The Secret to Being Blessed

To my pleasant surprise, many people have asked if I plan on blogging my trip to Northern Ireland. While I hope to be able to do so, I am not entirely sure if we will have frequent internet access. If we do, great. If not, I will journal and upload the blogs by date upon return. Either way, you will get the full story and the full response.

Most of you readers can probably recall a significant trip/excursion in your life in which you were really busy up until the very minute of your departure. My life at this moment epitomizes this experience. I still have hours upon hours of studying to do for a World Religions exam and Theology exam tomorrow. I have class from 7:40 AM until 2:50 PM. Our departure from campus is at 3:15, at which point we will drive to Philly. We fly out of Philly tomorrow night around 9:30 and will arrive in Northern Ireland in the morning (approx. 5 hour flight and 5 hour time zone change). We fly back into Newark, NJ in the early afternoon next Friday.

I want to give everyone a quick and ultra-exciting update about my recent experiences. Last Tuesday I was sitting in my chair during Phonathon, making my usual calls. I wasn't doing too well that night, but many of the new employees were totally dominating. I realized that my time was done. My work for the school did not need to be done by me.

We've all hit a glass ceiling with our faith; we see where we need and want to be in our spirituality, but there is something undefinable that holds us back from achieving such enlightenment. For me, it is dependence upon money, a reliance on myself to have my needs fulfilled.

If you observe the Acts 2 and Acts 4 church, the early church, you are exposed to communism. This is how we were intended to live, working hard with our own gifts to benefit the lives of others. This is how God's Kingdom is developed on earth.

I took my spiritual concerns to my wonderful bosses, Erin and Anthony. I explained my idolization of money. I also explained that asking people for money for the school is against my conviction because I have seen people living in poverty. Because I have witnessed such injustices, I am ineffective as a caller and promoter of donations to Messiah and the college's students. Erin and Anthony could not have been more receptive to my message, nor could they be more hard-working and effective human beings with their jobs. They are the best bosses I've had, and I have had some great ones. I say without hesitation that they bless students at Messiah even when those students are unaware.

Quickly, I would like to dispel Phonathon myths (feel free to skip this part if you have no negativity toward the Office of Development). I know that many people quit Phonathon because the job is tough. Asking for money is hard (but it has been a great opportunity that has shaped my humility and character). I did not quit because it was hard; I quit because I was being held back in my faith. To students: Yes, your parents pay thousands of dollars for you to go to school, but Phonathon actually saves you thousands of dollars each year. Furthermore, even if your parents contribute $1, that boosts our participation in standings that rank Messiah College number 6. If we can clinch the #5 spot, Messiah College will be much more likely to gain massive donations from outside companies and foundations that analyze these standings. The point has never been to bother your family or rip you off. To everyone: Being good stewards of finances is very difficult, but it can be done. You are encouraged to voice your concerns at Messiah. They will listen and act. I know this because I have done so. Community does not stop at the student level. The faculty is here as well.

Anyway, so I quit my job. That's right, college student, no income. I'm not justifying my laziness. People that get 5 hours of sleep each night aren't lazy, they are ineffective due to busyness. Since I quit my job and began to invest more in other people rather than my own bank account, here is what has happened:

1.) I got a message from Mom saying that I'd be pretty much covered for my next year of schooling: Since dad has been unemployed and between jobs, we got a lot of financial aid.

2.) My church gave me a $100 check for N. Ireland, and several others expressed addition interest in supporting us. Our expenses are nearly covered.

3.) I went to an Anathallo concert in Baltimore Friday night. A casting agent tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to model in NYC for a photographer that I very much admire. He did the album art on Sigur Ros' latest release. (I'm hoping I can stay in contact with them.)

4.) The Saturday after that concert I played a show in New York, and I realized that I needed to purchase a new bass guitar. Mine is in horrible condition, and my main bass has been broken since May (still need to send it to the manufacturer). Monday night Dan Garcia calls me while I'm working and leaves me a voicemail saying that he has two bass guitars just taking up space in his room. So he's giving me two basses.

So, naturally, I'm extremely pumped that pushing myself to spiritual discomfort has "paid off" in the truest sense of the phrase. It has been a great testimony to God's love. I went home today and I had a sinus appointment; they stuck this camera thing like six inches into my nose. It was weird as anything to feel stuff move around inside my face.

I got back to campus this afternoon, and just as I am about to call my bank (as suggested by Margeaux) to tell them not to worry about activity on my card in Northern Ireland, I get a call from "Washington DC." I answered the phone and was told that I got accepted into the Uganda Christian University Intercultural Missions Study Program. So it looks like August 25-December 15 I will be living with an African family, bathing from a bucket, eating rice and beans, and taking classes to learn about cross-cultural ministry. There are so many opportunities to put it in to practice as well! Oh man!

Needless to say, I've had the best two weeks ever. Good news after good news.

Unfortunately, it's easy to point the finger to Christ and say, "God has blessed me and that's why I'm a Christian." I refuse to do this. While God's hand was undoubtedly involved in my life as of recently, it would be an injustice for my testimony to be, "Love Jesus and good things will happen." What about all of the people who are disowned by their families for their faith? What about the man who is tortured because he confesses faith in God? What about the many Afghanistan families that have been recently executed because they are my brothers and sisters in the body of Jesus Christ?

I really wish that I could apply a formula. If I could it would be: give up your possessions, realize that Jesus is an anti-capitalist, push your faith to the point of discomfort, then accept your blessings.

The truth is, I wasn't expecting to be blessed; I was welcoming hardship because that hardship would produce in me character and perseverance.

In world religions, we talk about many Buddhist paths. One Buddhist thought considers the topic of Karma: the key is to not gain any. Good deeds must be done unintentionally and impulsively to reach enlightenment. Sometimes I spend so much time worrying and praying about things. This causes me not only to lose faith, but to rely on my religious efforts to gain my desires (which, according to Buddhism, I should not have anyway if I want to be liberated from suffering). I didn't spend much time, if any, praying about my need for a bass guitar. I didn't ask God to provide me with lots of financial aid or further assistance with the Northern Ireland trip. Without self-righteous intentions, I say that I've been praying more for the divine assistance of others. I have things so easy. This world, for me, is easy. I just make it complex.

It should be noted that we depart for Northern Ireland in 19 hours. I always get off topic.