about how hard it is to be faith+actions sort of Christian when all those surrounding her choose not to be.

We finished off our day with sipping Russian tea on her terrace. Perfection. We uploaded pictures, talked camera gear and white balance, then I headed home.

I talked to God all the way home (not in my head...out loud; it's how I do). There is so much I have to be thankful for. Going to a public university has its difficult moments, but I forget how big of a deal it is to have my church family of solid believers always challenging me.

This morning, as I pulled out my prayer journal and Bible, I somehow landed in Jude via cross-referencing. I've read the book several times, but today I saw it with new eyes (gah! I love that about God's word). There was a passion that kept creeping up in me to challenge college students. To challenge myself.

The end of Jude concludes like this:  17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.


I see myself being captured and tossed about by the wind (Eph. 4:14), and like the psalmist said in Psalm 73, "My feet had almost slipped." I don't want to be tossed about (sounds quite painful, really) by empty philosophies. 


So, my resolve? Search. Search for truth. Scour God's word for answers to problems. Whenever I turn to the world for solutions, it inevitably results in misery (if not now, then undoubtedly later). As a Christian, I believe that God calls me to be equipped to combat the so-called "wind." 


Am I equipped? For real?




Incredibly thankful for this friend. Mmhmm.
P.S. for those of you who actually read this, 1. thank you, 2. forgive my long and rambly posts of late, 3. I promise to be witty and light-hearted sometime in the future...maybe... ;) 

1 comment: