Ian, Let Me Have This

The last three days at work have been my busiest since I've been there. My head was wrapped in this project, and I basically shut off the world. I got sucked in and it consumed the majority of my thoughts.

Today after work I went to Starbucks to meet up with Jason and Brian. I had some time to kill, so I just CHILLED for a minute. It was the best chill time I've had in a while. I journaled, read some heart-impacting verses, and stared into space. Finally my mind was NOT on my project, and it was relieving.

That was the 1st step I think - taking a second to breath. The next bigger step was while I was on my way home this evening. God clearly said to me*, "Ian, let me have this." So that was that. I no longer own this project at work; it is now in His hands. And I'm cool with that.

*If you ever want to talk about God "saying" anything to you, or to humans in general, let me know. I dig this sort of topic. It's like you have this thought that springs from something, and there had to be an external source that formed it. Although it's not really external, because this thing called the Holy Spirit is like Jesus living inside my heart, making His dwelling there. Dang this is a big asterisk ;-)

Jesus Never Retaliated

I read Wild at Heart a few years ago, and there is a part where John Eldredge is counseling his son Blaine regarding a bully at school who had pushed him down. He says to him, "The next time that bully pushes you down...I want you to get up...and I want you to hit him...as hard as you possibly can."

Last night at church they had a guest speaker named Don who talked about humility. He spoke about how Jesus willingly died on the cross. Jesus was beaten, mocked, whipped until near-death, forced to wear a crown of thorns, and finally crucified.

Not once did he strike back.

I dig Wild at Heart, but I don't know how to reconcile these two stories. What does the story of Jesus mean for us? How does that transpire in our lives at work, at school? If someone wrongs us, do we just let them? When do we stand up for ourselves, and when do we endure suffering?

Comments are welcome! :)