Ash 1...find joy in today...

I was supposed to find something to be joyful about today. And even though I knew all day about this and I kept looking, the day proceeded to get worse and worse. I sometimes find it really difficult to work with people who are so against Jesus. In reality what they are against is religion. Which isn't so bad, except that I don't think that they really seperate Jesus, Christianity, and Religion. I've worked there for over a year now and it's only really gotten so spiritually intense the last couple of months. Maybe I'm just starting to pay attention. Anyways, today a girl I work with forwarded an email entitled "Are you going to hell?". I knew right away that it was not going to be a good situation. (Considering it had also just followed an email titled "How long will you live?") I actually didn't do the quiz right away. I went for a long walk to get a drink of water...lol...partly avoidance, partly I just had no idea what to say when I knew they'd ask me if I'd done it. They know I'm "religious" (lol) and as such like picking on me for being a geek...haha. So I get back and they're discussing what their score was on "going to hell". (The lower the score the closer to heaven you are) The thing is was that they were actually competing to see who was closer to hell. I did the quiz and at the end after you've answered the last question the screen comes up "you are going to hell". It actually brought alot of thoughts to me. Obviously using "hell+brimstone" evangelism is not working. Everyone I work with was told today that they are going to hell. And it means nothing. Being awake means nothing to those who are sleeping. Awake doesn't exist. So of course I got asked what my score was, followed by the usual "of course, she's all religious--chuckle chuckle". And it absolutely made me ache inside. Not because I was being picked on, but because I can live in this world for 21 years, following Jesus for the last 7, and I still don't know how to reach them. How to love them. And wake them. I know all the words, all the actions, and I have tools and books up the wazoo. But. But their hearts still don't know Jesus. The people I work with, and many other unbelievers I've met the last little while, don't think much of "Christians" because they think we're 1) judgemental, 2) loving them/getting to know them with an agenda, and 3) boring. And this is what I'm finding. That eloquent words, ministry "tools", and even all the good intentioned "save them from hell" theology isn't getting us anywhere. We need Jesus to speak to the real deep down need in their hearts. We need to love them unconditionally, not just to get them to become Christians. And we need to have joy. Only Jesus can save the people I work with. We can't and shouldn't want to fool them into becoming Christians. If someone is sleeping and you run into their room, jump onto the bed screaming, and put your face into theirs, they are going to punch you and then roll over and go back to sleep. Let's let Jesus wake them. Let's let Him use us to make the coffee, hug them, and do whatever He wants. Not what we think is best. Okay, well I've gotten carried away with this email. What was joyful in my day today?... Jesus' sweet voice telling me that He is sufficient in my weakness. It brought joy into my life to see how crazy in love Jesus is with the people I work with. Hmmm....yeah. Too long email, but I just got carried away and had to get all this stuff out. Bless you today. Let Jesus wake your heart closer and closer to Him. I pray you'd find Joy in your life today. Amen.