Take heart...

I heard yesterday (via my 11 year old) that the current stress levels of your average high school student is the exact same as those who were Psychiatric patients in the early 1950s.  (quoted by Robert Leahy in Psychology today). 

I am not educated in this.  I am not saying I have found the answer to anything, by any means.  But, I feel like they are under so much pressure because so much pressure has been placed in them to please (or to perform for) man.  They have so much desire to be recognized as worthy, or smart, or successful, or holy, or any other label that we as parents and pastors and teachers have decided they need to be.   From our pulpits (quite unintentionally I am sure) we have stopped stressing the message of Christ - the freedom of the Gospel, and we have traded it for something far less.  We have shifted the focus off of our Savior and on to our sin...  Our works...  Our everything...  But that is not what we are told to do.  We are told to “fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith.”  It does not say, fix your eyes on your past... Fix your eyes on your future...  on your problems, your successes, your children, your church, your family, your career, your dreams...  You fill in the blank... But that isn’t what it says.  It says keep the main thing the main thing.  And, in my simple language - in my life EVERY DAY - this is what the Gospel says to me.  “Christy, your sins were as scarlet.  You were hopeless.  You are constantly given the choice to do right, and you choose wrong.  But, take heart.  I knew you would do this.  I knew you from the moment I created you inside of your beautiful mother.  I knew you would be filled with thoughts that were unholy.  Desires that would threaten your life and the life of those who you love.  I knew that you would be overtaken, not once, but many times by the snares of sin.  And that is why I came.  I came for you.  You needed, and still need daily my rescue.  But, fear not.  I have come.  I am here.  I see you.  I know you.  I bled for you.  I took on myself the burden, the terrible weight of all the sin that belonged to you, and I am NOT SORRY I did it.  I have no regrets, for you are my beloved.”

Wow.  Today, I needed my Jesus to remind me those very things.  He is enough.  He is always and forever enough.  Without Him I am poor, pitiful, blind, naked and so very sinful.  With Him, by His blood, I am REDEEMED.  I am changed.  I am not who I once was.  And for this, I am supremely thankful.      

On another note, just because I have been super missing this kid lately, I wanted to include pics of my Jacob.  The boy that changed my whole life - and the boy I miss with a desperation that I cannot explain.  This boy brought so much laughter... so much joy... so much life to our family.  We are trying to move forward in joy, with hope... but I will be honest... nothing will ever be the same without him.  Enjoy, as I have... these photos were snapped one after the other and he was being a toot.  I was snapping them so fast I didn't realize he wasn't sitting there smiling like he was supposed to.  At the time, I was so angry.  But now, I wouldn't trade them or the memories for anything in the world.