When people think about being persecuted for your faith they think of people dying overseas where Christianity is "illegal" and those who die for their faith. Tonight I was shown it on a much smaller but very personal scale.

Before tonight I've heard cracks on Christianity, remarks about Bible thumpers or hypocrites, and people disagree with Christianity/Jesus in general, but I don't think I've ever had someone tell me they thought going to church was arrogant and snobbish and practically tell me that I was those things as well for going. Here's how it went:

Apples to Apples (great game to play if you haven't), I forget the adjective for the round, but the definition of it included the words snobbish and arrogant. When the cards were turned into me the first one I received was "Going to Church" and I just kinda laughed and said "yea okay" and tossed it to the discard pile. One of the players then went on to defend their reasoning for seriously putting down the card. I simply said- well we just talked about how I went to church this morning, why would I consider that snobbish and arrogant?...I told them that if it was their turn I wouldn't put down a card that said the place where they were from. They said well see it just proves their point. After awhile the shock left my face, I was encouraged to drop it and keep going, but it still bothered me all night.

I found it downright cruel honestly. I pray that I would never go up to an atheist, find out what they believe, and then call them snobbish and arrogant. I may be overreacting, but I found myself thinking, seriously? We're all adults here and you're picking on me for what I believe in? You're supposively an educated maybe even open-minded individual and thats what you choose to put me down for?

But persecution as a christian is what we're told to expect. What was mind-blowing was how alone I felt in that moment. Me against the world. When in reality, I was around people who have all gone to church before, and some even went this morning as well, yet they said nothing. Instead, a little while later when the card "exciting" was up for me, one made a crack about "oh darn I just had "church" in my hand too....". I just looked at them and thought, "I'm pretty sure you went to church this morning as well." My single look of shock made them apologize.

Now, honestly, those that were with me shouldn't be blamed because it was my battle to fight. And if they wanted to jump into battle, they could have, but it wasn't necessary. Would it have been nice? Well yea, maybe I wouldn't have felt so attacked, but this was my lesson to learn.

So what have I learned?

Well I'm reminded that the chance that you're going to be held at gunpoint and asked if you believe in God is pretty slim. But the chance that you are going to be challenged and mocked for your faith is huge.

As I drove home tonight and cried out to God for the injustice I felt, I was honestly torn with my feelings. The human side of me wanted to say nasty things about that person and how they treated me, but I reminded of Jesus, and Paul, and the disciples, and the greater levels of persecution around our world and suddenly I felt so naive and small. Jesus had people spitting at him and mocking him and all he was trying to do was love and heal people, not play a silly card game. God then told me that I needed to pray for this person. I know, really God? But I pray that through my pain tonight they would find a glimpse of Christ...not easy words to spit out, trust me.

I have this tendancy to run to other people when I'm upset or something like this happens. Tonight God made sure no one else was awake for me to talk to, but instead led me to his word that encourages and reminds me about persecution and then this note to enlighten you. I pray you are courageous enough to defend your faith and are given the opportunity to do so as well.

Blessings ~ Hannah Beth

Matt 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matt 24:9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Joh 15:20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

1 Cor 4:12-13 - We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

2 Tim 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

I'm sitting in my kitchen, waiting on my banana bread to finish baking. Really its the second go for it because when I went to dump it out of the circular bread container it was all gooey.  As you can imagine I felt very defeated. But I switched it into something else and now the gooey messy mixture is baking in a shallow cake pan. Oh well. It will still taste good even if it doesnt look good. I wasn't anticipating being up this late tonight, especially after my 13 hour day at work (yea part-time really pays off! ha) but alas, here I am.

While waiting, I decided to check out my brother's myspace (www.myspace.com/josiahpottermusic) because he told me he put up a new "worship" song. I already listened to it once tonight but I did again and this time as I reflectively listened to his words it brought tears to my eyes.  A mixture of another masterpiece he has created and the peace of God filled me as I listened to Josiah's words which reminded me that God is only one who truly knows all of my heart and can reach every depth of my soul.  It repeats throughout the song that all I need is God around me and His invitation to show me the things that He is providing me. I recognize my newest stage in life and am thankful for God's constant providing hand around me.  I may not always be satisfied with my surrounding situations, but I know that I can always be fully satisfied in Christ. I believe the tears came because of the recognition of this and the fact that it was my brother's voice that the Lord was using to remind me once again of His love for me.  It is a blessing to see the spiritual journey of the one person I can say has always been my best friend. Times like now are bittersweet because I feel so closely connected with him (through blood but also in Christ) and also sad that we cannot share these exciting times together in the same town.  I am thankful for him and how God is using him these days in West Palm.  And even though he is coming up on a quarter of a century, I believe the preparation time is just now ending for the incredible journey on which God is leading him.

 

Making new friends is always a scary thing in life, once you graduate college, its much different.  When you go into high school, you and your peers are all nervous about being in "high school" and being the little freshmen, so you naturally bond in the fear together as you figure out what that is all about.  When you go to college, its more of an adrenaline rush. Its exciting. Its new. Its freedom! Even though no one is glad to be back at school for classes, your entire class is brand new and just about everyone is out there making an effort to make new friends.  Its like an unspoken cultural rule.  You go into a place, you introduce yourself to a few people, they introduce themselves and you talk about the general items..."where are you from?"...."whats your major?"....."oh no clue? me neither! that's great!"........ Each year you return to college, and hopefully, if you're not a total weirdo, you already have friends.  But there is always an exciting, eager, new freshmen class, and I would think most people like to at least observe the new kids, and even meet some of them. 

And then you graduate.......and you enter.... (dun dun dunnnnnnn).....the real world.

You see in the real world, everyone else already has friends. Shocking, I know! Take a moment to catch your breath.  Because of this revelation, if you are new in the "real world", there are a lot more responsibilities to ensure you having interaction with mankind in order to maintain some sort of social life.  Every night, it is possible that you will fall asleep praying that someone will be kind of enough to invite you in to their elite group of friends.  Some people are cursed with this new disease of late called shyness or they may refer to themselves as an introvert....I, however, have never had any symptoms of this disease, thank goodness!  This disease makes it extremely difficult for an individual to go to a new event....especially.....ALONE!  The whole conversation starters, such as, "what do you do?"...."and what exactly is that?"---are much more awkward and challenging. 

Alas, this rambling is not to convey that the real world is filled with a bunch of scary, unwelcoming humans. Quite the contrary, as of recently, I have found many nice, welcoming, fun individuals.  I have gone out for food on three occasions now, and have really enjoyed myself.  I'm not saying it was all fun and games to get there...I went to FIVE, yes FIVE, events by myself.  I'm also not saying that I've made any new best friends forever either.  I guess I'm trying to relay the fact that it is possible to survive this so-called real world if you are living in a new place without friends.  If you already have friends, be grateful for them, and the easy expected social life you have each weekend.  If you're not in the real world, be thankful that your biggest concerns are papers, humanities tests, and which latest couple that swore they'd be together forever just broke up.  And lastly, if you are in the same boat as me, hang in there.  Launch that little life boat and go visit an island because you never what lovely tribe of people could be waiting for you to show up.

Whatever road you may be on, remember the words of Jesus....

 

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

 

John 15:9-17