"For years we've been taught by our culture and in our churches that emotions are not to be trusted; that reason and knowledge and logic are the firm foundation on which to build our faith and our spiritual lives; that it's our attitudes and actions that matter, not how we feel about things...
...we have made our relationships with God more about fulfilling our duty than expressing our passion. We make our spiritual lives into a list of do's and don'ts. We pursue this list more than we actually pursue Jesus. And this leads us to a life that eventually becomes tired and numb, devoid of feeling, dead."
I'm not sure how you this spoke to you, but it hit me like a truck. To be completely honest with you, these past few months I have felt like I am just going through the motions. Reading my bible, praying, etc...but I know something is missing...sometimes I just feel lost and disconnected. Somewhere along the line I have lost sight of who I am and who God made me to be. So often I get caught up in the motions of life and the lies of life that I forget the things that are really important to me. Is that odd?
Things that make my heart beat faster:
Sharing God's love EVERY SINGLE DAY at work and with complete strangers. Whether that's helping an addict from sticking them self with a dull, rusty needle, or talking to someone who just found out they are HIV+, or talking with agnostic coworkers about how not all Christians are judgmental...
Missions. God has set a FIRE in my soul for missions. I wish I could put into words how I feel when someone presents a new trip opportunity or talks about a trip they have just returned from (I wish I could go everywhere!) or even presents me with the opportunity to plan a trip! (Thanks, Ben!) Missions energize my soul.
Students. I want each and every student to know how much they are loved through my actions. I remember what it felt like to be lost and alone and unloved/cared for by a parent. I have lost numerous friends to suicide and even battled with thoughts as a teenager and I absolutely refuse to loose anymore. God brought me through more than I thought I could survive as a teenager and am just now starting to see why. People are cruel but I want to let the students see that not everyone out there is perfect, that we all fall short of the glory of God, but that doesn't make us failures in His eyes. I want them to live the life Jesus died to give them the way He intended them to!
Working with and loving on people going through addiction and other difficult trials. This one is newer...stay tuned because I'm still trying to figure this one out. I think it potentially came from growing up around my father's addictions...
My family and friends. (Especially my hubby!) You all encourage and inspire me. Thank you.
I have always known I am an emotional person. You are looking at the kid that cried every time her fish died...so mom took away the fish 'cause 10 fish dying in 2 weeks was too much for me. ( I cried myself to sleep every night...seriously sobbing...lol) Compassion and empathy are two things I have been told I am very good at. It may be hard to believe, but I promise it's true, when I see someone hurting or suffering, I hurt too. Sometimes I really hate this trait, but lately I have come to see it in a new light. It's a gift from God that not everyone possesses. Not sure how to use it yet...but I am going to refocus. The things that make my heart beat faster are my passions...those things that make me feel incredibly alive and close to God. Those are the things I need to refocus on because they make me who I am!
Thoughts on the post? What makes your heart beat faster?
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