Joy Forever

I’ve heard it said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lately, I have been discovering that beauty is often overlooked. Oftentimes, more often than not, we do not gaze deep enough to see true beauty. We pass it by, distracted by the kind of ‘beauty’ that tantalizes, entices, but is nothing more than a façade.

To look upon true beauty, you have to get down on your knees. Get your hands dirty and get out of your comfort zones. Let go of every material thing, forsake it all, count it as dung, and start to plunge into the muck and the mire. Dig in the trash heaps that the world has written off as garbage, and soak your hands in soapy water, grab a sponge, and begin to scrape away the layers of filth until you hit upon the treasures unlooked for, the neglected castaways. Open your eyes to the hidden gems, buried in the rubble of despair and neglect.

It will not be easy. It cannot be. To see it, you have to let go of everything you once held as dear. You will be ridiculed. They will not understand, but I tell you this: embark upon this journey, and you will by no means regret your decision. And you will never be the same.

You will see the materialism for what it truly is, stripped of all glamour and sophistication. It is superficial and utterly worthless. And you will uncover the ‘pearl of great price.’ Invest your one wild and beautiful life in others for the sake of Jesus Christ and you will find true beauty in the most unexpected of places. It will be the little things that you were too consumed to notice before – a shy smile of gratefulness from a tiny, waiflike child with a swollen belly and eyes too large for her little head. An earsplitting grin and thankful, joy-filled eyes, a father of six young children, now enabled to support his growing family with a steady job. It will be the families in your community who are overlooked, with needs unspoken. Take time out of your day to listen to the cares of the burdened heart, pray over their life, and offer encouragement. Mentor the young, care-worn mother, and begin to notice when she is overwhelmed. You will become attuned to others’ needs, and count them as more important than your own.

Many a man has set out to uncover beauty, hoping to find fulfillment, unveiling only emptiness. True beauty, the soul-wrenching, lasting, fulfilling beauty, cannot be bought. Nor can it be conjured up. It does not fade. It is not found in the obvious places. It does not rely on the senses. And it comes at a high cost.

If you have embarked upon this journey, my friend, then you know of what I speak. You see this beauty every day. Your joy is filled to overflowing. No other thing in this world compares. But be forewarned: you cannot cling to both materialism and the true beauty in Christ. You must choose one over the other, forsaking the one and embracing the other. For none of us can serve two masters. And think on this: perhaps true beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but rather, realized when the beholder sees worth in the eyes of the beheld.

I am not of this world. I am a spiritual being in a physical world. I do not do any of this for my own gain. How could I? It was not below Christ, neither is it too much of Him to expect any less from me. Or from you. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

True Gifts { they keep giving }

I just finished my book, that wonderful gift from my Mom. 'I think you will like this book, Kelsey. Her writing style is similar to yours. A sort of poetry...' And so I embarked on my journey, into One Thousand Gifts, through the pages of Ann's story: her search for joy, and her discovery - eucharisteo. It all came back to thanks, to gratitude, and the giving of the gifts back to the Giver. Her words resounded in me, because I, too, have stumbled up this truth.

Spend the whole of your one wild and beautiful life in investing in many lives, and God simply will not be outdone. God extravagantly pays back everything we give away and exactly in the currency that is not of this world but the one we yearn for: Joy in Him.

It is when our lives become an outpouring of His unending joy that we can truly experience the fullness of the life He wants us to live. Do not hold back.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us now forget His ultimate gift. He gave everything. God laid down all of His fullness into all of the emptiness.

Christian hands never clasp

and He doesn't give gifts for gain

because a gift can never stop being a gift -

it is always meant to be given.

These past seven months have been a wonderful gift to me. Christ has lavished me with countless gifts, and the more I reflect upon them, the more I find to be thankful for. My focus is directed upward, and my love flows outward. True Christianity is a gift that keeps on giving, and never stops. A beautiful, wonder-filled, immeasurable gift from the Father to His beloved children, one that they continue to give back until the end of time.

Our expression of thanks becomes a blessing, and our outpouring of love to others is the gift back to Christ. Beautiful in its simplicity, astounding in its magnitude. The gift that gives on...

Ponderings

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 For with God, nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37

This Christmas season, I have been pondering the Christmas story. A young virgin, betrothed to a carpenter, in a small town of no consequence, is visited by an angel. The Holy Spirit of God overshadowed her, and she conceived the Son of God Almighty, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. To all appearances, young Mary was carrying an illegitimate child, fatherless, a bastard son. Wishing to save her honor and her life, Joseph desired to put her away quietly. While it was yet a thought in his mind, an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream. And Joseph took Mary as his wife. They traveled to Bethlehem, the City of David, and Mary gave birth to the Son of God in a stable, placing him in a manger, for there was no room for them in the inn.

And thus, Jesus, Son of God, filled His tiny lungs with air, was held by human hands, inhaled straw and manure, and was wrapped in swaddling cloths to protect his body from the cold. What a lowly entrance. Such a humble beginning. Yet this is how Christ came to earth.

In my goings and comings to and from the Bennett Clinic here in Olongapo, I see many pregnant women, young and old. I have heard their babies cry out as they breathe in their first bits of air, and it is a beautiful sound. I was filled with deep sadness on the day when a blue baby girl was born. She did not cry. But we did. It was the first death in our six months of operation.

I am discovering that joy and sorrow, laughter and pain, are intermingled in our lives. As humans, we have our share of the ugly and the beautiful. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who weep. We have cause for rejoicing, because the clinic has just celebrated their 100^th birth. One hundred precious little lives have been welcomed into the world.

Our time here in Olongapo has been a wonderful season in our lives. We have established meaningful relationships, and feel as though we are part of the Eheler’s family – as much time as we spend with them. Their girls remind me of my sisters, and they all call me ‘Aunty Kelsey.’ I love all of the midwives, and have enjoyed getting to know them during our time here. Our Aeta friends and their families greet us with warm smiles, and their shyness has worn off. They used to be intimidated by John’s towering size, but now they can joke around with him on the job. When they learned of our departure date, they all cried out in unison, ‘we will miss you!’ Part of our hearts will stay here, in Olongapo.

We can look back over our seven months of time spent in country and marvel at what we have accomplished, but all glory goes to Christ. It is in Him and through Him that we have been equipped to help the team at Mercy In Action. We have seen how He has orchestrated our lives, events, circumstances, all to further His kingdom. It has been such an honor to serve Him here in the Philippines.

During our time here, I have seen John grow, being shaped by Christ. Initially uncomfortable in his role of leadership, John stepped up to the challenges and made crucial decisions. He has taken on more responsibilities, yet he does not let the weight of it overwhelm him. In tense situations, he is the peace-maker, smoothing out the difficulties and working through the issues. He is patient, and humble, and much more than I deserve in a husband. I could not be more thankful for him.

Our lives as a married couple have been filled with joy. I feel so alive when I am with John. He is a gift from God, and I love being by his side. We have been knit even closer this year, and we are looking forward to the years ahead. While I do not know what all lies before us, I can say with confidence that we will follow Christ down whatever path He leads us down. To whatever end. With Mary, I say, My soul doth magnify the Lord. Luke 1:46