a major epiphany about girls and by implication, people in general
I must warn you, the following epiphany is not original. It was birthed after my mom and Linda, telling me this since I hit puberty. However, I think it finally set in.
I should just be friends with girls. The fact is... when we have nothing to lose, when we walk into a social situation with no expectations, or secret motives or things-we-want (even things as lofty as romance), than it goes a lot smoother. You engage each other on such a God-bought level that really is quite amazing. The Christ-follower doesn't look to others for their validation. It's kind of self-centered to use people to make you feel good and appreciated, anyway. Instead, we should look to God ultimately, first and foremost, for our validation because HE LOVED US first. (I'm not saying we should look to God primarily for our own needs of validation either. I'm just saying it's a constant, something which you can hang your hat on with or without its acceptance.) This God-love frees us to love others and want nothing, not even their love, from our dealings together. God is a God of no expectations, or demands or standards you can't meet. Instead, He is the God of a love that calls us HIGHER! (That is why we want to be good, cause God loves us, even if we are good or not.) Why shouldn't we be this way with others and love them recklessly? Maybe this goes a little higher than even guy-girl relationships. Maybe this approaches how we should see everybody. As people who God loves, no matter what. We should love like it.
This sounds so pathetic but this is the first time in recent memory I haven't been worried or scared or hurt that I didn't have a girlfriend. This revelation is that deep. I feel nothing but liberated in Christ. Praise God Thanks guys for listening in the midst of my whining, even when I'm sure you all wanted to slap me. Thanks for loving me instead!
I love you all!
Daniel
posted by Daniel @ 9:56 上午
6 comments
6 Comments:
Glad you liked my letter. It took like, eleven hundred years to write, but I had so much to say!
I'm glad to have you as a little brudder.
Daniel, its Daniel. Please know that no one is interested in attacking anyones character (speaking of your comment on Tonna's site). So much has happened and has left a lot of people concerned. It has very little to do with a realtionship with me. And everything to do with a girl who we all love very much. I know that stupid things were said, trust me. Nothing concerning the situation should have been said on a public xanga site for sure. I think that things have been greatly misunderstood. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure the others would say the same. I wish Tonna the best of everything in this world, and by no means want her to "do what I want". And whatever the confussion was about my involvement in Tonna salvation, I hope you knwo me well enough to know that I would never assume such things. There is only on Mediator. And it aint me, just to clear things up. I love Tonna and pray for all the time. And, if she needs me, I will always be here to point her back to Christ.
And at this point I love her without expectations of getting anything back. So yeah...narrower by the day.
Maybe we can hang out tomorrow night...ya up for it? I asked Rivan too, but havent heard back yet. Give me a call at home tonight if you get this. Much love in the one who is Love, your friend, Daniel ]narrowpath[
Hey Dan, my brother Jake just sent me these verses. They really back up what you were writting about here. Pretty cool. You got it man, I love you. Your friend, Daniel
1 John 4
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
You were talking about depending on Gods love for us. Look at verse 16. You said its the first time in a while that you havent been afraid cause you dont have a girl. Check out verse 18. That rocks huh? Did you read these verses before you wrote that?
I have GH tomorrow but maybe afterwords if I feel like staying out reeeeeeeeeeeeealllllllllly late. It depends I do have class tomorrow. My number is 353-4266 if you want to give me a call. I don't have a long distance.
As for salvation, salvation is intimately twinned with love. "If any man says he loves God and doesn't love his brother.... he is a liar." 1 John. In fact the whole book is about how Christians are loving, and if they aren't loving, they aren't Christians.
Sorry to be harsh, but I had to call that one as I saw it. I feel very strongly about such things, as you well know, the Gospel has to mean more than "Who gets into heaven and who doesn't" or it's not the Gospel.
Peace of Christ
Allegri
Dude, that was weird, I swear I wrote my comment before I saw yours where you quoted from 1st John. annnnnnnnnnnnnnywaaaaaaaaaaay give me a call.
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