I went to see the Nicholas Sparks movie "The Lucky One" the other day. As a girl, I have to admit I kind of love movies like that. A hot lead actor, an unlikely love story, a happy ending... what's not to love?
The problem is I always end up with horrible negative feelings after I watch romance flicks. I'm filled with jealousy that I haven't experienced such a love story. I'm filled with bitterness that men in my life haven't been the way they are in these movies. I'm filled with loneliness because I'm always reminded that I'm alone while this super thin, beautiful woman is with this super hot, awesome guy. It's really annoying.
The thing is, though, these love stories are made up, and leave us longing after things that don't actually exist. And it's not healthy.
The Bible tells us to guard our hearts, but we are bombarded by this stuff all the time. Almost every television show, every movie, and every book include love scenes that leave us wanting more for our love lives. It's no wonder so many people engage in premarital sex with multiple partners and why so many marriages fail; it is ingrained in us that our perfect mate is out there, and we are continually disappointed when we find our mates to be anything but perfect.
As Christians, we need to be aware of the problem, and proactive in finding a remedy. We teach our young men to be cautious about what they put in front of their eyes. We teach them that temptation is everywhere and to keep their guards up.
I believe that we need to teach the same things to our girls. We need to teach them the importance of protecting their emotions by avoiding movies, TV shows, and books that open up desires which have no business being opened until marriage. And we need to take responsibility for what we put in front of our own eyes and for what we allow to enter into our minds.
As a teenager I was taught that issues such as what movies we watched or what books we read were neither black nor white, but rather gray areas for which individuals could choose what affected them based on their personal struggles. I disagree. I think we are all vulnerable to dissatisfaction in some area of our lives when we open ourselves up to these fantasies.
We need to be careful. We need to take it seriously. We need to guard our hearts, because that's what determines the course of our lives.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
For My Niece (Things I learned from the delivery room)
Sometimes God gives us gifts that are difficult, but that does not mean they are not gifts. Selah's entrance into this world was not an easy one. It was long and dramatic (those of you who know her mother are not surprised by this). It was a gift that was not exempt from pain and even heartache, but it was, in fact, a gift.
As Sarah's labor progressed, we knew good things would come of it (babies typically do come from these things), but it was hard. It was hard to see Sarah in that kind of pain. It was hard to know that the pain wasn't coming to an end anytime soon. It was hard to imagine that Selah would be so wonderful that we wouldn't remember the experience for the pain, but for the reward.
Life is kind of like that, for those who follow God. Sometimes He gives us trials that seem unbearable. But the end result... is greater than we could possibly imagine. Because the end result is life. Life that goes on. Somehow His promises are proved true and He is proved faithful.
We never realize this during the hard part, even when we try. But He is here. He walks us through. And he showers us with unfathomable goodness.
Selah is a miracle. God chose this time to bless Tim and Sarah. He gave them a wonderful pregnancy. But as we awaited her arrival in the delivery room, we understood the hard part. This gift wasn't perfect or how we would have chosen it to be.
Selah arrived via C-section late Friday night, after a long and grueling labor. We wanted a natural birth. We wanted to share the experience together as sisters, along with our mom and Tim's. We understood this was a gift, but could not deny that it was a trial.
When I saw Selah for the first time though, I kind of understood. I saw a glimpse of the reward - of the life that goes on. And of God's greatness that I can't fully understand.
As Sarah's labor progressed, we knew good things would come of it (babies typically do come from these things), but it was hard. It was hard to see Sarah in that kind of pain. It was hard to know that the pain wasn't coming to an end anytime soon. It was hard to imagine that Selah would be so wonderful that we wouldn't remember the experience for the pain, but for the reward.
Life is kind of like that, for those who follow God. Sometimes He gives us trials that seem unbearable. But the end result... is greater than we could possibly imagine. Because the end result is life. Life that goes on. Somehow His promises are proved true and He is proved faithful.
We never realize this during the hard part, even when we try. But He is here. He walks us through. And he showers us with unfathomable goodness.
Selah is a miracle. God chose this time to bless Tim and Sarah. He gave them a wonderful pregnancy. But as we awaited her arrival in the delivery room, we understood the hard part. This gift wasn't perfect or how we would have chosen it to be.
Selah arrived via C-section late Friday night, after a long and grueling labor. We wanted a natural birth. We wanted to share the experience together as sisters, along with our mom and Tim's. We understood this was a gift, but could not deny that it was a trial.
When I saw Selah for the first time though, I kind of understood. I saw a glimpse of the reward - of the life that goes on. And of God's greatness that I can't fully understand.
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