Involving Yourself

Day five was Monday...noticing God's presence. I'm going to cheat here and not talk about what I put in my jar on Monday because I want to share what I noticed yesterday. Before I came home for the day, I went to school for an hour for a meeting. It was a meeting regarding one of my students whose parents basically abandoned him and his home life is awful. Each day is a challenge to manage his behavior and he longs for anyone to pay any kind of attention to him. Breaks my heart everyday. I didn't feel well and my heart was hurting. On my drive to a doctor's appointment, it stopped raining long enough for a rainbow to appear. This was my reminder that God is in control of any situation...hard or easy. In His presence, I was able to take refuge and breathe and hopefully this student will find this peace one day too. Waking up to hear about what is going on in Japan this morning makes me realize that my hardships in life seem so small...I feel this way compared to this students' hardships as well. Just so sad.

Because it has been almost an entire week of falling behind in blogging, I'll skip to today's. I have read and added to my jar for days 6-8 which allowed me to focus on giving and receiving gifts of the heart, hoping in Christ, and "being there". Actually, I want to share one quick quote before skipping to today.

Today some people are disinterested in the suffering

and celebrations of neighbors and friends.

To ignore these experiences, however, is to diminish

one of the fundamental needs of society:

to support each other individually and collectively,

in times of victory and in times of defeat.

Is it critical to make time to express gratitude together.

So what if we're tired or busy? 

We have only this moment to act before it slips

away forever. 

Sometimes we have to go out of our way.

These few sentences made me step back and think about how I have responded to others during momentous occasions in their lives. Sure, it is easy to be happy or sad for someone that you are close to but what about a neighbor, co-worker, or acquaintance? Am I so consumed in my own life that I fail to celebrate others' big moments in their lives or grieve with someone who is suffering? Living in Seattle can feel lonely at times. We are surrounded by people all of the time but for the most part, people like to do their own thing and keep to themselves. I want to make it my goal to get to know my neighbors in this next month. Also...it is important to really be there for those we love. Not just by gesture...but by action and emotion.

Now to today...day 9..."Involving Yourself"

1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

"List three ways people have been kind to you. How has their kindness made you more grateful?"

1. My dear friend Cassidi sent me the sweetest card in the mail today just to say hi. What a thoughtful gesture which reminded me of how grateful I am to have such an amazing woman like her in my life. I truly do have the best friends a girl could ask for. 

2. Matt's Auntie Jantie sent me her favorite lip gloss in the mail today. Such a blessing!

3. My sweet husband has been taking care of me as I've been sick, making dinners while I'm doing homework, and even scrubbing our bathrooms in his free weekend time. He is so supportive of me in my last few weeks of grad school...beyond grateful.

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Day 10: Write down some things you are grateful for as a result of a loss you've suffered.
Day 11: Write down one of the blessings God has revealed to you through a painful trial in your life.