Hey all,
So I thought I would be using my spiritinsideme blog to document my experiences in Africa but I decided to actually use a tumblr blog account. To follow along my African journey, visit http://rachelinafrica.tumblr.com/
Thanks! Enjoy the posts!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Tribute to Moms
The world would be a rather dull place without moms. They clean up messes. They fight away scary monsters in the closet. They heal boo-boos with their kisses. They love, bring laughter, and give life. What would we do without you?!
Being a mother must be the hardest yet most rewarding job in the entire world. I don't know how my mom does it-- raises three kids, works a job, cleans, keeps on us about homework, goes to all our extracurricular events, stays involved in the community, I could go on. She's amazing; a God-fearing woman I hope to become and model one day when I have children of my own. If only there were words to sum up my thankfulness and deep appreciation for all that she does. Shout out to you, Mom, for being awesome :)
Moms are important people, and God most certainly agrees. In the second chapter of John we see an interesting although subtle interaction between Jesus and his mother when Jesus performs His very first miracle: turning water into wine.
Jesus Changes Water into Wine
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." John 2:1-4
When the wine ran out at the wedding, Jesus' mother noticed and pointed it out to her son. She did not ask Jesus to do something about it or inform the others there that her son had the ability to do something about it. She simply took Her concern to Jesus with a "...but you do what you want" sort of standpoint. Jesus' response exemplifies His teaching that we are to love, respect and obey our parents.
Mary's behavior depicts a beautiful image of role reversal. In this scene she, as the parent, runs to her child to share a concern, hoping that Jesus can give her peace or be able to fix the problem. When Mary speaks to Jesus, perhaps she expected Him to do something about the shortage of wine. After all, she knew full well that her son was capable of performing miracles. Yet, she didn't press Him to do anything; she simply said, "They have no more wine."
Jesus, too, knew full well of what He had in His power to do. He was aware that the guests ran out of wine but He did not jump onto the scene. He stood back, keeping out of the way until Mary approached Him. Evident by His response, Jesus did not care to do anything right then and there about the shortage of wine because His time had not yet come. He was not ready. It was not His moment. He wanted to wait. But His mother needed Him...
So He acted.
As this famous story goes, Jesus ended up turning the 30 gallons of water inside the six stone jars into wine. John the apostle describes the miracle as "miraculous." While Mary's reaction to Jesus' miracle was not recorded, I imagine that she was full of gratitude for her son's help. As Jesus amazed all the guests, Mary probably stood back and welled up with motherly pride watching her son save the day.
There is a great lesson to learn here. Jesus, the Son of God, recognized the responsibilities of his role as a son to his mother, Mary. He therefore did what He should have done to please His mother and bring her peace. In other words, His mother's concern took precedence over His willingness to wait longer before performing any miracle. The Message translation says that Jesus responded to His mother saying, "This isn't my time. Don't push me." What we see here in this passage, though, is Jesus deliberately choosing to do something for His mother even though He didn't feel ready.
I am convinced that Jesus did not want to miss this precious opportunity to publicly express and demonstrate His love for His mother. He recognized in that moment a need and He filled it; however, this miracle is not a case of Mary saying to Jesus, "The wedding guests need more wine" as much as it is her saying to her son, "I need you."
God designed the relationship between mother and child to be one of mutual dependency and satisfaction. In our fallen, sinful world this sort of relationship sometimes feels--or seems--impossible to come by. Children often neglect to respectfully honor their mothers with the love they deserve; likewise, mothers often struggle to patiently serve their children in ways that model and extend God's sufficient grace. Even Jesus lived this out for us to relate to: His first reaction when His mother approached Him about the shortage of wine was more or less, "And?!? ....What's that got to do with me, Mom?!?"
I can attest, what I want and what my mom wants does not always match up. But as her daughter, I am to love, respect, and obey her. Upholding this may call me to set aside my own selfish wants or be bold like Jesus was and do things for her even though I may not feel ready. In the end, mom is happy and so is God.
To all the moms out there- you are loved more than you know.
Happy Mother's Day.
Rachel
Being a mother must be the hardest yet most rewarding job in the entire world. I don't know how my mom does it-- raises three kids, works a job, cleans, keeps on us about homework, goes to all our extracurricular events, stays involved in the community, I could go on. She's amazing; a God-fearing woman I hope to become and model one day when I have children of my own. If only there were words to sum up my thankfulness and deep appreciation for all that she does. Shout out to you, Mom, for being awesome :)
Moms are important people, and God most certainly agrees. In the second chapter of John we see an interesting although subtle interaction between Jesus and his mother when Jesus performs His very first miracle: turning water into wine.
Jesus Changes Water into Wine
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." John 2:1-4
When the wine ran out at the wedding, Jesus' mother noticed and pointed it out to her son. She did not ask Jesus to do something about it or inform the others there that her son had the ability to do something about it. She simply took Her concern to Jesus with a "...but you do what you want" sort of standpoint. Jesus' response exemplifies His teaching that we are to love, respect and obey our parents.
Mary's behavior depicts a beautiful image of role reversal. In this scene she, as the parent, runs to her child to share a concern, hoping that Jesus can give her peace or be able to fix the problem. When Mary speaks to Jesus, perhaps she expected Him to do something about the shortage of wine. After all, she knew full well that her son was capable of performing miracles. Yet, she didn't press Him to do anything; she simply said, "They have no more wine."
Jesus, too, knew full well of what He had in His power to do. He was aware that the guests ran out of wine but He did not jump onto the scene. He stood back, keeping out of the way until Mary approached Him. Evident by His response, Jesus did not care to do anything right then and there about the shortage of wine because His time had not yet come. He was not ready. It was not His moment. He wanted to wait. But His mother needed Him...
