Whatever Else Anything Is, It Ought to Begin By Being Personal

That, my friends, is a line out of the classic Nora Ephron movie "You've Got Mail" which I take any opportunity to watch again and again when I can.

As I was watching this movie I realized how much I truly loved it. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are - if you're honest - not the most attractive people on the planet. They have such a lovely air of normal about them it makes their story believable. Not hot and heavy like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" but so beautifully... normal. Like you could have friends like them and be able to watch their love story unfold.

Watching it again, I heard so many funny, beautiful, true one liners but this was one of the big ones that stuck out to me. (For those who don't know and probably don't care and for those who have seen the movie but can't remember where this line is from, I'm about to explain...) This line comes in after Kathleen's store has closed. She's sick and Joe Fox comes to visit her with a bouquet of dasies. Which are her favorite flower (she told him that at the beginning of the movie). She's irritated that he's shown up and is actually being nice. He worms his way into her apartment and she finally realizes he's not going to leave. So he makes her tea as she collapses on the couch (dress in her pajamas with an overcoat thrown on)... And as he hands her the cup of tea (after they both apologize to each other for how horrible they've been to the other) Joe looks at her and says "It wasn't... personal."

To which Kathleen scoffs,"What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me. It's *personal* to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?"

Joe gets nervous and responds with, "Uh... nothing."

And then she sums it up with this beautiful line. "Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal."

For some reason, that line really reasonated with me. We live in a society that is free with so much superficial stuff. We ask people how they're doing, but do we really care how they're doing? We have friends and family around us but how much do those closest to us really know us. How personal are we with them?

Now, granted I'm not suggesting we get personal with everyone. But I know that I need to examine my own life and see who I am really being personal with. How is the Lord directing me? Do I have things to share with people but I'm holding back because I fear that I might be rejected if they don't agree with me? Do people have things to share with me, that the Lord might have for me from them and they're not sharing because of the same fear?

This world has become so impersonal. I could site many different ways it has but I should look in the mirror and see I've become impersonal along with it. I was talking with my boss today about several different things including marriage and singleness. I mentioned to him that there was a very important lesson I'd learned over the last five years. So many of us go into marriage or relationships looking for what we can get from people. We're always so concerned about what other people can do for us we miss out on how the Lord is calling us to do for others.

I've realized in the last 5 years that this is the wrong attitude. Phillipians 2 says "3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... what powerful words! And what is the mind of Christ? He was consumed with the will of His Father for Him, which ultimately was the most heart wrenching, beautiful sacrifice of His blood and body for us. As the body of Jesus... as His followers, His disciples... where is this attitude in us? Why have we dumbed down His gospel in exchange for the riches of this world... for the comforts of the flesh instead of sacrificing the flesh for the revelation of Jesus in our spirit.

I know it's probably kind of weird that I started this out with a movie quote but I think it is so applicable. Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being person. And the 'being personal' should start with Him.

One Day - Hopefully Soon

The above picture in my blog title is a picture of Seoul, South Korea. I was going to keep the snowflakes up there until after Christmas but I decided against it. Lately the burgeoning (yes burgeoning) desire I've had to live there has flared back up again. It's not that it had died, but I had been a little distracted by something else to pay much attention to it. But that fire that's been in my heart for Asia - specifically Korea and Taiwan - has started stoking itself again.

It is my heart's desire (and I hate those words because they are so Christianese) to go there. I've taken Korean language lessons (which I need to pull out my books and start practicing again) and have a very deep longing to go live and minister there. I don't really know what started it. I know for a while, probably the last 4 years I've wanted to adopt (when I'm married) from China or Korea. What might have helped is that I have 2 friends who started making me watch Asian television about 3 years ago. I got hooked on these Asian dramas (and subsequently got other pepole hooked on them) but there was just something about them. Watching the dramas was entertaining enough. And I really fell in love with the music because it was an easy way for me to be able to pick up the language.

But over the course of watching and listening, I fell in love with this people group. Like my friend Katy who adores Africa, or my friend Heidi who loves Eastern Europe... I believe Jesus awoke a passion for the Asian people in my heart. The amazing thing about it was that Jesus confirmed this call through my parents about a year and a half ago. (Which is another blog for another time, but it really was incredible.)

Now I'm just in wait mode with the Lord. I don't know when or how He's going to send me over there. The most obvious choice would be to teach English as a second language. But I don't want to do that, nor to I feel like that is what He is calling me to do. I think that how I get over there is going to be so amazing that people will look at it and say "Only Jesus could have done that."

So until that happens, I wait. But I keep learning and I keep my ears open and I watch. Because Jesus has brought some awesome people into my life to really encourage that call. Iknow they've been God moments and He's been encouraging me to keep waiting through those meetings. It's going to happen, it's just a matter of when. And while I wait, I'll stay faithful to what He's called me to right now.