Kind of Sad

By the way the picture has nothing to do with what you’re about to read. I just liked it. 

I really do not mean to put anybody down with this post and I won’t say what organization I am talking about, but obviously, some of you will know what I am reffering to, so it’s up to you guys to make sure you understand my thoughts.

I’m looking for a job and one of my friends gave my résumé to the place she’ll be starting to work for. This is a Christian organization by the way. They looked over my résumé and told my friend they were really interested and really liked what they saw in it. UNTIL. They were excited until they asked my friend if I was a member of the association of churches they were affiliated with. Since I was not, they put my résumé aside. So they are still looking for a new employee.

It saddens me. Not because I don’t have a job yet, not at all, God will provide. But it saddens me that Christian organizations won’t hire Christians that are not member of the “right” association of churches. I am not saying that this particuliar organization believes there’s only one “right” association of churches at all, I am sure they believe the different Baptist churches around all profess the same faith in Jesus Christ. It is not a question of faith or denomination, but simply of church association. I am sure they have reasons to work that way, but I would be very interested to hear them. If any of you has ideas, let me know.

I understood that the bible colleges where I used to work would not hire an unbeliever (and even with that I had some troubles really agreeing), but not to hire a Baptist because she’s not in the right Baptist association! I don’t know what message it gives. Maybe I am not supposed to know that actually. It sounds like discrimination to me. But you know, I don’t mind and it does not hurt me that for such a small detail I won’t get the job, it’s fine with me, there’s probably something better for me somewhere. Again, I am sure the organization has good reasons, but for a little nobody like me, it sound wrong.

What do you think? Should I become a member of the “right” association to get the job? Hahahahahahha! I would not do that, I don’t know, it goes against my thinking. In some circumstances, maybe I would have done it and I know that some people have sometimes to make choices like that, but it saddens me that Christian schools, organizations and so on can “control” people like that.

Remember

“Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…” (Psalm 105:5)

“I remembered my songs in the night” (Psalm 77:6)

If you look at the context and the verses that surounds Psalm 77:6, you’ll probably think that I’m off topic, and you would be right. Asaph is saying here that his life is tough right now and he thinks back on the former days, when life was happier and he wonders now why God seems to reject him. But later on, Asaph says in verses 11 and 12, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” So here is where I’m leading verse 6 into the wrong context:

I like it. I like to put the verse in the context where I find myself out of means, where I worry about things that I have so little power on and I become ill from it. When I think that I’m independent and must do it all on my own. In those moments when life seems to be rude, I say with Asaph, “I remembered my songs in the night”, meaning, “Right now all I see is darkness, but I remember the light and I know for certain that God will shine His light again.” There is hope.

I just had a discussion with a friend about “remembering” God’s works and how it strengthens our faith in times of trouble or uncertainty to be reminded of what God has accomplished for us in the past. All of the sudden, I feel stupid for worrying about anything because I remember that God has power over everything and the lives of the people around me, that God has always been there for me and has blessed me more than I hoped… why would it be different this time since I desire His will?

So remembering God’s works in my life is something really important, otherwise, my faith is weak and tends to be like the Israelites who kept forgetting about the wondrous things God had done just a few days or weeks or months ago and feared their enemies, thought they would die of hunger…

Anyways. I’ve put up a new page on this blog that you can go to (just click on the “In Loving Memory” title up there on this page) and it’s about this: remembering God’s deeds. So go check it out, there’s little written there so far, but I’ll be adding things as God is good to me…

Enjoy & Remember

on Servanthood

One day, when I used to work at Bethany College, the “editors” of the Egles’ Eye (the school newspaper), asked if one of the cooks would be kind enough to write something on servanthood for the newspaper. I guess people did not think to be good writers or did not have time, so I decided to do it. I wonder why they chose the cooks to write something on servanthood (maybe I am being sarcastic here). I haven’t had any Easter-like thoughts even though I probably should have, so I don’t have anything Easter-like to give you. But the small article I wrote for the Eagle’s Eye last year seems fitting. Here it is:

Jesus said that he didn’t come to be served, but to serve. (Mat 20:28). In Philippians, Paul said that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ (Phil. 2:5) and goes on giving us a picture of Jesus’ attitude: being God, He took the very nature of a servant; He humbled Himself and became obedient even if His obedience would lead Him to death. According to Jesus’ example two words describe what a servant is: humility and obedience.  The Son of God, who deserves all praise, came down and was found washing the feet of His disciples. We need to realize what it means to be saved by grace and be humbled by the truth that I am not better than any believer, because all I have is Christ’s righteousness and that’s what they have too. The heart of a true servant is humble. As our hearts become humble because of the grace of God for us, our own self won’t count much and we’ll yearn for God’s supremacy in our lives, we’ll give ourselves to Him saying “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty” (Lk 17:10).  And what naturally flows from humility is obedience. Christ wasn’t simply doing things His own way. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked that the “cup be taken” from Him, but He kept on asking for His Father’s will to be done, not His. Jesus never dared to disobey His Father, He knew that God’s will was what needed to be accomplished.   A true servant doesn’t only serve His brothers and sisters his own way. God sometimes calls His servants to do things they are not used to or calls them to places where they don’t want to go, but the one who has the heart of a servant will in humility obey God’s voice.  It is clear that one isn’t a servant because one does the deeds of a servant. It’s all about the heart. Some are hypocrite servants who do the work required by God, but do it with wrong motives. And there are the true servants, those who are humble in heart and simply serve because they delight to obey their Saviour. Let us serve one another, not because it makes us “look good” before men, but because we were saved by the blood of the Son of God who left us an example of the attitude that should be ours: having a humble and obedient heart. 

