Introducing Alice and Ernie

You know when you are meeting people for the first time and someone asks for your most embarassing moment, and though you always have one in your back pocket, you forget one and are desperately seeking for one? Maybe not? Ok, well it happens to me a lot, but now, never fear, I have one most embarassing moment to top them all. It will NEVER be forgotten.

I am an RA in Ely Hall, known for being the most fun dorm on William Jewell's campus. As we talked about policies and procedures last night, we came up with skits to help illustrate our point. Since there are nine of us, we decided to be "The Ely Bunch", similar to the Brady Bunch. I, living in the middle of the building, TWO CENTRAL, was chosen to play the part of Alice. As Alice is the only one with a steady boyfriend, the one and only Sam the Butcher, I was chosen (well let's face it, half-volunteered!) for the PDA skit. My friend Caitlin and I played the roles of Sam and Alice, and here is how it panned out...

We walk in the front door of Ely, where there is a couch facing the front door. All the girls are sitting toward the back of the couch, so Caitlin and I sit facing away from them, toward the front glass doors - see where this is headed? Caitlin slips her arm around me, then we duck behind the couch and I kick my legs and we throw clothes out from behind the couch. Sounds salacious, but in reality every year there is a PDA skit just like it. There was no real PDA, just the impression. Anyways, back to the story...

As Caitlin slips her arm around me, I look forward to see Ernie Stufflebean, the head of Res Life, a.k.a. my BOSS, walking up to the front door. We meet each other's eyes, and as we both realize what is going on, he turns away awkwardly and I disappear behind the couch, mortified, yet still in plain sight of Ernie. I throw the clothes, kick my legs for good measure, then crawl away quickly, more embarassed then ever. I am laughing from sheer embarassment and awkwardness, then begin to cry from laughing so hard. Then Ernie walks in, and we avoid each other for the rest of the night. Keep in mind I have yet to ever say a word to him, but I do get to meet one on one with him at some point this semester.

I haven't been fired yet. I'll let you know...

Becoming Whole

This summer I went through a period of feeling extremely vulnerable and without support, and allowed one person's opinion of me to make me feel worthless to others. The disconnect I felt with other people was quickly spurring me into the arms of Jesus. For the next few weeks I rested in His love. And then, with a mending spirit I gradually fell away again. I felt my dependence upon Him waning. As Hosea 13:6 says "When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me." The numbness in my spiritual walk returned, and thus have I peregrinated over the few weeks. Last night, however, I finished Hosea and came upon words that drew me again to the realization of the constance and perfection of His love.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?...
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused
I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man--
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath." (11:8-9)
"I will ransom them from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?" (13:14)

My dependence upon the affections of the world has left me handed over - affections of the world are not consistent or constant. And though the sin and rejection of Israel was great, His love was greater. His love has not changed, and neither has our sin. But He comes and redeems us from our death.

I love jigsaw puzzles; to take a box of pieces and make them into a picture can keep me rooted to a puzzle for hours. A pet peeve would be when there are missing pieces, because then the picture is imperfect and not complete. I have come to see my heart as an unfinished puzzle. I have missing pieces, large holes of imperfections, insecurities, inabilities. Holes that I will never in my power be able to fill. They are left for Him to mend. As Sara Groves says "Love wash over a multitude of things; make us whole."

"Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but He will heal us;
He has injured us
but He will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth." (6:1-3)