On Soulmates

Do you believe in soulmates?

The topic seems to be trending among my peers, stemming from an ongoing conversation about predestination vs. free will. I find it interesting how many people have conflicting views concerning these topics--belief in predestination, but not soulmates, or belief in free will with soulmates. Maybe we're confused about what "soulmates" actually are. Maybe we're confused about what all of these words mean.

A soulmate, by definition, is "one with whom one shares strong affinity [a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.]"[dictionary.com].

Furthermore, I will say that I believe in free will in a predestined universe. "Destiny" is "something that is to happen... to a particular person." I think the problem a lot of people have with the word "predestination" is the implication that God is forcing us to do something that, perhaps, we have no desire to do; God has decided our fates for us. I believe that we have the ability to make choices for ourselves, but I also believe that God knows all of our steps before we take them. This doesn't make our decisions any less ours, God simply knows the decisions we're going to make beforehand.

Therefore, given that we choose a life according to God's standards and biblical law, where does the concept of soulmates come into the equation?

It's fair to say that the idea of soulmates has been overly-mystified over the centuries, but it's important to remember that the concept existed long before Jesus was born. Greek philosophers and writers were infatuated with the concept of "twin souls," separated upon entering physical bodies, and in a life-long search for one another on earth.

"Bashert" is the Yiddish word for "destiny," and is used in the context of a predetermined spouse in Jewish culture; "basherte" is used to denote the female and "basherter" the male in a predestined marriage. One of the famous Jewish proverbs dictates that "marriages are made in heaven."

Actually, it doesn't sound so mystical anymore. It sounds biblical to me; it sounds superbly and exquisitely romantic.

There are billions of people on the planet, and surely many with whom one could find compatibility enough for marriage, but what of real, true soulmates? What about "twin souls"? Is this an overly-romanticized concept that makes for great movies and books, but doesn't carry any weight in real life? Or is this something real that too many people deny themselves in a world filled with liars, cheaters, and heart-breakers?

My past dating relationships were more than disappointing. They left me bitter, jaded, hurt, closed-off, walled-in; after a while, I was certain that if I watched one more relationship fail, I would simply move to Europe and forget about everyone else.

And then I dated again. And it failed again. And something amazing happened: I was alright.

Of course, I was hurt, and lonely, and a little angry. The truth of the matter is that, ultimately, I was content in then singleness that was obviously meant to be at the time. I began doing a lot of self-searching, and I realized that, despite my contentedness, my ideas about my future husband were rapidly changing, and I almost didn't realize it.

Some of the people around me--very well-meaning people, mind you--in an attempt, I'm sure, to be encouraging and motivating, were telling me, in more eloquent words that I can force myself to conjure, that I needed to lower my expectations for my future husband; that the man I had in mind simply did not exist.

I tried to find a balance between thinking realistically and not forgetting that God wants to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4), but these seemed like conflicting ideas. God is not a God of delusion and disappointment, after all. I began to make it my prayer that my desires for my own life and God's desires would align, that whoever I was going to end up with would be exactly who God designed for me.

"Designed." The word came up again and again. This is what led to the "soulmate" conversation. This is when I began researching where the idea came from, and this is what I decided I believe:

I think, first of all, that God is the ultimate Romancer of our souls. He is love, and every page of the Bible is testament to this fact. His relationship with His people is the greatest love story ever told, and to expect anything less than a man whose desire is to love his wife the way that God loves us is to do a disservice to oneself and to God's handiwork (i.e., relationships in general; He is, after all, the Inventor of love and relationships.).

I think my idea of what a soulmate is is akin to the Greek idea of "twin souls." In my mind, a relationship is like a living organism designed by God Himself and composed of two major parts; two souls. I think that relationships are only successful when you enter into them with that only other person who can perfectly and seamlessly compose the other half of the relationship, and when you let God, the Designer of that relationship, do what He will with it.

