So I've come up with an ideal daily summer routine (cause you know by now of my phobia of feeling lazy and literally needing to work or do something during the day!). It's funny, you know, how one finds out what one truly lives for when there's all the time in the world. (=summer!) I should hope I live for more than working out, Facebooking, blogging, and eating...but that seems to be the majority of my summer goals (minus the eating.) But some of the things I have been trying to do everyday include walking or running in the mornings, having a lengthy, un-rushed time with God, reading the Bible, praying, and maybe listening to a sermon online, then doing chores and helping out my mom, then catching up with my phone-lovin friends(you know who you are), and then hanging out with friends or reading or whatever.
Basically I want to A) live a healthy lifestyle physically and spiritually and B) I want to be there for other people. I don't want my summer to be all about me, which is definitely a temptation. I see this time of year though as a great time to catch up on all the things I didn't have time to do during the school year, or all the people I didn't have time for :(. As many of you know I've let myself neglect a lot of people in my life for the sake of school, which is good in moderation, but obviously should not impede relationships. And yet it has. So I'm trying to fix that!
Besides my immediate family of friends, there are so many people out there who need a friend, a shoulder to cry on, a counselor, etc. and I also hope to invest myself into those people and serving them as Jesus would.
Today as I met with a friend from class downtown, we came upon a few homeless people. Homeless people are a sticky issue, though perhaps they shouldn't be. I've heard all different arguments over whether it's good for the person to be given money, or food, or anything at all, and I've generally come to the conclusion that most homeless people are homeless because of their own faults and therefore shouldn't be given money. They'll probably spend it on something harmful to them, or illegal, or both. (For those of you who have taken Social Psychology, I've fallen prey to the "just-world-phenomenon".) Also I've come to the conclusion that I should ignore such people, especially men, if I am without a guy. (which is probably wise) So anyway- my friend and I came upon several homeless men, and what does my friend do? She talks to them, smiles, and gave one a quarter she had found earlier. I was dumbstruck. Here I was trying to be a friend to her, and yet she made an even more lasting impression on me by simple acts of kindness that broke through my comfort zone! Even worse, I mumbled to one of the men that I didn't have any money though I had a wad of cash with me, and forgot to offer some untouched fruit I had with me. I could have at least given my food, if money wasn't wise! But I didn't think about it. I'm going to be more clear minded and thoughful next time, and hopefully I won't have cause to feel ashamed and utterly hypocritical again.
I'm so thankful Jesus has unconditional love for me when I represent Him so poorly. He has done so much for me and yet I continue to spit in His face with my sin and ungratefullness. I praise Him for having the greatest love and biggest heart in the universe, and for throwing my sins into the depths of the sea never to be thought of again, and for seeing Christ's righteousness when He looks at me!
♪ Hallelujah, what a Savior! ♪
:]
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