So He acted.
As this famous story goes, Jesus ended up turning the 30 gallons of water inside the six stone jars into wine. John the apostle describes the miracle as "miraculous." While Mary's reaction to Jesus' miracle was not recorded, I imagine that she was full of gratitude for her son's help. As Jesus amazed all the guests, Mary probably stood back and welled up with motherly pride watching her son save the day.
There is a great lesson to learn here. Jesus, the Son of God, recognized the responsibilities of his role as a son to his mother, Mary. He therefore did what He should have done to please His mother and bring her peace. In other words, His mother's concern took precedence over His willingness to wait longer before performing any miracle. The Message translation says that Jesus responded to His mother saying, "This isn't my time. Don't push me." What we see here in this passage, though, is Jesus deliberately choosing to do something for His mother even though He didn't feel ready.
I am convinced that Jesus did not want to miss this precious opportunity to publicly express and demonstrate His love for His mother. He recognized in that moment a need and He filled it; however, this miracle is not a case of Mary saying to Jesus, "The wedding guests need more wine" as much as it is her saying to her son, "I need you."
God designed the relationship between mother and child to be one of mutual dependency and satisfaction. In our fallen, sinful world this sort of relationship sometimes feels--or seems--impossible to come by. Children often neglect to respectfully honor their mothers with the love they deserve; likewise, mothers often struggle to patiently serve their children in ways that model and extend God's sufficient grace. Even Jesus lived this out for us to relate to: His first reaction when His mother approached Him about the shortage of wine was more or less, "And?!? ....What's that got to do with me, Mom?!?"
I can attest, what I want and what my mom wants does not always match up. But as her daughter, I am to love, respect, and obey her. Upholding this may call me to set aside my own selfish wants or be bold like Jesus was and do things for her even though I may not feel ready. In the end, mom is happy and so is God.
To all the moms out there- you are loved more than you know.
Happy Mother's Day.
Rachel
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Look, a Rainbow
It has been a while since I've written. Too long, I must apologize. I am rarely one for excuses but somehow life got in the way of things I suppose. A lot has happened since my last post. Perhaps most notably, I moved to Nashville and started college at Vanderbilt University!!! A dream come true! I wish there were words to sum up how much has happened over these last 10 months. What a journey it has been-- one of faith, self-discovery, and friendship to say the least. It has been a great journey so far and I still have a long, exciting road ahead of me!
God has held my hand with every step and has blessed me tremendously along the way. There is so much comfort in knowing that God is with me wherever I go!! It is awesome to look back over the past year and see just how He has worked and provided in my life. He has met me in life's smallest details and biggest challenges. He has walked with me on rainy days and every day fills my heart with the warmth of His sunshine. He has given me the gift of love by crossing my path with others who share a heart for Him-- professors, friends, scholars, strangers. There was never a minute I felt unloved; so many faces and memories come to mind when I think about my most precious, intimate encounters with God over this past year.
I am still trying to figure out where the time goes. I started school, I blinked, the year ended. Yesterday I moved out and drove home to Ohio. It's great to be home, but a piece of my heart is still in Nashville.
Yesterday was special. "Last days" are always special, but yesterday was extra special. My dad, sister and I were on the drive home when all of a sudden we noticed a full, clear, bright, beautiful rainbow in the sky!!! We kept driving, "ooo-ing" and "awe-ing" at it and hating when a batch of trees would block our view.
I urged Dad pull off so we could get a good long look before it disappeared. He took the next exit and pulled into the empty parking lot of a "Sad Sam" fireworks store. The view of the rainbow was spectacular, although it did not last too long. Within five minutes the rainbow was gone.
Rainbows are rare, and every time we see one it carries meaning. I can recall almost every rainbow I've seen-- the day, the circumstance, the blessing. The day my great grandmother died, God sent us a rainbow. The day we sold our house in Gatlinburg, God sent a rainbow. The day my sister's first pet died, God sent a rainbow.
This rainbow was no different. It came on a day that was my last day of college--a day marking the end to a great beginning God has written in my book of life. The rainbow was God's perfect way to remind me of His promise, His power, His purpose, His perfection, and His protection.
"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." Genesis 9:13
Promise. The rainbow is God's visible token to Noah that He will never again destroy the world with a flood. God's promises are inviolable and are always good. 2 Corinthians talks about how all of Gods promises are "yes." When we say "yes" and stand in the light of His promises, we will be blessed.
Power. The rainbow speaks to the power of its creator. God, in all His splendor and sovereignty, is capable of that which is unthinkable and impossible. He didn't just destroy the world-- He restored the world. There is nothing too broken that He cannot fix. We need not worry, God is in control.
Purpose. I love the illustration that the rainbow paints- there must be rain. Even in our rainiest of seasons, in our darkest of days and in our deepest despairs, God can create something beautiful. Rainbows give us hope that God is at work to fulfill His purpose in everything and His plan for our lives. Our natural tendency as humans is to place hope in the wrong places. The rainbow says that we are to put our trust in God alone.
Perfection. God's handiwork is flawless because He is perfect. A rainbow is essentially an arc of concentric colored bands evident when light is refracted through raindrops at specific critical angles between 40 degrees and 48 degrees. God obviously cares about the details! Rainbows amaze me. They are scientifically complex and yet so simple to the observer's eye. God's love is like that, too-- incredibly intricate and easy to receive.
Protection. The rainbow stretches around the entire sky; everything under it is under God's protection. The laws of physics make it impossible to walk under a rainbow or find its end. God's security operates under no conditions for those who walk with Him. His protection has no bounds; His love has no limit; His faithfulness is everlasting.
In the words of William Wordsworth, "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky!" I like to think that it's God's favorite way of sending me a smile.
-Rachel
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