For Real

And I’m trying to make you sing
From inside where you believe
Like it’s something that you need
Like it means everything

And I’m trying to make you feel that
This is for real, that life is happening
That it means everything
I’m just trying to make you sing 

-David Crowder* Band

This faith, this life, it is for real.  As the verse says, life is happening.  Wow, life happening can downright suck (can I say that?  It's my blog I guess I can).  It can take you in a million different directions.  And the funny (ok not so funny) thing about it is even if we have fun and exciting things that lie ahead, we always miss what we're leaving behind.  It hurts to say goodbye.  And call me crazy/biased/whatever, but I would argue that having a Christian relationship with people makes it very hard to say goodbye to them.  These are the people that you share your faith walk with.  You learn and grow from each other.  It's hard to walk away from that.  But at the very same time, no one goes anywhere!  Especially in this age of IM'ing and texting, people you care about are a simple button push away.  It's amazing really when you think about it.  Also, you learn quickly, nobody goes anywhere.  Really, if these people are that important (which they are), you will see them again and again.  That doesn't make the current "goodbye situation" suck any less.  But it's a light at the end of the tunnel.  And we each share the light of Christ at the end of our dark tunnels.  I can't think of anything else more comforting, more sustaining than that.  

Life can suck (oops again) big time.  Never let go of those people who make your faith walk what it is.  More importantly recognize that you were all chosen by God to participate in this walk together.  God is our legs and feet.  He sustains us in the good times and the bad.  It's like that "Footprints" saying goes.  The persons looking back on life and is talking to God.  Notices how at times there were two sets of footprints (that's four total for those of you playing the home game) because God is walking right there with them.  But then notices in the real bad times there was only one set of footprints (two for the non lame), and asks God why this was so, where was He?  God replies that it was in those times He carried that person.  When you get sad because you're saying goodbye.  Know that in our faith it is NEVER goodbye.  God will carry you through.  

That's one of the great things about this whole thing.  Goodbye is nothing.  Unless it is goodbye in the sense of what the word originally meant, "God Be With You."  Otherwise, if it's in the context of farewell, that's a lie.  The worst we have to deal with is "See you later."

PEACE in Jesus