Comments on: Understanding Small Hard Things http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/ reb•e•lu•tion (reb’el lu shen) n. a teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture. Fri, 9 Jan 2009 23:05:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Sarah Byrum http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-255637 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:34:27 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-255637 Beautiful. :) Beautiful. :)

]]> by: Hope Road » Young Women to Watch: Rosa http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-204786 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:48:34 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-204786 [...] Rosa is a seventeen-year-old Honduran girl who is part of Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program. This program “works with high achieving and high potential students from Compassion child development centers.” I read about Rosa in a Compassion blog entry, and I found myself moved by her hard work, her hope, and her potential. She is someone who does small hard things faithfully, as evidenced by the daily schedule she provided Compassion. Read and be inspired. 6 a.m. – Wakes up each morning to clean the house and make sure all laundry is done for her mother and brother. Rosa’s mother raised all five of her children alone and works at a local restaurant cooking chicken. [...] […] Rosa is a seventeen-year-old Honduran girl who is part of Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program. This program “works with high achieving and high potential students from Compassion child development centers.” I read about Rosa in a Compassion blog entry, and I found myself moved by her hard work, her hope, and her potential. She is someone who does small hard things faithfully, as evidenced by the daily schedule she provided Compassion. Read and be inspired. 6 a.m. – Wakes up each morning to clean the house and make sure all laundry is done for her mother and brother. Rosa’s mother raised all five of her children alone and works at a local restaurant cooking chicken. […]

]]> by: Adda http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-201338 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:43:24 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-201338 Lately I have been wanting to serve God. I keep thinking, "Once I get 'such and such' I'll be able to serve God." I am slowly learning that this isn't true. I can and need to serve him now. There is no reason for me to wait because time is precious. As my pastor says, "There is no dress rehearsal, this is it." We won't get another chance. It is slowly dawning on me how important it is to grasp every chance we get to do hard thing, whether big or small. Another lesson God has taught me is that we can't impress him, and if we can't impress him then there's no point to trying to impressing men since God is the only one who matters. This site has encouraged me greatly and caused me to set the rule for my life of doing hard things. I was sitting in a coffee shop making a sign that says "do hard things," as well as one that says "take small steps". While I was creating them these two guys walked by and red the signs and asked me what they meant. I did my best to explain. The guys said that it was a good goal to set. Since then I have put the signs on the outside of a three ringed binder that holds my Bible study stuff. Hopefully they will daily encourage me. Anyway, thank you to all you who participate in running this site as well as all you who post. A great deal can be learned from reading what others have to say and what they've gone through. Christians are supposed to unite as one body, but how can we do that unless we communicate with one another. Keep running the race. Adda Lately I have been wanting to serve God. I keep thinking, “Once I get ’such and such’ I’ll be able to serve God.” I am slowly learning that this isn’t true. I can and need to serve him now. There is no reason for me to wait because time is precious. As my pastor says, “There is no dress rehearsal, this is it.” We won’t get another chance. It is slowly dawning on me how important it is to grasp every chance we get to do hard thing, whether big or small. Another lesson God has taught me is that we can’t impress him, and if we can’t impress him then there’s no point to trying to impressing men since God is the only one who matters.

This site has encouraged me greatly and caused me to set the rule for my life of doing hard things. I was sitting in a coffee shop making a sign that says “do hard things,” as well as one that says “take small steps”. While I was creating them these two guys walked by and red the signs and asked me what they meant. I did my best to explain. The guys said that it was a good goal to set. Since then I have put the signs on the outside of a three ringed binder that holds my Bible study stuff. Hopefully they will daily encourage me. Anyway, thank you to all you who participate in running this site as well as all you who post. A great deal can be learned from reading what others have to say and what they’ve gone through. Christians are supposed to unite as one body, but how can we do that unless we communicate with one another.

Keep running the race. Adda

]]> by: Amy http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200908 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:44:06 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200908 Sorry for the typing mistakes. The man did not hid his fathers wife, he HAD his father's wife. It might have been better for him if he had just hid her! hee, hee. Sorry for the typing mistakes. The man did not hid his fathers wife, he HAD his father’s wife. It might have been better for him if he had just hid her! hee, hee.

