Tech Idol, Breakfast, and Perfect Faithfulness
I didn't intend to wait this long to post again, but I'm at that point in the semester where things start to get pretty busy. This week I had the opportunity to watch my friends Josh and Kendall participate in Tech Idol. Tech Idol is just what it sounds like....a campus-size version of American Idol. There was a lot of talent displayed both Tuesday and Thursday night, and I had the privilege of watching it all from the V.I.P. section with four friends of mine, thanks to Josh. Even though there haven't been a lot of big, exciting moments the past couple of weeks, God has blessed me generously in lots of small ways. For instance, last weekend my friend Tesa and I cooked dinner for a bunch of our friends. We feasted on scrambled eggs, bacon, french toast, chocolate chip muffins, blueberry muffins, biscuits, fried potatoes, and cinnamon rolls. Good food + great friends= one fun night. I have been very blessed to have a large group of friends who are like-minded Christians. We always find ways to have fun, (usually involving food, games, or both) and do it in a way that glorifies God. Some of our favorite games are: nouns, signs, nerts, and campus-wide sardines. If you've never heard of one or all of these, all I can say is that you're really missing out.
Speaking of blessings, I want to explain my reason for using Isaiah 25:1 on my profile. "O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." I found this verse last semester and I wrote it down simply because I liked it. At the time, it didn't speak to me for any particular reason, but I thought I might refer back to it on a day when things were going really well. However, my remembrance of it came about in a different fashion than I had anticipated. Probably two or three weeks after finding the verse, I found out that there were going to be a few changes in my life, and pretty big changes at that. As soon as I heard the news, my mind went back to Isaiah 25:1. Why that verse? I was wondering the exact same thing. At the moment I wasn't feeling especially happy or thankful. Then my thoughts took a different route. The part about God being perfectly faithful and doing marvelous things that He planned long ago came to mind. I knew in my head and in my heart that God knew what He was doing. He has a perfect plan, and He knows how to construct my life in just the right way. I was also aware that my perception of things was very limited, but God, being omniscient and all, could see the big picture. He knew just how everything would weave together perfectly to create a masterpiece. The only problem with this situation is that I'm a girl, and being a girl, I am automatically wired to initially have irrational, emotionally-driven thoughts. Over-analyzation seems to be my biggest enemy. Fortunately, I also have a second thought process that happens simultaneously and is capable of thinking rationally and putting my thoughts back in check. (The process of figuring out how I really feel or what I really think about a matter can be very trying, since my initial response and my rational thought process conflict with one another. But the end result is usually worth the internal debate...rationality wins over emotions. Praise Jesus.) I said all of that to say this: my first instinct was to be upset,mad, sad....something! But my rational side kept bringing back Isaiah 25:1. I don't see this as a verse that simply praises God for the blessings that I have in my life when things are going well. I see it as holding onto a promise. Even when I don't completely understand what is going on in my life, God does. He is perfectly faithful-something that can't be said about anyone in this world. He has a plan for everything that happens in my life. It's not like He sits around and makes nonchalant decisions about which direction my life should take. He planned every aspect of it long ago. The best part is that His plans are marvelous. They're not malicious, condemning, or even just mediocre. They are marvelous. Dictionary.com defines marvelous as superb, excellent, great; such as to cause wonder, admiration, or astonishment; surprising; extraordinary; improbable, incredible. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. The same God who used men like Moses in the old testament to show His power, caused Philistine soldiers to run away in fear from His loud thunder, sent His only son to die for my sins, and raised Him from the dead has plans for MY life that will cause wonder and astonishment. That in itself is a wonderful realization.
So whatever may come during this life that God has blessed me with, I will hold onto this mindset: I will praise Him and lift up His name because He is PERFECTLY FAITHFUL in every situation, and because He has constructed a masterpiece for my life filled with marvelous plans. Although they may not always seem all that marvelous at the moment, I have no doubt they will surprise me and leave me in awe of His power.
Speaking of blessings, I want to explain my reason for using Isaiah 25:1 on my profile. "O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." I found this verse last semester and I wrote it down simply because I liked it. At the time, it didn't speak to me for any particular reason, but I thought I might refer back to it on a day when things were going really well. However, my remembrance of it came about in a different fashion than I had anticipated. Probably two or three weeks after finding the verse, I found out that there were going to be a few changes in my life, and pretty big changes at that. As soon as I heard the news, my mind went back to Isaiah 25:1. Why that verse? I was wondering the exact same thing. At the moment I wasn't feeling especially happy or thankful. Then my thoughts took a different route. The part about God being perfectly faithful and doing marvelous things that He planned long ago came to mind. I knew in my head and in my heart that God knew what He was doing. He has a perfect plan, and He knows how to construct my life in just the right way. I was also aware that my perception of things was very limited, but God, being omniscient and all, could see the big picture. He knew just how everything would weave together perfectly to create a masterpiece. The only problem with this situation is that I'm a girl, and being a girl, I am automatically wired to initially have irrational, emotionally-driven thoughts. Over-analyzation seems to be my biggest enemy. Fortunately, I also have a second thought process that happens simultaneously and is capable of thinking rationally and putting my thoughts back in check. (The process of figuring out how I really feel or what I really think about a matter can be very trying, since my initial response and my rational thought process conflict with one another. But the end result is usually worth the internal debate...rationality wins over emotions. Praise Jesus.) I said all of that to say this: my first instinct was to be upset,mad, sad....something! But my rational side kept bringing back Isaiah 25:1. I don't see this as a verse that simply praises God for the blessings that I have in my life when things are going well. I see it as holding onto a promise. Even when I don't completely understand what is going on in my life, God does. He is perfectly faithful-something that can't be said about anyone in this world. He has a plan for everything that happens in my life. It's not like He sits around and makes nonchalant decisions about which direction my life should take. He planned every aspect of it long ago. The best part is that His plans are marvelous. They're not malicious, condemning, or even just mediocre. They are marvelous. Dictionary.com defines marvelous as superb, excellent, great; such as to cause wonder, admiration, or astonishment; surprising; extraordinary; improbable, incredible. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. The same God who used men like Moses in the old testament to show His power, caused Philistine soldiers to run away in fear from His loud thunder, sent His only son to die for my sins, and raised Him from the dead has plans for MY life that will cause wonder and astonishment. That in itself is a wonderful realization.
So whatever may come during this life that God has blessed me with, I will hold onto this mindset: I will praise Him and lift up His name because He is PERFECTLY FAITHFUL in every situation, and because He has constructed a masterpiece for my life filled with marvelous plans. Although they may not always seem all that marvelous at the moment, I have no doubt they will surprise me and leave me in awe of His power.
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