Not in Vain

"Not in Vain" 

By Emily Dickenson 

If I can stop one heart from breaking, 

I shall not live in vain:

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again, 

I shall not live in vain. 

Created to Create

The need to write is like the need to breathe--maybe even stronger. It's an action essential to my being. The need to write is not just a need for words but a need for what words bring--adventure, ideas, freshness, desire, beauty. I need to share what I see, feel, taste, hear, and believe. I need to convey my thoughts to others in a way they can understand. 

However, some things aren't meant for paper alone. They are meant to be shared, discussed, and analyzed together--among people--not just through the lines of paper, but in deep connection. This connection is deeper than the way ink connects to the page. It's a connection of hearts, souls, and spirits coming together. Are not the sharing of thoughts and emotions part of the way the human heart connects?  

We must share the very essence of our being with one another, for the sake of ourselves and of others. The longing for relation is at the very core of our being as humans. We were created to be in relationship with others and with our Creator. When we neglect to relate, we damage our souls. We must connect with our Creator and each other to truly be all we were made to be. 

Even so, it's not just about relating but also creating. Creating is our worship to our Creator. God loves to see our creations. This is simply using the talents God gives us to glorify Him, and it can happen in all forms.

This beautiful passage from one of my  favorite books, The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron describes this concept well:

"She told herself that to have something of worth in a world full of chaos was the very definition of beauty. It felt like a spirit liberation that couldn't be silenced. These prisoners, the ones who painted or wrote poetry or played in the orchestra--they refused to let that spirit die. And this, she decided, is why the heart creates. 

"God plants the talent and it grows, sustained by a spirit-given strength to endure, even in the mist of darkness. It thrives in the valleys of life and ignores the peaks. It blooms like a flower when cradled by the warmth of the sun. It remains in a hidden stairwell in a concentration camp. It grows, fed in secret, in the heart of every artist" (277-278).  

As I absorb the beauty of the dimming light before me dance on the land sprinkled with snow, I know that beauty can be found everywhere. It's in the sunset, it's in the concert hall, it's on the page. But it's also in the wind, it's teardrops, it's in the rain because the storm that pounds your heart will bring forth fruit. The fire that burns your soul will grow back flowers more beautiful than the ones it destroyed. The beauty of God's creation is in you. Let it out. Let others see it. You are His masterpiece. So, go. Relate, connect, create, and shine. 

Even in Darkness

"But in this darkness still You find me

And You draw me to Your light

Though the shadows deepen, I can see

In this darkness, still You shine" 

("In This Darkness," Ginny Owens)

In your darkest hour, God is there. When you feel all alone, God is there. There is no place, no matter how deep, where the depths of God's love cannot reach you: no state of mind, no far away land, no secluded room, no private thought. He is everywhere and He is always. 

God cares about the little things that annoy you. He cares about your deepest pains. He cares about the simple joys you find in everyday life. So tell Him about all of these things! Express every thought and emotion to Him. He already knows it, so it's not like you can hid it from Him anyway, but He wants to hear about it from you. He wants to talk with you. He wants to spend quality time in conversation.

You cannot escape Him. Even in the deepest darkness, He will shine. Even in the face of death, He will shine. Even in conforming evil, He will shine. 

The King of Light is calling out to you, even if it feels like you are in darkness. He is inviting you on a journey--a battle. A battle against the darkness of this world. A battle against your own flesh and blood. A battle for the Kingdom. He is offering you forgiveness and redemption. He is offering you a new slate--a new beginning. He is offering you eternal life. In return, He asks that you follow Him. Pick up your cross, a symbol of ruthless death, and follow Him. 

Follow Him into the light. Follow Him into the Glorious Unfolding of His truth. 

Follow the One who shines--even in darkness. 

Let There be Light

The first words we "hear" God speak are, "Let there be light." 

Now, I  fully believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis, but I think there may be some deeper meaning here as well. Think about it. God called for light before He went any further with Creation. The constant battle we face in this fallen world is light versus darkness, good versus evil. We often associate light with goodness. 