strange Dream

I woke up this morning and remembered a dream that I had.  I seldom dream. It was only about an hour later that I realized my dream was not probable. We’re doing like a potluck brunch for one of my classes because it’s the end of our first year at university. I dreamed that we had our brunch in class and were done and about to leave, but the teacher asked me to pray. And I did pray a rather long prayer about our internship and for us to go through it and learn, that God would help us and etc. I would never be asked to pray in a class, but it felt so Christian-like, the atmosphere was just as if we were all Christians and it was totally normal that my teacher would end up with a prayer. I know this was just a dream and I am not going to try to piritualize it at all.

 What I wonder about though is the prayer I made. Because I did consciously pray in my dream, as if I was praying for real. But, was I praying for real actually? Does God hears the prayer made in a dream? I think He does. Does God takes those prayers as seriously as those made when we are awake? You know what, I would tend to think that yes. Because even though I was in the context of a dream and did not realize that this did not make any sense that my teacher was asking me to pray, I, Gabrielle, prayed as I would pray when I am awake and for me, I was awake anyways (in my mind). I don’t know, that’s just my opinion and maybe to you it’s really clear, but I had never thought of this before.

Different.

Ephesians 5:13 - what does this verse mean?

en w kai umeis akousantes ton logon ths alhqeias to euaggelion ths swthrias umwn en w kai pisteusantes esfragisqhte tw pneumati ths epaggelias tw agiw

13But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 21st Century King James Version 

13 But all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light. America standard Version 

13and all the things reproved by the light are manifested, for everything that is manifested is light; Young’s Literal Translation 

13But all things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light. Darby 

13 All things can be seen when they are in the light. Everything that can be seen is in the light. New Life Version 

13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear, 14 for what makes everything clear is light. Holman Christian Standard Bible 

13 But everything the light shines on can be seen. 14 Light makes everything clear. New International Readers’ Version 

5:13 And alle thingis that ben repreuyd of the liyt, ben opynli schewid; for al thing that is schewid, is liyt. Wycliffe New testament 

13But when the light shines on something, it can be seen. Anything that shows up wrong ways is light. Worldwide English (New testament)

13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. New International Version – UK

13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  Today’s New International Version

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. New Living Translation

13mais tout ce qui est condamné est manifesté par la lumière, car tout ce qui est manifesté est lumière. Louis Second1

3 Mais quand ces choses sont démasquées, leur véritable nature paraît à la lumière. 14 Or ce qui paraît à la lumière est lumière. La Bible du Semeur

13Все же обнаруживаемое делается явным от света, ибо все, делающееся явным, свет есть. Russian Synodal Version   

Sabbath

Did I tell you that I was tired? I am pretty sure I did, either in this blog, in an email, or by voice. I’ve probably never felt that tired since I was born. Serious. This is more serious than the end of missions trips to Louisiana or the end of a summer in a camp. But oh well, last night, for the first time in my life, I felt I my mind had no longer any power over my body and my body took control of itself. It decided that it was shutting down, no matter what the head was saying. I literally could no do anything else than go to bed. But that was last night.

Hum, yeah, so since I am reflecting on my lack of rest and need of rest, God (as usual) takes the opportunity to sit me down and speak to me. This morning I was reading in Leviticus. And yes, it was about the sabbath. What stayed with me is that God asked the Israelites to not sow their fields every seventh year so the soil can rest (and obviously, the people as well!). But this involved more than just rest. God knew people would have some arguments against this rule: “But what about out food? How ar we going to feed ourselves if there is not a field in Israel that is worked ans that bears fruit?” He knew it going to come, so he says “I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yeild enough for three years” (25:21). IN YOUR FACE! God is telling them, “Guys, simply do what I tell you, work hard, but rest and celebrate when I ask you and you won’t have to worry about anything else.”

I think it’s hard for me to rest in this season of my life where I have so much to do all the time. I always have an excuse for not taking a break, I literally can work all the time when I am not at school, walking to school or eating. But my body and my heart can’t take it and God knows it. It’s easy for me to say “But what about this assignment? I won’t have time to do it… Don’t you see my schedule? If I don’t study right now, I won’t have time tomorrow…” still God says, “Take it easy. Just do what I tell you, it’ll be just fine.” God does not promise me I’ll have the time and everything I need to succeed, but I think that He wants me to trust Him, that He will provide me with the time, before or after my sabbath, that he will give me the knowledge and wisdom I need to understand things quicker and so gain time. I don’t know, that’s just how I see things. Sabbath is not just a rest. It is God asking me to trust Him. I want to trust Him more, to live “dangerously” (what a cheesy sentence). Faith is dangerous from a human point of view… but really, it’s not dangerous at all!