It’s 1:32 in the morning, I'm sleepless and thinking all kinds of thoughts about life, this world we live in, and the time I’ve wasted away. Time is such an odd entity. We live with the concept of earthly time until the day we reach our eternal life, then it all changes. Earth is subject to the irreversible and never ending cycle of time: birth, life, and death - the undeniable definition of time for all who walk under the sun. What I often forget in the seemingly endless moments of time on this earth, is the remarkable time awaiting us at the gates of heaven. James 4:14 depicts the fragility and briefness of our life on earth, just dust in the wind at the end of our often long awaited pillow-crashing days, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Well isn't this a harsh statement to believers, so we’re just mist? Nothingness?. A hard pill to swallow, but also a harsh and needed reminder to know that what feels so permanent now is only a fleeting and temporary matter in the eyes of Jesus. But, our gentle and caring Father also wants nothing short of our undivided attention and pursuit while we are here on earth. Apathy is the last thing Jesus wants from us, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16).
So, normality is around us, it's in us too. Time flies by, and we are stuck in our routines, which is far from what we so often wish was the perfect little lives we dreamed up to have. We wish we could be labeled a difference maker, an optimist, a world changer, the list goes on and we all want these titles to mark what was at the forefront of our lives at the end of the day. Can't we admit we still want this? I sure do. Where I got really stuck tonight is in these mind-blowing facts about what we actually do (and don’t do) in our lifetime: -We spend around 11 years watching TV -We spend around 4.4 years eating food -We spend around 5 years searching the internet -We spend around 1 year deciding what to wear - We spend 29.7% of our lives sitting down -And here’s a crazy one: the average human spends 41% of their lives (10,625 days) looking at a technological device. The list goes on & on. After reading these statistics, all i could think is “this is pure craziness”. Then, for a moment, I denied that I was one of those “average humans” bundled into the statistic of the modern day addictions of which we call “normal”. But, I am, you are, we all are in some way, shape, or form. We call so many things normal when they really shouldn’t be. We’ve adjusted our scale of normality to what suits us best and what feels comfortable to us. But the truth to the matter is that Jesus was never normal, and he calls us to be just the opposite also. This isn’t a call to go off the grid or throw away all that is time consuming and pointless. This is just a wake up call for myself and maybe some others too. These crazy numbers hit home with me as I realized that my normal should look a whole lot more like the life of Jesus and a whole lot less like the rest of this world. I need a new normal. In reality, the gospel is being twisted every single day into something that is watered-down and completely contrary to the holy truth. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6) I say to you, there are different gospels out there my fellow believers. There’s incorrect teaching and all kinds of distortions of Christianity in this fallen world. But the true gospel of Jesus calls us to a higher standard of living. One that is fully surrendered to the cause of Christ and the gospel of the one who saved our souls. A new normal for me is reminding myself daily that although this world has created its own normal, I as a follower of Jesus am not going to walk towards the wide gate but rather the narrow one that Jesus led, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) When hard times come, and he promises they will, I stand firm in the truth that leading a new normal life is precisely what Jesus calls us into. And all along, through the hardest moments and the most beautiful ones, he promises us peace. What a beautiful reminder that is. “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11) So with this purpose, we conquer these staggering statistics marked to generalize mankind, -Let’s spend those 4.4 years eating food with people so that we can love more and be more like Jesus. -Let’s spend those 5 years searching the internet so we can find ways and new opportunities to reach the unreached. -And let’s use that 29.7% of our lives sitting down to strategically plan how we will be the next difference maker for the one who we call Abba. New opportunities arise when we rise into the position that has been there for us all along: leading a new normal life. The new normal begins now brothers + sisters. -gabrielle Sources: https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-many-days-of-your-life-do-you-have-sex-your-lifetime-by-the-numbers https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/life/30-surprising-facts-about-how-we-spend-our-time/ss-BBjeV3f#image=29
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The Empowerment of True FreedomIt's been quite a few months since my last post. College began, life got crazy, and I watched my old life fly past me as I attempt to adjust to my new lifestyle. Let me tell you, it's been hard. Adjustment is hard. Change is hard, but it is often so good and so very necessary. Everyone tells me that your first semester of college can be a really "dry season" and also a very hard time. It has been just that - but through this phase of often spiritual depravity I have grown much and seen Him work in ways I would have never expected.
