f l o o d

I Guess Sisters Are Good For Something

...well, maybe only sisters who have sociology degrees from berkeley and are studying theology at seminary

here's a convo i had with shirley today. it's long, but there's some good stuff. we came up with a lot of questions, and not so many answers, but i think it's a worthwhile read for any of you who still peek in here despite my lack of updates.

HisPassionSeekR: how was service today?
naziriteSOG: very good
naziriteSOG: ghana team was back and they shared
HisPassionSeekR: ahh
naziriteSOG: and ralph gave a little message on sacrifice inspired by the ghana trip
naziriteSOG: which was excellent
HisPassionSeekR: ha
HisPassionSeekR: sacrifice seems to be a prevalent theme
HisPassionSeekR: what did he say?
naziriteSOG: yeah
naziriteSOG: he talked about giving till it hurts
naziriteSOG: and how we have all these safety nets so we don't have so much faith
naziriteSOG: we fall back on our own things
naziriteSOG: but the people in ghana dont have anything
naziriteSOG: if theyre sick or hungry they have to pray for miracles because they have no backups
naziriteSOG: and they see miracles and great outpourings of the spirit because they have such faith
naziriteSOG: and they pray so hard and give with such selflessness
naziriteSOG: it was good stuff
HisPassionSeekR: mm
HisPassionSeekR: how do we get rid of our backups?
naziriteSOG: we have to be willing
naziriteSOG: to sacrifice our own desires and wishes
HisPassionSeekR: mm but how?
naziriteSOG: how should i know?
naziriteSOG: if we had a practical answer to that we'd be all set
naziriteSOG: my personal answer is daily sacrifice
naziriteSOG: making choices daily to let go of your own things and turn to God
naziriteSOG: but even that isnt really a practical answer
naziriteSOG: just more religious rhetoric
HisPassionSeekR: yeah i guess i'm just wondering what sacrifice really is.... what part of us it entails, what we can expect from it after
HisPassionSeekR: cuz we hear lots of sermons on abraham sacrificing isaac
HisPassionSeekR: that's what che was preaching on today
naziriteSOG: my thing recently has been choices
naziriteSOG: im realizing more and more how every little decision has such an impact
HisPassionSeekR: and there's almost this expectancy that if you sacrifice what you hold most dear out of obedience, God returns it to you
HisPassionSeekR: so if you sacrifice with the intention of receiving back from God, is that really sacrifice?
naziriteSOG: hm
HisPassionSeekR: well i asked one of the girls
naziriteSOG: well we know everything God does is to benefit us
naziriteSOG: if we truly understand that, it wont be about getting back
naziriteSOG: even if we do want the benefit
naziriteSOG: we just have to understand that the benefit isnt always what we think it will be
naziriteSOG: which is that difficult part
HisPassionSeekR: and she said that, you know you really sacrifice when the thing that you give up, you're willing to let it go and receive it back in a way that you didn't initially hope for
HisPassionSeekR: like if you wanted to serve God in your vocation
HisPassionSeekR: and you want to do missionary work
HisPassionSeekR: and God asks you to sacrifice that dream.... would you be content with being a carsalesman if God asked you to do that?
naziriteSOG: hmm
naziriteSOG: i guess that really depends on how certain you are of God's calling then
naziriteSOG: so it comes back to your personal relationship with Him
HisPassionSeekR: well, even if you are certain, sometimes He asks you to give up the things your feet through to be firm
HisPassionSeekR: i mean, abraham trusted that isaac was the child of promise
HisPassionSeekR: why would God ask him to sacrifice the instrument through which God was going to bring about His promise?
HisPassionSeekR: but he obeys in the moment rather than cling to certain things of the past, knowing that no matter what God would be faithful
naziriteSOG: so how do we achieve such a ridiculously blind faith?
naziriteSOG: or is it by sacrificing that we gain this faith to sacrifice further?
naziriteSOG: making it a nutty cyclical paradox thing?
HisPassionSeekR: i think it's cyclical
naziriteSOG: heh
HisPassionSeekR: we start out with a little bit of faith when we say yes to God
naziriteSOG: how interesting
HisPassionSeekR: and then we're given tests
HisPassionSeekR: and the more we mature spiritually, the more faith we're given as we withstand trials and stuff
HisPassionSeekR: and it all goes back to intimacy
HisPassionSeekR: abraham was able to hear the commands of God
naziriteSOG: yeah
HisPassionSeekR: what if Abraham had been so bent on obeying the word of the Lord to sacrifice isaac that he didn't listen to the angel's call to stay his sword?
naziriteSOG: so we should be obedient, but flexible?
HisPassionSeekR: gotta be sensitive to hear from God because sometimes He tells us different things depending on the time
naziriteSOG: so, obedient, but always listening
HisPassionSeekR: yeah
naziriteSOG: yeah
naziriteSOG: i may have to put this convo in my blog
naziriteSOG: its good stuff
naziriteSOG: we should write a book
naziriteSOG: haha
HisPassionSeekR: sometimes i think God expects too much of us sometimes
HisPassionSeekR: but i'm glad that He takes chances on us like that too
naziriteSOG: yeah
naziriteSOG: it is hard
naziriteSOG: but really simple at the same time
naziriteSOG: which is strange
HisPassionSeekR: i read this on a xanga somewhere... wait let me find it
HisPassionSeekR: over a lifetime, there will without a doubt be times when:
HisPassionSeekR: God will ask you to wait longer than you think is necessary
HisPassionSeekR: God will ask you to trust Him more than you believe is possible
HisPassionSeekR: and God will require greater faith from you than seems reasonable
HisPassionSeekR: haha i love that
HisPassionSeekR: and hate it all at the same time
naziriteSOG: heh...yeah
naziriteSOG: those treasures in heaven had better be worth it, eh?
naziriteSOG: haha
naziriteSOG: just kidding...i think
HisPassionSeekR: yeah... but i think we can look forward to good things while we're here too
naziriteSOG: yeah
HisPassionSeekR: David was confident that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
HisPassionSeekR: and dang it, so am i