Safe

\\wash your soul clean//

As always, finding time to sit down and write is far and few between with the semester wrapping up. But alas, I have found some quiet morning time to sit and write. The christmas lights are up and the roomie's alarm just played a beautiful rendition of its's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

This is one of my most favorite seasons. Coats and hats, wool socks and tea, books and blankets. Christmas Time. I think it feels so great because everything feels safe and secure all wrapped up. But that got me thinking: is life actually that safe? is it just an illusion? is safety worth anything in the end?

I know this culture would have me scream "Yes! safety for you and your family is necessary." but what if I told you it wasn't? what if I told you that by safe-guarding your life with money and such you will destroy the very thing you seek to protect? what then?

I'm sure by now you've either disregarded this post all together or you're just feeling really uncomfortable. and, trust me, I get it. I still fight that feeling of discord off every day. But  I think Jesus was on to something when he described the three men who tried to follow him.

the first man said "hey bro, i'll follow you." and then Jesus was like "yeah? well I'm homeless so you probably will be too." then Jesus said to another guy "Hey come follow me." and the man said "okay I will but my dad just died so I need to deal with that first." and the third guy -- the third guy merely said "ill follow, but gimme just a sec to say goodbye to the fam." and Jesus said no. He said no. He said "no man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." wow.

We sound like those men when we say "okay Jesus Im going to follow you, but first I need to make sure I have enough money to feel secure." or "I'm going to give to your church, but before I do I need to make sure I have enough." Honestly, I think God is calling us to be above that. I think He's calling us to break free of the chains that money and security bind us.

and if I'm being really real, I think us living in that kind of security blanket is us proclaiming that God cannot take care of us. We are saying that he is not able to provide so we should provide instead. What if I told you He hasn't provided in that way because you haven't given him the chance to yet?

and for me that's kind of scary. It's scary to let go of the reigns because Im afraid he won't come through. but guess what else scripture says? he provides and he never fails. You know what you find in that kind of radical living? you find that God is abundant and that he is able and he will do far more with all of that than you could ever imagine.

So during this time of "me, me, me." I'm challenging myself to live radically instead and think of others before myself. and that is Scary with a capitol S because I didn't know when I woke up this morning that I was going to challenge myself that, instead, I thought I was going to write a post on 'life lately'. somehow i ended here. I felt my chest tighten even when I began to type the words out: challenge myself . but this is what Jesus wants. He is calling me and you to follow him without looking back at what's behind us.

This should be interesting.

Cheers,
Em