Here's one of those ways. I had a dream the other night.. I would call it more of a vision if you ask me. The Lord gave me the words "The Empowerment of True Freedom" after showing me a vivid and scarring vision of what our society looks like - and we are completely blinded to this inevitable truth.. I wrote in my journal when I woke: I had a vision - a vision of one long, as far as the eye can see, row of humans - every height, weight, age, race, color - it was all of us. Second by second a person emerged from the dust, from the dry and dusty brown dirt came a person - each so unique and beautiful in their own way. But the most interesting part is how each person in this seemingly everlasting line of the entire human race had one, just one, thing in common: shackles. They were all chained by the ankles and by the wrists to each other. It was their one and only common bond, just the shackles. Then I looked around at the very few people who weren't gloomy eyed like the many in the shackles. These people, the very few, the minority, they were free. Running towards the lush green mountains ahead of me and in the opposite direction, more of the "free" were running to the glimmering sunset in the horizon. All of these runners, these liberated people, were moving fast, fierce, and free. There were few of them, but those who were indeed unshackled, were passionate about their freedom - they were radical, they were empowered, they were changed. You could see the joy on their faces as they ran towards freedom instead of bondage. I wonder what it would look like if those who proclaim that they are indeed free lived like these people? If "they were radical, they were empowered, they were changed" shouldn't we mimic this as we live in freedom also? Those of us who are free from our enslavement to sin - by his relentless grace - how are we living like these radical runners, running towards freedom and never looking back at what the world says to look to? I begin to ask myself, does my life proclaim the freedom that He paid for us? Do people see my story of once being in shackles and now being free? Is that how they truly see me? These questions I ask myself.. and my raw and hurtful answers are redefining many things in my life.. why do I worship so many things over the one who actually released me from my bondage in the first place? Isn't He the one who made me free? The only question to ask now is where do we go from here? We are no longer in bondage as followers of Jesus, but that doesn't mean we aren't broken people. We are still broken. We still need Him. Most of all we need to want Him more than anything this world offers. We need to want to share his eternal glory with those who are still in the shackles, emerging from dust. We must want to share this more than what is going to be our next tweet, more than our complaints about the food we just ate, more than how someone is annoying us.. we need to share this radical truth of Jesus more. But first we must want it. with love + joy, -gcg “What’s your major?, Where do you work?, Where did you go to school?” These are questions that are commonly asked among adults and peers in our day and age. Although these questions seem fitting in our success driven society, I often stop myself and ask..”Why?”. Why are these questions so often the first ones we ask after exchanging simply, “hello” and “nice to meet you.”? The reason why we ask these questions is because we often seek the answers that we believe define people - their income, education, intelligence, friendships, etc. the list goes on and on.
What we forget to ask are the questions that are of the heart. Again with intentionality, the culture of our success driven society makes us eager to ask the questions which give us a label as either a success or a failure. But what is your definition of success? This pivotal question is one I have asked myself often these past few weeks. In different cultures, the definition of success is often altered due to the demographics of one’s society. Here in Swaziland, you are considered above the poverty line if you make more than $3,280 (US dollars) in a given year. Money doesn’t rule the mind and hearts here in Swaziland, and I’ve learned to really love and appreciate this concept – coming from a money driven society. I’ve learned that people from all over the world define success in vastly different ways. Some define it by one’s family, others by their impact on the community, and there are very few who finally realize the true definition of success: living for the kingdom and nothing more. To be honest, I think I have known this true measure of success for a while now, but I guess it took coming all the way to Africa to truly realize that nothing else is worth living for. Success is something that people take so seriously all over the world, but how will you choose to define what success is in your life? Will it be the number of zeros in your bank account? How about showing the world the prestigious parts of your life? Whatever it is, we are all putting something in front of God and measuring it as a defining factor in our lives. It’s really just finding what that thing is in your life, and finally deciding if it’s worth laying down for the sake of the gospel. “If you trust God, renounce self-reliance, and bring him into every life situation, he is going to make your paths straight.” -John Piper (of course) That’s it for now, -gcg Hi friends & family! If you haven’t heard, I’m currently writing to you from Siteki, Swaziland! A few months ago the Lord put on my heart that my summer was to be dedicated to missions, and this wonderful internship opportunity fell upon my lap in just the right timing.
