The Ring

[[Special thanks to my dear friend Sarah who helped me to realize that I'm okay in real life and not "so much better as a blog"]]

There are moments in life that we all look forward to. As kids we itch with anticipation if we have just a little money to spend or we count days until our birthday or Christmas. Then we get older and get excited about driving or getting a job or graduating. For a girl, though, there's one dream that she hangs on to from the time she's very small. Every girl, at some point in her life, thinks of her Prince Charming.

Unfortunately, a lot of girls think that once she finally has her man, life will be perfect. But there's enough people out there talking about that problem. I, for one, have seen a slightly different problem. Even girls who are completely aware that life will still have ups AND downs seem to want a lover too desperately.

Why?

I think I figured it out because I started feeling the same way. My thoughts one day were along these lines: "I know that life won't be perfect when I'm married. It might even be more difficult. But I Must. Get. Married!" As soon as I had the thought, I wondered why I felt that way. I have the most incredible life ever! I have been blessed with so many friends around the country, so many opportunities to do things that I might not be able to do if I had a husband.

As happy as I am with my life, why did I feel like I needed to change it?

Change. That's the key word. See, so many people that I know (including myself) are constantly trying to change themselves to fit in better with their friends, family, church, and/or coworkers. We have so many people that love us, but we second guess ourselves and think, "They only tolerate me. I need to ________ if I want to keep their friendship." We're haunted by the fact that people can just walk away without thinking about it when it would leave us devastated. Especially when it has happened before, the fear that it could happen again makes us sick.

That's why, in my mind, I needed a guy to marry me. Because some day he would get down on one knee and tell me that I was good enough just the way I was. Because he would put a ring on my finger that said to the world, "flaws and all, I want to share the rest of my existence with this woman."

I don't need that, though! I'm not saying that I don't ever want to get married. I'm just saying that I don't have to have a ring on my finger to prove anything to myself or to anyone else. I don't choose to spend a lot of time with people I don't like, so why would anyone else do that? If the people who spend time with me are at all like me, then the very fact that they choose to put up with me means that they care about me.

So the ring? Yeah, it'll be cool to have one some day. And it'll be nice to show the world that some guy loves me enough to claim me as his own. But until then? I'm just me, and even if I have room to grow, I'm blessed with many friends who think that I'm "good enough" the way I am.

Keeper of Promises

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Know what this is? It's a promise straight from Heaven. A promise made many years ago. A promise that is still being kept. God promised to bless those who bless His people and to curse those who curse His people.

On September 15, 1935, German Jews were deprived of citizenship in Nazi Germany when the Nuremberg Laws were enacted. At the same time, Germany's flag was changed to the "black spider" which symbolized cruelty and terror to many who saw it.

From Wikipedia:

On the evening of September 15, 1935, two measures were announced to the Reichstag at the annual Party Rally in Nuremberg, becoming known as the Nuremberg Laws.
The first law, The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour, prohibited marriages [...] between "Jews" (the name was now officially used in place of "non-Aryans") and "Germans" and also the employment of "German" females under forty-five in Jewish households. The second law, The Reich Citizenship Law, declared those not of German blood to be Staatsangehöriege (state subjects) while those classified as "Aryans" were Reichsbürger (citizens of the Reich). Between November 1935 to July 1943, thirteeen implementation ordinances were issued dealing with the enforcement of Reich Citizenship Law that progressively marginalized the Jewish community in Germany.

The actual law:

The Laws for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour
(September 15, 1935)

Entirely convinced that the purity of German blood is essential to the further existence of the German people, and inspired by the uncompromising determination to safeguard the future of the German nation, the Reichstag has unanimously resolved upon the following law, which is promulgated herewith:

Section 1
Marriages between Jews and citizens of German or kindred blood are forbidden. Marriages concluded in defiance of this law are void, even if, for the purpose of evading this law, they were concluded abroad.
Proceedings for annulment may be initiated only by the Public Prosecutor.

[...]

Section 3
Jews will not be permitted to employ female citizens under the age of 45, of German or kindred blood, as domestic workers.

Section 4
Jews are forbidden to display the Reich and national flag or the national colours.
On the other hand they are permitted to display the Jewish colours. The exercise of this right is protected by the State.

Section 5
A person who acts contrary to the prohibition of Section 1 will be punished with hard labour.
A person who acts contrary to the prohibition of Section 2 will be punished with imprisonment or with hard labour.
A person who acts contrary to the provisions of Sections 3 or 4 will be punished with imprisonment up to a year and with a fine, or with one of these penalties.

Section 6
The Reich Minister of the Interior in agreement with the Deputy Führer and the Reich Minister of Justice will issue the legal and administrative regulations required for the enforcement and supplementing of this law.

Section 7
The law will become effective on the day after its promulgation; Section 3, however, not until January 1, 1936.

This is was only the beginning of the persecution God's chosen people were about to face at the hands of Hitler and his regime. In spite of everything the Jews went through, God was still faithful to His promise: "I will curse them that curse you."

Hitler and many of his top officials committed suicide, were brutally murdered, or were executed. The German people lost control of almost everything they had gained in World War Two. The years of fighting and persecution ended with the enemies of God's people hanging their heads in shame.

This promise of God's is pretty major. It involves an entire nation! But what I find mind-blowing is the fact that He remains equally faithful even to His more "minor" promises. "I will never leave you or forsake you." "I will supply your every need." "My grace is sufficient for you."

It's pretty neat to look and see God's fulfilled promises in history, but it's the everyday ones that mean the most. When I look at them and see how faithful He is, all I can do is be awed.

My God is an awesome God!

Judge Not

As human beings, we're all tempted to be judgmental. Many of us find ourselves yielding to that temptation much *much* more often than we want to admit.

"Does she not realize that wearing clothes like that totally draws attention to how fat she is?"

"Does he ever think before he speaks? He probably just offended someone!"

"They are so dumb to be doing that. Don't they realize how good they've already got it? Why try to improve perfection?"

Etc. etc. etc.

That's why this post kinda hit home for me. Because I've been in the Judging Shoes waaaay too often in my own life. Especially in the area of judging other people who should be like me, but aren't.

For example: For a (brief) amount of time, I was in a homeschool book club. I was really eager to get involved because the only friends I had who were my age were online. To have friends in person just thrilled me. A Homeschool Book Club seemed like the best way to find people who were just like me.

The day of the first meeting, I put my Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, and a couple of biographies into my book bag, made sure my long jean skirt and my blouse were wrinkle-free, and headed to the library. I was met by... a girl with a boy haircut who was wearing almost nothing. Another girl dressed in tight black with dark makeup, etc. A boy with Harry Potter books and other awful reading selections. I waited. The whole first meeting, I kept thinking that someone would come in late and be my bosom friend.

Nothing.

I was stuck with a bunch of pretenders. Home schooled kids who wanted to be in that awful group called The World.

On the outside I was friendly. I talked with them, I read with them. On the inside, though, I judged. After each meeting I mentally went over what was wrong with them. I didn't realize until after the club had disbanded:

The problem was me.

Judge not that ye be not judged.