Amy Carmichael on Doing Hard Things

This last week I have been needing motivation and encouragement for my "journey," as I like to call life. This morning I pulled a new-to-me book from my book self, one I had not had the time nor desire to venture into until now. I was pleased to find that there was an assigned passage for each day of the year and after reading the short preface flipped to the reading for today. Below I have quoted the message that I know God knew I needed today. I could have not decided to pick up this book until tomorrow, and then I would have missed it. Again God has been faithful, giving me just the food for thought that I so needed at just the right time. I hope that it may speak to the hearts of you, my readers as well.

"I have often noticed that any one, who has been asked to do a difficult thing for the sake of the Lord Jesus, does it and does it heartily, that one seems almost at once to gain a new power of joy and a wonderful new liberty. Sometimes a shy reserve that covered the soul like a thin sheet of ice melts, and there is a freedom to share things and help others; sometimes a dullness that was there before just disappears. To see it do so is like watching a mist dissolve in sunlight. In my reading this morning I came upon the reason for this happy fact. 'Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows' (Psalm 45:7). Our Lord Jesus did the will of His Father with delight, He hated that iniquity which so often tries to dominate us--selfishness, surrender to the easy, and so on. Therefore He was the gladdest of all the sons of men. The same law applies to His followers. Who among us can be counted on for happiness? It is those who never take self into consideration at all. By the grace of the Lord they honestly hate iniquity even the iniquity of self-pleasing, and delight to do the will of their God. They are the happy ones of the family." ~ Amy Carmichael Edges of His Ways

Expectations

I was reading chapter three of Do Hard Things and was laughing and shaking my head sadly at the same time. Here is why:

Ages 10-14...

• make your bed every day
• be able to take a message on the phone
• clean your room once a week (with help from Mom and Dad)

Ages 15+ must do all the above, plus...

• do a daily chore [just one], like taking out the trash
• make sure the gas gauge stays above a quarter of a tank
• clean your room once a week (without help from Mom and Dad)

This is a list Alex and Brett Harris found online of what kinds of expectations parents should have of their teens. The article even went on to assure the parents that they should not feel that their children should have to even do all of these things, because that might be expecting to much from them!

If you are a young person and that does not encourage you to rise above low expectations (and in this case very low expectations) I do not know what will. Why, adults expect almost that much from two-year-olds.

When we were little we were expected to help pick up our toys, obey, and learn new stuff every day. Think about it, if you are two and you refused to learn new words, you would never learn to talk. If you thought that your parents were expecting to much to encourage you to walk, then you would still be crawling around. If you refused to eat real food that you had to work hard to chew since you did not have all your teeth, you might still be eating baby food. Why is it all right to expect toddlers to learn so much and work so hard to become more independent, and it is not okay to ask the same of your teenagers?

I am a Rebelutionary, and I am proud of it. I believe that every young person is capable of so much more the what is expected, and I challenge you to rise above what people expect of you and do great things.

"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12

THE WORLD NEEDS MEN (AND WOMEN)...

who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it;"
who are true to their friends through good report and evil
report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and
hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."

-Taken from The Making of
a Christian Leader by
Ted W. Engstrom

Come What May

Friday evening I was so excited when I pulled a pink postal slip from the mailbox. Our order from CBD (Christian Book Distributors) was in! I could hardly wait for the next morning to come so I could drive to the post office and pick up our package. I could not wait because I knew that the movie I had heard so much about, Come What May, would be in the box. I had been waiting ever since the movie came out for a chance to see it, and now it was waiting just a few miles away for me to pick up up and bring it home!

Late last night after we had put my younger siblings to bed, we sat down and watched the movie, finally. It was every bit as good as I had hoped it would be. Since Come What May is Advent Film's first movie, there are some quality issues, but they are minor and the message is awesome. I look forward to seeing their next movie because I know that with each one the quality will get better and better. If you have not yet seen the movie Come What May, I encourage you to get a copy and watch it just as soon as you are able. It will be well worth your time and money.

For previews and so much more, visit the Come What May website at http://comewhatmaymovie.com/ .

I find it so inspiring that Christian groups are rising up all over the world to make films for the glory of God. They are taking something that Satan meant for bad and turning into good for the sake of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

To God be all the glory.

Hard Things

A year ago I "stumbled" across a website that has promised to change my life. This website was the website of Alex and Brett Harris, http://www.therebelution.com/ . I say, "stumbled," because I do not believe anything in life just happens by some freak chance. I believe that God is ultimately in control of every aspect of my life, and that He lead me to The Rebelution website.

Since I have begun to follow The Rebelution in my spare time, I have begun to learn about hard things. For me, one of those hard things was starting this blog. I like writing, that was not the problem. The problem was being disicplined enough to stick with it. Writing an edifying blog is hard work. In other words, I was to chicken to begin this blog sooner because I was afraid I would fail to faithfully commit a percentage of my time and energy to keeping it up. On top of that I felt so unworthy. I am a sinner. I have my problems. I did not feel like I could write to encourage others while I had these problems that needed to be worked out with God. I was not ready yet.

That was before I realized that if I waited until I was a "better" person, until I was ready, I would never write, or do, anything to help or encourage others because I would never be my picture of a "better" (aka perfect) person while I live upon this planet called earth. This is a fallen world and I am a fallen person. Only God is perfect.

So, here I am. I still have a long way to go, and so much to learn, but I will not wait to began reaching out to others. Instead, I will begin to do hard things for the glory of God. God can take my poor, stumbling attemps and make them into something beautiful that will bring Him glory. We cannot wait forever to become perfect people who make no mistakes before we began to serve God. If we did, we would never do anything, and He would never be glorified.

" For My strength is made perfect in [your]weakness."

--Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 12:9

Do hard things. In Christ,

Kaomi