Hello World. I Have Thoughts.

Well I never in a million years thought I'd be writing a blog, but here I am. I've found myself in an interesting place recently- so full of thoughts, dreams, concerns. So full, in fact, that I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't have a way to channel all these deep, stirring feelings...and thus enters this new blogging phase of my life.

I've been so contemplative lately. Everywhere I look I see hurt, devastation, hungriness, bitterness, loneliness. I've always been a people watcher. I have a strange habit of observing perfect strangers and making up scenarios of what their lives are like. Most of the time my assumptions are neither confirmed nor denied, but then sometimes these mystery people will let a piece of their soul slip out in a casual conversation, giving me actual insights into their struggles and heartaches. A girl in one of my classes almost killed herself taking too many drugs the other night. One of my professors is lonely and still struggles with rejection he received as a child. A girl I worked with over the summer thought she was worthless, and her view of herself was sadly confirmed by so many oblivious but self-centered individuals who always let her know how "annoying" she was. This inconsiderate degrading continued until she began having emotional breakdowns at work... In spite of all my speculations and observations, there are still so many needs that I'm not aware of. Plato said, "Be kind to everyone you meet, for everyone is fighting a hard battle."

Then there are the more obvious needs, the large scale needs. On my way to and from school yesterday I saw six homeless people on the streets. I've been reading books about social justice, and have developed a deep concern for issues that I was completely unaware of a couple months ago... sweat shops, human trafficking, child soldiers. Some of it is happening overseas, but more is happening right here than we care to admit. But no matter where the needs are, the point is that there are suffering people who need help. PEOPLE. People like us. Every person has value. That could be us on the streets, in the brothels, in the sweat shops, but we've been given much grace. And now we have much responsibility.

Through all this emotional turmoil that I'm vicariously experiencing, God is reminding me of one thing. Over and over and over. He makes beauty from ashes, rivers in the desert, streams in the wasteland. He turns sorrow into joy, and mourning into dancing. I want to have a part in bringing this transformational love of Christ to the broken.