So, don't fret, darlings! I'm tired of girls being deceived into thinking that just because there are a few jerks in the universe they need to lower their expectations for their romantic lives. Don't do it! God didn't offer His Son to save our souls so that we could live disappointing, sub-par lives. 

On The Holy Spirit

Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (AMP)

My Pentecostal background is about to show itself; Consider yourself warned.

I have been thinking a lot about the exact meaning of this verse; I have taken to writing it down on post-its and putting them in my direct view every day, reminding myself of the words and diction, tossing and turning them in my mind to fully understand their meaning and relevance to my life.

The diction of the verse is very important, though some of the pertinence is lost in translation. I believe those behind the Amplified translation of the Bible know this, and that is why they made it--to relieve the Bible of at least some of its ambiguities and "gray areas," to suppress argument, strife, and perhaps even some stress behind understanding God's intentions behind every verse.

"Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit." This is exceedingly direct for a God who loves to speak in metaphors and parables. Therefore, there is a significance to this directness; There was to be no misunderstanding the instruction in this case; no personalization of this rule, and it is the same for everyone: Do not quench the Spirit.

"Do not..."
Don't do it! It's quite simple, really. There's no argument here.

"...quench..."

Suppress or subdue. Also easy to understand. So far, "Do not quench..." or "Do not subdue or suppress..." Got it.

"...the Spirit."

Whoa. Now I can see where people may become overwhelmed. 

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Before I can process this thought any further, I feel it necessary to define who I believe the Holy Spirit to be, and what that means in my life.

I feel that most of us (myself and people who read this) have a basic knowledge of the Trinity. If not, I'd love to blog about it later. Essentially, three in one. While I am aware that they are all God, I see them as different expressions of the same God (while I'm here, feel free to tell me when I make zero sense). God is the all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing, Creator of the universe; Jesus is God in the flesh; the Holy Spirit is our helpmate and guide through our lives. He is the part of God that plays an active role in everything that we do every day. The Bible says "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). Romans 8:27 says "the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." 

The Holy Spirit is a Counselor, and He intercedes on our behalf. He is that faithful companion, the shoulder to cry on, the one who actively works for the good in our lives. 

So, the Holy Spirit is a good guy, on our side, a help in times of despair--why is this verse so threatening? "Do not quench the Spirit." One reason for feeling overcome with confusion, I believe, is this: the implication is that it is possible for you to quench, suppress, or subdue the Holy Spirit. Personally, the fact that something that I can do can hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in my life or the lives of those around me does not sit well. I actually had a difficult time with this passage until recently. 

Without diving into specifics, I recently felt the affects of someone quenching the Holy Spirit in my own life. The worst part about this experience was that it was not the person's intention. Actually, the intention was to help me (and others) to engage in worship and prayer. Unfortunately, the exact opposite effect was the direct consequence of these exhortations. I wasn't completely aware that it was happening, I just knew that I was trying harder than is usually necessary to have a desperately-needed moment with God, and something was getting in the way of that. What made this worse was that I felt powerless against it; It wasn't until I was alone at home with my Bible that I was finally able to concentrate and get what I felt I needed from God that night.
 

I think, at least in this case, this hindering has a lot to do with trusting (or not trusting) the Holy Spirit to do its job. It's an elementary example of not "letting go and letting God." It's also a testament to the devastating consequences that not trusting God can have in our lives and the lives of others. We can affect how God works in life. This is an obvious example, but what about the non-obvious cases?

How many times has my desire to have control over my own life actually hurt me? If I retrace my own steps, I can see where the Holy Spirit was prompting me to do one thing, and I did another because it made more sense to me at the time. Where did I end up as a result of these actions? Hurt, alone, confused, abandoned, rejected, jaded, broken, blinded, scarred, terrified, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated--these are not the purposes for which God designed me.

This is where the fruit comes in.

When we let the Holy Spirit control our lives instead of taking our own misguided and selfish advice, what is the end result?

