Day 7

So, it has been a full week. Everyone is going out tonight-- to explore the city in its splendor. I believe if you are not ready to take in that enchantment  you just ruin the night for everyone. Tonight, I am not feeling the need to move. Then again, I am not feel the need to remove myself from Arrested Development, which is probably going to be Quote of the Day. For those who say, "Well, that is not spiritually uplifting!"...:P

Also, tomorrow is a big day of farming and then off to Maria & Sean's engagement party--- WHOOT WHOOO.  But today we worked and then ate and then worked and prayed...and so the cycle continues. What I realize was that Day 6's Quote was never explained, so I feel like I might let you in on my spiritual thoughts now...just to balance the lack of nothingness I have done since discovering Arrested Development on Netflix. 

The Bible study last night led us to Isaiah 6. Now, I wrote a poem a long while ago on it:

Lit Coal

A wondrous sight my eyes beheld.

Such purity,

That was literally unveiled.

Creatures like doves,

More majestic than most,

Flew over my head like a cloud of hosts.

Their flight shook the pillars,

Their sound racked my bones.

Each cell the Creator made,

Burst with blood anew.

“Unclean lips!” says I.

Unclean and soiled with this filthy world.

In contrast to such beauty,

As rendered so rare,

I truly find humility in humanity,

Such insignificant little cares.

Yet in a crowd of glorious light,

A coal lit in life’s own flame,

Came a touch so pure,

To not know of it is shame!

He then called to me:

“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Joy so fervent rose in my heart,

And the words could not come out fast enough!

“HERE I AM. SEND ME!”

Lord,

Take this body:

A vessel for You.

Make this soul:

Completely renewed.

Change this being:

For Your Will to be.

Take this coal,

And light a fire in me!

Isaiah 6 : 1- 8

Now, the quote of the day yesterday was: "My Isaiah Moment", and as a study group, we discussed what that meant and gave a personal story. 

This moment contains: Revelation, Confession, Repentance; Willingness and Calling.

Now, this moment does not need to have all 5 parts, and it can be divided into the first three and the last two. For me, I feel like Isaiah 6 has always been cut off at the "here I am, send me", because it is the missional passage. Everyone uses it to start the new year or to encourage people to move and act. 

However, what we seem to ignore is that God is telling this to a prophet who has to tell a group of people, "Things are going to go downhill. Until you have been crushed, laid desolate, ended, destroyed." 

Now, if I was the one that had to take all that, I'd be like, "God...can I like stay up here with you through that...or...?" Israel was doing well right now, so this is not good news. But even before that, God tells Isaiah to bring people to Him by their belief alone, but the bad will still happen.

Yet, in the end, the last verse says (verse 13): "And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Candance took that as a prophecy of Jesus-- the holy seed. I took it in my own context, and with my story, as my planting a seed even in my struggle and loss. 

It was my freshman year, first fall semester. I came into Hofstra as a Pre-Med major. God, as my only witness, I despised my school, the people around me were not people I cared for, I felt stupid, spoiled, ignored, and just...horrible. I cried many nights, PRAYING, pleading that God tell me if this was my life-- if everything I was going through was meant for me, because let's face it--- as the first born daughter of immigrant parents, there were dreams on me, and it was not necessarily mine.

Long story short--- I listened to God, who in a mere moment took my breathe away. My tears stopped. My pain was lifted, and in that instant, God--what I felt--- words are not enough. 

The thing is that just because I am a Creative Writing/Photography  major with a minor in Art History and Computer Applications & Digital Media Design, that in no way means my life is "easier"! 

Try being that daughter that does a 180 and does the one thing you wished you did not waste you money, time, and struggles on! How about having a bunch of friends who are clearly smarter than you and no one lets you forget it because you "gave up" when it got hard? 

Yeah. That was my "cities [laid in ruin] and without inhabitant, until the houses [were] left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged". But here I am, and even if I do not have a job waiting for me (I don't worry) or my parents are disappointed (they have two other kids), I want to end this life with at least a seed planted...to be used to spread the Word, to bring God to every soul, to use my being and stand firm when seraphim (like seriously...they are supernatural and they fly at you with BURNING COAL) come at me with burning coal so that I can be purified and used. Besides, it is the stump that has the seed...so even when I'm cut down, there is something left in me!

So, what is your Isaiah moment? Are you ready to be cleansed and used, even when everyone will hate you for your words, will you be Here? Are you willing to be a stump and not a tree?

Goodnight & Blessings,

Princy

P.S. The quote was: "Arrested Development. Gob is my favorite."
P.S.S. Amy Poehler and Will Arnett should still be together...because the Arrested Development episodes where they are together are literally perfect. 

still in progress:)