I am 1 of 3 interns currently at One Heart Africa, a non profit organization run by Ryan and Anna Carmichael. The OHA farm is located in Swaziland (and partly in Mozambique) aimed to bring sustainable change to disease stricken and highly impoverished parts of southern Africa. OHA sits on a beautiful plot of land in the Lubombo valley, with multiple acres of farmland and an aquaponics system (lettuce, basil, peppers, onions, all that good stuff = best salads ever!). The farm provides fresh produce to neighboring people who are affected by HIV and also to care points who serve orphaned and vulnerable children in the community. One Heart Africa also started Sharing Hope Preschool in 2013 and it is located in Mozambique. This preschool educates 100 children who are fed daily, taught the gospel, given a quality education, and provided access to safe water through the school’s fresh water well. Learn more at oneheartfrica.org and be sure to follow the Facebook page too! So, yes this place is amazing! The Lord is never ceases to put me in awe of ministries like One Heart Africa - what a special place! 11 things i've learned in Swazi after 11 days:
On the real, I’ve learned some crazy things, but most of all I’ve learned that intentionality is a huge concept here. The American culture lacks an intentional desire to really know what’s going on in people’s lives. We lack the time to sit and listen to people’s struggles, their spiritual life, and how we can invest time in them. Here in Swazi, people greet each other everywhere. Strolling in town they will stop what they are occupied with to be present in the moment and enjoy conversing just a few words. They take the time to invest just a few seconds into real conversation and yes it makes a big difference. This seems so easy, but being here has made me realize that we are running a rat race and life gets so crazy sometimes that we lose our focus, our purpose behind our each and every breath. We wake up, we work, we eat, we have small talk in the Starbucks, we say "thank you" at the checkout...we run the rat race. I’ve learned here that sitting in His presence and running the true race for the Lord is what my life should be centered around - not the every day jumble and chaos. Our typical routine checklist isn't important, changing lives is. We are called here to run the race towards our heavenly Father - every moment with intentionality and pursuit for His glory. It’s a beautiful thing to see the joy on people’s faces here, even those who may not believe in Jesus, they still have joy. Imagine if their lives were changed by Him, even more joy, even more intentionality! This is a calling to all who believe - run the race towards Him, fiercely in pursuit for his will and His glory - nothing more nothing less. Sala kahle for now, -gcg I stumbled upon a verse in Romans the other day and it has really sparked my heart and mind. Such a powerful verse must be shared for all believers and non believers to hear the truth. I think we too often sugar-coat messages and conversations so that no feelings are hurt, but how are we to find our ultimate purpose without the pain? We cannot. Romans 14: 23 states, “But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe – some days trying to impose on your opinions and on others, other days just trying to please them – then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live your life isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.” In my previous note to you, I wrote a little bit about the misconception of God’s grace and how we use this gift as a way to excuse undeniably wrong behavior. This sinful confusion of grace coincides with the verse above. The verse is very simple question: are you living each moment of your life in relation to the faith you claim to have? If this isn’t a daily mindset – to pick up our cross and follow the Lord daily in pursuit of His glory – then what is the purpose of living? The answer is pretty simple, there is no purpose. We are called to be strong and able in our faith, not weak and doing what is most convenient. God gives us strength for service not status (Romans 15:2)! As we owe every moment to the Lord, we must have the constant question in our mind: do my beliefs coincide with my actions? Today, I encourage you to “leave your impoverished confusion and LIVE! Walk up the street to a life with meaning” (Proverbs 9:6). This doesn’t discount the hardships that come along the way, but in our adversity, only a good spirit can truly conquer in our toughest times. It’s a new day, so let’s live like it. Pick up your cross with me & lets walk towards a life worth more than all these riches – they’re just smoke, vapor into the wind. Until next time, gcg ps. take a minute to listen to the video below - it's well worth your time! "Grace is too good to be added to your self salvation project" |
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