Finite Friendship

I hope that you are not startled by the title of this post. Being back home for the holidays is always strange for me, especially as I get older. I've never been a big homebody, but then again, I don't think I have ever really been a big anywhere body, well other than camp... Nonetheless, I have been seeing friends from home and catching up, only to realize that I have missed out on so many things, because of my horrible ability to stay in touch. Hanging out for a few hours or just grabbing coffee for a short time doesn't cut it or change the fact that I am a terrible communicator. Just as I realize that I have missed out on doing life with friends that I adore back home, there is a whole other spectrum of people at school who I have for the most part ignored (or neglected) since coming home. And I cannot forget camp friends who get neglected much of the year.

Now see, these are not the type of relationships we are supposed to have; on again, off again, finite friendships that exist only when convenient. 1) Jesus did not tell us to love our neighbor only when we felt like it 2) If you want to have a friend, be a friend  3) Friendship is a commitment. 

What I am really trying to say is that over the past week, I have realized that I am not only a slacker in friendships, but I have been a sucky friend. I know it's true, so don't try to tell me otherwise, but friendship to me is something significant, something important. Obviously I know that I hold high standards for myself in everything I do, but I am not even reaching my low end standard, which isn't okay. So I'm going to be working on this. I have told a lot of people that I could exist well as a hermit and I very well believe I could, but I think that God created me to exist as very much the opposite, so it's about time I start following through on the whole friendship thing. I'm sorry if I have hurt you over the past few months or even past few years, because of my failure to communicate or share my life with you or share in your life. Friendship is about doing life together... and I have been horrible about this, so my plan is to change that.

It's going to take time. It'll be hard work. I think it's worth it, because the people who have stuck with me, despite my awful friend tendencies, are worth it. ABOVE AND BEYOND worth it.  

I don't want anymore of this short-term friendship, only when it's convenient frienship. I'm in for the real deal... even if it's hard. ESPECIALLY when it's hard. 

On being a Follower.

By now, you have hopefully read the title of this post and realized who is writing, so you can turn back before it's too late.

A lot of this comes from a message I gave this summer at camp, but it has been resonating a lot with me lately. Also, anything good in here is purely God and thoughts I acquired from the book Not a Fan. If you haven't read it, you should (Shameless plug). The rest, is just me, so if anything is silly or just doesn't seem to make sense or fit, you'll understand why.

Imagine a crowd of people... All of a sudden several sports fanatics enter the scene screaming and cheering for their respective team, dressed in their team's paraphernalia and ecstatic! If you really need help with that imagery, think of a sports game that you attended...

Maybe YOU are that crazy sports fanatic. Maybe you have SEEN fans who are willing to hoot/holler/scream for THEIR team. Chances are, you have at least experienced a situation like that... (pep rally, football game)

A lot of times we compare our fandom to those around us. Maybe we aren't as crazy, or maybe we ARE louder or the CRAZIEST fan of all. Our culture teaches us that its good to be this way-which it is- but our culture says its okay to just be a fan of Jesus, too. Our churches are full of fans-people who show up on Sundays, put on a smile, sing like crazy... put on an act.

but God calls us to so much more than that. 

WE WERE NOT MADE TO BE 'ONE-DAY' OR SUNDAY CHRISTIANS. 
    It's all or nothing.

His call is not to comparison or measurement to others, instead, He calls us to come and die.

COME AND DIE.  LITERALLY.

Luke 9:23-24 reads;

"And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

It's easy to read over those verses and not really experience the full weight of them. Taking up your cross can and WILL bring pain. It is hard to daily take up one's cross. But God never said that following Him was easy. Actually we see all over scripture that Jesus warns against it, unless you are willing to give up everything. When you accept the invitation to follow Jesus, you aren't just making him top priority- you are making him the ONLY priority.

NO RESERVES. NO RETREAT.

Fandom is easy. It's easy to pretend and follow Christ when it is convenient...

Following Christ is hard.  Taking up your cross daily, is hard stuff. But God calls us to that. Jesus shows us how it can be done. So what are you waiting for?

I think it is long past time that Christians begin to follow hard after Jesus. I think it is long past time that we take up our cross daily and die to ourselves and our desires EVERY SINGLE DAY.

RADICAL CHRISTIANITY. I'M GAME. 

And please don't think that I think I have this topic mastered or that I think I know best. I simply desire to be one of Christ's followers who takes up her cross daily. And I would like for you to join me, if you're willing.