Socrates, Jesus, and the need to be true Seekers.

I just cracked an interesting book I found at a second hand bookstore a couple months ago called "Socrates Cafe" and it is basically about Socratic questioning, what that looks like, and how we can do it in local coffee shops, libraries, schools...etc. Although I have yet to research about the other well known philosophers of old, I'm getting a fairly good grasp of who Socrates was, or at least the type of social reform and method of questioning that came about from his life.

It made me think, do I question enough? No, I don't. When it come to God, I find it easier to simply trust. But then with life in general and the things that go on in our world; if people weren't afraid to ask more questions, and really search out the answers which in turn would open the door for more questions.. if people were not afraid to dig to the root of things, would not more people find God in their search for truth and love.. and would believers actually be able to know why they believe what they believe? I think so.

I think there is a tendency in the world and our modern culture which has also seeped into the common church.. a tendency to accept whatever is spoon fed to us. To believe and accept as fact or truth whatever others (whether it be media, books, preachers, motivational speakers, famous persons...etc) present to us in an appealing and sensible way. The error of this is so huge and I think it is part of the reason so many churchgoers are lukewarm and not truly living passionate extreme lives with and for Jesus. It is also part of the reason so many unbelievers are turned off of church and God. They see so much hypocrisy and things being spouted as ultimate truth without those spouting it being able to tell why it is truth and why they believe it themselves. If a person gets saved and starts going to a church and just takes all one hears at face value and does not go and search it for oneself.. then when the enemy starts throwing lies and bringing opinions and ideas contrary to God's Word, why wouldn't this person be swayed or choked out by the thorn bushes?

If we do not challenge each other with questions about our faith, theology, and relationship with God, how will we grow and be grounded in our walks? Even to ask questions like, what is faith? What do others say faith is? What does faith look like when it is something we live every day and breathing moment? How do we see unbelievers living in faith and how do believers live a God-faith led life?What is hell? Is it what the church has taught for centuries or does the Bible actually reveal something very different and have most "hell verses" been taken grossly out of context and mistranslated from the original meanings in greek and hebrew? What is Heaven? Is it some pie in the sky we go to when we die or is it the kingdom of God being brought to earth by us, His hands and feet? What do many people in the world believe about the heaven and hell of the Bible? Are they real places? How do these subjects relate to a good, holy, compassionate, just, and loving God?

I've realized that Socratic questioning is an incredible tool we do not use enough. The more questions I ask, not being afraid to let those questions lead to more questions... the more I discover what I believe and how others might see things from various perspectives and world views. The wonderful thing that excites me like no other is that although with Socrates he might have only ended his thought processes with more unanswerable questions... we can take these questions, bring them to God, and research His word for the answers and truths to satisfy these questions. Matthew 11:25 says that He reveals the secret and hidden mysteries to babes (as we come to Him as children, honestly seeking without bias, imploring endlessly as many curious children do, and believing Him with that simple childlike faith when He does reveal the answers) that were otherwise inaccessible to us. God is all truth and all knowledge so unlike the followers of Socrates who sought answers and found only more questions (which wasn't always bad but it did lead to a revolution and lots of bloodshed) .. as followers of Jesus in relationship with the Trinity, the closer we get to Him and more we learn of who He is, the more answers we find to questions we never understood and the more we can rest in peace with the realization that we actually know so very little but He knows all and we are in His hands. This is the best place we can possibly be. I think the more questions we ask the more we realize just how lost and stupid we are and henceforth realize our need for Him. To know that I have been found by Him and reside in Him makes it ok that I do not know all the answers but also spurs me to ask more questions as there is much He wants to reveal to us if only we are willing to search it out we would find. There are many doors we could spend years wondering about what is behind them... or we could knock and see Him answer!

For anyone wanting to read an interesting and helpful comparison of Socrates and Jesus check out the link below.

http://www.bible-ebooks.com/articles/socrates.html

Reading Romans during break at work today and God highlighted Romans 8:25 to me:

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

So I am in a place of searching out God's truth's, asking myself more questions like "what do I believe, why do I believe it and what kind of answers can I give people when they ask me the reason for this hope I have inside?" I am in a place of hope for the unseen, waiting in patience with perseverance and anticipation. Every day I wake up is better than the last because it is another day I am blessed with to be breathing, witnessing God's mercies new every morning. How incredible is life!!