But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)

Now it all makes sense. It can be tempting to quench the Holy Spirit (even without knowing it), because the thought of letting someone or something else control your life is scary; Not having absolute control is intimidating and terrifying. However, how has doing it your way worked for you so far? Do I need to repeat my list of consequences of having control over my own life? I fear too many would have a similar list. When I let the Holy Spirit guide and counsel me in my decisions...

...I am loving: I have a love I can't explain for the people in my life. Those people can feel how much I love them, and I can feel their love for me as well. I have a love that cannot be quenched or doused in any way. 

...I am joyful: I am filled with a happiness that does not depend on the actions of people (not my family, nor my friends, nor any others), who have failed me time and time again, and left me stripped of joy and gladness. I am reminded constantly of God's enduring and faithful love for me, and it fills me with a happiness that must be expressed at every possible moment. 

...I am at peace: Peace is something that eluded me for many years. In fact, I'm not sure I knew what peace was during the entire duration of my adolescence. Only in the last year or so of my life have I had moments where I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, what it is to be at peace, to know that God has not forgotten or abandoned me, to know that He saw every tear I shed over every person who ever hurt me, and to know that He had the plan that was going to relieve that kind of pain. All I had to do was accept His plan and His will, even if I didn't know exactly what the plan entailed. He hasn't failed me yet.

...I am patient: I have found that when you pray for God to grant you patience, He doesn't so much instill automatic patience within you, but gives you opportunities to be patient. Sometimes I am successful, other times, not-so-much. But when it really counts, I can feel the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart, and telling me to hold on, to wait, to listen, to take a breath--that He's got it, and I simply need to be patient to discover what His plans are.

...I am kind: We don't see a lot of kindness in today's world. We see "niceness," but not genuine, selfless kindness. The Holy Spirit is the only thing that could possibly give me the capacity to exhibit such a rare trait.

...I am good: There is a reason why Paul mentions "kindness" and "goodness." While kindness implies an inexplicable friendliness, goodness connotes selfless charitableness. Anyone who has been paying any sort of attention to the world around them is aware that such behavior does not exist in human nature. That is why it is a fruit of the Spirit.

...I am faithful: Unfortunately, this doesn't exist in human nature either, and some of us are reminded of it every day. Divorce is an obvious example; I myself have struggled with the fidelity of not only friends, but a boyfriend as well. Our generation, for one reason or another, has a weak spot for unfaithfulness. When the Holy Spirit is living and active in our lives and the lives of those with whom we choose to be in intimate relationship, these fears of infidelity or non-trustworthiness can dissipate so that true relationship can form, and so we can experience more of God in those faithful relationships.

...I am gentle: The Holy Spirit not only gives you peace, but gives you the ability to pacify others (a characteristic of gentleness). I believe gentleness is also exemplified in the softening of our hearts when we let the Holy Spirit do its work. I have had a lot of people tell me that after what I've experienced, they see no reason for me to have any grace with friends or romantic relationships, but my heart, while it has learned quite a few lessons, is relentless. What could explain this? Not determination in people on my part. Faith in what the Holy Spirit can do is what keeps us moving when the world expects us to stop; it's what keeps us soft and warm when the world tries to make us hard and cold.

...I have self-control: I have boundaries, and the ability to say "yes" and "no." I make the right decisions--not the easy decisions, but the right ones. I know when to hold my tongue, and how to control my actions and behaviors. It is never easy, but I am certainly better off for it.

None of the above qualities are inherent in human nature. That is why we need to Holy Spirit. I would encourage you, Church, to examine yourself and ask if the Holy Spirit is truly in control of your life, not just for your benefit, but for the benefit of those you love.

Dublin—Day 8 and Final Thoughts

I haven’t blogged the last couple of days because I haven’t particularly had the time or the energy to spare to do so.