]]> by: Amy http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200906 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:37:51 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200906 "It actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has hid fathers wife. And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already JUDGED him who has committed this, as thought I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?"(1Cor.5:1-5) There is clearly a time for judging other believers! I got the impression that Nicole felt great grief for the loss of her friends morals. If that woman was a believer she actually had every right to judge her sin. Let us not become so desensitized that we start rationalizing and excusing sin in our midst. 1Cor. has a lot to say on this matter and would be a good study for those feeling that we should not JUDGE the murder of children. By the way, MC, my sister has down syndrome and guess what? She is ours through adoption! We chose her, as would so many others. “It actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has hid fathers wife. And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already JUDGED him who has committed this, as thought I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?”(1Cor.5:1-5)

There is clearly a time for judging other believers! I got the impression that Nicole felt great grief for the loss of her friends morals. If that woman was a believer she actually had every right to judge her sin. Let us not become so desensitized that we start rationalizing and excusing sin in our midst. 1Cor. has a lot to say on this matter and would be a good study for those feeling that we should not JUDGE the murder of children. By the way, MC, my sister has down syndrome and guess what? She is ours through adoption! We chose her, as would so many others.

]]> by: Hannah Williams http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200626 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:00:20 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200626 Will some one fix my mistake when I did not upper case God.I'm so sorry. Your sister in Christ,Hannah Will some one fix my mistake when I did not upper case God.I’m so sorry. Your sister in Christ,Hannah

]]> by: Hannah Williams http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200623 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:56:35 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200623 Nicole,thank you for sharing the bible verses.I think a lot of christians do not share unuff bible verses in their every day life.One of my favorite bible verses is Psalms 31:8-9, "Speak up for those with no voice,for the justice of those who are dispossessed.Speak up,judge righteously,and defend the cause of the oppressed and the needy."god bless. Your sister in Christ, Hannah Nicole,thank you for sharing the bible verses.I think a lot of christians do not share unuff bible verses in their every day life.One of my favorite bible verses is Psalms 31:8-9,
“Speak up for those with no voice,for the justice of those who are dispossessed.Speak up,judge righteously,and defend the cause of the oppressed and the needy.”god bless. Your sister in Christ, Hannah

]]> by: E.A.H. http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200577 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:34:11 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200577 Nicole: Thank-you for sharing the links for the story about the woman who didn't abort her child just so she could live a few years longer - it brought tears to my eyes and reminded me once again about what is really important. Nicole: Thank-you for sharing the links for the story about the woman who didn’t abort her child just so she could live a few years longer - it brought tears to my eyes and reminded me once again about what is really important.

]]> by: Nicole http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200523 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:08:58 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200523 Hannah: PS - it has also been my experience that sometimes I don't speak to someone when I wonder if I should because their hearts are not open to hearing the truth yet and so if they heard it at that time it would be so unwelcome that they would actually turn more away from it than they were already. Sometimes God has allowed me to speak to people at times like that to show why I no longer need to continue to tell them something. Other times, He has directly prevented me from speaking to someone so I have assumed that He knew what was best and when to keep me silent and when to help me speak. I also pray that He keeps me from speaking when it is not His Will or things that are not according to His Will. The best I can do is trust Him and obey Him when He does lead me and trust that He will stop me or push me when I just don't know, but have submitted the situationn to Him. Again, I don't know what happened exactly when I saw that former friend. I don't always know whether God is protecting me or the other person -- or whether I am stepping over my boundries and making a choice that isn't mine to make. But I pray I accomplish His Will Perfectly, and that He will make me ready to, from here on out. I have made mistakes in the past and will make mistakes if I don't rely on Him . . . but I will submit those to Him, too, and ask that even they will be made right and that I will glorify Him through each one of those instances by returning to rely on Him even more so than before my fall. I am fully weak when I rely on my strength and think that I am strong. But when I realize that I am weak and rely on Him alone then His Strength is made Perfect in me and I am able to do anything He Wills (by His Grace alone). I cannot even trust Him without His Strength -- without relying on Him. And it is a constant, daily choice to rely on Him. I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You. Psalm 16:2 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! 2 Corinthians 12:9 I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of Your commandments, when You give me a heart that is willing. Psalm 119:32 (I came across the first 2 verses here yesterday -- http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/01/blowing-dust-off-last-years-resolutions-2/#comments ) Hannah: PS - it has also been my experience that sometimes I don’t speak to someone when I wonder if I should because their hearts are not open to hearing the truth yet and so if they heard it at that time it would be so unwelcome that they would actually turn more away from it than they were already. Sometimes God has allowed me to speak to people at times like that to show why I no longer need to continue to tell them something. Other times, He has directly prevented me from speaking to someone so I have assumed that He knew what was best and when to keep me silent and when to help me speak. I also pray that He keeps me from speaking when it is not His Will or things that are not according to His Will. The best I can do is trust Him and obey Him when He does lead me and trust that He will stop me or push me when I just don’t know, but have submitted the situationn to Him.
Again, I don’t know what happened exactly when I saw that former friend. I don’t always know whether God is protecting me or the other person — or whether I am stepping over my boundries and making a choice that isn’t mine to make. But I pray I accomplish His Will Perfectly, and that He will make me ready to, from here on out. I have made mistakes in the past and will make mistakes if I don’t rely on Him . . . but I will submit those to Him, too, and ask that even they will be made right and that I will glorify Him through each one of those instances by returning to rely on Him even more so than before my fall. I am fully weak when I rely on my strength and think that I am strong. But when I realize that I am weak and rely on Him alone then His Strength is made Perfect in me and I am able to do anything He Wills (by His Grace alone). I cannot even trust Him without His Strength — without relying on Him. And it is a constant, daily choice to rely on Him.