Commit, trust, & take it one step at a time.

Word of the day:

Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5

I read this in my Bible today, the guy speaking at church today mentioned this verse, then again at Bible study another girl paraphrased it as she was sharing. 3 times in one day, I'm paying attention. I don't understand all that God is doing in my life right now but I know it is good. Something today's speaker said that gave me confirmation and comfort was when he talked about God's will. He said God has two wills. One general one for everyone (the great commission) and a very specific one for each individual. Even though one can read through the story of Abraham in about an hour, that story took place over a span of 60 years and Abraham only heard God's specific will for his life every 7 years or so. The point this guy made was that we don't need to be hearing God's specific will for our life every day, month, or year. God may speak to us a very specific word and all we have to do is follow in obedience for however long a period of time that is, being faithful with what God has given us until He speaks again or gives us more. Or both. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to go to Africa. As I grew older the desire to minister to the poorest and neediest in this world only increased and extended to all/any 3rd world countries. I never used to feel cut out to minister to people in North America as there are so many material distractions and even our poorest street people have so much more compared to the majority of the people in the world, especially developing nations. There are so many layers and levels and complications in our society that I always felt much more equipped to go to a place where things are more simple.. where I would be helping people dig a clean, safe, fresh-water well, teaching them some basic agriculture and farming so they can grow their own food... basic hygiene... and then of course introducing them to Jesus and God's word... that was where I always thought I'd go within a few years of graduating highschool.

Now God is doing these incredible things in the VLA and showing me how He has equipped me and is using me and it is not even as complicated as it seems; if I realize that all these kids, families, and people need is for someone to love them unconditionally and believe in them. To tell them they can dream again, and dream big! To encourage them and help them get going with these dreams... to make them a reality. Because I have the Father's love in me and pouring through me, that alone equips me to minister in this neighbourhood. As long as I stay in relationship with Him, He can begin relationships with these kids and youth, their parents..everyone! I still know I am called to rescue women and children out of human trafficking and somehow be involved in stopping it from happening in our communities and around the world... but right now God has dropped me in the centre of this community, given me children to love on, mom's to build friendships with (many are my age or some even younger), and more than I ever thought possible given me more of His heart for them. I can't just up and abandon the good work He has begun and go on in peace until He releases me. All I know is that right now it is God's will for me to stay in PG and commit myself to Him and these kids. I am ok with taking it one step at a time. Right now the next step is moving into a house with some other young adult friends who also have a heart for the VLA and to live there as a ministry. The house is right in the centre of the VLA so we'd be better located to further build relationships and love on our neighbours. It is only a few blocks from the duplex I rented by myself for a few months in the spring. I really loved having that place all to myself and having all my neighbours as drug dealers meant for an exciting place to live! It was a short and sweet season. Definitely much easier to live without roommates but there are pros and cons to both and I am looking forward to living in a community house with friends I can share meals with again. Even just to have someone there when God has done something incredible and you come home and want to tell someone about it; to have that option! I was raised to be very independent but more and more I recognize my need for others, their need for me, and how connected we are as a body... at least how connected we need to be in order to operate as Jesus intended.

Social Justice & Contentment in the Present

Here is what has come about in the past month or so.

I was seriously planning on moving to Vancouver this fall, October or November. I miss my sisters, brother-in-law, Dad, uncles, and that whole side of the family so much it just seemed to make sense for me to get down there as soon as possible. Once again, God seems to have other plans in mind, and as I've surrendered all these ideas and decisions to Him I find myself surprisingly content and at peace with the direction He is taking my feet even if it is not what I would have originally chosen for myself.

The friend I was going to possibly be roommates with in Vancouver has since made other plans. I also realized that if I were to move to Van in Oct/Nov and then leave for Barbados in July, I would only just be getting settled in and perhaps just started building a couple solid friendships when I would be up and leaving again. In terms of storing my things in Vancouver, that is another expensive problem I would need to find a solution to. I would rather spend the next year further investing into the relationships in PG and being faithful with the ones He has given me here, than trying to start from scratch for such a limited amount of time in Vancouver.

