Brokenness

G’morning =)

I have one thing to say: “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last.”

Of course, I didn’t really say that; MLK Jr. did. And obviously, I have more than just one thing to say, duh! When do I ever say only one thing in these e-mails?! C’mon now =P. Plus, he was talking about segregation and slavery. I am not talking about segregation, just slav… err, school.

Yes, yes, the rumors are true; I am done with the Spring 2008 semester… only to start up again next Wednesday =(. Not much of a vacation, I suppose.

Anyway, let’s get to the juicy stuff! I want to share two quick (I hope, lol) things that I have been thinking about throughout this week.

One thing Juan Otero shared during last Sunday’s meeting keeps resonating in my mind. He said, in his thick yet passionate accent, that “a truly broken person is not sad.” Wow! Honestly, I do not know what makes me think that this phrase is so special, but I cannot stop thinking about it. I guess it is because this is one of my pet peeves. Frankly, I get tired over a lot of prayer for revival, and rejuvenation and renovation, and all the other “re-” words. Don’t get me wrong, those prayers are undoubtedly necessary, given its apropos. But I think sometimes we can stop seeking God, and instead, seek what He offers us. You see, we know that brokenness is what God wants; however, we are reluctant to actual be broken because it requires pain and sacrifice (Like the Third Day song says, “I must go through the valley to stand before the Mountain of God.”). It is like you wanting an ‘A’ in a course, yet you are unwilling to actually learning the material taught in the class. Oswald Chambers put it as such: “There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God, except when it is not God whom you want, but only what He gives.” (My Utmost for His Highest) We substitute the feeling of somberness and grief with that of true humility and brokenness, in an attempt to reap the full blessings and promises of God. We think entering into a relationship with is so difficult and confusing. Then we wonder why God is not answering prayer, why He is seemingly not working in our lives, we our church seems stagnant… etc. We are not truly broken. We think we are, but we are not. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise!” It’s that simple. There is no secret handshake, no unheard of ritual, no forgotten séance. The answer is right in front of us; and as Toucan Sam always says, “follow your nose!” “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise!”

This is tied into something that I really enjoyed about last Wednesday’s meeting. It was a combination of what Jerry said, and this song:

Fuiste a la cruz a morir por mí,
Hoy te agradezco por amarme así
Le diste valor a mi vida Señor
Por eso te adoro, te adoro Cristo

Te amo Jesús, me cambiaste tu a mi
Veo el antes y ahora y soy feliz

My, oh my, I can’t stop smiling even as I read those lyrics (lol, people here at the UM library must think I am psycho). The realization of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross should be a joyous one! Being in the auditorium last Wednesday, I cannot say that I had a profound or intimate time of worship. But what I do know is that I left that place so happy and joyful, because of what Christ did on the cross. We focus on ourselves in the transaction that saved our soul. We concentrate on the fact that we will never be able to repay Christ. We center our attention on the fact that we cannot do anything to attain perfection. We lose sight of God in all this and the change that He made in our lives. His unconditional love. His persistent nudging. Because of God, I can rejoice in how He has changed me. For that, I will worship Him. For that, I will be glad. For that, I will be broken, so that He can continue to use me! Por eso te adoro, te adoro Cristo!

MTI