I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You.
Psalm 16:2

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
2 Corinthians 12:9

I will [not merely walk, but] run the way of Your commandments, when You give me a heart that is willing.
Psalm 119:32

(I came across the first 2 verses here yesterday — http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/01/blowing-dust-off-last-years-resolutions-2/#comments )

]]> by: Nicole http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200514 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:32:24 +0000 http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2008/02/understanding-small-hard-things/#comment-200514 Hannah Williams: Exodus 20:13, in the Bible I have at hand (NLT), puts it even shorter and simpler. It just says, "Do not murder." You're right. That settles it perfectly. Good comment. Thank you. To tell the truth, I am not completely sure why I ran from my former friend. I saw another former friend right after that (who was personally unkind to me) and without thinking, I went up and started talking to him and his sister. In the middle of the conversation I began to think, "What am I doing? I don't want to be talking to him." But we continued talking and it was good. He was doing a little better, I think. I read that 1 in 4 people have had abortions. I don't run from every 4th person I meet. I don't know why I ran from my former friend. Someone nearby was smoking so that half got my feet running since after being around smoke in the past I have gotten very severe migraines that temporarly partially blind me so I can't do anything for a whole night. But I was also half considering my friend turning her head and looking at me and calling out my name and stopping me to talk like she always used to. And I saw the soccer ball in the back seat and I thought, "She's having fun with our old friends and she should be having fun with, and caring for, her child -- who would be about 4 now. Imagine what he or she would look like. Man . . . that is so sad what she did!" Anyway, thanks for your defending me. You could be right that I would not have been ready to talk to her. It would be worse, perhaps hurtful, and more judgmental to talk to her with a wrong heart than it would be to run from her with a sad, upset heart. I will continue to pray, though, that God will make my heart pleasing to Him and that He will Direct my paths (and the speed of my steps!) Thanks again, Hannah! I really appreciate that you shared with us your perspective. Hannah Williams: Exodus 20:13, in the Bible I have at hand (NLT), puts it even shorter and simpler. It just says, “Do not murder.” You’re right. That settles it perfectly. Good comment. Thank you.

To tell the truth, I am not completely sure why I ran from my former friend. I saw another former friend right after that (who was personally unkind to me) and without thinking, I went up and started talking to him and his sister. In the middle of the conversation I began to think, “What am I doing? I don’t want to be talking to him.” But we continued talking and it was good. He was doing a little better, I think. I read that 1 in 4 people have had abortions. I don’t run from every 4th person I meet. I don’t know why I ran from my former friend. Someone nearby was smoking so that half got my feet running since after being around smoke in the past I have gotten very severe migraines that temporarly partially blind me so I can’t do anything for a whole night. But I was also half considering my friend turning her head and looking at me and calling out my name and stopping me to talk like she always used to. And I saw the soccer ball in the back seat and I thought, “She’s having fun with our old friends and she should be having fun with, and caring for, her child — who would be about 4 now. Imagine what he or she would look like. Man . . . that is so sad what she did!”

Anyway, thanks for your defending me. You could be right that I would not have been ready to talk to her. It would be worse, perhaps hurtful, and more judgmental to talk to her with a wrong heart than it would be to run from her with a sad, upset heart. I will continue to pray, though, that God will make my heart pleasing to Him and that He will Direct my paths (and the speed of my steps!)

Thanks again, Hannah! I really appreciate that you shared with us your perspective.

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