A few weeks ago I applied for a full time term position at the hospital. It is a Mon-Friday deal in one of my favourite places to work, OR. I've only been in housekeeping for a year and three months so I am still very much near the bottom of seniority and thought for sure someone above me would apply and take the position. I happened to look at the board and notice this term the last day it was up so I quickly filled out the form and just dropped it in the box not thinking much of it. 3 days later I get a call from my boss telling me I got the position if I wanted it and that I could start August 24th. With family coming up I had intentionally only booked shifts until August 24 and then wanted to keep the days my sisters and Jonny will be up here open. Start dates for term positions (if you get them) are not usually negotiable, however family is a priority for me so I decided I would tell my boss "I would like to take the position but I have previous family commitments and cannot start until Sept 6th" and if I was meant to have it he would accommodate. It wouldn't be hard for staffing to fill that 2 week gap with casuals but it also isn't usually an option for a casual to choose their start date if they get a position. However, a week later I got the official document in the mail from northern health confirming my term position and start date Sept 6th! Hours are 2-10pm so I have to sacrifice evenings but it is worth it. This means guaranteed full time work with weekends open and a schedule I can plan around! Last winter work during November and December slowed right down and I hardly had any work as a casual, just enough for rent and food. With a guaranteed steady income and a fixed paycheck I will be able to budget, taking into account rent and a set amount put aside for groceries, a small monthly allowance, tithing, and then put the rest aside for YWAM.

Speaking of YWAM, that is another somewhat recent development. I have thought about and considered it for a number of years but never felt the timing was right, nor was I in a position to make enough money to save for it. What I would really like to do is the in depth inductive style teaching SBS (School of Biblical Studies) with YWAM offered in a number of locations around the world. Something I desperately miss about the discipleship school I did in Abbotsford is the in depth Bible study and solid teaching we received there. I love taking a book of scripture and going through it verse by verse, section by section, researching the culture and era it was written in and to which people groups is was written to. To know God's word in context, allowing me to better understand what was being said and therefore better understanding how it applies to our lives today. With full time work, day to day responsibilities, and lives to invest in it is difficult to study the Bible in such a way while keeping up with the rest of life. I would love to be in an environment where myself and those around me are digging into the word 8 hours/day, discovering things anew, and challenging each other as we go. I recently found out YWAM offers a Social Justice dts in a couple of locations. Since I know God has called me to a life of fighting for social justice issues on a global scale, it makes sense to do a dts that will help me to connect and network with others who share the same passion.

There is a Social Justice dts in Barbados that starts every July and that is the one I am thinking of applying for. I just discovered today while visiting the YWAM site again that there is actually a Social Justice dts in Kona, Hawaii that starts this September!!! If only I had the money I would be tempted to go for that one but that would not leave me much time to plan, pack, and buy plane tickets.

Here are the links for the two social justice dts' I am looking at:

http://uofnkona.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154&Itemid=659&lang=en

http://ywambarbados.org/dts/justice-dts

In the meantime I am discovering the joy and contentment of not rushing through life at the superspeed most of our culture runs at. I've been reading a revolutionary book called "Everything Must Change" by Brian McLaren and one of the points he makes (in specifically talking about the prosperity system but which also applies to all of life) which I so appreciate is this [ These abstract obsessions drive it mindlessly and relentlessly toward "more," "bigger," and "faster," but never allow us to ask "More what?" "Why bigger?" and "Faster to where, and for what purpose?" ] I don't want to be one of those people who is in such a hurry to get to the next stage of life that I never actually stop and enjoy the season I am in. I want to live my life to the fullest and I believe a a huge part of that is living in the moment.

I've realized that although I still feel the urgency to act on the things I can change and the injustices I can stop, I don't need to be in a state of perpetual rushing as I walk out God's call on my life. Even the fact that I am only 22 and I already know what I want to do with the rest of my life, what my passions and giftings are and that it is paramount for me to take a stand against human/social injustices (especially in the area of human trafficking) in a real and tangible way... that is huge. A lot of people in their 40's and 50's still don't know what they want to do with their lives or what they are most passionate about... many are stuck in careers they never wanted or tied down with mortgages they can't be free from. I am still young, I have a good paying job, no debt, great relationships with family members, some incredible friends (and a few soul friends), I know which passions I want to concentrate on and where I want my life to go, even if I am not sure how this path will take shape or in what timing. I am blessed. So whether the money thing miraculously works itself out by this September and I can go sooner than later... or whether God does want me to stay in Prince George another year and continue to invest in the people he has placed in my life for this season... I do not know. All I know is that I am content with where I am and I am going to make the most of this season of life.