Moving Toward Freedom...

I think digging ditches has got to be one of the best crime deterants that the justice system ever came up with. It's success rate for keeping away second time offenders must be second only to the death penalty. I've spent over 20 hours in the past couple of weeks digging a trench, and my back is still sore. Luckily, I received a call yesterday that due to ComEd (the electric company) marking the lawn incorrectly, I have to move the last 25 feet of my trench. Fun, fun fun. It's actually been awesome that God provided a job for me before this one was even over. I started out deciding to work 3 days a week, go to school 2 days a week, and then try to get everything else done and find time to relax and enjoy life. This didn't work out very well. Then I decided to cut back to 2 days of work a week, which made things manageable, but still pretty insane. Now that basketball season is starting at the park district, I'm going to just ref basketball one day a week, and use the other days to do my homework, clean the house, start preparing to move, and doing other things that I will enjoy. I'm quite excited!
So I often criticize these people who work too much and don't have time to spend with their families, etc. I realized a few weeks ago that I was doing the same thing, just making a whole lot less money doing it. I was working more than I needed to just so that I could have more money and live a little bit more comfortably. And what was the result? Insanity, stress, and little time to spend with my wife/friends/God. Now I've got my head on a little more straight, and I'm just pumped to use my time in a way that I hope is pleasing to God.

weightless

For Christmas my sister's bought me the Bible on CD. I could not have asked for a better gift these days. I have thousands upon thousands of pages of reading for nursing school + with my congested daily commute, it has been wonderful. Today I was listening to 1 Corinthians + experienced a break through. It was not just words on a page, but the Holy Spirit opened my heart + mind and in an instance I reached a point I thought was weeks + months down the road: Forgiveness.

"Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." [1 Cor 4:5]

We're encountered a lot + my heart has been heavy. Then, I realized that TRULY I do not need to seek justice or revenge. God Himself will do it for me. I do not have to agree to what has been done or not done or how something was done. I had thought I did, but God does not compromise. He does not justify sinful actions. He loves people, yet He still hates sin. And I can do the same! Oh how freeing it is to know that I do not have to agree with the acts, but I can just love the people. God's Word is so powerful. It is unlike anything else I could read. Unlike ANYTHING.