Poverty

When you hear the word you automatically assume. You have this vision of what this type of person will look like, what he will act like, and even the things he might say. You picture a dirty old man or a child with no shoes. A house that is run down or a car that is barely running. People lined up at the soup kitchen looking for a warm meal or a family as they lay their head down at night, not on a pillow but on the ground beneath them. POVERTY. These are the images that you envision when you hear this word. As I look around me, sitting in a coffee shop in Newport beach, I do not see what YOU might call poverty but I see a poverty that is much deeper and heart breaking. STUFF. It consumes the human race and as I look around me I see a race that is completely wrapped up in what they have and what they do not have. This is poverty. You may be thinking, well what do you mean that is poverty? These people have everything they could ever want? They are not hungry, they have shelter, how are they poor? As look around I see eyes full of emptiness. I hear silence as people sit alone aimlessly zoned into whatever gadget they have lying before them. Friendly is not a word I think these people have heard. I over hear conversations between teenage girls and my heart aces. As C.S. Lewis would say, they are men without chests. That is what I mean when I say I see poverty. You see the world has tricked you into thinking that only those without stuff are poor. But the poor that I see in these people is far greater then the obvious “poor”. They are lost, living outside of any moral code. Maybe they know of love but you do not see love when you look into their eyes. A kind word would be asking far too much from them because after all they are “busy”. To sit and have a conversation with someone you do not know would be considered weird, so forget about sharing what is going on in your life and making a new friend. It is simply heart breaking. That people have become so consumed with stuff that they are too “busy” for real deep relationship. They work, not because they love what they do but mostly because they need money so they can have more stuff. The purpose in life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give that gift away. Nowhere in that, the purpose or meaning, does it say work a lot so you can have “stuff”. Relationships flourish when someone is living their life to give away their gift but they wither away when you keep your gift to yourself. I am not saying that all people with stuff are poor in spirit or that all of those with out are full of love but what I am saying is that poverty is much more then the one definition the world gives it. Poverty of the soul is far greater than poverty of stuff. So choose to be rich in the spirit. To love all those who enter your life and those you come in contact with each day. Build relationships, even if with complete strangers. Take the time to invest in those around you instead of the next biggest stock. When you pass from this life to the next you cannot take your stuff or job with you but the love you leave behind will always remain. 

Pure Joy

It doesn't come from the new shoes I just bought or all of the cloths in my closet. It doesn't even come from all of the amazing friends I have or my wonderful family. The warmth of my favorite cup of coffee as it hits my lips or gazing out of the window as I sit at my favorite coffee shop. The rain hits the sidewalk. simplicity. a form of happiness comes from these things.  of coarse laughter, as well as wonderful memories. and I would even say, that yes, some joy comes from those you love. the important thing to know is that these things can only bring you a certain level of happiness. a level that will sometimes disappoint, sometimes anger you, and sometimes leave you empty. these things can only add to the joy that you possess inside of you, they cannot BE the joy that is within you. like mostly everything in this fallen world,  joy to can be taken from you. we lose loved ones,  jobs, we are hurt, and left heart broken. the world tries to steal what the world has given you. If you rely on the world as your source of happiness there is no doubt that you will be left dry and hallow. the amazing thing is, is that there is a source of joy that will never leave your heart. It doesn't come from "stuff" or even others in your life, it comes from him. The one who created you. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. This joy that he gives is the purest of joys. It is the only joy that will sustain your happiness. makes you giggle for no reason other then simply knowing you belong to him. gives you a hope that pushes you to take one more step forward when the world is caving in on you. this joy allows you to love deeper. it allows you to forgive and let go of the baggage the world has cast onto your shoulders. this joy that God gives us is something we must seek after. it is something we must desperately long for. in a world of devastation and hurt, it is crucial to fight for this joy. once we have it we MUST share it. happiness is only a feeling. it can be momentarily. but the joy of the Lord lives within your soul. seek it, capture it, and share it. allow his joy to fulfill you in a way you have never been fulfilled and let the world know where your smile comes from. from the knowing that your heart is full of him. you will never be disappointed.

allow this joy this live within. once you have it find joy in the little things around you. for me I find joy in being in a place of poverty and brokenness yet being surrounded by people who love harder then most. in having a job where i get to watch and encourage spiritual growth. in the laughter of a child who has nothing but the love of his family. he smiles the purest smile and laughs the most beautiful laugh. i find joy in knowing that while i may not have a lot I can still give to those around me. I can love everyone in my life with a deep passionate love. I find joy in the fact that I have no bitterness and carry no baggage because my father carries it for me. I find joy in knowing that I am never alone for my creator walks hand in hand with me as I go through this journey of life.