Peace-ified.

            “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34

            I had an hour and fifteen minute break in between classes today. So, of course, I called my Mom. The only problem with calling my Mom on campus is that I need to filter the conversation because it would be all too ironic if I was talking about Bobby and then along came Bobby. However I would have nothing bad to say about Bobby. In fact, I would have nothing to say at all about Bobby. I don’t know a Bobby, but I’m sure he is a nice guy with good intentions. Anywho, so I’m sitting in the little nook of a cozy lounge next to a guy that has headphones in. Sometimes I wonder if people just have headphones in so it looks like they are listening to music when in actuality they are eavesdropping. I may be guilty of such actions myself. Well, this guy was definitely not faking it because I could hear (what sounded like death metal) exploding from his ear buds.

            Seated on a couch in the corner, watching many people walk by, I swiped through my favorites and tapped the contact titled “Mommy”. The phone rang a few times and then I heard her voice on the other end.

            “I have to pee!” She said.

            “Well, looks like your going to have to juggle a few things then” I said.

            “Just a second, here is Dad.”

My Dad and I’s conversations could be represented this way – black and white. State the facts. Love you. Here’s your mother. Now, Mom and I’s conversations could be represented by a five year old cramming as many crayons into one hand as possible and then simultaneously swirling, zig-zagging and stroking the entire blank page with the various collection of colors. The most impressive part about our conversations is we can both follow it and, to us, it has some order.

            She asked, “So, what’s happening?”

This statement is also an open gateway for me to express anything exciting, concerning, confusing, or interesting that may (or may not) have happened since we last talked. The first thing that comes to my mind is usually something about the goodness of God. The greatest things that happen in my life are because of Him and only Him – so how can I not talk about it?           

            Just as I was about to divulge this information, a headphone-less boy sat down in a couch next to me. Now it’s me, death metal man and this new kid. AND, following that kid, came a girl that was decked out in Victoria Secret’s PINK active wear and I figured she has many chats with her mother as well, so I wasn’t concerned. For some reason, when others are in close proximity to my phone conversations and me I feel like my speech needs to be restrained, as to make sure it doesn’t sound stupid or uncool.

Ridiculous.

 Especially when there is serious Jesus chats that need to be had. I really feel restrained with the Jesus chats because the odds of this new kid and PINK girl to know the people I would be talking about are not high. However, I think they would know the name Jesus. What if they hate Jesus? Or just don’t believe in Jesus and think I’m some mystical psycho? Crazy girl over there is talking to her Mom about some thing that doesn’t exist. Psh. Crazy girl. Jesus freak. Jeeeeeesus freak.

            All this is driving through my brain when I realized what was happening. Pride. It was all pride. I find it so easy to express Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes” when I at a Bible study or some Christian conference, but not so easy outside of those places.

            The funny thing is that all the “other places” are the exact places where we should be doing exactly that – talking about His goodness and glory. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matt. 9:37). In this little corner of Mankato State’s University, I had an opportunity to speak about Jesus with headphone-less kid and PINK girl. Even if it’s not directly with them, they can hear me and I believe that talking about the Creator of the heavens and the earth adds a type of peace to the atmosphere like no other.

So now, these two individuals had no choice, this atmosphere was about to the peace-ified by the words that I choose to speak. I secretly hoped they weren’t listening or actually really loved Jesus too.

In the end, my Mom and I had a great chat about the things that God is doing in our lives and what we can be praying for. I am beyond blessed to have a Mother that I can talk to about my relationship with the Lord. I know that there are few families that encourage one another in growing in their faith. I know that many families aren’t a family anymore. God designed the family unit and he desires that it function according to His great purpose and will. Apart from Him we can do nothing. His love is where we are called to remain. His love is worth being called a crazy girl or Jesus freak. I’ll take that as a complement. Just let me remove my pride first.