There’s a good chance that Friday was the best day for everyone on the trip. We had lunch at a place that claimed to serve American style food—although we would beg to differ—and then it was time for boys’ clubs at DCM. For this our group had to separate. Kyle, Aubrey and Becca went to play soccer with one club while Nathan, Kelly and I stayed at DCM to prepare for another. I haven’t heard a lot about the other group’s experience with their club, but from what I understand the boys were pretty rough, and Kyle had a wonderful opportunity to encourage and talk to the boys there. Nathan, Kelly and I had about two hours to kill before our club started, so we talked to Liesel and some of the other DCM workers. Also, Aaron—who basically grew up through the mission—came in with his friend, Liam, who has, undoubtedly the best voice I’ve ever heard from a guy my age—ever. End of story. Aaron asked me to sing for them as well—they had heard Aubrey and me practicing the day before—and they acted really impressed. Normally, I don’t put much into applause from other people, but the people in Dublin have been so real and genuine that I have no choice but to believe that they were sincere. 

Kyle, Aubrey and Becca came back just as my, Kelly and Nathan’s club was starting. Nathan led worship and taught the boys “Grin Again Gang,” and they taught us a song of their own. I meant to take a picture of the lyrics to this song, and I’m regretting not being able to remember them all, but it was totally fantastic and the team thoroughly enjoyed it.

I got to teach the boys a bible verse about helping others. I had so much fun. We did the balloon method for memory verses—each word of the verse goes on a balloon and volunteers from the audience get to pop two balloons, but then they have to recite the entire verse with the missing words. Naturally, everyone wanted to play—they’re boys—and I had a great time with them. Afterword, they played a rough game of basketball and Kelly and I did some dishes in the kitchen. 

Then it was time to prepare for Choose Life, their high school/college age group. I was very excited about this one—this is the age group I am used to! Nathan, Aubrey and I led worship (videos to be posted on Facebook later), and the group really enjoyed us. Later we found out that they never get to sing worship with music, so this was a real treat for them.

After Andrew shared a word it was free time. We played and laughed and danced and talked and really, genuinely connected with them. I didn’t want to leave when it was over.

My only regret is that it took that long for me to realize my purpose in all of this. Liesel confirmed this the next day at a debriefing with the team. We talked about the various ways we were used this week, even though the Queen’s presence in Dublin complicated a lot of our plans.

This is something I say often, but it’s very rarely present in such an obvious way in my life—we can make all the plans we want, but ultimately God is the Creator and Orchestrator of the Universe, and He is going to decide how things are going to go. Aubrey pointed out something that Liesel had said previously that went along with this—“Where does God want you? Exactly where you are.” Kyle began to disagree with this, but then changed his mind, providing an excellent demonstration of this fact: Jonah and the Big Fish. The question was “Well, was Jonah where God wanted Him?” The answer is a resounding “yes.” Jonah tried to do exactly the opposite of what God wanted him to do, and how did God react? He didn’t say “Oh, gosh, didn’t see that one coming, guess I have to change My plans!” He put Jonah in that fish so fast it would make your head spin! God has this way of putting us exactly where He wants us—despite our plans, fears, flaws, failures, doubts, insecurities, etc. 

This was such an enlightening moment not just for the trip as a whole, but for my entire life! I know I hear it (and say it!) all the time, but as lost as you may feel, you’re never far from where God wants you. Lauren said this to me just a couple months ago when I was telling her about Spain and my fears that I would miss out on something happening in Jacksonville or with my family or with my friends—we can never take God by surprise. He’s never caught off guard.

The fact is that God put this Ireland trip on Becca’s heart a long time ago. And He put Ireland on my brain and Aubrey’s brain, and called Nathan and Kyle specifically to Ireland, and inspired Kelly to sign up for specifically the Ireland trip. Each of us had reasons not to go on this trip, but we did anyway. God put us here at this specific time. God was also not surprised by the Queen’s trip to Dublin. He knew she was coming too! 

