Strangely Stunning

I have one annoying final left. It’s the one I’ve taken before (x2). Failing sucks.

I’m fairly sure people are made to be good at what they’re god at. My sister can do science and math without paper. But if I don’t have paper (or my phone) I’m almost worthless (if you don’t see me write it down, it’s not gonna happen.)

The brain amazes me.

My earth science class was full of ‘em. Some folks in there could tell you what the answer to question seven on test #2 was, while others had a terrible time trying to figure out how many 500 year floods could occur in 500 years.

Yet we all exist together, at the same time, interacting and laughing (and hating class) with each other. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

All our diversity and all our oddities and all the weird people (‘i’ before ‘e’ -- weird, right?) all together. Sounds like a mess -- cause it is.

So, while I write this on a break from Algebra homework and sit in Meads with all the characters inside and outside, it’s easy to say (while NEEDTOBREATHE pumps into my ears), “We are who God has made us, and is making us, to be.” (Which is no excuse to be lazy or dumb, cause shoot, God’s not lazy or dumb.)

Practically all us uniquely strange people are going to step on each other’s toes, break each other’s hearts, try to save some face, and do it all again.

A neat little spiral, which ought to lead us to one thing, one blaringly stunning perfect truth, Jesus saves us strangely sinful people.

Okay, now back to algebra...

Grateful vs. Duty

I’ve had a thought running through my brain most of this week, more like a question really, “What would be, for me, disobedience if I don’t do it?”

What I mean is, is there something I should be doing (now or in the future) which if I don’t will be a sin? Is there a specific call on my life to do a certain something or start a specific somewhere?

Know what I mean?

I remember singing, as a kid at school, “Obedience is the very best thing to show that you believe.” I think we’d even clap along while we sang it. I disagree, in part.

Obedience is great, but the best way to show you believe must be love, for if it is how all will know we are of Christ, by the way we love each other, then surely love would be the best way to show belief (or disbelief). But even love, if not done correctly cannot be the supreme way to show belief.

It’s the chasm between obligation and gratitude, which separates correct love/obedience and incorrect.

Obligation is this, “I love you because I have to.” Flattering, right?

Gratitude is this, “I love you because of who you are.”

The first is forced action the other is a welling up within another because of the worth of the one loved.

So, back to the beginning, what should I be doing, not from having to, but from getting to, which would be disobedience if I don’t do said thing?