The Fault in our Stars.

The title of this post is based on a movie about two teens, Hazel and Augustus who both have different cancer conditions. They met at a cancer support group and their journey of love follows the complexity of living a full life within a short time. Truth is, I have not watched the movie yet but was deeply moved by its promotional clip. The part that caught my attention was when Hazel asked Augustus why he was staring at her. He gave a simple yet profound answer "because you are beautiful".According to the world standard, there is nothing pretty about a girl living with cancer and logging around an oxygen tank to help her breath. But Augustus saw beyond Hazel's challenges and only focused on the beautiful woman trapped within that broken shell. Never mind that Augustus was broken Himself. Knowing his own "brokenness" he connected with Hazel's "brokenness". The cancer was the bridge that brought them together. He did not judge her or condemn her but empathised with her suffering because he was suffering too. He understood her pain, weakness and frailties.

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In  a particular scene in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, the noble man Cassius says to Brutus  "the fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves".
We live in a broken world with broken people who deny their brokenness but go about hurting people while hurting themselves.  The world is filled with hurting people trying to heal others when they require healing themselves.These ones end up doing more harm than good "you hypocrite,first take the plank out of your own eyes and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother's eyes" Matthew 7:5 .
The thing is we've all got something in our "eyes". Nobody has perfect vision that is why every man is a work in progress as we journey to perfection.

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I sometimes attend a support group for parents with special needs kids in my area. The aim of the group is for parents to glean from each others experiences and encourage one another. At the meetings we don't laugh at each other but laugh together, bonded by our challenges though some more trying than others. It would be foolhardy to laugh at others when my life aint so perfect itself.
Our challenges might be different but everyone has got an issue whether speck size or plank size. Instead of laughing at others, show understanding!
The fault in our stars is that we spend too much time time judging others instead of empathizing, showing compassion and offering  a helping hand.

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That's why I adore Jesus. He did not come to judge the world but save. John 12:47. He had every right to condemn but he didn't.
Relationships will augur well if people love more and judge less. The fault is not with our stars but in us.Too many broken people acting all put together but broken nevertheless.  We are broken people desperately in need of a saviour. Thank God we may be imperfect but we serve a perfect God who makes all things beautiful in His time.

Water of Life

Kirstin hates fish! For some reason the mere sight of any fish in whatever manner seems to irk her. I have noticed at several events how she walked past any delicacy that contained fish no matter how it was garnished or presented. This particular day, a meeting was held at my house and my dearest catering crew decided to make a platter of fish the main dish. So guess who turned up her nose at my lovely array of food but I wasn't going to let her get away with it this time-no one turns up their nose at the food I spent good money on even if she's wearing drool worthy shoes! "Are you not eating anything", I asked "innocently. She shrugged her shoulders but I wasn't letting go easy. After much prodding she told me she HATED fish because of the painful memories associated with it in her life.(seriously, I initially found it difficult to believe because food plus+me= very happy memories and I've got my plus size waistline as proof..lol). Kirstin parents were poor and could barely feed their 5 children. A good meal most times consisted of unmentionables with the obligatory Mackerel fish heads that her mum could glean off the market fish monger. So fish in whatever form reminded my dear friend of poverty and shame despite the fact that the memories were over 35 years old. Kirstin now has the privilege of avoiding fish as she could afford to eat whatever she likes but our dearest woman at the well did not have that option. Remember the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-40? In her discussion with Jesus she requested for the living water "so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” She wanted that life giving water so she wouldn't be drawing from that "well again". "The well" was a constant reminder of her position in society-a fallen woman, outcast, recluse, fornicator etc. She was tired of quenching her thirst with water drawn in despair, lonliness and shame. It was bad enough that she had to make that endless journey but drawing water from that well was labourious "the well is deep" (John 4:11). Imagine making that painful journey day in, day out, year in, year out; same drugedry yet no new outcome. She always went back thirsty! Imagine her surprise, when she found there is a way out of her present life of shame and that way was just by the well. Like this nameless woman, I had a well I was drawing from for years. It was a well whose water was coloured with pain, regrets, depression,failure until I found another kind of well whose water was refreshing and life giving. All I had to do was exchange one for the other. People in developing countries appreciate pipe borne waters because they've experienced the challenges of drawing water from murky wells and river-its more convenient, healthier and readily available. No more long treks to fetch mostly dirty water. what well have you been drawing from? It may be the aftermath of misadventure, failure, rejection, abortion, divorce, fear you can stop today. You must know by now that drawing from the well of negative actions is never easy. It is painful and dark. When you think of people that hurt you in the past or opportunities lost, you suddenly become infused with anger and pain and the day just roles into despair and depression. Lets chose to drink from the well spring of living waters its REFRESHING, LIFE GIVING AND FREE.