I know that each person on this trip has probably gotten at least a small amount of flack for coming on this trip. I personally am surrounded by generous and selfless missionaries who take trips frequently to South Africa. This seems like a “cushy” missions trip. Some dared to not even call it that—to my face! But here are the facts: less than one per cent of Ireland’s population are God-fearing Christians. The kids in the heart of Dublin live in absolutely desperate situations. Girls are raised to be tough and cold and mean as a means of survival, and boys are heartless and emotionless in how they communicate and relate to everyone around them. Dublin Christian Mission is the second oldest Christian Mission in Ireland, and they need all the help that they can get. I only wish I could have done more for them, honestly. All I have to offer is my time and my energy and that’s simply not enough. 

The Queen’s presence in Dublin also showed us a side of the Irish we very well may have never known had she not been here—that Ireland is a hurting nation. They have been oppressed and abused and torn down for centuries, and they still have walls up, and they’re still defensive, and they’re angry and hurt—but they are fighters. They will never give up and they will never back down. There were moments where I thought I was too tender-hearted for this trip; my feelings are hurt very easily, and these kids do not care. They are not always soft and cuddly and nice and encouraging and loving and warm. They are cold and bitter and hateful and mean. But they need people like me around, they need to see a more tender side to people—that outsiders do not always come to oppress. That’s why people like Liesel (from Canada) and Samaria (from El Salvador) and Martha (from the United States) are here! 

My heart aches for them, truly. And I hope to return soon and do more for them.

Each person on this team has learned a lot on this trip and will come back different from the people that they left as. We all shared last night the individual challenges we were each faced with and forced to deal with on this trip that, at least for myself, had been avoided until now. I wouldn’t have had this trip go any other way, and I am so thankful and joyful that this team got to be a part of the changes taking place in my life. I only hope I can continue to make these changes as I head back home to hit the ground running with school and work. I hope you’ll keep each one of us in your prayers as we readjust to life after Ireland.

Dublin—Day 7

Today had a simple plan. We were to go to the countryside with Billy, the director of DCM, and then head to DCM around 4 to prepare for tonight’s girls’ clubs. 

The countryside was beautiful! There aren’t sufficient words to describe it; the pictures will have to speak for themselves.

We walked around St. Kevin’s legacy, and toured Glendalough, the land that houses his church, a graveyard, and his bones, though no one is quite certain where they are. The oldest headstone death date I saw was 1736! Can you believe it? 

I’m totally fascinated with the age of everything here. What a rich history and culture! I feel like I’m learning so much. We also saw some of the scenery that was featured in P.S,. I Love You, so that was fun.

We got back to DCM a little later than expected due to traffic that was due to the Queen wandering the city. I went back to the hostel with Kelly and Becca to freshen up, and then headed back to DCM to meet Aubrey and make plans for the girls’ clubs. 

As we were deciding what to sing to them, Rochelle (super cool woman from South Africa) came in and told us that Samaria had gotten stuck across the city with all the girls for the club at a MacDonald’s in Kylemore, and that if we got on the Luas it would only take us about twenty minutes to get there. So we rushed to the Luas, got our tickets, and got on the Luas and sat. And sat. And sat. Finally an announcement came on and the man said “The Luas has been stopped for security reasons until further notice… that is all.” So, defeated, we headed back to DCM, where everyone who was there was leaving for the evening. More bad news: they had also blocked off all the bridges across the Liffey, so we also couldn’t get back the hostel. It was only 5:30PM, and Becca and the rest of the group were off somewhere else cleaning up after one of DCM’s camps, and we had no way of contacting them. 

Aubrey and I ended up wandering Henry Street and doing a little shopping while we waited for the Liffey bridges to open up. We had a nice time and found some cute little shops and trinkets and such.

