i repent, i repent of my pursuit of america's dream
i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything
of my house, my fence my kids, my wife
in our suburb where we're safe and white
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent, i repent of parading my liberty
i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything
of my house, my fence my kids, my wife
in our suburb where we're safe and white
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent, i repent of parading my liberty
i repent. i repent of paying for what i get for free
and for the way i believe that i am living right
by trading sins for others that are easier to hide
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent judging by a law that even i can't keep
of wearing righteousness like a disguise
to see through the planks in my own eyes
i repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity
i repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry
by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need
by domesticating you until you look just like me
i am wrong and of these things i repent
So, a few weeks ago I went into the gas station next to my house to get gas. I was already frustrated because my card never works outside and I had to go in. There was a really long line (which didn't make me any happier) and it was late. There was this older man who looks a little rough--his shirt and jeans were old and he had a half grown beard. He reminded me of my dad, a man that you see and you think "wow that guy must really work hard and work with his hands." and he was also funny like him. He had a few pre-made sandwiches, some cokes, and a candy bar. When it's his turn to check out he tries to make small talk. He is really nice guy and says "yeah, I'm from Snyder, drove two hours last night because my girlfriend has to get a blood transplant." The clerk didn't even acknowledge him. The man, says a few small jokes to off set the situation and the clerk didn't respond to any of them. He then shuts off (because clearly the guy behind the counter couldn't care less.) I was so angry, my heart seriously broke for this guy. He was probably scared and worried, tired, and he just needed somebody to acknowledge him and just listen--he needed empathy. I thought the clerk was a jerk and was annoyed by him. Then, I looked at the line behind me and it was massive. This man who was working was probably having a really hard day too. The man was working late on a Saturday night in a gas station where the line was packed. Nobody likes to work on a Saturday night and if he had a family then that sucks and even if he didn't it sucked just as much. Regardless, both of these men were just stuck. They could only see what was right in front of them and what they needed. They both just needed Love. That's it.
Him.
In Lubbock I have seen so many things that you wont see in Sugar Land. Two months ago I called the police at two in the morning. It was pretty cold outside and this mom (who looked really bad) were walking around in the walmart parking lot asking for money so they would have a place to stay at night. I didn't know what to do. I mean who wants to be the reason why a mom looses her child but, what else would you do. This mom was begging. This little boy who could barely walk was out in the cold and being used as a tool to get money. I called the police just to get an answering machine. I furious.
Maybe two weeks after that I was getting gas when a little boy walks up to me and asks if I had a dollar (yet again I didn't) and I look up and there are two other boys and a dad looking through the dumpster for food. I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I just got in my car and cried. Can you imagine that being your childhood? I mean movies like The Blind Side become award winning movies and we praise her actions yet we leave and don't even think about it. We see people hurting...dying and we don't care. We care more debating evolution, predestination, the fact that Mike Leach (who is loaded) is out of a job and if Obama is an American because he wont show us his birth certificate. What if we just cared about other people, the starving, the bleeding, the ones who have been turned away from the church, the homeless..
...the ones who have given up on Jesus because Jesus' followers have given up on them.
We do things to make ourselves feel better about the situation we see a homeless man drinking a McDonalds coffee and we think "look he wasted that money on junk food" but, where is his coffee pot? We tell ourselves that this is the land of equal opportunities. That is a lie. When will we realize it. We have an amazing country and I couldn't be thankful for the 100,000's of men and women who have given their lives for me to sit in a coffee shop. I don't thank God nearly enough. I am blessed. This isn't about that. It's about the fact that a person who is from a poor neighborhood doesn't have the same chances as someone who is from a wealthy neighborhood. Things just aren't as equal as we would like to think they are. Some people are stuck in an endless cycle and need people to Love them. They need us to give them grace. mercy. respect. We don't care. We don't care at all about these homeless or even the homeless children. We see what is in front of us, what we need. We are all struggling to make it each day. to deal with that new person at work who is a jerk, traffic, paying bills, trying to break habits, trying to not worry about what others think. Lubbock doesn't have a homeless shelter within 100 miles--yet we have one of the highest in the nation and is right in the middle of the bible belt and has one of the highest amount of churches. This past weekend there was a massive freeze. Branches were falling, ice everywhere and a lot of snowmen. It was AWESOME. I was so excited and got to play in the snow because two days of school was canceled. But, what about those who don't have a place to stay? I didn't even think about them. When will we see others like Jesus does. When can we love them like He does. When will I do these things. I am so thankful for Jesus' grace because I need it the most. Just like Paul wrote
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save the sinners--of whom I am the worst."