In saying, "Let there be light" it's almost like God was saying, "Let there be goodness." "Let My people shine." "Let My love light the world." 

1 John 1:5 says, "God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all." 

After God said, "Let there be light," the verse goes on to say, "and there was light." (Psalm 33:9 also says, "For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.") When God speaks, it actually happens. And there really is light in this dark world. 

You are the light. 

So shine! 

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." 

~Matthew 5:14-16

Reflections

Sometimes God uses things in our lives, it usually seems to be things that annoy us at first, or that we view as a hindrance, to slow us down so we can stop, rest, and reflect. So here I am, stuck on the couch with a cold, reflecting and resting. But you know, it has been very good, and I am thankful.

It's the end of October now. That's crazy! Thanksgiving and Christmas really are just around the corner. Soon fall and its crisp wonders will be a memory, and white flakes of snow will take the place of the remaining autumn colors.

One thing that I've never quite been able to understand, or at least not relate to, is when people ask if you're staying busy, or when you say you have been really busy, they say, "Well, that's good!" I mean, I get that being busy can help one stay out of trouble, but I also feel like it can cause one to miss a lot of life. Contrary to my schedule, I really do not like to be "busy." I like quiet days like today where I can stop and reflect.

I think part of why people like busyness is because then they can just stay more in "survival" mode. They don't have to stop and think about the bigger, deeper questions of life. (However, "If Satan can't get you to stumble, he'll keep you busy.") But I don't like constant busyness, and I live for the deep questions, for finding the answers to these questions, and for engaging in conversation about these questions with others.

Maybe people like to stay busy because then they don't have to look at the whole world around them--all the problems, the pain. They can just stay in their own little world and live out their day-to-day lives, often turning a blind eye to this fallen world.

But I can't.

I can't turn my back on the unborn--not when I can be their voice.

I can't leave the broken stuck in their pain--not when I have something that can help them, not when I have something to share.

And I do.

I have Jesus.

Don't get to busy to where you neglect to do what God is calling you to do.

Be attentive and responsive to His voice. Sometimes He may be calling us to rest; other times, to action. 

Our job is to listen.

The Real Stench

"Face your fear and it will disappear." I feel like it's more like, "Face your fear and it will multiply!" At least this is how it was for me just last night. I guess I better start off by telling you I HATE stink bugs. I hate them! I can stand spiders, I can handle wasps and bees, but I abhor stink bugs. They are horrid! Numerous times now, I have woken up to one crawling on my face or arm or leg, or I've heard one buzzing in my hair as I am falling asleep. But what makes them the most detestable creatures on this planet, is you cannot simply kill them! You can swat a fly and you can squish a spider, but dare you even threaten a stink bug and you will be sentenced to its lovely stench.

Last night, I walked into my room and saw a stink bug on my green curtains that drape over rods above my window with two swoops. It was perched up there with a proud look steaming out of its antennas--like a king watching over his kingdom, my bedroom. His countenance changed as I, the intruder, approached. I hopped up onto by bed, grabbed a piece of paper lying on my nightstand, and set about the disposal of my enemy. I was just going to get it on to the paper and take it to the bathroom where I could flush it down the toilet to its eternal damnation. However, as I tried to get it to crawl onto the paper, the stink bug began to escape to the backside of the curtain. Persistent to proceed, I simply pulled on the curtain, hoping to give myself a better angle at getting the stink bug. But, to my utmost horror, in doing so, I revealed four stink bugs, happily snuggled together in the fold of my curtain. Mortified, I let out a squealish moan and fled the room.

I ran out to where my mom was and attempted to explain what I found. "I, I... ah!! There's... I, I, I found...ah!! Just come!" She followed me back to my room where I showed her my disgusting discovery. Then she got the little vacuum and sucked away the monsters. Nonetheless, as Mom was vacuuming, she pulled back more folds on the curtain and uncovered the real multitude. There were about ten stink bugs in the fold. I screamed and did this little jitter-dance, shaking the body of the vacuum that I had been holding. My mom kept finding more and more in each fold and I screamed at every revelation. A stink bug fell off the curtain and landed on the floor, right next to me. That sent my feet stamping and me screaming even more.

After hearing all the noise, my dad came into my room and exclaimed, "What is going on in here?" Then he helped us get both curtains down and he took them outside and shook them out. In the end, we had found at least 30 stink bugs in my room. I kid you not!

Reflecting back on all of this, I was trying to figure out how to apply this to real life. Then it hit me very clearly. It is important to understand the stink bugs did not magically, all of a sudden appear in my room in such large quantities. It was a gradual process for them to accumulate like that. In fact, I had even been realizing how many stink bugs were in my room. However, as much as I hate stink bugs, I also hate getting rid of them because that means I have to deal with them! As long as they are not actually bothering me, I typically leave them alone. A few weeks ago, my very observant niece was in my room and said, "Laura, there are a lot of stink bugs in here."

"Yeah, I know," I replied, but I didn't do anything. Then she proceeded to count them and tell me exactly how many stink bugs were in my room, "You really need to get rid of them!" (Maybe I should listen to her better!!) Obviously, we need to deal with problems before they accumulate to such an extreme.

The same is true with this problem we face called sin. Too often, we let sin build up in our lives. Either we think no one sees it, so it doesn't matter, or we don't even realize our actions are sinful. But then we do recognize a small problem. We work toward getting rid of it, but in doing so, we uncover the multitude we have been hiding. When pressure is finally applied, it stinks!

We try to get rid of this sin on our own, but we can't. We need our Dad, our Heavenly Father, to take it for us--to shake us out and wash us. And you know what? He says that if we confess our sin, He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). Even more amazingly, He will remember it no more (Isaiah 43:24).

So what's hiding in the folds of your life? Why don't you let your Father take it for you and make you clean?

Don't keep it hidden because sin is the real stench!

Conquering Evil With Words

Edmund Burk said, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” The truth of this quote is evident in history. Those who have broken the silence through free speech have conquered the evils they faced and made a change.  It is essential for Americans to exercise their right to free speech and not give in to passivity. Freedom of speech is a treasured right and was used by Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce to make great changes in history.

Free speech is among the most valued of American freedoms and in the world as well. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…” America’s founding fathers realized free speech is a God-given right, and it is essential to a democracy. These rights had been present in the English Bill of Rights, but the founding fathers gave more rights and freedoms to the citizens. They knew people are the voice and foundation of America (“First Amendment”). Freedom of speech is a strong point in human rights documents. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, along with the European Convention on Human Rights, show the importance of freedom of expression and speech. A freedom with such value needs to be exercised (“What is the Role of Speech” 1). Even so, freedoms come with limits. People need to respect their own rights and the rights of others. It is their duty to exercise their rights but also to be aware of the rights of others. Martin Luther King Jr. used his right to free speech to accomplish the task before him (“First Amendment”). Such an important freedom needs to be exercised and respected.

Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce used freedom of speech to fight for their beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. impacted the nation politically and socially through his voice. His words made great changes that would not have occurred had he sat back and been passive and silent. The 14^th Amendment, defining citizenship and guaranteeing all basic liberties, was ratified in 1868. However, segregation did not become illegal until 1954. Even then, it was a hard fought battle to change the nation’s ways. Eighty-six years passed from the ratification of the 14^th Amendment to segregation becoming illegal. King helped accomplish this with his voice as his only weapon (LaMace). Furthermore, William Wilberforce was a 19^th century member of British Parliament and an advocate for ending slave trade and abolishing slavery. He was considered a part of “One of the turning events in the history of the world.” Even slave traders saw his influence and spirit and viewed him as a threat. Wilberforce’s accomplishments were extraordinary, and he used his free speech to attain them. Slavery was finally abolished in England, and this influenced American’s abolition as well (Hancock 12-19). Wilberforce was persistent in seeing abolition through. England’s Abolition Bill passed right before his death (Carrol). These two great figures made huge, game-changing influences by speaking out.

William Wilberforce was tenacious and not passive. Wilberforce restrained himself from all worldly things, such as drinking and even social events, to dedicate all of his time to his cause. He said he would “Never rest until [he] had effected its abolition.” Not only was Wilberforce determined, but he overcame the walls that blocked his way. He was an extremely sick man, yet he still pressed on. Passivity did not threaten Wilberforce. It would have been easy to give up once it became hard, especially when not only the British nation, but his own body, was fighting against him. However, he did not sit back or even wait for another to rise up and be a voice. As Wilberforce stated, “…It shall never be said that William Wilberforce is silent while the slaves require his help.” His bills continued to be defeated in Parliament, but it did not stop him. When slave trade was finally abolished, he did not see his victory as the end of the battle. Instead, he pressed on until slavery was completely abolished—26 years after the ending of slave trade. Though Wilberforce was not able to remain in Parliament through all this time because of his failing heath, he still played an active part through one of his books and by campaigning. Wilberforce died a few days after his lifelong work was finally accomplished when the Abolition Bill was passed. Thomas Foxwell Buxton said, “The day which was the termination of his labors was the termination of his life.” William Wilberforce’s persistent attitude allowed him to make changes whereas passivity would have only encouraged evil to thrive (Hancock 15-19).

King and Wilberforce fought for their causes, but also to bring back morals—both were driven by more than just their own opinions. King truly saw the importance of speaking out. He said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” Nevertheless, King did not just believe in speaking out, but he felt called to be a voice for the weak. He saw a loss of morals in the American society and their need to be brought back. He contributed this to the “Silence of Congress, and the apathy of citizens” (Berger 38-43). Wilberforce also felt called to change and reestablish the morals of the English society of his time. In regards to this he said, “…Some reformer of the nation’s morals, who should raise his voice in the high places of the land…” He too, saw the importance of speaking out. Wilberforce was influential in reestablishing England’s morals along with his accomplishments of Abolition. People like John Newton and Wilberforce himself felt that God was using Wilberforce to benefit the nation. Because of this, Wilberforce was truly able to be relentless and not be conformed to the world (Hancock 15-19). Nevertheless, even though the influence of Wilberforce and King are clear, some believe the nonviolent movement is not as strong today. Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Gandhi, influencer of King, said their movement was “Fading into oblivion through silence.” Nevertheless, Geoffrey Canada said, “…Their movements are alive” (Scheinin 1A+). Whether or not their movements are alive depends on Americans rising up, using their voices instead of fists, and keeping them alive. If the nation lets itself slip into passivity, the movements will die. As leaders of history-changing movements, King and Wilberforce saw the importance of speaking out and felt called by God to do so.

The course of history would have been exceedingly different had the voices of two men not risen above passive silence. Looking to King and Wilberforce as examples, Americans should use freedom of speech and speak out. It is obvious freedom of speech is a valued freedom. Had King and Wilberforce not spoken out, they would have not accomplished sustaining civil rights and abolishing slavery in England. Without them, it is not known when the barriers of such issues would have broken through. However, the call to speak out is clear. Let Americans raise their voices and conquer evil with words.

Works Cited

Berger, Rose Marie. “Dreaming America.” Sojoumes 26(4). 4 April 2007:38-43.

Carrol, Nicole. “William Wilberforce and William Cobbett: Reformers in Conflict in Early 19^th –

Century Britain.” Voces Novae 2.2 2010: n.pag. Web. 9 Jan. 2015.

“Edmund Burk.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

“First Amendment: Freedom of Speech (1791).” Bill of Rights Institute. Bill of Rights Institute,

2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

Hancock, Christopher D. “The ‘Shrimp’ who Stopped Slavery.” Christian History 1997: 12-19.

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LaMance, Ken. “Understanding the 14^th Amendment.” LegalMatch. LegalMatch, 1999-2015.

Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

Scheinin, Richard. “Like a Candle in the Wind.” San Jose Mercury News 1 Fed 1998: 1A+. SIRS

Issue Researcher. Web. 7 Jan. 2015.

U.S. Constitution. Amend. I.

“What is the Role of Speech in a Democratic Society and Where are Its Limits?” YouthMedia,

n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2015.