Love

With it being Valentine's Day this week, I thought I would talk about God's love--but after an eventful week, talking about loving others sounds more appropriate. Love is needed more than ever now.

For the week of Valentine's Day, I saw a lot more hate than I did love. Being involved in politics is not for the weak. Every day, I find more respect for legislators, as they get nasty emails and phone calls from rude people. The lack of respect in our society is not like ever before in history.

I believe if you ever want to get a point across, you must be kind. Yelling and being rude never creates respect. For some reason, especially in politics, we don't know how to have a civil discourse anymore. Arguing and yelling at each other becomes our first instinct.

But that's not how we are intended to act or who we are supposed to be. Like the picture below, we don't choose who is worthy. We aren't the judge. We should love others no matter what. God calls us to love others, regardless of beliefs. And that's the problem--a lack of God in society. As a Christian, it's still easy to stoop to their level. Following God's call to love others isn't easy, but it's necessary. In fact, John 13:34-35 says,

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As Christians, we should show others God's love. If you aren't a Christian, I still feel kindness is necessary. If we ever want to get a point across, being nice and have a genuine, civil discussion, is the way you gain respect. If you want to be liked, you have to be nice. I always keep in mind a quote, which says, "No one will care how smart or pretty you were if you weren't kind." This couldn't be more true. People remember people for their kindness and love. So let's love and encourage others to love--no matter what time of the year it is, Valentine's Day and every other day.

When It All Falls Apart

Over the past few days, I have been reflecting on a Bible passage from Hebrews 12:26-29, which says,

"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Whenever things start to go wrong, we tend to automatically think that all is going to fall apart. And guess what? We're probably right. Most of everything will eventually fall apart. But we must take heart, because it's all in His plan.

For someone that likes to have control, this is difficult. Although control is an illusion, it is hard to witness everything fall apart in my life or in the lives of others. Trusting Christ is the only steady foundation to rely upon.

Everything will be shaken that can be, in order that the things that cannot be shaken can remain. Wow. These are powerful words. Very few things are unshakeable; however, we can rest in the fact that His kingdom cannot be shaken. Fortunately, we get to take part in this.

So maybe everything is going wrong for you. Whatever it may be: family, government, friends, job, or money, it all can be shaken. We often put our hope in earthly things, rather than heavenly things. So instead of worrying about losing control, rest in the fact that we are a part of an unshakeable kingdom.

When You Can't Feel Him

Sometimes it doesn't feel like God is around. And that leads to trust in the dark. Honestly, most often for me, it leads more to struggles...until I decide to turn back to that trust. Training ourselves to automatically turn to Him is difficult; however the Bible is a good place to start.

Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." In this verse, Paul is ensuring us that God is always here. He never forgets about us or His plan for each of our lives.

I tend to question God when I cannot feel Him. But I should probably question myself. Everyone has the highs and the lows, times when they are on fire for God and then when they are not. But when I think back to the times I was close to Him, it was always based off of my lifestyle and choices. When on fire for Him, I read my Bible daily, pray often, and directly see His impact in my life and others' lives around me.

When my faith feels low, I might be doing some of these things. However, my heart is not always fully there. I start to doubt Him and His intentions for my life. Instead of wrestling with myself, it is so much easier to turn to God and what He has to say.

But guess what? Even when we feel low, He is present. In 2 Timothy 2:13, it says, "If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself." No matter what, He is faithful. That can never be stressed enough (at least not for me).

Right now, I am trying to trust Him in the dark. I cannot do life without Him and neither can you. He made us each an original and is always with each of us. It is mind-boggling, yet true. He is a good Savior to trust—because He is always faithful.

My Journey Thus Far

I could be labeled a nomad. My life has been nowhere near "normal." I would like to think that I have wandered on my own path. Life is not always easy, but one thing has always stayed steady.

I was raised in a Christian home, going to church every Sunday. I always strived to be a "good Christian," and it did not automatically click with me that my faith was more than that. It is about a relationship. My journey with Christ has had its highs and lows. When I was fourteen years old, God showed me that He wants a relationship with us, as His followers. As I started building my faith, I felt God calling me to higher choices. Whether that was homeschooling in high school or serving Him in Guatemala, I know that amazing events in my life were not by coincidence.

I love the short slogan, “Freedom through faith.” I often feel as that freedom is missing. Although I may not always agree with other ways, I believe people express their faith through different types of worship and various types of living. I love being around others who strive to grow, but also with variety. Acts 4:32 comes to mind, which says “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” Although we may be different, and it may seem like we have nothing in common, through Christ, we can have everything in common.