We went back to the hostel with Kelly and waited for the others to arrive. When they did, they had a visitor with them—Martha, one of my new favorite people. She’s a missionary from Kansas who has made her current residence in Dublin, Ireland working with DCM. After making some dinner at the hostel, she took us to this great gelato place—my first time eating gelato—and showed us around the city. We got to see where U2 records when they’re in Dublin, and the area of town that they have, I suppose, been a huge part in renovating. There was graffiti everywhere from people who were thankful for U2’s influence on them and on Dublin, and it was beautiful to see. 

But even more fantastic than the sights we saw was getting to know Martha. I told her about how I was thinking of moving to Spain, and we talked a lot about the things a person has to realize when they live in a different country—the homesickness, the inability to simply go see your family whenever you want to, feeling like a stranger in a foreign place, learning new politics and ideas and ways of life. She gave me a lot to think about. We ended up talking for a couple of hours, walking around the city, and we had a wonderful time. 

Our plans have been destroyed and disastrous for the majority of this trip, but getting to know the people around here—the people who have left their homes to live somewhere else entirely—have been so encouraging to me, and I think we have been an encouragement to them, which is a ministry in itself. Even if we never get to work with the kids here one-on-one, we will have had the opportunity to be an encouragement and refresher for the people who do. To tell them how much we look up to them and aspire to be more like them in the future—to remind them the impact they are making even when they don’t feel they are.

I love this place. Aubrey, Nathan and Kyle are considering the Year Team for DCM, actually, and my heart is still pulling me to Barcelona. What an inspiration these people have been, and what an impact they’ve been on the team!

Dublin—Day 6

We woke up around 7AM and headed to Dublin Christian Mission’s summer campsite (the exact location of which I can’t quite remember). 

Nathan and Kelly dug a trench for the overflow from the pond and Aubrey, Becca, Kyle and I cleared brush and twigs and huge logs from the trails. This went on until about 2:30, with some lunch in between. The best part of my day was watching Kyle (who jumps over literally everything) attempting to jump the gate to let us in, only to have his heel clip the gate, resulting in what looked like a slightly painful fall. He took it much better than I would have, though—with a smile on his face and a good laugh about it. It was also great watching Aubrey get her galoshes stuck and unstuck from the super deep mud along the trails. I’m sure I was a beautiful sight myself doing the same thing. Overall it was a great time of fellowship (and exercise!).

We ran into some trouble heading back to the hostel—the Garda weren’t letting any cars cross the canal (because the Queen was about), so Billy, the Director of the DCM, dropped us off near the Luas station (the Luas is Dublin’s cable car system). When we arrived, however, there was a marquis saying delays were expected on the Luas. So we decided to walk. After about twenty minutes, and realizing we still had a long way to go, we decided to hop on the Luas at the next station we saw. We got all the way to the Four Courts with two hours until we had to be at the DCM for Wednesday club with the Junior Teens. We were all hurrying to shower, when Liesel showed up at the hostel with another change of plans—turns out, most of the kids lived on the other side of the canal, and thus could not get to the DCM because the roads were barricaded. So, Andrew (another DCM staff member) was going to drive them to another campsite for Wednesday club, and we were to take the Luis to Suir Street and meet them there. Becca went to an ATM and was just going to meet us at the Luas stop to head that way. Liesel stayed with the rest of us, and Aubrey and I had a chance to get to know her a little better (she’s super awesome). 

Once everyone was ready, we headed toward the Luas stop, which was just across the river. Literally, as we were walking up to the bridge, the Garda were barricading it, letting no cars or pedestrians cross. We ran to the next nearest bridge, and the same thing happened. It was so sad to see all the people trying to get home from work or trying to get to work, but were unable to because every block was barricaded from the next. 

This also meant the Becca was separated from us. We had no way to contact her, because none of us have cell phones, so Liesel quickly called Decko (another DCM staff member) and told him to fetch her from the Luas station and invite her into the Mission House until the barricades came down.

