Good Friday

20 The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and REFUSES to OBEY. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of his town must STONE HIM to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. 22 “If someone has COMMITTED a crime worthy of death and is executed and HUNG ON A TREE, 23 the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is CURSED in the sight of God.

-Deuteronomy 21:20-23

This is crazy to me, verse 20-21. We are that person that deserves to be stoned to death. How many times have we not listened to our parents? This is what we would be subjected to if Jesus didn't die on the cross and give us the gift of Salvation through belief in Him. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, OBEYED his Father, one aspect we still haven't grasped. Jesus, after being betrayed by Judas, was then scourged (beaten harshly, sometimes led to death itself) "Mark 15:15" paralleling Deuteronomy 21:21.

Then it continues in verse 22. "Committed a crime punishable by death". We have committed that crime, while Jesus' crime stated above him on the cross, in three different languages, was he was "the King of the Jews". Are Messiah had committed no crime. Verse 22 then says "he is put to death, and you hang him on tree". Crucifixion on a tree was the lowest deaths someone could have had. This part parallels Acts 10:39,

“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree."

Finally in verse 23 it says, "for a hanged man is cursed by God". We should be this person hanging on the cross, cursed by God. But innocent Jesus placed ALL our sin, shame, and guilt on Him so we can be FREE from the LAW. Why? Because the Son of God OBEYED His Father, the God of the universe, who LOVES us SO SO MUCH. Today He is betrayed, beaten, and crucified. It should have been us. Praise the Lord! For his never-ending love!!

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
- Isaiah 53:5 (written 700 years before Jesus)

Dear Teacher

Dear Teacher,

            I see you five times a week, a couple hours a day.  You get my assignments on time, for the most part. I sit in the middle row. You see me smiling and having fun with my friends. If only you saw what was behind the mask.

Freshly stained crimson carved on my wrist. I walk into your class – worthlessness hits my heart again. Burdens weigh me down. I can’t stop thinking about Haley. I don’t want her to kill herself; it will be my fault if she dies. But you don’t care.  

Kayla, my best friend, sits next to me. She’s the only person who knows about Haley and my cutting. Class begins. Everyone in class is talking, so I start to update Kayla on the situation. You immediately start yelling at Kayla and me. Were we the only ones talking? I’m aggravated, but this has happened all year. Everyone agrees you hate my guts. Class continues.

“I want you to start working on vocab in your workbook,” you command us.

I forgot what questions to start on; I lean over and ask Kayla.

“Jane, didn’t I already tell you to stop talking?”

“I was asking Kayla a question,” I respond with attitude.

If there is one thing you don’t do in this class, it’s talk back. You order us to the hall. We surrender and leave with our heads down low. You start screaming at us, not bothering to close the door first. Glancing into the class, I see everyone listening. I try not to show any emotion, even though inside I’m crying. Kayla, on the other hand, is actually crying, loudly I might add. But you have no mercy and continue blaring at us.  

When you are finished, I walk back in the room; the whole class stares at me, their eyes glued to mine. I’ve never been this humiliated. Class continues, leaving me behind, a metaphor of my worth.

Before class ends, you tell Kayla and me to stay after. You proceed to tell me how awful and rude of a person I am. Do you realize how much that hurts? I leave. You then tell Kayla, my best friend, to stop being my friend. How dare you say that? You have no idea what’s going on in my life. Kayla is the only one holding me together.

I took off my mask and handed it to you in an effort to make a difference. My time in your classroom has left me with this knowledge I want to share. Please realize the amount of influence you have on us. Sometimes you’re the only light we see in the day. Every word you say impacts us, don’t waste them. So you have a choice, whether to build up or tear down. Teachers, as a student I say this to you: we want to know you care. Smile and talk to us. The simplicity of asking questions and wanting to get to know us goes so far. Invest in us, don’t just teach us. You can change the world through your classroom.

With Love,

Jane Doe

Five days a week. A couple hours a day. That’s all you have.

Why I want to move to Ethiopia

I feel as though I am blinded - blinded from Gods love, blinded from Gods plan –due to this place I live, America. My heart tells me this is not where I belong. This is not my home. It longs to go to a place where Gods love is truly displayed. Displayed in these poor little children's faces, who have nothing, yet have everything. 

It is not covered by comfort - by beds, electricity, overflow of food, fresh water, $100 shoes, $100,000 cars. No, it is covered by truth. The truth to how great He loves us. It demonstrations the true meaning of faith in God at its fullest. My heart screams at me, telling me that America won’t ever satisfy me. I know I wasn't meant to live in a place that was comfortable. 

God called me to be in Ethiopia. He called me to LIVE among the least of these. He called me to live in a trash dump. He called me to love as He has loved me, and has shown me through parents who have displayed this agape love. 

I don't know why God is telling me the place I’m supposed to be is Ethiopia, or why He is telling me to take a year off after high school. All I know is that Korah, Ethiopia is where I should be. I don't understand how I can have this deep knowledge of that even though I've never been there. But it is as though my heart is split in two and I am not living my life fully committed to God.

He is the reason I'm alive. I praise Him for revealing this to me. Although people doubt me, God is the one pushing me to Ethiopia. If God wants it, it will happen. I can’t wait for that day when my soul is finally fully satisfied when I land in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is my calling. I am called to help the least of these.