The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and the flowers are coming up!!!  Spring is coming...and then summer...yay!!!  Here are some photos of crocuses that are blooming in the flowerbed and the daffodils blooms are almost opening!

Something to think about...

Tonight my heart is aching...aching for those who have been hurt by others and in turn have hurt themselves and those around them.  Since my psych rotation is coming up shortly I've been thinking a lot lately about psych patients and how many people seem to have a negative attitude towards them and label them "crazy".  The thing is they are just like you and me...exactly the same, except maybe they have a past hurt, a tradgedy, or a chemical imbalance that they are dealing with.  Sometimes people can't control the way they feel and act and what they don't need is someone to judge them, think that they are crazy, and push them aside.  What they really need is for someone to listen, to take time to care, and to spend time with them.  Tonight I was able to talk with a person who has been hurt severely by people in the church who claim to be "Christians" and are looked up to many as respected, godly individuals, but yet have ignored a person who is hurting among them and chose to inflict more pain.  We talked about how Mennonites are taught to turn the other cheek and "deal with it" when others in the church inflict emotional and verbal pain/abuse on them.  As a result we often keep our true feelings hidden until later in life when situations come up and we realize that the root of the problem is something that occured years ago when the situation was not dealt with because we were told to cover it up.  Many Mennonites also term depression as problem that would occur only because you don't have a right relationship with God and if you did you wouldn't be experiencing depression.  Although I believe that spirituality plays a large role in it, I do believe that there are other things that can factor in and affect us.  We need to be careful not to judge others without first understanding their background, listening to their feelings and stories, and trying to put ourselves in their shoes.   I think we need to be careful not to backstab people, gossip about them, and be critical of them.  The role of the church is to build each other up, not tear each other down!  I have to think of the song by casting crowns titled "If we are the body".  This song is the cry of my heart tonight and I can't help but wonder that if we were truly Christ's body and finally took a stand and acted like it how much we would be able to do, not only for those hurting in our churches, but for those who are outside our churches watching us and crying for help.  When an "outsider" comes to our church do we welcome them with open arms or are we critical about them and talk secretly about them in our circle of friends and give them criticial looks.  Sometimes we do things like this unintentionally without even realizing we did it, but other times we may justify it by "they look different", "they don't fit in", or "they are just trying to show off".  I will admit I've been guilty of it and it's hard to step out of our comfort zone, reach out to strangers, be vulnerable, and willing to accept rejection. 

I guess tonight made me more aware of it than I've ever been before.  Lately I have been spending some time with a young, nonchristian girl and her family.  We haven't spent a lot of time together and we really haven't talked much with each other at all.  Yet, her family member tells me that she has an incredible amount of respect for me and really appreciates me and looks up to me because she has seen the way I have treated others.  She recently had an unsuccessful suicide attempt and was admitted to a psych facility.  Tonight I was asked to go along and visit her.  I could have said no and made plenty of good excuses like "I have homework to do", "I'm busy", or "I have plans tonight" all of which could've been true.  Instead I chose to go along and it was an absolutely wonderful experience.  I was able to talk with her, establish more of a friendship, and create a foundation for a future relationship.  To see the young teens at this facility, hear some of their stories, see the pain in their faces, see the hurt in their families faces, and witness the tears and the hugs was amazing.  I can't describe the feelings it brought up.  One that caught my eye in particular was a mother who looked extremely nervous meeting her son, who was probably about 17 years old and to see them cling to each other for a long time and to see the guy break down and cry was so beautiful.  My heart broke into pieces for these young people and I just wanted to hug them, listen to their stories, cry with them, love them, and take away their hurt.  Just because they are there doesn't mean their "crazy" it means they are hurting.  This young girl has an extremely painful background and struggles with trusting people.  In the short time I have spent with her she and her family have developed a trust in me.  They would be willing and comfortable to allow me to spend time with her because they know that I am aware of her feelings and that they are able to trust me with them.  I take this as an extreme honor that they trust me with her, but yet with it comes a huge responsibility of being in charge of someone's feelings and impacting a life either for good or bad. 

Something to think about...look at the people hurting around you; those you work with, go to church with, friends, family members, ect. and take the time to listen, cry with them, understand them.  Don't judge them.  I can tell you right now it's uncomfortable...you have to leave your nice little comfort zone and you might get rejected, but in the end if you touch just one person's life in a little way it's worth it.

If We are the Body
by Casting Crowns

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way