This Whole Waiting "Story" Thing

I'm not complaining. Nope. 

Because God is sovereign and has ideas and plans beyond what we can see. 
 But sometimes it's hard to watch others get picked first. 
 Sometimes it's hard to watch others be given things without a fight. 
 Sometimes it's hard to watch brothers and sisters be given the desires of their heart right when they ask for it or when they realize it.

  But you know what? 

Guest Post: Can Christian Men and Women be "Just Friends"?

Note from Sarah Faith - Today's post is by a good friend and long time follower of Shewithunveiledface.com, Matt Rose.  Matt and I met finally on Twitter and found that we have similar tastes in theology and humor as well as a shared love for God. He is a proud husband and Daddy. You can find Matt on twitter @MatthewSRose and follow his blog on Tumbr.  :)

I think we’ve all met “that” guy. After reading some book or “praying about it,” he decides it’s totally cool with God if he drinks alcohol like others drink coffee. Now his Facebook “Likes” are all breweries and local bars, and you rarely see him without a drink in his hand. Because, after all, he’s free now. If someone mentions to him about maybe toning it down, they’re usually met with an impromptu discussion on the evils of legalism and the beauty of grace, which implies that anyone whose opinion differs from his is probably just a legalist.

If you know that guy, I’m sorry. If you are that guy, I’m sorry I’m not sorry.

The alcohol conversation can certainly spark a lot of back-and-forth controversy among church-goers. 

Likewise, there are other topics that often end up going that same direction.

This isn’t one of them.

If the truth can be told, this isn’t one of them because most everyone already has his or her mind made up on the issue.  The issue gets shot down before it even gets brought up.

 And I can’t call it legalism, because there is no law for anyone to be “living by the letter.” 

The Bible doesn’t really seem to speak on the issue of discussion—which is why we shouldn’t necessarily call it “the road map for life” as so many seem to stereotype it.

 The Bible is not just the moral equivalent of  the popular diet book “Eat This Not That” as so many seem to treat it.

However, the Bible is the story of God’s people from one end of time to the other. 

It’s up to each of us to prayerfully find our place in that story and to determine how the Holy Spirit

 would have us walk in our culture—in our cities, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, and in our families.

With this being said, the topic up for discussion is this: whether men and women can just be friends. 

Whether they can be just friends. 

There really only seem to be two views. 

There are some people who say the answer is “No.” And there are some people who say the answer is “Yes.”

You’re welcome. 

Now, let’s take a look at the logic behind each of those.

My God-in-a-box and Being Offended at Healings

I've always had a hard time with the "gifts of healing" mentioned in the Bible.
Some of you may not believe that God moves today... but I assure you from personal experience... everything the New Testament talks about?  Yeah.  I've experienced it.
Even though the movements of the Holy Spirit are as legit as I say, I've still had a hard time with what I feel about "healing".

I've had a hard time with healing because I've never been able to wrap my mind around why God DOESN'T heal. And to be honest, I've been offended at some of His decisions in this matter.

But something happened that began to change that.

Every summer I ended up rolling both my ankles.  Then... I would limp until right before the next summer.  I did this for about 3 or 4 years and it was really the most frustrating thing for me.
But I decided to get prayer for it again because the new church I began to go to believes strongly that God is in the business of physical healing.

You know what?  I could run and jump after I got prayer.  And I haven't rolled my ankle again.  Its been almost 5 years.

Not that I didn't believe God could heal.  I definitely believed He could. 
I just somehow believed that healing was always up to my faith - whether I was praying for someone or whether I was getting prayer for it.

And I was just... really wrong.

Then I went to India.
And in India, I didn't even have to have really deep or extravagant prayers.  People were getting healed - bones were entirely mended, ear aches and tummy aches and deaf - everyone.  People were getting healed.
These people weren't even Jesus-followers.
So...why does it feel like pulling teeth when I pray for these things to happen back in the US?

These are questions I wonder if people usually ask when coming back from short term mission trips like mine.

Because in India, you can buy idols anywhere.  And it was actually a little bit of a spiritual shock for me because when I was standing in front of shelves and shelves of idols at these stores it hit me like a ton of bricks that the idols themselves actually had no creepy spiritual presence to them.

And right as I had this thought, the Lord imprinted a truth into my heart.
"They only have demonic influence when they are prayed to."  Otherwise... they're statues.

But here's the thing:  the idea of a god or gods is acknowledged and overtly accepted in the country of India as well as other countries.

The US as a general people have begun to lean towards no acknowledgement of a higher power beyond their own capabilities.  We're intellectual and philosophical.  We don't accept that we can't understand everything.  If we can't understand something, we will make ourselves understand or we will make it small enough to wrap our minds around.

I know some people will not agree with me about that last statement. 
Though I believe that understanding and wisdom and knowledge are wonderful things to have and to be fluent in, I don't believe that it is wise to think that we can know the whole of something which is vast.

God is one of those things - He is one of those Persons - who is vast and beyond our understanding.

So... coming home to the States I asked the Lord, "Lord... um hey.  Why don't you heal here the way you heal people there?"

And you know what He said?

"You have whittled Me down and gotten rid of the parts of Me you don't like or understand.  What you're left with isn't Me - but an idol.  When you pray to that god, he can't heal you... Because you got rid of the  parts you don't understand of Me.  And those are the parts that heal, that do miracles and unexplainable things."

But at least we have a little wooden idol of god in our pocket right?

I'm determined to let God be as big as He actually is.
I am so tired of little gods and my big head.

