Ice Breakers

Often times, at the beginning of a new year in elementary school, our teacher started class with an ice-breaker to help everyone get to know each other. Mostly, we played name games, consisting of all the students sitting in a circle and Person A stating their name. Then, Person B would say their name along with Person A's name. Person C then said their name as well as both Person A and Person B's name, until we went all the way around the circle, with the final person stating the names of everyone in the class.

Another ice breaker specifically stands out in my mind. It was called the "Trust Game." Two students paired up, one with their back to the other. The person in front would spread their arms out like a cross and then, closing their eyes, fall backwards without stepping back or doing anything to stop themselves from hitting the ground. Their partner, who was standing behind them, was responsible for catching them before they hit the ground. The purpose of the game was to help us learn to trust one another, as falling back requires a large level of confidence in one's partner.

I believe that God asks us to play the "Trust Game" with Him every day. He says, "Come on, close your eyes and fall. I promise I'll catch you."

Sometimes we tell him to wait: "Not right now, God. I'm busy today. I have a 2 pm appointment with the CEO and I've got to get my speech ready."

Sometimes we ask for a sign: "I know you say that you are always with me and will never leave me or forsake me, but the problem is...I can't SEE you. So, how about a bolt of lightning or even just a look at your finger...just a pinky!"

Sometimes we try to hang up safety nets: "Listen God, I'm just going to put a chair here underneath me, just in case you don't happen to catch me. But don't worry, I trust you completely."

Sometimes we say that we're ready but we just stand there with our arms out and eyes closed, but never actually fall.

Through all of our antics, God stands there saying, "Just do it. Fall. I'm big, I'm strong, I'll never take my eyes off you, not even for a minute. I promise that I'll catch you. But to experience my strength, you have to fall."

Now don't get me wrong, falling is terrifying. In the 0.15 seconds that it takes to fall into your partner's arms your entire life flashes before your eyes and you envision the scene with EMTs and ambulances rushing to save your life after your head splits open on the hard ground. Everything slows down and it seems like minutes before you finally hit your partners arms and start to breath again as they pull you upright, away from the ground.

I have never once been dropped...and that's when I'm playing with humans.

Think of how much bigger and powerful God is, and yet how much less we trust him.

I am not saying that asking for a sign is a sin. Gideon did it twice and both times God granted his request. (Judges 6:36-40.) Moses asked to see God and was allowed to see God's back as He passed by the cave where Moses was sitting. (Exodus 33:18-23.) However, God has called on us to trust Him even when we can't see him and when He doesn't send a sign. We don't need a safety net--He's big enough. We don't need to reason with Him--faith is not logic-based (Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.")


Rather, God asks you to close your eyes and fall, trusting that He WILL catch you.

Radical Love

I was up late talking with a close friend this past weekend (my best thinking starts after 10 pm.) She has just finished her freshman year at college and was telling me about how much she loved her new church. They immediately made her feel welcome and included, without even knowing her at all, she said. She described it as if they we saying to her, "We love you, we don't know you yet and we'll have time for that later, but we are choosing to love you anyway."

This church group is 90% of what I hear come out of her mouth and it's obviously impacted her life in a huge way. She longs to be around them and with them and loves them like family.

I knew I had read about this sort of radical love somewhere...oh, yeah. The Bible. This is exactly the kind of love that God has CALLED us to give to one another. In John 13:34 Jesus hits his disciples with an new way to live life. He says, "A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
"As I have loved you" refers to God's unconditional love for us and it says that we are to love others with that same unconditional love, meaning without reason. I am going to call this Radical Love. It is not an earned love or a reward for good behavior, rather a decision made to love this person regardless of who they are, how they treat you, what they do, or what they believe.

So, if we are obviously commanded (that's an order, not a choice) by God to radically love others, what's the hold up? So many people despise Christians, saying their judgmental, hypocritical, and fanatics. Personally, I doubt that any of the Christians these people met ever loved them radically. Folks, that's OUR FAULT. We are the ones to blame for our unloving behavior toward others and yet we complain that numbers are down in the church or that others mistreat us for our faith. It is my belief that, just like my friend who deeply desires to spend time with her church group, others would long to be with us if we chose to love them unconditionally.

I believe that we could all begin to love people better simply by changing our greeting-style. Take a look at this typical salutation between Joe and Sarah.
Joe-"Hi"
Sarah-"Hey"
Joe-"How are you?"
Sarah-"Good. And you?"
Joe-"Good."
They part, both relieved to have finished with social formalities without having to tell the other person how they're actually doing because, let's face it, the other person doesn't really care anyway.

Why do we ask how they're doing if we don't care? Would it not be better just to not ask them at all and save them the discomfort of lying to you? Or, we could shock them by asking a different question to show that we are actually interested in what they have to say. For example, "How was______? (fill in the blank with a recent activity they had), or "What's God been up to in your life?. Or maybe, "What's new with your life?" (and don't take "nothing" for an answer)

Think of how strongly we could rattle the world's perception of Christians if we showed them that having Jesus in our lives actually makes a difference in the way we lived, even in the way we greet others.

So, What WOULD Jesus do? He'd love radially.

A Face Full of Mercy

I was in the bathroom a few nights ago in the middle of one round of the way-too-many facial cleansers I use in an attempt to ride my face of acne. I began to fall into the "Life's not Fair" mode, when my mind switched back to a conversation I had with a person very dear to me just a few days earlier.

The topic: Why do bad things happen to good people?
This question had always plagued me before I became a Christian, just over 3 years ago. Why would a God who's good and loving allow His people to suffer?

Since then, I have searched and prayed to find a good answer. My understanding as of now is, 'Because there's no such thing as "good people".' We are all sinners and the payment of sin is death (Romans 6:23) We are getting exactly what we deserve due to our sinful nature and thus our sinful actions.

Yet, though God is just, He is also merciful and has provided us a way out of eternal punishment. He sent His son to die for us, thereby paying the eternal penalty for us so that we don't have to. This does not mean, however, that we will not suffer in this lifetime. In fact, God has PROMISED that we will. (2 Timothy 3:12 "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.")

I began thinking about how many times God has shown His incredible mercy to me, not just in giving me eternal salvation, but in everyday occurrences. He has given me an incredible family who are willing to support me and encourage me, a working brain, functioning body, wise mentors. Yet I have done nothing to deserve these things. I continually fail in my walk with Christ. I am a sinner and deserve every bad thing-every sickness, heartache, and separation from God. Thank goodness life's not fair. If it were, not a single one of us would ever smile, love, or have a relationship with the Lord.

So now, as I wash my face in the morning, I am reminded how wonderful it is that life's not fair (and how much I love the person who invented concealer.)