Saturday, February 21, 2015

On the 21 Martyrs




Tonight I cannot shake the brutal deaths of 21 Christians in Libya.

21 martyrs for Jesus

I even asked my husband, "Are you sure this story is REAL?  Is there any chance it is not real??"

I really wanted to believe that this was, perhaps, some made up story for the Internet.

The fact that these kinds of things do, indeed, happen around our world in our current time is just beyond my comprehension.  That people could be beheaded for their faith and taken from this earth much, much too soon is hard for the sensitive, happy-ending-lover that I am.

So as we talked and prayed for these martyrs, their families, and the persecuted Church around the world, I started feeling convicted - OH SO convicted for the things that can occupy my energy in a day.

I started listing all the things I could possibly spend energy on - putting ponies in my girls' hair that match their outfit.  Making sure my son's pants aren't too short or that my other son wears a pair of jeans that don't have holes in them.  Discussing if my kids should eat one treat at the end of the day or two.  Worrying about the way my ponytail looks or the fact that I am not losing my baby weight like I'd like to.  Making sure my bathroom is clean before the next person comes over and uses it.  Rushing to be on time to dance class.  Thinking it'd be nice to have more money to spend at Hobby Lobby.  Worried that someone will come over and see the dust bunnies under my couches.

We spend time on the ultimate "first-world-problem" debates: immunizations, circumcision, education, organic eating, essential oils, forms of discipline, earth origins, and so much more...

We spend time checking Pinterest and the mirror and our bank accounts and our cell phones and all of a sudden I am thinking...

NONE OF THIS MATTERS!!!!!!

The fact that I could literally be looking for flowers for my girls' hair that match their outfit while people on the other side of the world are being KILLED is too much for me.

I want to change.

I want to look at life differently.

I want to worry less.  Pray more.

I want to spend my energy on things that are eternal.

I want to spend my energy teaching my children how to love well, how to forgive when others may wrong them, how to live like Jesus, how to be TRUTH TELLERS and HOPE SPREADERS and JOYFUL LIVERS.

I want to spend MORE time teaching my kids about Jesus than cleaning my bathrooms.

I want to spend MORE energy raising my children up to build God's kingdom, to be soldiers in his army, to war against evil than I do fluffing pillows and cleaning counters and putting on lipstick.

This story of these martyrs is haunting me tonight.

But I hope it doesn't stop affecting me.

I hope I remember it and let it change me.

Oh, God, let this story continue to change me!!!

May I remember perspective and keep choosing what matters and what lasts!!!

I'm not saying that I am going to stop cleaning bathrooms or stop doing my hair.  I am still going to put oils on my kids when they're sick and am going to keep buying organic milk.  I am not trying to diminish the value of so many things that are components of our life - the way we eat, the way we spend our time, making our homes hospitable, disciplining our children, going to work, having fun, etc.  I am just hoping that we could have a better perspective on life, a richer way of looking at things.

People are being killed for being Christians and I, for one, want to work hard to stop the evil in our world that causes things like this to happen.

I don't know what to do with this, you guys!!!  This is so awful!  So huge!

But I DO know that I can keep pressing on towards a better attitude, a calmer, more centered heart, a more submissive posture toward the Spirit and his leadings in my life in my comfortable, suburban life in the rich, free country that we live in.

I DO know that I can ask God to help change me and focus me on what matters in this life.

May we continue to spread love and hope and the message that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life so that we can usher more people into God's kingdom for his glory!!!!

May it be so, Lord.

May it be so.


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