Who are the least?

Hi friends! So, I was listening to NPR on the way home (as usual..i'm a nerd) and I honestly can't tell you what they were talking about lol. I don't remember. The topic stuck in my head (and maybe they were talking about this? I honestly do not remember!) was Alabama's new immigration law. Again our state has made headlines for what can be boiled down to racism and intolerance. And I know those are strong words. I am not going to begin to get into the politics of illegal immigration simply because I don't know enough about all of the issues to carry on what would likely lead to some kind of debate with my good friend Adam Lamar in which I'd just have to end with "YOUR MOM!" So I'll just keep it to what I know.

Jesus tells us in Matthew very clearly to care for the "least of these." They are all around us. They are the hungry, the sick, the ones in prison and strangers just to name a few. These categories aren't some I've made up. Jesus said...

"35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

So, I hopped over to dictionary.com to just make sure I had the definition of a stranger correct:

stran·ger  [streyn-jer]  

noun

 1. a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance: He is a perfect stranger to me.

2.a newcomer in a place or locality: a stranger in town.

3.an outsider: They want no strangers in on the club meetings.

4.a person who is unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something (usually followed by to ): He is no stranger to poverty.

5.a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest: Our town shows hospitality to strangers.

 

I think you guys can see where I'm going here. Jesus told us (and I'm paraphrasing) that when we do for the least of these, we do for Him. He said that. And I don't see where it says when you invited only strangers who had the proper documentation in, you did for Him. I can't imagine wanting to leave my home to go to a country where I don't know anyone or even speak the language. So, it must be a desperate decision when someone decides to do such to try and have a better life. 

  

I'm not meaning to be on a soap box. Seems like I am always asking you guys to think about something! But, I'm just sharing with you the thoughts that stick in my brain. I have to remind myself constantly of God's Word because I promise every day I do 10 things wrong for every 1 thing I do right. So I thank God for His Grace! 

 

I just mean to say that as Christians we are charged with following God's Word. Not just the Words that are convenient or that fit what we already wanted to do anyway, but all of them. And I just don't see how this Immigration Law fits into this.  

but the greatest of these is what?

so, I've been having one of those days. it was a dreary start to the week and it continued through to today. it was hard to keep a smile on my face so I let it slip right into a frown today..maybe even a bit of a scowl like this >:( but eventually the sun came out and my smile came back. On my drive home I was mulling over the day and feeling irritated at some things I witnessed. It happens every day though. People judging others. Sometimes over stupid little things. And I am definitely guilty of this myself more often than I'd care to admit. I know I've posted about this before, but it's a resounding theme in my life right now - WHY IS LOVING OTHERS SO HARD?

I know we've all read or heard 1 Corinthians 13 enough that we should all know it by heart. It's a favorite at weddings. The parts I usually remember are "Love is patient, love is kind..." but the parts that I seem to have really overlooked until now are the lines before that.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.        2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.           3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

WOW. how have i missed this? How did I miss the part that says I can have FAITH ENOUGH to move a mountain, but if I don't have love, I'm NOTHING. nothing. not a thing. Or, if I can solve life's greatest mysteries and have the wisdom of Solomon, but don't love others, it doesn't mean one red cent. And, it's great and all if I help the poor, but what is my motivation for doing so? Is it because i LOVE them, or because i LOVE thinking that I am such a good and noble servant. HEY, look at me over here! Giving to the poor! :) yep, that's right! I'm soooo good and sweet to do it.

I mean, crap. Yeah, I like to think that I love others or at least try to. But how can I say I love others and then curse the person who cuts me off in traffic? How can I love others and then not cut them any slack when they are rude to me? And, it isn't just in the blatant ways i'm not showing love to others. It's in the little things. The eyeroll behind someone's back. The snide remark to someone who rubs me the wrong way. All of these things reflect my "love" for others.

So far, I'm not looking all that great. It's in the last part of this scripture that God spells it right out for us just to be sure that there is no confusion:

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
the greatest of these is LOVE. Faith, Hope and LOVE. So, loving others must be pretty important. I wish we could all love others just a little bit more every day. If everyone did this, think of what we could do! So this will be my prayer...

Father God, I pray that you will let me see people through Your Eyes and reflect a true love that can only come from You in me. I pray that every day You would help us to love others more than we did the day before. Thank you for loving me!

i LOVE you, friends!
kbt

my life in lists

So, a while back I bought a journal of sorts called a Listography. I like the idea of keeping a journal but since I am a procrastinator, it would go about as good as this blog. I'd write in it maybe once a week. :) And, I wouldn't have anything profound to say! Not that it would have to be, but you know if I'm documenting my days in an effort to preserve my memories, well I would like to think I had some good thoughts every now and then. Here are some of my favorite list topics.

1. List your favorite books: pride & prejudice, LoTR trilogy, Blue like Jazz, this could be a long list so i'll just move on...

2. List your best purchases: hmm..this one is tough. my house? i like having my own space. i just bought a Rowenta iron which could prove to be a great purchase! (thanks Lauren for introducing me to this)

3. List your favorite TV shows of all time: Modern Family is quickly becoming a favorite of all time. Little House on the Prairie is still one of my faves even though I know it makes me a big nerd.

4. List the things people should remember you for: this one is hard! So, I don't know what people should remember me for but I do know that a handful of folks will remember the video of me singing at the Avett show for a while

5.List the websites you visit most often: facebook, pintrest, here, msnbc, you tube (because i cannot stop watching the honey badger video!)

Well, you get the idea! So far I've only filled in a few. Maybe one day I'll fill them all in.

Hope you guys had a fantastic Sunday!

Kaci