Helplessness without Christ

Hi there everybody! I'm filling in for Kate this week as she's busy sunbathing in California! I didn't have a lot of time to prepare something so I thought I'd just share with you a little of whats been going on this Christmas season and what God has been teaching me through it!

James 1:27 says: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (NIV)

I've always looked on this verse and felt an undeniable calling in my life to help those that are forgotten. So you can imagine my excitement when my parents told me that over Christmas break this year we'd be hosting a 9 year old orphan girl from Ukraine, and later that they were hoping to adopt her and her 2 year old brother. We picked her up from the airport and within hours I was hooked! She was the sweetest, most charming girl, with a sense of humor and a really loud voice. She fit right in. But, like any 9 year old would, she began to get on my nerves. The added noise, the language barrier, and the random outbursts of anger that can be expected from any child who has never had a family before began to drive me over the edge. I'm ashamed to say that I began to resent her being in my house. MY house, disrupting MY Christmas time and being rude to MY mom. Can you imagine any more selfish words?

After a day of feeling this way the Holy Spirit's conviction was STRONG to say the least. But instead of doing something about it I chose to sit on my feelings for another day or two. It wasn't until I recognized that these feelings were related to my sin that I brought it before God. This was a problem of my selfish nature. Trying to correct it on my own was doing nothing! So I began to pray. The night I began praying I came home from work and walked into my room (that I've been sharing with the girl) and sort of threw my stuff on the floor. I turned around and on her bed, there sat Anya, just looking at me and smiling right before she burst out something that sounded like "BEEYEKAH!" which is how she says my name and gave me a huge hug as she continued her rant of words I didn't understand. It was as if God was saying "Hey, look what I can do when you let me."

So, the point of all of this is that without letting God in I was helpless, crabby and selfish. I was allowing myself to become "polluted by the world" in their selfish ways of thinking. With him I have joy! I have happiness, and I have a new sister. Who I love!

So I challenge you, in all situations where you might be keeping God an arms length away, to let him in. Whatever you're giving up to let God in is so trivial and meaningless compared to the all surpassing joy and peace that comes with knowing Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a great week!

Bekah