Trying to be a Christ-like Dishwasher

I find myself, at times, struggling with my anger and my unhappiness. I am human, after all, and human emotions come pre-assembled in the packaging. I feel like I am doing a great job for the most part, but when things that I put real work into doing are turned upside down, it does more than get on my nerves.

Take, for example, washing the dishes.

In my house, I do it more often than not. I have never had a problem with doing the dishes inasmuch as doing the dishes 3 times a day. I get very unhappy when my family decides to wait until after I have completed the dishes to bring the ones that they had been collecting in their respective rooms into the kitchen to sit and fester in the sink. It isn't difficult to bring them to me while I am doing the dishes, is it? I suppose I could also simply just ask them if they have a bowl or plate that has had that same left over chicken and rice on it for a week that I might be able to clean up, but our family is strong on not advocating babysitting people over the age of 18, which everyone in the house is. Thinking about it, it really is kind of silly to get so absolutely livid over something like this, but I am certain that every man, woman, and child on this planet has something, even if that thing is miniscule, that gets under their skin.

I think Christians (and other religious people) should understand best what it is like to be angry or unhappy or sad. For those of us who know Jesus and love him, it is more than disheartening when some makes fun of us for our beliefs, or discriminates against us for worshipping. Many people don't know Jesus like we do, or have no desire to understand him through God's Word. We may try our best to not show it, but it is obvious that when people speak of Jesus and Christianity in a negative light, it hurts us to our deepest core.

I like to simply think of people like that as a test from God, a sort of pop quiz to see if we can remain steadfast in our passion for following and understanding and witnessing for Him. I have no problem welcoming those who believe opposite of I and who want to shame me for believing. They are why I believe we are here. We share the Gospel, so that others may see at least a fraction of what a relationship with Jesus can look like. So really, people who confront and attack us and make us sad or angry with their words or actions are not necessarily a bad thing.

So maybe, when I am doing the dishes, I should just roll up my sleeves and smile.

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Uncertainty

Still figuring out this blogging thing.

I mean, I have blogged before, but I was never very serious about any of those (probably because my focus, at those times, was not where it needed to be), and I want to do everything right here. By 'do everything right', I mostly mean that I don't want to do everything wrong. Obviously.

Watched Facing the Giants on JCTV earlier. I hadn't seen it in a while. I really enjoy the film, and while the acting might not be academy award-winning, the people in it were passionate ( and we all know how I like the word 'passionate') and they really put themselves in the film, not just the characters they portrayed.

I immediately went back to my mindset when I decided to not go back to Florida, and instead, spend my evenings sleeping on the family couch. I wondered what position I had put myself in, and wondered whether it was the right one or not. I still have not come up with a reasonable answer, but I trust that God wouldn't steer me down this road if it were not for a good reason. As a Christian, that's what it boils down to for me.

So, it is 3:15 a.m. here as I write this, so I am going to go bury myself in a certain book (hint: it's the Bible) for a bit, and get some shut-eye. Until later.

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Walking into the comfort of the uncomfortable

Let me first be clear that this is not some kind of religious blog about a guy that happens to utilize the services of a shrink ( as someone else close to me thought the 'couch' reference meant). This is the kind of religious blog by a guy actually on a couch.

I recently finished out 5 years working out at Yellowstone National Park, and instead of simply returning to Florida, back to my warm bed and stellar Florida weather, I chose to return to Texas and stay on a couch. See, for me at least, doing what my seem most comfortable is not how I choose to live this life. If that were the case, to be honest, I probably wouldn't be a Christian.

I like the uncomfortable feelings that I often get when thinking of Christ. I mean, to consider that perfection was born into this world, walked among us, got beaten and abused and taunted like us, died a brutal death, rose from the dead, and now watches over us because he still cares about those who killed him...it's jaw-dropping, to say the least.

This is my blog. Obviously. I decided to start writing because something that I am passionate about is sharing my experiences with others, because good or bad, someone is sure to relate to the way your life has played out. I want to be able to connect my love for God and my passion for going against the grain with others out there. Thinking about trying to help others always brings me back to Matthew 4:19, where Jesus tells a group of fishermen that if they simply follow him that he will make them "fishers of men". We can apply that to our own lives and the way we live them. Simply speaking up as the body of Christ can bring so many more to Him.

I hope that for those of you who stop by, you feel compelled to share your own words. No need to be shy about your personal stories around me. After all, i'm sleeping on a couch.

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