Messing With My Head

OK.  So I read this post from Jen Hatmaker's blog today, apparently an excerpt taken from her book, 7.  Which I have on my shelf, and will get to as soon as I finish her book Interrupted.  (Hey, I have told you I am totally obsessed with her already, does this really surprise you?)  I have to tell you this 1st part to get to the 2nd part....

Anyway, Interrupted is totally messing with my head and my heart.  It is all about how we are all so vastly and richly blessed and how Jesus really wants us to live our lives like He did.  It is ever so popular to ask "What Would Jesus Do"  but we always want the comfortable answer. 

We are so busy blessing the blessed and living our Christian lives in the fast lane that the real life of Jesus is lost to us.  Jesus preached to the poor and the sinners.  He fed the hungry.  He begged us to do the same in so many places in the Bible.  Yet, so many of us miss it totally.  We are perfectly fine with throwing a $20 in the collection plate, or bringing a bag of canned goods to donate so that we can check off the 'give to the needy' box on our guilt list.

Seriously? 

I am totally guilty of all of this.  It is all I do.  Heck, I am in complete denial/oblivion of what it is really like in the world.  I don't even see it in my comfy, cozy little small town life. 

But Interrupted is opening my eyes.  It is completely messing me up and making me question everything. 

You will have to bear with me though as I haven't figured out what I am supposed to do with it yet.  I have no clue where God is leading me with this, except to open my eyes and prepare me to leave my cozy little space I currently occupy.

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  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, 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."

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in , or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  Matt 25:34-40

And now for the 2nd part....

Our reading for Modern Girls was Eph 3:14-21. 

Eph 3:16-17 says: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ my dwell in your hearts through faith.

I pray for THIS.  That He will give me the strength and power through is Spirit so deep inside me that Christ fully dwells in my heart through my faith.  Because if I allow for this to happen, how can I not do His will?  How can I not love the 'least of these'.  His purpose for me in realizing all of the filthy richness that is in my life and the needless poverty, hunger and loneliness in others will become clear to me. 

I am still clueless and it brings tears to my eyes that I realize what is going on, but don't know how to act on it.  I don't know what to do.  Thankfully, vs 20 reassures me.  "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."  Praise God for that.  He will make it clear to me in His time.  I just have to keep watching for His guidance with my hands open and my heart ready.