Doing Justly

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

Or rather it seemed like it, on the inside at least. We've all had those days - days when your soul is screaming and you feel like clawing down the walls of your very being. I had more questions than answers, more questions than could ever be answered. Around midnight I found myself on my knees (really the best place to be) and cried out to the Lord, over and over, "What do You want from me?"

The reply came in that still small voice, the one that can easily be missed or drowned out but can never be forgotten... Micah 6:8.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 NKJV

Well, when God has already spoken, there's no point in continuing to ask a question that has been answered. So I turned my attention to the verse.

Love mercy... Okay, I understand the concept of loving mercy. Something along the lines of not being harsh or quick in judgment, forgiving easily, and giving other people grace instead of what they deserve.

Walk humbly with your God... Well, we're working on that one. I don't have it down (if I got really good at humility, I would then be proud of myself for being humble and would have to start all over again!), but I understand it.

Do justly...?

What does it mean to do justly? I didn't understand it so I turned to Godly friends and mentors for their feedback as well as to the ultimate authority, the Bible itself. Here is what I found:

Another version translates the verse "seek justice," and there are plenty of verses in the Bible about preserving justice, dealing fairly in business transactions, protecting the helpless, etc. But I think that "do justly" means so much more than simply seeking justice.

Doing justly means that everything you do is just. It means that every action has a pure motive, is done with others' best interests in mind (not simply your own), and is right and honorable to the best of your ability.

Friends can do justly by being honest with each other. An employee can do justly by working with his/her employer's goals in mind, protecting the employer's assets, never cheating the employer in time, money, or effort. An employer can do justly by dealing fairly with his/her employees, fulfilling promises, setting attainable goals, paying promptly and correctly, and treating everyone with respect. In my job, doing justly towards my customers means truly listening to them, performing my job correctly and efficiently so that they receive the best return for their money, and doing my best to correct any mistakes that occur.

How can you "do justly" in your own life?

It's a Wonderful Life

Sunset by God, the ultimate artist.

This is a magical place.

To the wondering eyes of the uprooted Californian, uninitiated into the ways of the rest of the country, the Midwest truly is magical.

Harvest is approaching.

Here, there are changing seasons - they transition, gradually but within generally predetermined guidelines, from one distinct time of year to another.

Here, there are friendly people. They smile and wave to complete strangers! And if the stranger happens to offer a greeting or a comment about the weather, they might just stand on the sidewalk and converse for a few minutes. A small child can say "Hello!" to an unknown passer-by and all adults smile.

Some of the friendliest neighbors are Amish.

Here, there are streets adorned with trees that God planted and nobody else has ever watered or trimmed.

Here, there are sunrises and sunsets, as big as the imagination, displayed by a bountiful sky that stretches as far as the limits that frail humanity can place on the horizon.

Here, family, heritage, and community are all important.

Just a fraction of my mother's relatives.

Here, I can actually survive and support myself, on a reasonable budget, completely alone.

Alone.

There, the magic ends.

The people I love the most, with whom I have spent my life, aren't here.

Thank God for love to hold them within my heart...and modern technology that lets me hear and even see them with the touch of a button! For all that we as human beings have lost in the progression of time, we have gained also, and I have never been more grateful that we do not live in the days of the Pony Express.

Day 3 of the road trip, going through Arizona.

It's been six months since I packed all my worldly belongings in my car and, with the help of my beloved mother, drove completely across the country. Not a day goes by but I don't miss her and Dad and other loved ones I left behind.

At the same time, however, each and every day I know for a fact that I am where God wants me to be right now, learning, growing, discovering, and serving.

Some days it's easier than others...

Stained glass window in the church where my grandparents were married.

What Will I Regret?

Finishing up the last bit of unpacking, I unzipped a section of a suitcase and discovered last year's prayer journal. Of course I had to sit and page through it for a little while (I had a pizza in the oven, so I had time). Its entries brought back memories, as each prayer poured out my heart to the Lord. Some prayers shared joy, some gave thanks for a few of the many, many blessings I have been given. Others resonated with fear, worry, uncertainty, and insecurity; feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, unworthiness, and discouragement were scratched on the pages in jagged letters. Reading some entries brought back waves of pain still alive, perhaps forgiven but never forgotten; reading others made me frankly rejoice in the power found in letting go and moving on.