Settling The Score

There are times where my heart doesn't have as much thought as it has "processing" taking place, deeper in.
When this happens, I don't have much to say, but I end up feeling creative.
This week is no exception.  I know I've been counting the cost again...
I've always said that there is no sacrifice too great for my Jesus.  I've already settled the price.  Every time it costs me more, I remember it is already done and it becomes a test of my faithfulness to Jesus, and I'm learning to settle the score.  Pay the price.  Walk with Christ.
But instead of explaining it away, I will let my poem speak for itself.

I Found Myself In India

The air was was muggy and smelt faintly of spices.
I knew I had stepped into a different world the moment I stepped out of the plane.

I heard it would be weird and I heard it would smell different.  I heard it would smell, period.
And they weren't wrong.  But to me, it smelled wonderful.
It smelled wonderful because it smelled like a dream coming true.

There's something about India that has either begun to lace itself into my heart... or perhaps it was woven in to begin with.  Maybe its always been apart of my DNA.  I'm not sure.

On India, Changed Plans and Answered Prayers

My heart was beating and the anticipation grew.

The speaker was speaking and my very core knew.

I was going to sign up for this trip. I would sign up for this trip.

Not a single amount of hesitation could stop me.  Finances?  God would provide.

…Strange.  I always worry about finances.

But I knew that I knew that I knew I was definitely going to Mozambique.

I was going on this trip.

In Honor of Valentine's Day: Do You Want My Hand or My Heart?

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter. –    Proverbs 25:2 NASB

It has not been often that my heart has been searched out by people. Surprisingly not even most of the guys I’ve dated have cared to truly know me.

Oh, I’ve been told I was known.  They didn’t need to ask me questions to know me.  They just did, they said.

“I feel like I’ve known you all my life!”

That’s my favorite line.  I’ve heard it enough times to throw up a gallon of those lines.

…It could be a sweet sentiment, but to me, if it is not paired with actually knowing my heart, it makes me wince.  It would make anyone who's been in my position wince.

My experience, much like some of yours, acquainted me with the understanding that people like me not necessarily for who I am, but more for what I do.

When Your Dreams are Dashed and Your Heart is Broken

I was 13 years old.  I was sure I’d get married to my first love by the time I was 22.

I envisioned a lovely, romantic courtship much like Anne of Green Gables and her beau, Gilbert Blythe or Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder.  We were going to start out as friends; we’d secretly love each other and one day, we’d just get married.

While these are sweet sentiments to grow up dreaming about, it was quite the crash when I fell from the clouds of these expectations.

Waiting and Praying for Your Future Spouse - The "List"

1.       Has to love Jesus (this is a MUST!!!)

2.       HAS to be taller than me.  I mean HAS to be.

3.       Has to have big, strong muscles.  …Calf muscles.

4.       Brown eyes.  Only.  Okay… compromise.  One brown, one blue-gray.

5.       Has to play the guitar, the banjo and the drums and have a dreamy voice.

6.       So I guess he’ll have to be a worship leader.

7.       He should give me a run for my money

8.       …by having lots of his own.

9.       2 words.  Sexy. Eyes.

10.   He should be cool with moving to Africa if God called us to go, probably.

11.   It’d be nice if he had a beard.

12.   …and got my sense of humor.

13.   And wanted kids

14.   …but not 10.  I come from 10.  No.  More like a small family… with 5 kids. Wait…no 2.

15.   He can’t be allergic to cats. I love cats.

16.   He should probably like to cook.  I only bake.

17.   And last but should have been second to first… or second… He should be a gentleman!

18.   …who wants to take me all over the world.

19.   …to do archeological digs and stuff.

20.   …oh. And take my dad fishing in Alaska.

….Amen.   (Wait, do I say amen after these things?)*

Lists!
You might be a list person.  You might not be.
I am – totally – a list person.  I like to keep track of stuff I need to do and stuff I want to remember.
If you’re anything like me, you may need to keep track of great ideas too.
I keep a list of blog post ideas and even friends I want to invite to things because to be  honest, I’m not so good at coming up with things off the top of my head.

Some might wonder if you can take list-making too far.
Take making a list for things you’d like in a future spouse for instance.
Is it wrong?

Gentlemen: I'm Not Your Paper Doll

“You’re exactly the kind of girl I’ve been looking for!”

“You lead worship? I lead worship too.  I’ve always wanted to lead worship with my wife.”

“You know, I always hoped God would give me a blonde-haired, blue eyed girl.”

“You had a crush on Aladdin?  No way!! I had a crush on Jasmine.”

“I always knew I would need a girl who could meet me on an intellectual level. You do that for me!”

“I’m all in, whatever it takes.”

“You’re the only one who gets me.”

“I’ve always wanted a girl who could enter into my world.”

“We were meant to be.”

“Can I say I love you? … Please?”

You know, I never wanted to be that girl who’s dated a lot.  Maybe in comparison, I haven’t dated too much.  But I think I may have given my heart away too quickly in the past.  Can you relate? 

Don’t worry, I promise I’m not like that today and maybe neither are you anymore either. Experience does that for folks.  In fact, maybe you would even agree that  it’s almost impossible to give it away now.

Then again, maybe it's a good thing.  I know it is for me.  It means it’s not in my hands to give.  Some of you might disagree.  But that’s my choice, not yours.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and maybe there are a few people out there who can connect with this.  For the men (or women) who read this, maybe you’re one of those guys (or girls) who have said similar things to the comments I I've just quoted.

Maybe you’re not.

But if you are, maybe you need to be reading this.