Bloodlines

With Octavia Spencer winning so many awards for portraying Minnie in The Help- conversations continue in my mind....one sided conversations that will never be. See they're with my grandmother, Virginia Dickens. She was a tiny little woman, not even 5 feet, but she was full of life. Living in Holly Hill, SC for most of her life, I wonder what she'd say about this book, this movie- these ideas, these themes. How would she feel now, in 2012, to watch a movie that portrayed her life.....would she sympathize with the help?

At the same time so many I love have adopted or are adopting cross-culturally. There is a lot of conversation as well as to how these children will grow up- will they feel divided? Will they feel cared for?

I read a book recently, The Color of Water, that tells the story of James McBride, an African American writer, one of 12 black children born to a Jewish mother. Its about his constant struggle to know where he belonged. Hard to put down, this book is a tapestry of racism and love. The threads of pain and redemption run throughout.

And now this morning I sit at my desk, mug still warm from coffee, and watch the trailer for John Piper's new book Bloodlines. My brother sent it to me...he sent it to many. I wonder if he would have sent it to Gran. Would she have watched? What would she think?

Please watch this. Its a short 20 minutes but the message is timeless. Children are made in the image of God. Racism is a systemic dysfunction that the gospel alone remedies.

Lord, redeem this world.

Loving as a mirror.....

Sometimes love is holding up a mirror to someone so that they can see themselves.....That truth sunk deep into my bones a few years back. I learned what it was like to receive love that way. Sometimes its even harder to hold the mirror yourself.

A dear friend, Christy, recently held a mirror. Not specifically to me- but to America.

Christy has recently returned to the states after 2+ years in Egypt. I was able to visit her in October of 2010. The Lord used her love for Jesus and teaching to take her across the world to a country so different from ours. I loved reading all of her captions of Cairo.

Upon her return though, her reverse culture shock is blinding at times. Here are a few things she's noticed about our country.....

Here is a sampling, but if you want to read the entire post- you can over here.

If we aren't:

Obsessing over our figures, aging process, or health...

Then we are:
Running our children around to their overload of social activities...

Ordering and training ourselves how to use the newest technological gadget...

Researching the best organic products...

Scheduling in our long runs for these half marathons...

Signing up for classes for our newest hobby...

Making plans to watch the "Big game" as if it's a matter of life and death (news flash, it's not)...

Squeezing in our work outs to stay fit...
Ordering the newest self help book for our Kindle...

Spending waaay too much money on our child's birthday party to prove something to ourselves and our friends...
Paying four bucks for a cup of coffee to keep up and stay awake for our fast paced schedules (soy milk and natural products only of course cause we are so high strung about health)...

Trying to find time to watch our Tevo shows from the week...

Checking off our bucket list items so we feel "accomplished and cultured"...

Signing up for this and that, to be well rounded in the community...
Running to the sale at the mall to get the new boots we found a coupon for...

Micromanaging our kid's teachers (again)...

Trying to meet and befriend as many people in our church to appear friendly and social...
Bragging about how we are all "organic" now even making our own soap and using the safest water bottles or baby products...

All while trying to appear relaxed, well adjusted, and natural at being this way...

we are killing ourselves, and our relationships.

I wanted to stand up and shout "AMEN!"

But, how am I playing into this?

Most of these don't all apply to me, but if I'm honest I can say that these desires are all too natural- How do stay in this world but not of this world. In the midst of life I need to see a mirror. I need to have women in my life, especially ones not in my normal circle of life, to hold a mirror. To ask me to consider hard things.

Thank you Christy, for being a mirror in the midst of your transition.

I pray that I will reflect Christ and not my world. I need Jesus to transform me.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2