Christians vs. Batman

Alright, so here's the disclaimer: I didn't get much sleep, I'm getting over a cold, and I'm leaving for Haiti in t-minus 11 hours and 47 minutes . If this all comes out in "Charlie Brown's Teacher," you'll understand why .

All I wanted to get at , was something I found kind of amusing today . Today I worked [shocker, I know .] at the lovely produce stand at Green Dragon . Six-thirty AM until two PM . Not too bad . I ran some baskets back to their place, and as I was coming back, I passed a man with a very loud orange t-shirt that declared, "This is what a Christian looks like," and a tattoo that said, "For My Sin ." I made no judgments on the man; he seemed like a normal person walking . The worst fault I could have found was that he wasn't smiling; but hey, I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't smile every moment of His life . While walking back, I was just pondering how big of a commitment it is to wear a shirt like that, and I wondered if he ever realized it . To boldly proclaim that you are a Christian, means that every action you show will reflect Christ, and Christianity . Hmm .

  After I got back to my cash register, I saw a box of celery that I needed to take back to the counter to trim (yayyy) . My friend Emily was working the cash register, with a good sized line there, and I noticed a couple that usually comes in every week . Focusing my attention back on the celery box, I picked it up, but then realized that I couldn't move it back to the counter because a large stack of empty boxes were in the way (thanks, guys . ). I sighed, put the box down, and walked behind the counter without it .
   I knew I needed to trim it, but I didn't know the best way to get the box back there . Looking around, I sighed again . Just then, the man who regularly comes in picked up the box and said, "Here . I'll pass it to you, over the empty boxes ." I had already been so stressed, as it was my last hour of work, and I was ready to be done, so I said, "Thank you" took the box, and set it on the counter . He got back in line with his wife .
  As I began trimming the celery, I started pondering over his actions . It wasn't just the simple act of helping me . It was that he noticed a need . And then he chose to act on it . My mind flashed back to the man wearing the "Christian" t-shirt . I then glanced at this man's tee . It had Batman on it . I had to keep myself from laughing at the irony...
  We made eye contact, and I smiled more personally this time and mouthed, "Thank you" again , with which he responded with a smile .


What's the point of this story? I don't know . Just remember that what you do reflects what you identify yourself with .

...Team Batman .

Haiti

"I don't believe the man who offered the bike [to the Haitian child] ever meant to cause so much trouble for the LTM [long term missionaries] or the kid. I don't believe the VBS group meant to pay kids with gifts to become Christians. I am fairly certain that many groups have not considered that they are one of thousands of STM [short term missionary] groups that will come to Haiti this year. I don't think groups come here wanting to foster dependency and send a message that Haitians cannot do things for themselves. Sadly, for many many years we've been doing just this. Not because we wanted to - but just because we came in with the wrong attitude."

Don't make it about the things you want to accomplish. Make it about the relationships you want to establish. And in a sense, be more selfish: go there partially for your benefit. Go there to learn, and to love.

Vulnerable

Seventeen.
I almost feel  embarrassed to say it. Maybe it's because I still feel fourteen. Or maybe because I have so many friends that are older than me, that I turn a little red in the face when I admit I've only just turned seventeen. Because I know the next thing they will do is grin and say, "Wow. Don't I feel old."


Seventeen seems like a strange age. I never really pictured myself making it this far...haha. Why is it seventeen sounds so old to me, and yet I feel so childish? It's kind of scary. Fourteen, you're still a kid. Fifteen is kind of that awkward transition between kid and teenager. Sixteen is that stupid age when everyone expects you to make mistakes, like crashing a car or falling in love. But seventeen? Seventeen feels like that age when you're finally being put in adult situations, and expected to respond like an adult. What if I can't do it? What if I mess up. I know I will, and I know I should learn from my mistakes. I hear that. But somehow, there isn't much comfort in, "You're doomed to fail."

Oh, so vulnerable. These are critical years. The years where you learn how the world actually works. When you have to learn how to be a friend. How to be a friend with girls, and with guys. Haha, oh boy. Do I even want to hit on the topic of being a girl of 17, and having guy friends? Nah. A subject for another time.


Anyway. That's a lot of rambling. I guess the point I'm just trying to make is that I feel like this is such a vulnerable year. Being so young and stupid, anything can make its way into my brain and heart, good things and bad. Boys, insecurities, lies, dreams, plans... It will be easy for the Devil to make his way into my life, but it will also be easy for Jesus to, if I let Him. So what am I going to do? How am I going to spend this ( as odd as it is to say it ) last year of high school, to shape the rest of my life? Who I am in high school will not be who I am in ten years. But it can have a lot of affect on it.

So let's go get 'em, seniors. (: