I'm Back // The Newspaper

I've decided I want to write... again. But, this time it might look different than my old blogs posts looked. I just want a space to practice, a space to write for an audience, whether I have one or not. So here is something I wrote last week...

Nobody my age reads the paper. I am sure some people do, but from what ive gathered, your average run of the muck college kid does not read the physical, paper, newspaper. I wish I were the type of person that was “worldly” enough to want to read it every morning. If you find me reading anything in the morning though before I get going with my day it would be the bible. The problem is that I am selfish and most of the issues, problems, and events that are talked about in the paper will not affect me today. The craziness that is happening in Syria right now will not affect me today. It will not affect me getting to my classes on time, taking notes, eating lunch, or grocery shopping. And because of that fact I assume that it is fine that I don’t know anything about Syria. I am wrong.

I would say that about 80% of my decisions in a given day are made with my best interest in the forefront of my mind. Do I like that about myself? No. Is it an ugly truth that is worth taking a look at? Yes. Jesus calls us to take up our cross. He calls us to become less so that He can become greater. Jesus gave His life away, not because it was the cool thing to do or because it was in His best interest. He gave His life away because His father called Him to. He gave His life away because He loves us that much. He loved the people that He would never meet on earth. He loved the people that could give him, at best, their filthy rags. I do not think Jesus regrets that decision… ever. He gets to see all the goodness and joy and laughter and freedom that we hold and get to experience every single day on this earth. He says, “You’re welcome…you’re so welcome Katie. I got you that. You are welcome,” and then He smiles. The only way I know how to say “thank you” is to put others interests before my own, to care about the people that will never affect my life, to laugh until my stomach hurts, to pray continually, and to never stop running into the arms of my Savior.

As for the newspaper, I want to read it because the stuff that is written in tiny black print matters. It might not matter to me personally, but each child that lost his or her innocent life a few days ago has a mother, and she is hurting. Jesus’ heart is breaking for her and because of the heart He has formed in me, my heart breaks too. So I will pray. I will pray for Syria because I am a college student, who has to go coach high-school cross country in the morning, go to class after that, and build relationships with girls in my sorority the best I know how. I will pray because Jesus listens and that I am enough, no matter what I do.

So thank you for reading the newspaper at the dining room table this morning, Aubrey. Thank you for “ranting” about how consumed with our tiny lives we are. Thank you for telling me about Syria and urging my heart towards the heart of Jesus.

--And with that, I'll be back soon.