At the end of the journal, however, is where I always jot down random thoughts, ideas for songs and poems, and cool quotes. This is what I found at the back of this journal:

I have heard it said that everyone "must do the things you'll regret not doing." Yet I look around and see plenty of people who never did half the things they wanted to do, and regret is covered by contentment with God's plan for their lives. So I wonder if the phrase might be said more appropriately, "you must do the things God calls you to do, or you will regret not doing them."

Jesus, when praying in the garden of Gethsemane, modeled for us the prayer of true humility. Although He was fully God, and therefore His will really was exactly the same as His Father's, He was also fully human and really didn't want to face the tortures that He knew were ahead. In complete surrender, He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42 NKJV

I heard the concept of a "bucket list" long ago and have compiled my own list of things I would like to accomplish during my time here on earth. While they are all good things, if I go to heaven without ever riding an ostrich, I really doubt that it will be on my mind while I'm standing on those golden streets, face to face with my Savior and falling at His feet. Should I live to old age, when I am old and sick and my great-grandchildren are standing around my bed telling me it's OK to let go and pass away, I don't think my last words will be, "I never went parasailing!"

However, if I do not live according to God's plan for my life, if I make stupid choices and disobey His commands, if I ignore His calling and go my own way...imagine the regret at the end of my life when I know it could've been so much greater had I only obeyed my Lord! It is the stuff of nightmares to think that I could get to heaven and see my Savior, only to have Him tell me that He had a great plan for me and wanted to use me in incredible ways, but I was too rebellious and headstrong to listen and obey and therefore wasted the time I was given.

So what do I do with the time that I have? Do I choose to go my own way and do the things I want to do? Rather, I want to do the things that God has called me to do, knowing that not only would I regret not doing them, but also knowing that only in doing them will I find fulfillment and peace.

Seasons of Life

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV

Growing up in Arizona and then Southern California, I didn't learn much about seasons. There was hot, and then hotter, and then not so hot, and then hot again. Most plants weren't in the habit of losing leaves, and on the few plants that did, the leaves usually simply turned brown and fell off. I saw photographs of different seasons in different areas of the country, but I hadn't experienced changing seasons firsthand.

Fast forward to October 2011. En route to a family reunion, my mother and I visited friends and relatives in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. I left balmy beach weather behind and reveled in crisp autumn breezes, wide open skies, and trees that wore a wide spectrum of beautiful hues. I saw cornfields that stretched as far as the eye could see and sunsets that were even bigger. Most importantly, however, was what I heard. Amidst the crickets and cicadas, louder than the voices of friends and family, softer than the summer rain, I heard a still, small voice. A voice that declared a purpose over me, a call to submission, a challenge.

And so, five months later, I hugged goodbye to the dearest people on earth to me and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

And five months after that, I need a daily reminder that it is an adventure, a season. I am ashamed to admit that I so easily lose my focus on the reason why I am here. When I take my eyes off the One who placed me here and His purpose for me, it's easy to get distracted with lonely days, lonely nights, and unfamiliar places and faces. Yet it seems that the whole reason I am here is to get away from distractions and grow in my faith while on my own.

I can certainly say that my walk with Christ is different now than it used to be. Living on my own and being a self-sufficient adult has made me truly realize my own insufficiency. Surviving on a paycheck, budgeting every penny, and being responsible for all my own bills are concepts that my parents wisely introduced me to at a younger age, but this time it's really real, and there's no safety net. I am learning daily to trust my Lord like never before, simply because I have never really had to before.

I'm also constantly learning other lessons, things the Lord has probably wanted to teach me for a long time but I've been too busy, distracted, or complacent to learn. Lessons such as what "love thy neighbor" really means when my neighbor actually means anyone God brings into my path. Lessons such as correctly prioritizing both my time and my money to bring Him the glory as well as survive. Lessons such as cramming three loads of laundry into one dryer to save the cost of drying each individually doesn't actually save money because then you still have wet clothes and you have to dry them again. Well, I had to learn sometime!

Since moving in March, I watched the seasons change as spring and summer appeared, bringing with them other experiences new to me such as honking geese and blinking fireflies. I look forward to a continuation of this ever-changing cycle (especially since I've never lived in snow before!), but I'm learning to savor each season and the unique perspectives and experiences it brings. I know God has great things for me farther down the road, but I'm content to wait for His timing - if moving across the country taught me anything, it's that the destination is just another stop along the journey.

♥