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Francis Schaeffer writes, in Escape from Reason,

"We thus know something wonderful about man. Among other things, we know his origin and who he is-- he is made in the image of God. Man is not only wonderful when he is 'born again' as a Christian, he is also wonderful as God made him in His image. Man has value because of who he was originally before the Fall.
I was recently lecturing in Santa Barbara, and was introduced to a boy who had been on drugs. He had a good-looking, sensitive face, long curly hair, sandals on his feet and was wearing blue jeans. He came to hear me lecture and said, 'This is brand new, I've never heard anything like this." So he was brought along the next afternoon, and I greeted him. He looked me in the eyes and said, 'Sir, that was a beautiful greeting. Why did you greet me like that?' I said, 'Because I know who you are-- I know you are made in the image of God.' We then had a tremendous conversation. We cannot deal with people like human beings, we cannot deal with the on the high level of true humanity, unless we really know their origin-- who they are. God tells man who he is. God tells us that He created man in his image. So man is something beautiful."

I copy all of this a a precursor to discuss what God has been subtly pointing out to me in a way I don't think I have ever really been ready to receive until now. I see this in friends lives as a definitive hindrance to their everyday relationships. I see this most greatly in my own life. The issue of truly loving others is one which is mentioned but never truly given the focus and attention it needs. Jesus called this the second greatest commandment, but any shallow inquiry into most lives reveals that we do not take this calling seriously enough. We need make consistent choices to serve Christ first with our lives. This takes things like being committed to God's word, living with it in our lives and as our thinking point. It also takes a commitment to higher integrity and standards than we currently have. They should always be growing. But, our second greatest focus in life should be on treating people right. It is strange that we can go to a Christan school and hear about reaching the world and the church, but have issues we have no intention of correcting with one another.
My life has been continually plagued by issues in relation to others. And here's the thing, I (along with so many others) have a heart for people. I love missions, my heart cries for the lost I meet. But I think harsh thought toward people I find incompetent. I think down on the people to whom I am closest. I haven't been willing to accept it for along time. I didn't know the extent of the problem, but I knew it was there and it honestly seemed so big to tackle that I figured the effort was a worthless waste of time. But it has to change to live a life honoring God. We all struggle with this in some capacity. The ex-boyfriend who we mock with our friends. The neo-conservatives or liberal theologians we joke about in class. The fallen pastors, politicians, and celebrities we whisper about and use as conversation starts with strangers. All of this is a destruction of the beauty of God within humanity. We are still in his image, and we cannot hope to be continually pulling in closer to Him with our lives if we are making constant effort to defame humanity. Regardless of my situation, I need to learn to consider others about my self, not to simply put it on my list of things to do, pray on it, and watch for the 'beautiful transformation' that will never occur, but to be making conscious, concerted efforts to think of all others more highly than myself, and value them in the way I treat them.

It seems to me that many of you whom I talk to feel the same way.

I love classes, don't get me wrong, learning is a special treat for me, especially the stuff I get to study at school. But I feel really trapped, because I don't feel like I am pursuing any calling while I am at school. I feel like my life is somewhat pointless at this point, and I am wasting alot of my time waiting to be able to afford and finish classes.....

I want to move away... I really just want to pick up and go to another country. I've never been to one I didn't like. Starting over provides such freshness, and I feel pretty stale these days. Is anyone with me?

I am jealous of my friend Rachel, who just left for a year long missions trip. What a way to grow...

I feel like I (and we) should be able to live extrordinarily fresh and purposeful life right here where I am, but it seems that 95%... no 97% of the time people are for some reason unable to live with an extreme, God given delight and purpose.... I feel like everyone should go somewhere foreign, and the foreign Christians should come here, them everyone would be forced to rely on God out of there comfort zones, and we could start being extrordinary for him... I wanna move away.

I was talking to a friend the other day, and they mentioned to me how much spiritual oppression they feel right now. I had to agree when we thought of ourselves and all the friends and family going through spiritual slumps. It was hard to think of anyone we knew well who seemed to really be walking with God in a clear visible way. This in not to insult anyone, but to say that it has been increasingly feeling to me and others as if God is not moving. We know this is not true, but looking into Lamentations today really reminded me of that conversation, and how true it can be that all spiritual light can seemingly dissapear. The beautiful thing is that even with no visible changes many time, God shows the author and encourages us as well through it. We can see that no matter how bleak God is always faithful and only waiting for us to act as such with Him. No matter how bleak, God is always there and controlling things, regardless of whether we see change or not. Do not doubt Him.

Proverbs 20:21 says, "An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end."

I feel like this verse along with many of the others surrounding it really applies for me at this stage in my life. The combination of the issues in my previous post and the intense busyness of the world we are acustom to makes this verse the one I need. So busy looking for the answers to know where to aim. God wants us to just look to him day to day and find the answers now for the questions now at hand.

Proverbs 20:21 says. "An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end."

I've heard that some schools try to get you to decide on your career upon entering high school, so you can take classes more geared in the right direction. I find it very hard to accept that God considers that important to be thinking about. In highschool, I was grounded and felt confident in my life, my standards, and where my values were. Since I left for college, I lost all those things. Constantly thinking months and years ahead has forfeited me all the time I've spent with that mentality. I feel like I have tripped over every step because I was trying to look blocks ahead. Lost track of my relationship with God over and over again, not focused on who I am today, but what I'll do in 3 weeks/6 months/2 years/1 decade. I, and anyone who can relate, have to think differently from what everyone else seems to endorse.

Man, I really need to learn to take these self-photos where I am sitting around my house, staring at the camera/ off into the distance. It seems everyone but me has had one at some point. I need to get on that...

I have to say that college over all has been a time of turmoil for me. I have come to question everything from what I want to do to what God wants me to do to what God thinks is most important. I have come in counter with every question from every angle, and screwed up alot in my answers I think. I have made alot of mistakes, and understand completely how so many kids get so screwed up when they go off to college. It's not just the schooling, it's the complete lack of familiarity, and much of your accountablity. Everything is constantly changing... one day you are sure you are focused in one direction, the next it could be completely different. I have had some many different, often reoccuring, directions in my life since I started college. It's easy to lose sight.

So I am extremely thankful that God gives me those reminders. Like I work temp jobs, and I just randomly meet people who find out I went to a Christian school and immediately interogate me on my walk with God. I need that so much and God really just provides this interesting situations. He really wants me back. No matter what I am focused on, God wants me to be focused on him more. I need to remember that.