With nothing else to do, and no telling how long the barricades would be up, we all decided to treat Liesel to dinner. We went to the Bull & Shield Pub House, and Nathan was finally able to have his first Irish Guinness, while Kyle chose a red ale, and all the girls joined Liesel in a glass of Guinness (which is half a pint) and black currant, a juice or syrup of some sort. I don’t like Guinness at all, but this was delicious! Liesel said is was a very girly thing to add black currant to Guinness, and that ladies have glasses because they’re not so masculine as having a pint of it. She also educated us on the history of Guinness (did you know that the creator of Guinness says the recipe was God-given, and was actually the healthiest beer of its time?! People actually drank it for all the iron it contains, and women were given it when breastfeeding, and after people gave blood they were to drink a pint of Guinness! Liesel even said it was prescribed to a friend of hers not twenty years ago!). This was such a fantastic and relaxed hang out time for us, and we watched some of the Queen’s proceedings on the television. Becca was finally able to join us, and after eating dinner, we’ve just arrived back at the hostel.

This was such a wonderful night, and the change of plans was just what we needed after a long day of serious manual labor. I’m so thankful that we got to hang out with Liesel, and she said something that really encouraged me—when talking about why she decided to come to Ireland (she’s actually Canadian), she said “God doesn’t call us to do stuff that’s going to be easy, it’s always going to be hard.” This was just what I’ve needed to hear! Sometimes I let myself get discouraged when things get too difficult—I think “God must not want me here, because nothing seems to come easily or go the way it should—but that’s just the point, and it was proven today: it’s not about our plans, it’s about God’s. And it’s not about what’s easy, it’s about being in the center of God’s will, and letting yourself be encouraged by difficult circumstances. Satan is so scared of your success that he’ll do anything in his power to stop it. God is not the Creator of Chaos, he’s the God that changes our plans to line them up with his. This doesn’t make these things disorderly, but perfectly ordered to his will.

Dublin—Day 5

I started the day with some shopping with Aubrey and Kyle—Penneys on Henry Street is the bomb. For real.

We met the rest of the group at the Dublin Christian Mission around noon, and had a lovely lunch with Liesel (the correct spelling of her name, by the way), then spent a few hours cleaning the Mission house. Let me tell you, it needed a good, long cleaning.

Nathan, Kyle and I hung out with the Homework Club kids until about six. Kyle and Nathan had fun playing basketball with some of the girls (who play rougher than the boys, I think you should know). Afterward, we met the rest of the group at The Lighthouse and fed the homeless for the evening. Well, Kelly and Becca fed the homeless while Aubrey washed dishes and Nathan, Kyle and I folded and sorted clothes in the basement. It is amazing the treasure trove of stuff that we saw in that basement. So many nice clothes given from generous Irish hearts—but most of these could not be kept in the mission; The basement was already overflowing with clothing, so only the necessities—warm coats, long-sleeve shirts, pants—could be kept. I suppose it’s better that way though; better to have more than necessary than not have enough.

For dinner, we went to a Japanese restaurant, the name of which I can’t remember.  My apologies, but the dinner was relatively uneventful. 

But some topics of interest did come up that I want to reflect on—I recently saw a documentary about common misconceptions about Jesus—things like being born in a manger, and Gethsemane being an actual garden—and I thought it was super interesting! But others did not find these things as fascinating as me.

 

To be clear, my Christianity is by no means based on these facts, but I think it’s important to give a care about these sorts of things. Why wouldn’t you want to know as much about the man you believe to be the Son of God as possible? What do you say to someone who isn’t a Christian when they come at you with those issues? Are you simply going to respond “well, those things don’t matter.” They do matter! That’s God! That is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who walked the earth and died for you! If he was born in a basement and not a stable, I want to know about it! I want to soak up every bit of information that I can about him!

Phew, now take a breath with me. I didn’t mean to get anyone excited, but these I find these things fascinating. And I think that knowing who Jesus was when he walked this earth is so important. 

