Saturday, December 15, 2007

what's to come

i know that God has great things for me
it's just hard to see them all right now
so i stare into the ceiling
dreaming of what's sure to come

i know that God's word is true
it's just hard to believe it all right now
so i stare outside my window
hoping that my dreams will soon come true

i know that the christian life isn't easy
it's just hard to walk it faithfully
so i stare into the mirror
praying for the strength to finish

i know that every prayer will be answered
it's just that mine are a little late
so i stare into God's eyes
knowing that he will soon come through

i know that God has great things for me
he's keeping them stored up somewhere
as i grow into his image
preparing to some day receive them

© labujamra

Thursday, December 13, 2007

hot dogs and life

midway through my shift last night i found myself starving, with no money to buy myself dinner. all i wanted was a hot dog.

sick of hearing me talk about it, the clerk suddenly got up and put her coat on.

next thing i know, she's back, hot dog in hand. thrilled to pieces, i ate it without any hesitation, a big grin plastered on my face.

but here's the best part of the story. there was a third party involved. we'll call her rita.
rita had money. but the place was out of her kind of dog. so my friend doing the good deed used rita's money to buy my hotdog!!

i know this is a stretch, but how like salvation this story is.

desperately hungry, with nothing to bail myself out, i needed a third party to pay the price for my need.

that's what Jesus did for us: he took what was rightfully his, and willfully laid it down for us, so we could live freely for him!

it cost him everything.
and i'll spend the rest of my life thankful for him.
with a grin on my face.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

mean people

ever wonder why people are mean?
i run into them all the time.
mean drivers fighting you for the best parking spot in the lot.
mean grocery clerks, tired of being at their posts.
mean people, quick to verbally attack.
never giving the benefit of the doubt.
mean people even in the church.

shouldn't be a surprise..

yet all you have to do is dig a little deeper.
and you'll find that mean people are just tired.
mean people have often been hurt themselves.
and they just don't know what to do.
so they stop being nice, and they choose to be mean.

mean people make me sad.

making sense of the little things

i met these 2 really cool people this weekend. the meeting was unexpected and serendipitous.
i knew they would be cool, and i knew i was lucky to meet them.
but all good things come to an end, and before i knew it, they had both gotten on a plane and flown back to their respective homes.

and i'm left contemplating the meaning of the meeting.

i know there are some of you out there who think good things stand for themselves. that there doesn't have to be a great explanation for every great thing in life.
but i think differently.
i believe that there is a reason for every meeting, and that someday it will all make sense and fit like pieces of a sudoku puzzle.

i logged on to my new friends' websites (believe me, i use the word loosely).
i was hit with a wave of nausea as i realized that despite my personal grandiosity and occasional narcissism, i am just one in a thousand encountered by my new friends.

so i sit here this morning, lost in the surrounding fog, unable to see 200 yards away, quietly reflecting on the meaning of life.

does anyone know i'm out here?
does it take a blog to prove my existence?

then my mind wanders to a barn 2000 years ago.
and i smile as it dawns on me.
every little thing does matter.
there is someone who cares about the details.

and what looks like a random illegitimate birth in a stable under the eastern skies ends up being the greatest moment in human history.

suddenly, the fog seems to lift.
and i smile.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

tonight

It’s quiet in my house tonight.
You can almost hear a pin drop
There’s no one with whom to fight
No one to hold on tight

It’s cold in my house tonight
You can almost see my goose bumps
No way to keep warm in sight
I’m tempted to take flight

It’s lonely in my house tonight
You can almost feel the wind
Of my next door neighbor’s kite
As it flies into the heights

I’m dreaming in my house tonight
Of the day that’s sure to come
Where I’m free of this my plight
And it no longer feels like night

It’s Jesus in my house tonight
He walked in while I was busy
He said I had the right
To give him my dark night

It’s happy in my house tonight
I’ve decided to surrender
To Jesus all my rights
In return for something bright

© labujamra

Friday, December 7, 2007

christians

a friend sent me this poem that i want to share with you. I hope you enjoy it like i did.

Christians - By Maya Angelou


When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin'.'
I'm whispering 'I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian'
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace