At the end of our strength

One of my many theories about life is that everyone will experience at least one time when they reach the end of their own strength. Circumstances--loss, abuse, abject poverty, heartbreak, disease, disability, etc.--will bring you there and your own mistakes and proclivities may speed the journey. The question is, where do you turn when you reach that place? 

In spite of countless beautiful moments with nonprofits, friends, and the Lord, 2011 has been an uncharacteristically difficult year, and I have appreciated the patience of friends and family. 

Sometimes I still wonder, "What am I doing wrong?" Yet, I have come to see that had God quickly answered prayers to "fix" me, I would never have experienced the unexpected gift of reaching the end of my own strength. Pain rammed me unrelentingly into my own limitations, and I truly realized how everything good in me originates from the Lord. This has been an exceptional antidote for my "perfectionist tendencies" and has given me greater grace for myself and others.

At the beginning of this season, I learned to trust that God is good even when He does not seem to be "fixing" our problems. It's one thing to profess this and another to believe it when you are in a difficult situation. This was incredibly important for me to experience in light of my ever-present goal of career work to help the forgotten suffering worldwide: refugees, slaves, survivors of natural disasters, wrongfully imprisoned, etc. Love and hope would be pitifully weak if they were limited to eradicating pain. Their persistence in the midst of pain is just as transforming as their healing power.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read about what is important to me. Your attention and care humbles me. 

But He said to me, 

“My grace is sufficient for you, 

for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, 

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 

For those New Year's Resolutions

I highly recommend this year-end top ten post listing from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation. Posts include: 

10. Who Talks About Idols Among Friends?

9. Letting Go of Pain

8. Christians and Non-Christians, Married

7. How to Talk to God When You're Suffering

6. What Christians Really Believe: "I Must Try Harder"

5. No More Minimizing Pain

4. The Angry Person: Always the Last to Know

3. Depression's Odd Filter

2. The Secret to Dealing with Fear and Anxiety

1. "If Only…" Living with Regrets

Quoteables VII

Me to Co-worker #1: "Which is it, 'between you and me' or 'between you and I'?"
Silence as we both ponder this grammatical conundrum.
Co-worker #2 intervening: "Wouldn't it be 'between us'?"
_________________________________________________


Setting: A discontinued line of figs and dates has gone on sale for $1.00 per package. Yours truly buys the remaining thirty packages because, hey, evidently ingesting copious amounts of fiber is good for the digestive system.


Vons cashier: "Thank you, Miss Brooks. You saved $100. [Uncertain pause] You got all your figs."
My preferred response: Please, please, hold the applause!
My actual response since the cashier was looking at me as if I was one of "those people" who take ten minute sponge baths in airplane lavatories: "Thank you. It's not often I get to hear that at the grocery store."
_________________________________________________


Me trying on a royal blue silk shirt with a ruffled neck line: “What do you think of this?”

My youngest sister (immediately): “It looks like Queen Victoria’s wedding night dress.”

Was she there???

Emmanuel

The Word became flesh and blood,

and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes,

the one-of-a-kind glory,

like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

True from start to finish.

John 1:14 The Message

Source

Siberian Wonderland

National Geographic Photo of the Day

Do They Know It's Christmas Time At All?

Warning: This video contains graphic 80's hair styles which may not be appropriate for children to view.



This performance is fascinating on many levels, but I find myself especially intrigued with the lyrics. From Bono's line "Tonight, thank God it's them instead of you" to "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" -- this song is misguided and disjointed to the point of being humorous. Yet, I found myself asking after the fourth refrain: Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Though ignorant of the global community's awareness of Christmas, I started thinking--is missing this particular Western celebration something to mourn? If so, do we "feel sorry" for the rest of the world simply because of their lack of material possessions? Well, if it's more than "stuff", is the occasion meaningful enough to me that I would recommend it to someone in Papua New Guinea or Bahrain?

Frankly, I prefer Thanksgiving as a holiday, and I think it's because I've fallen grump. Christmas is admittedly over-commercialized and overbooked, and  my disgruntlement with the season is a direct result of not knowing how to fully escape these aspects of a potentially beautiful holiday. The inevitable bustling, decorating, presents, and hype should not be the extent of the Christmas experience. All of these should be on behalf of something deeper and--dare I say--lasting. My challenge to myself is to create a day or even a moment whose meaning and impact I would want anyone and everyone to experience.

When I Think About the Lord

Tonight I was struck by a simple, daily habit I have performed for more than eight years. It's a brief yet conscious action with symbolism trumping function. As I reflected on the thousands of times I have made this particular choice, this truth occurred: Katie, if you are capable of being faithful in this area every day for so many years, how much more will God most certainly be faithful? 


2011 may have been my Jimmy Eat World "The Middle" year, but moments like these remind me that I sure have a superlative back-up team.

"When I Think About the Lord" (Christ for the Nations version)

Extreme radical collaboration

This is an amazing story from TED talks about a woman who adapted to sudden and severe disabilities through the help of a community of senior citizens. Almost fatally wounded by a drunk driver when in her early twenties, Ramona Pierson recovered and proceeded to careers in aviation, neuropsychology, software development, and education innovation.

Yippee!

Friends, sometimes I forget to share the joys of justice work. Today's post is a celebration.

Here is a story of Kmart removing a highly sexual line of underwear marketed to younger girls. Customer complaints prevailed!

Next is a story about courageous young women in Kabul, Afghanistan marching in protest of constant, demeaning treatment. A few years ago, such an exhibition would have been impossible.

Finally, click here for news about a prominent brothel in Kolkata (Calcutta), India known to traffick young girls that was permanently closed through the work of the International Justice Mission.

Profundity

My laugh of the day: Entertainment Weekly's website is...EW.com.


I think they need a new marketing director.

Just different?

Tonight I read a quote that has my mind spinning: 


 “Rape is a man’s problem but it has become a woman’s issue,” said one of my rape crisis counseling and advocacy trainers in Chicago, IL.


This quote was in turn quoted by a woman my age working with both survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence in the Congo, an area now globally famous for a horrific number of brutal rapes. The quote is certainly thought-provoking in context, and my mind jumped ahead to the familiar question: Are men more depraved than women? To be blunt, males are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of violent crimes: murder, sexual violence, human trafficking, torture. Why is this? 


(If this were a TV show, there would be a break at this dramatic moment. Why is this? Are men more depraved then women? You're about to find out my commercial-free opinion, but I hope you consider the questions for yourself.)


Though I certainly believe both genders have equally value, it is obvious that they are differently gifted, and humans invariably pervert God's good gifts. Men have the gift of strength; women have the gift of relationship. Thus, men generally sin in abusing their strength, which is purposed to provide, protect, and pastor (lead). Women often sin through manipulating relationships instead of using beauty and vulnerability to foster connectedness. Men hurt people trying to prove their strength or by withholding it when needed. Women hurt people as they try gain attention and security through self-promotion and control. 


When speaking of the depravity of the human heart, the Bible does not tell us, "By the way, men are especially wicked!" Instead, it says that all are guilty and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). As to whether or not one gender causes more damage than another, I really cannot say. If men have greater strength, it seems logical that they have a greater capacity to harm. Following this train of thought, it very well may be that if women were stronger--particularly physically--they would exhibit more violence. Case studies and historical research have shown that oppressed people tend to oppress others in turn when given the opportunity. Consider the Haitian slave uprising in the early 1800's that murdered European oppressors or the mother in a severe patriarchal culture who beats her daughter-in-law, the only person over whom she has control.


Although this is a topic I will continue to ponder, it seems that the politically correct message of "not better or worse--just different" is truly the answer. Our depravity is indeed horrifying, but thankfully, the genders' gifts complement each other. As I strive to connect people to justice causes, bringing beauty and vulnerability to the forefront, I continue to deeply respect men using their strength to fight for justice--men who are promoting the truth, rescuing the forgotten, and persevering against evil. These are our superheroes.  

Perspective

National Geographic Photo of the Day

Jumper by Third Eye Blind, anyone?

For His name's sake

Reflecting on Psalm 23: "He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

...Not for me to stun the populace with my prodigious intellect and dazzling personality.

...Not because, well, the rules are the rules, and following them is what makes you a Christian. 

...Not because I can obviously use some self-improvement.

Rather, He restores my soul to right relationship with Him, then directs me to goodness because it is in keeping with His character. He cannot do otherwise. "For the sake of His name"--His name reflects His identity. He demonstrates "being" in a way we will never fully comprehend. 

What are some applications of these lofty statements? Well, I was reflecting today on written poetry and spoken word and how I am delighted when people manage to say much with little (a talent I obviously have yet to achieve). My pleasure in well-crafted phrases is akin to others' pleasure in a well-balanced recipe or a perfectly executed dance routine. When I appreciate or reflect beauty, it's for His name's sake because human capability of recognizing and appreciating beauty is a divine gift. Beauty points us to the goodness of God, to a higher level of existence then our generally tawdry constructions. 

"For His name's sake" also helps me remember that becoming a better person is not the end goal. All of my self-improvement activities--hygiene, exercise, reading, simplifying my environment, eating healthily, saving money, working late--thus hopefully become good habits rather than self-defined moral imperatives. 

Finally, this phrase is a heart compass. When I considered it last night, I wondered, "Gosh, the verse definitely doesn't say, 'He leads me on the paths of righteousness so that I will have peace and joy and all good things.' Is 'for His name's sake' truly enough for me?" Frankly, not always, but I do have the assurance that despite my all-too-frequent distrust and pettiness, God does  not waver. He still does things His way, not mine. So, I will continue my odd habits of staying up until two am reading blogs about human suffering and printing off extra copies of coupons to casually foist on strangers in chain stores and surreptitiously placing my rejected knick knacks on my co-workers' desks in order to snicker at their bemused reactions because, hey, He's got it covered. I'll keep messing up in between spurts of attentive zeal, but He'll be faithful to keep leading me for His name's sake.

Everybody sleeps?

Remember this old Sesame Street song? 





I'm afraid it's rather like Disneyland; reminiscing about one's childhood is half the charm. 


As I have been more-than-usually exhausted these past two weeks, I am off to prove this song true. 

I'll get you!

Thought for today: Is revenge perhaps a perversion of justice just as lust is a perversion of love?