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| Han and a friend from BFA--what a blessing to get to see her so happy! |
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| We never did get a totally successful family pic this weekend, so this is as close as we came to it. |
Whew! What a weekend! We had the choir from Black Forest Academy, including our darling Han, here for the weekend on choir tour. We had a blast, but by the time we saw them off yesterday morning early, we were WORN OUT! We had such a great time, though. If I had to pick a favorite moment of them being here (besides having all of them--52 in all--squeezed into our apartment), I would have to say their performance at our church here in Wien. We love our church, and to have them there and see the kindness and enthusiasm with which they were welcomed was really encouraging to our hearts. And the kids! Well, if you've read this at all, you know of my love for all teenagers (it's a sickness, really), so to have time with this many at once...heavenly. A gift from God. That we also got to be with dear colleagues and laugh and talk and pray and all the other stuff we love about the body of Christ...just bonus blessings. I'm reminded, yet again, that just when I think I can comprehend the blessings God has showered on my life, He just heaps on more. Goodness gracious--to be loved by the God of Everything is great!
This week, of course, it's back to reality. Laundry. Housecleaning. Expense Reports. And Thanksgiving, of course. But mostly, it's just the normal life for us this week. That means working on mundane stuff--sorry, but I'm including my expense report in that--and also some really fun stuff, like an Advent project for the kids at our Russian-language church. In other words--just normal stuff. Because isn't every week, every day, every second filled with whatever 'normal' is for each of us? And that's a mixture of mundane, fun, encouraging, discouraging...whatever life is doling out at this particular moment, day, or season. And that's where Facebook can be a boon and a blessing, or it can be a real problem.
I love Facebook. I have a Twitter account, but I don't really understand it. I just have it so I can follow my girls. But I love Facebook. I love seeing all your pictures, and hearing about your triumphs or your funnies or your goofy life. I love praying for you and sending you encouraging notes. I love posting pics so that my parents and sisters can keep up with my kids and participate in their lives. And I love the sweet, encouraging notes I get from family, colleagues, friends, and former students. Some days, on really dark days, those notes...they are literally gifts from a loving God. They really are.
I also detest Facebook. I am put off by political rants. I detest those things that say I don't love Jesus if I don't click 'like' on something. I do not like the anger or the entitledness or the bad things I sometimes see on Facebook. But the thing I like the least is my own tendency to be judgmental, passive aggressive, or fake on Facebook.
Here's the thing: I'm not ever going to post a political rant. I'm a Jesus girl, and I'm pretty serious about it, so the chances of you thinking I don't love Jesus because I don't click 'like'--I'm not really worried about that. And I try to be very careful about the things I share, just in case someone might be offended or turned away from Jesus by it. (I'm not always successful at that. I tend to overlook stuff that in my brain I'm just ignoring, like bad language.) But it is in my nature--and yours--to look at someone else and feel superior. It is in my nature--and yours--to post passive-aggressive statuses about people we genuinely love but are too cowardly to confront. And it is in my nature--and yours--to want everyone to think I have it all together.
So here is my disclaimer. My Facebook is generally positive, because at this point in my life, I am working really hard at being positive in who Jesus is and not whatever my circumstances are. But sometimes, my cat's litter is smelly and I don't want to clean it up. Sometimes, there are stacks of dishes in my sink. I have a fruit fly problem I cannot get rid of. There are weeks where I put 'take a shower every day' on my to-do list, in order to make sure I don't just stay in my Gator jammie pants all day. I struggle with my weight and my self-image. I can be grouchy and awful. In fact, left to my own devices, I AM grouchy and awful. I can be unpleasable. And I sometimes think I am better than other people. While it's not pretty, that is reality.
Here, though, is the good news, quite literally: in all my yuck, whether I show it to you on Facebook or not, Jesus loves me. He is never content to leave me in the messes of my own making. He sees me as someone created by God, someone with potential, someone who can, in His power, not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and thanksgiving, praise Him for everything. He sees the real me, and He loves me, anyway. And He loves all those other people--the political ranters, the Jesus 'like'rs, the angry, the passive-aggressive, the superior--just as much. He died for my junk just like He died for yours. And if I really concentrate on who He is, on how much He loves me, on how much He loves you, too...then I can exercise some control and keep my statuses free of the passive-aggressive and superior. I can be truly thankful. I don't have to be ugly or sarcastic or nasty on my wall or on yours...unless you're a Georgia fan. And then you kind of get what you get. (That was for my Russia family. You know who you are.) But really, no joke...if I keep my eyes on who He is, then I can love everyone, no matter if they agree with me or not, no matter if their politics are the same as mine, no matter if they aren't all that lovable. Because He loves us. He really does. I know it firsthand. Because I really was lost, and now I really am found...by the God of the Universe. It's a pretty great thing.
I love following you guys, knowing what your kids are doing, praying over your hurts, sharing in your joys...I really do. My goal is--and I'm pretty sure this isn't original to me--to use Facebook as a way to love people better, more completely, in a more Christ-like fashion. If that means telling a joke or passing on something silly someone said (usually John or I, by the way), then I'm up for that. If it means posting pictures of my girls and boy and their lives, you know I'm ALL about that. And if it's speaking a little bit of encouragement into your life, then I'm so honored to do that. Because each of you, in your own way, make my life better. Thanks for that. Really. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you love this season of thankfulness, and that your expense report is already finished. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