Once back at the hostel, I had the opportunity to unveil some things that have been weighing heavily on my heart to someone who needed to hear those things. This has been an issue for me for a while—I want justice in every situation possible. Part of this, for me, is making others aware when I end up hurt as a result of those actions. This is never an easy conversation—for either person. Usually, if I’m the one who’s hurt, I never get quite a satisfactory reply from the offending party. I would be lying if I said I’m totally satisfied with the reply in this conversation, but I feel like that kind of satisfaction and peace will continue to elude my as long as it depends on the other person. I’ve done my part, I’ve exposed as much of my heart as my trust level will allow, and I can do no more but trust that God is not going to fail me.

Edit:

In all my excitement, I forgot to mention that we also saw the Queen of England!  She is in Dublin, and it's the first time Royalty's been here in one hundred years, and also the first time since Irish independence. As I've previously stated, there are lost of mixed feelings about it among the people we've met. Some think it will be a step in the right direction, while others feel it's simply too soon for her to be here. She's cost Ireland millions of desperately needed euro, and it's difficult to understand why England isn't footing the bill for her stay.

I recorded a video of her riding in a car down the road along the Liffey (the river right outside our hostel!), and I'll be posting it on Facebook when I return to the United States.

Dublin—Day 4

Got to sleep in a little today, which was nice.

Went to Dublin Christian Mission around noon, had a meeting with Johno (?) and then some lunch and tea and a prayer meeting with the DCM group. 

Around 3 o’clock the kids for homework club showed up. They learn Irish as a language (which is what we call “Gaelic,” by the way). All the girls wanted to know who was dating who in our group, and then Kyle, Nathan, and Kelly stayed behind with them while Aubrey, Becca, and I went off with the four- to seven-year-olds to an indoor playground for some roughhousing and chips (french fries) and jellies (gummy bears). We had a blast.

When we returned, it was time for Monday Club with the seven- to twelve-year-olds. Aubrey, Kyle and I led some worship and Kelly and Becca shared a good word about forgiveness, which was so appropriate—the Queen of England will be in Dublin tomorrow, and there’s a whole bunch of strong emotions and opinions fluttering around town. Apparently, this is the first time in one hundred years that Royalty has been in Dublin, and the first time since Ireland won their independence. Also, Ireland has spent millions of taxpayer euros to prepare Dublin for her visit; naturally, lots of Irish people are upset about this. And others just don’t care. We prayed a lot for the Queen’s safety and for this spirit of bitterness and resentment to leave the Irish people. 

After worship and word, we split up into teams, and Kyle and I were with a group that was baking. Ironically (at least to me), all the kids in the baking group were boys; I did not vocalize my desire to chuckle at this, however. They baked “fairy cakes,” and when I inquired as to what those were, the lady leading asked “Do you know what Queen Cakes are?” When I responded in the negative, she replied “They’re like cupcakes, but not very sweet.” I am still not sure if this was an intentional joke.

Becca, Aubrey and I made the best assembly line of dish washers ever after all the baking was done, and then we talked some more with some of the DCM people about Irish vs. American culture. Apparently, “bastard” is the worst thing you could say to someone, and the “F word” is the most common one, and not received as offensive in any way. In fact, “F--- off” was a common phrase among the kiddies. I still thought this was strange, but none of the DCM leaders really stopped anyone or seemed offended. Also, soccer players yell and curse at refs here. We told them about American football players receiving technical fouls for even raising their voices at a ref. 

When we arrived back at the hostel, I refreshed myself with some Jon Owens worship music, and then we all had baked ziti by Becca. 

After a debriefing, I find myself sitting in the common room of the hostel with Kyle and Nathan (who is struggling: apparently, a professor from a class from last semester lost his final project, which resulted in a failing grade for the class. He needs the class to graduate, so naturally, he is quite stressed. :( ). I am about to put on some more worship music, pull out my Bible, hopefully Skype with Lauren and/or Erica and/or Danielle and then get some good sleep.