Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Genuine Hero


“There is a genuine Hero in whom you can believe, who will never let you down. His name is Jesus Christ.” – Billy Graham

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 4:14

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:17

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:20-21




It's late


Don't laugh at me.

Looking up at the time in the righthand corner of my laptop, the time reads 5:19am. Not a practical time to be awake. It all started when I thought I had a midterm to study for when actually, I wrote down the date incorrectly in my planner. But after the amazing epiphany that I still have a week, my brain wouldn't slow up enough to make sleep seem logical. So I sat on the couch and starred out the window of my second-story apartment.

Have you ever stayed up, long after everyone else retires to their rooms? I've never known such a blessed stillness. Sometimes I stay awake late into the night just to revel in it.

I know that for some, silence is a form of torture. It can be a source of loneliness for me at times, but there are also times when I enjoy it.

At 5:00am, no one else is awake - somewhat like in that book, "The Night Before Christmas." I can hear birds outside on some nights; they make the prettiest sound (I never hear it during the day). Because no one else is asleep, my time is my own in the late hours of the night. I'd like to say that I enjoy having time to myself, not in a selfish way, but I'm one of those people who can't say, "no" when asked a favor. So after everyone else falls asleep, I can get all the other projects I have on MY to-do list done. But best of all... at 5:00am... I like to sit in the stillness and talk to God.

There was a worship song that was popular in the late 90's and early 2000's, it went something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU4U8_wMdRs

In the secret
In the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret
In the quiet hour I wait
Only for you
'Cause I want to know you more

It was one of my favorite songs. I loved it. But now, as an adult, I suppose I understand it more than when I was a child. When I was a little girl, I would sing the words simply because I liked the melody. Now, when I hear those words, I think of 5:00 in the morning. 

God and I sit on my couch and I talk to him about my day, the things that occupy my mind, sometimes I pray for people, and forgive me, but I think he also helps me plot my novels at 5:00am. 

Tonight... today... whatever it its... I wrote some poetry. I love poetry. I also asked God about my life. Believe me when I say I'm a worry wart. Matthew 6 is my favorite passage. It has been ever since I graduated high school (funny to think that was actually a while ago now). I memorized it at one time. Every now and then I check myself to see how much of it I can still recite (not much, but bits and pieces have stayed with me). My favorite part is the verse about how if God takes care of the birds, then won't he also care for us? US - who are so much more valuable than a bird! I love that verse. 

So what about you? I'm a night owl through and through. Certainly I'll be dead on my feet tomorrow morning, but for now, I think it's worth it. Do you? When do you sit quietly? At night? In the mornings? afternoons? Have you ever attempted to take time alone? 

Just a thought,

Emily

Sunday, October 19, 2014

A Letter to the World

This is my letter to the world,

I'd like to ask a simple question. This has everything to do with what I believe, but you don't have to share my beliefs to understand what I'm asking.

Please, if you have any love for others, train your mind to think differently. 

When I was a child, I had a wonderful and dear friend. We spent hours together. And I should have known...

I had to be told later that not everything was so simple or easy in her life. In fact, something was horribly wrong and ITS NOT SOMETHING TO BE MADE FUN OF OR TAKEN LIGHTLY.

What happened breaks my heart to this very day... I should have known.

But it did, and now, it has given me a very different perspective on what is humorous and what is not.

I'm sure that every day you hear innuendo, or sexual jokes. I'm sure that at some level, the idea of sex is embarrassing or weird. So we laugh. Or the joke has something to do with a so-called "dirty" aspect of sex.

But please... please... please. Why is this something to laugh about? Why is this something we poke fun at? It's not funny at all. In fact, it's the most serious thing in the world.

Think about it... we live in a world that revolves around sex in some ways. Are you saving it? Who will you give it to? When did you give it up? How did you give it up? Did something happen to you? Who did you have kids with? How many people have you had kids with? Did you give a child up for adoption? Did you get an abortion? Did you get a girl pregnant? Are you unable to have children?

Sex is a big deal.

Based on my own beliefs and what I read in a book that I believe without question is God's word, sex is something holy. It's the union of two people. Even the psychology of sex points us to see that sex is something incredible. Something happens chemically, for better or for worse.

"for better or for worse..."

Honestly, it's that aspect of how sex effects us that makes me so uncomfortable when people joke about it.

Why would you treat something so holy as a joke?

Why would you take something that scarred a little girl and giggle about it?

That just seems wrong to me.

Truthfully, we live in a world that's far from perfect. The unthinkable happens all the time. It's reality. But for me, as a Christian, I'm not going to just go ahead and accept it. Why on earth would I settle for normalizing the distortion of something God intended to be holy?

So here it is... whatever I say... if you can pull a innuendo out of it, I didn't put it there. And you shouldn't put it there either.

And please... if you mind does think that way... my heart is breaking. I know that God is in the business of cleaning out hearts and changing minds. Don't settle for "normal." Ask God for the extraordinary. We are living out His kingdom here on earth. Let's start now by asking for his strength to do so.

In love,

Emily Bergstrom