FEY: intro (part 3)

“Excessively refined” indicates that one has moved beyond what is considered cultured in the simplest meaning of the term. I would say that being a Christian means peeling back the detritus that lies within the current self, to expose a more accurate and polished version of what we have become. To be “born again” means that we must become a new being, baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Once we ask Jesus Christ into our lives, the Comforter is there, and we are made clean again. This dedication is not only a symbol, but the reality of what Christianity represents: become a new and refined creature through an acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Being “excessively refined” requires much dedication and prayer, which is what God asks of us. We must dedicate our lives to Him, and work to polish off that which is holding us back. When one becomes a Christian, he or she is feels convicted of the sins they commit, and because of this, seeks to repent and make real life changes. This means that all of the fornication, drunkenness and other sinful acts must cease. Not to say that this is an easy feat, but God is there to be our strength in those rough moments. He asks that we seek Him when we are lost and feel most vulnerable. In this manner, as we seek and change and improve, we are refining each bit of our lives, inside and outside.

Unconventional. Quaintly. I was never one for convention. If anything, I was so out of the ordinary that my friends labeled me “weird” or “nerd” or some other partly accurate terms that I have since forgotten. I have always known that I was unlike anyone else, and that most of my interests lay outside the boundaries of my family and friends. The only people I know that closely resemble who I am, interests and all, are my brother and father. Even though I never really lived with them growing up, as a man I have come to understand that we are alike in so many ways. We all have a love of hip-hop music, even as their choice is gospel rap. I listen to that as well, but my interests are a bit broader. We love comic books, cartoons and sports. We share the ability to draw as well, although my ability may be a bit more refined than theirs. In any event, I have never followed the crowd. I have always blazed my own trail, and followed my own heart. In college, I even studied with people from the 5 Percent Nation, a group that believes the Black man is the maker and owner of the Earth, gods in their own right. I was always searching for truth, for something deeper, but not until I reaffirmed my relationship with Christ, was I undeniably released from the chains of doubt and regret. The “quaintly unconventional” moments in my life lead me to the place where I am today, writing these words as a testament to those who are doubtful and hopeless.

FEY: intro (part 2)

The second definition reads “marked by an otherworldly air or attitude”. Mysterious right? Someone like Jesus or Ghandi or Buddha would be fey. People that I have met along my little journey of living have suggested that I have an old soul. I gathered that this means that I am a little more learned and quite possibly a bit wiser than someone else of the same age. My attitude about life suggests this, and so I find that it serves me well. I don’t dare suggest that it has anything to do with my I.Q. or how many degrees I have. It isn’t even about what I have accomplished. It’s more about what God has done with opening my eyes to the Truth, and my ability to discern what is right and good. It is just one of my God given abilities, and I continue to cultivate it. It is not so otherworldly as it is having faith in God as it comes to the choices I make, whether they are good or bad. Once again, all Christians should have this characteristic.

Ha. The third definition is simply “crazy”. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I might seem a little crazy. This is not because I am out of my mind, but because I do things contrary to the status quo. Much like Jesus, we as His followers must exhibit godly characteristics that go beyond mere words and translate to action. His actions were often met with criticism and scorn. Many of his own people threw stones at him and spit upon him because he was stirring up controversy within their society. He told people that He was the Son of God. That didn’t just make people think he was crazy, it made them want him dead. He was hated and reviled by those who refused to understand his cause. Even now, Jesus is hated, but continues to work miracles through His Word. So when I pray in the Spirit or if I pray for a co-worker, some will find it unsettling because they are not used to being prayed upon. When I lay hands on someone and pray for healing, some will find that unusual as well. They may think I am crazy. This is to be expected, for the Lord said, “we will be hated” just as He was. We will experience something of the rejection and revulsion that He did, and will be hated for His namesake. That matters not to me. If I will be hated because I am thankful for what the Lord has done for me, if people think that I am crazy just because I love and have faith in my God, then so be it. I’ll be that. I’ll be crazy. I would rather be a little crazy than mostly lost.

FEY: intro

The ability to see into the future is something that no one is supposed to have. It has been said that some people are bestowed with this gift, but it is written in the Bible that no man knows the future of himself or anyone else. I find that the future is a troubling concept for most people, simply because it is an unknown, and will always be an unknown. This can be met with understanding, frustration and at the extreme, suicide. However, there are ways to calculate the probability that things will occur. You see this with weather forecasts, sales projections and the like. We are able to view the past and notice patterns, and the future becomes a little clearer. Yet, even with all of our calculations and forecasts, we can never be one hundred percent certain of anything.

I cannot see into the future, and I don’t know if I’d want to. The beauty of living, in my opinion, comes from that unknown. It’s about all of the beautiful surprises that occur along the way that lend life its mystery. I love that God gave us free will. And with that comes all the possibilities for all sorts of wonderful beginnings and endings and everything that comes in between. I am grateful that I can recognize this, and I find comfort in it. It gives me the hope I need to make it through the days. For even though I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I know that God wants only the best for us all. I can accept that and trust in Him.

I chose the word “fey” because it has so many definitions, and all of them point to different aspects of my life and how I would like to live my life. The first definition from above reads “able to see into the future”. Now, as I said before, I don’t want to see into the future, but as I study what is happening in the world today, I can see how the future will be. I will explain. As society continues its spiral downward, the future looks quite bleak. There is trouble in the world. Even so, God has said that, “In the world you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” This verse lends me hope. So the world continues as it is, and I can see the hatred overwhelming the planet. I can see the weather patterns changing, and the chill in the air is like death. Global warming. The AIDS virus. War. Prejudice. Injustice. It is frightening to know that if everything does not change, we could destroy ourselves. This is what “able to see into the future” means to me. This is nothing uncommon, you see. As Christians, we all should be able to interpret the signs.