Broken

We live in a broken world.  We are broken.

As believers....do we really believe that?

I gather that we believe the broken world part.  Right?  I mean, turn on the news.  See the despair around us.  Rape. Murder. Divorce. Violence. Homosexuality. Crime. Poverty.  Right?

What about lies?
What about pride?
What about hate?
What about greed?

Do we see and accept these as brokenness?  Do we acknowledge that they plague the world...us?  Are we willing to take ownership for the many different ways the world is broken and the part that we play in it?

We are broken.

Do we really mean 'we'?  Or do we mean 'them'?  (for the record, it is we.)

Humanity is not ours to fix. People are not a cause.  Because if that were true, really true...and I'm being fully serious here...we'd all be someone else's cause.

What if the way I chose to address abortion wasn't just to picket and carry signs...wasn't just to judge pregnant women considering it...wasn't just to exercise my vote a certain way...but was to befriend a young person such that I might have influence in their life.  Such that I might share my story and how God healed me from sexual sin?

What if the way I chose to address abuse wasn't just to find ways to 'save' kids....wasn't just to assume women with abusive men are stupid....wasn't just to donate money to the one shelter in the area...but was to purposefully choose to live such that I might engage with individuals who have been or are being abused and shower them with love and acceptance and the truth that God loves them deeper than they could ever know?

What if the way I chose to address poverty wasn't just to send money...wasn't just to donate a few times a year...wasn't just to assume that poor people must want to be poor...wasn't just to assume that there are 'agencies' to handle that....but was to open my eyes and heart to the families around me (because poverty is everywhere) help where I could?

My neighbors drive me crazy.  And as a result I most often choose to ignore them and judge them.  Shame on me.
There's a cashier at Wal-Mart that is super slow and awkward and I will not get in his lane no matter what.  Shame on me.
Someone disappoints me and I harbor ill will and anger. Shame on me.

I am broken.  And the world I live in is broken.

But I have a God who loves me, protects me and created me in His i
mage.  I have a Savior who laid down His life that I might live.  And I have a help-mate, the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my steps.

And He loves you in the same way. 

All over tonight I know.  Some days my mind and heart are so full with all of the kingdom work there is to do.  The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few.

Now ain't that the truth.

That's what I got today.

Attaboy...

Walking into work today, this is what I was greeted with... 

'Hi Miss Mindy, remember when you would see me in the office at camp? When I would get in trouble?  I miss camp. I love camp.  Hi Miss Mindy. I love you.  See you later. Okay?  See you later!'

An onslaught of hugs around my knees from a family of 5 siblings, a set of triplets and a set of twins.

And a lil chunk of boy who can barely talk but blows me kisses whenever he sees me.

Love.

I am so grateful for this love.  And it is a daily reminder to get out of myself selfish woes and to focus my eyes on Him.

I am not sure what and how I get things right enough and often enough that these little ones love me.  It can only be explained as truly God moving in me.  

Because I am far too often short.  I am far too often judgmental.  I am far too often bossy. I am far too often disappointed in others.  And in myself.

But man I love Jesus.  And man I know that without Him my warts are big and ugly and consuming.  But with Him?  With Him...and focus where focus needs to be, me under His authority and submitting my will to His...with Him a gaggle of love comes my way.

Being the recipient of that love is my reminder and challenge (and quite honestly somewhat self-serving reward)...to shower love on others.  

If we all shared a kind word.  A smile. A hug. An encouraging attaboy.  What in the world would the world be like?

That's what I got today.