Through Him, I have learned and matured. Whether it was about His provision, faithfulness, love, or grace, I constantly find more and more. It never runs low. He shows himself to me daily in His almighty love and grace. There is a reason why I need a Savior. I am a broken sinner. But God amazes me. I have seen Him work through my life in powerful ways, of which I am undeserving. Through this crazy journey called life, He is always faithful.

Living with Honor

Walter Lippmann, an American writer, once said, “He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” In today’s day and age, Lippmann’s words could not be more correct. Honor is about respect—both for yourself and others.

Unfortunately, respect is not a common trait among the populace anymore. It is not always easy or convenient to honor others, but it is a bold step. For example, with many modern-day movements, there have been aggressive, and at times even violent, protests coming from both sides of the political aisle. However, the person who truly stands above in honor is the one who chooses to love. Whether they do this by providing food for the police officers in their community, or just offering free hugs, it is honorable. It is in no way convenient or profitable, and can sometimes even be dangerous. When loving others unconditionally, as Jesus did, these people rise to a higher standard and honor others. I believe this is an important action many of us need to take to build up our schools, businesses, communities, and ultimately, our country.

God created all of us as human beings who deserve respect. He does not have any rules about it—it does not matter your race, gender, or any other characteristic. We can have disagreements. But let us have them with honor and respect for each other. It might not always be the easiest choice to treat others honorably; however, it is the correct choice.

So as we approach a new season in life, with a new president, let's not forget about respect and honor. We are going to have disagreements. We are going to have problems. It is inevitable. However, the way we act is what really matters. It isn't always easy. It isn't always popular. But make the hard choice and the right choice: choose honor.

Dream Big

I have always had big goals and aspirations for my life. The world is constantly telling us to “dream big” and “believe in yourself.” Due to my dreams for my life, I have already had experiences and accomplishments I once did not believe possible. However, during a time of growth in my relationship with God, I realized that my heart was in the wrong place.

As much as I love impressive achievements, the fulfillment only lasts for a brief moment. When I am on my death bed, no one, including myself, will care if I won that debate competition or basketball game in high school. People will not remember me for my accolades, but instead for my actions. Maya Angelou once said something that has always remained with me, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” As someone who is known for her accomplishments, I admire Angelou’s wisdom in this statement. I hope people remember me as kind and loving. I hope they remember me as a servant. I hope they remember me for having a generous heart and a genuine soul. But ultimately, I hope others will one day look at my life and say, “Wow, she really loved Jesus.”

Grand accomplishments are not a bad thing. I still have dreams and goals, and encourage others to do the same. However, if God’s plans are different for me, I still have hope that He is faithful and truly has the best plan for my life, whatever that may be.

I used to live for my achievements. That will never fully satisfy me. Now instead, I live for Jesus. Following His calling for my life, and using the opportunities He has given me, I believe I have accomplished many great things. So as I continue through life, I desire to follow Him day in and day out. I have professional goals, such as to become a successful lawyer, but I know that I do not need to live to impress others or to accomplish big things. Because in the end, He is the only thing that matters.

New Year, New Beginnings, and the In-Between

The new year started this week, and I'm already behind! Although I'm not in Guatemala anymore, I am planning on keeping up this blog. And since my last post, life has been crazy!

I moved back to Ankeny, Iowa, two days ago. I start my new job on Monday, as a clerk for State Senator Jeff Edler. I am excited for new friends, new lessons, and a whole new experience during the upcoming session.

Excited to be back in this beautiful building!

And with these new beginnings, I have been reflecting on what God has taught me recently. It's the in-between. Lately, I have not done anything amazing. I haven't done anything life-changing. And as much as I love life-changing events, life can't always be that way. A smart man told me this summer (when life didn't go my way), "Zara, you can't always have life-changing moments, otherwise they wouldn't be life-changing. But maybe someone else is having that moment."

I love when God changes my life for the better. Those moments have made me who I am. But what about the in-between? Although our life changes in those awesome moments, most of our life is just the in-between. But God still is faithful. He is still love. He is still full of grace. I may not always be easy to love. I don't deserve His grace. But wow, have I told you about my amazing God?

So instead of finding joy and hope in the adventure and the life-changing moments, we should find it in the simplicity of the in-between. Life is always crazy and is always changing. But one thing has stayed steady through all of my adventures, life-changing moments, and times of the "in-between."

God is always loving, always graceful, and always providing hope and joy. Maybe I'm back at another adventure, but I know one day soon, I won't be. But the adventure isn't what will be giving me joy. I'm thankful for a God that is steady in my crazy life and all the adventures to come.