Thanks Jesus.
and for the way i believe that i am living right
by trading sins for others that are easier to hide
i am wrong and of these things i repent
i repent judging by a law that even i can't keep
of wearing righteousness like a disguise
to see through the planks in my own eyes
i repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity
i repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry
by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need
by domesticating you until you look just like me
i am wrong and of these things i repent
So, a few weeks ago I went into the gas station next to my house to get gas. I was already frustrated because my card never works outside and I had to go in. There was a really long line (which didn't make me any happier) and it was late. There was this older man who looks a little rough--his shirt and jeans were old and he had a half grown beard. He reminded me of my dad, a man that you see and you think "wow that guy must really work hard and work with his hands." and he was also funny like him. He had a few pre-made sandwiches, some cokes, and a candy bar. When it's his turn to check out he tries to make small talk. He is really nice guy and says "yeah, I'm from Snyder, drove two hours last night because my girlfriend has to get a blood transplant." The clerk didn't even acknowledge him. The man, says a few small jokes to off set the situation and the clerk didn't respond to any of them. He then shuts off (because clearly the guy behind the counter couldn't care less.) I was so angry, my heart seriously broke for this guy. He was probably scared and worried, tired, and he just needed somebody to acknowledge him and just listen--he needed empathy. I thought the clerk was a jerk and was annoyed by him. Then, I looked at the line behind me and it was massive. This man who was working was probably having a really hard day too. The man was working late on a Saturday night in a gas station where the line was packed. Nobody likes to work on a Saturday night and if he had a family then that sucks and even if he didn't it sucked just as much. Regardless, both of these men were just stuck. They could only see what was right in front of them and what they needed. They both just needed Love. That's it.
Him.
In Lubbock I have seen so many things that you wont see in Sugar Land. Two months ago I called the police at two in the morning. It was pretty cold outside and this mom (who looked really bad) were walking around in the walmart parking lot asking for money so they would have a place to stay at night. I didn't know what to do. I mean who wants to be the reason why a mom looses her child but, what else would you do. This mom was begging. This little boy who could barely walk was out in the cold and being used as a tool to get money. I called the police just to get an answering machine. I furious.
Maybe two weeks after that I was getting gas when a little boy walks up to me and asks if I had a dollar (yet again I didn't) and I look up and there are two other boys and a dad looking through the dumpster for food. I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I just got in my car and cried. Can you imagine that being your childhood? I mean movies like The Blind Side become award winning movies and we praise her actions yet we leave and don't even think about it. We see people hurting...dying and we don't care. We care more debating evolution, predestination, the fact that Mike Leach (who is loaded) is out of a job and if Obama is an American because he wont show us his birth certificate. What if we just cared about other people, the starving, the bleeding, the ones who have been turned away from the church, the homeless..
...the ones who have given up on Jesus because Jesus' followers have given up on them.
We do things to make ourselves feel better about the situation we see a homeless man drinking a McDonalds coffee and we think "look he wasted that money on junk food" but, where is his coffee pot? We tell ourselves that this is the land of equal opportunities. That is a lie. When will we realize it. We have an amazing country and I couldn't be thankful for the 100,000's of men and women who have given their lives for me to sit in a coffee shop. I don't thank God nearly enough. I am blessed. This isn't about that. It's about the fact that a person who is from a poor neighborhood doesn't have the same chances as someone who is from a wealthy neighborhood. Things just aren't as equal as we would like to think they are. Some people are stuck in an endless cycle and need people to Love them. They need us to give them grace. mercy. respect. We don't care. We don't care at all about these homeless or even the homeless children. We see what is in front of us, what we need. We are all struggling to make it each day. to deal with that new person at work who is a jerk, traffic, paying bills, trying to break habits, trying to not worry about what others think. Lubbock doesn't have a homeless shelter within 100 miles--yet we have one of the highest in the nation and is right in the middle of the bible belt and has one of the highest amount of churches. This past weekend there was a massive freeze. Branches were falling, ice everywhere and a lot of snowmen. It was AWESOME. I was so excited and got to play in the snow because two days of school was canceled. But, what about those who don't have a place to stay? I didn't even think about them. When will we see others like Jesus does. When can we love them like He does. When will I do these things. I am so thankful for Jesus' grace because I need it the most. Just like Paul wrote
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save the sinners--of whom I am the worst."
Thanks Jesus.
