[Lost and Refound] Give – and Give Generously! /Gib – und gib großzügig!

This post might be mostly a message to myself, but maybe also to a few others in my generation. I also don’t intend to preach morals here; I rather want to stir up a discussion about an issue I’m dealing with and would love to hear other people’s insight on this!

People in Western countries today have more money at hand than ever before: in bank accounts, in investments, in savings, in large amounts they can spend everyday in shops or online.

Yet, I feel that people in Western countries today spend less money for and in the kingdom of God than ever before. I cannot give any statistics or exact numbers, so I might be totally off with this assumption.
But when I observe my own way of handling money or talk to a few others (as well as the almost absence of this topic from church teaching)  I feel we don’t necessarily link up our money and God’s perspective on that.

Here are some questions and issues I tend to struggle with…

What does God say about handling and giving money?
“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.” (Deuteronomy 16:17)

It seems the riches and blessings we’ve been given are not just meant for ourselves. Even though we work and earn money, everything we own is still a gift of God. And this gift has to be handled carefully. We should appreciate it (and its giver) by sharing our blessing with others. This also includes our money.

 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrew 13:16)

Sharing is not always easy. It might even be a sacrifice. But we can be sure that it is not in vain. It is so easy to cling to money, even though it cannot really offer us any security. By giving it up and sharing it with others we might also make a statement about who we actually put our trust in. 

So why don’t we give more?
I think the tricky part about many of God’s promises is to actually stand on them, to apply them to our own realities, to turn them into practice. The reality is a fixed figure in our bank account, the amount of bills and coins we have in our wallets, the list of regular expenses per month. 
That’s when I realize that my faith reality is often marked by a great lack of trust. No more bold song lyrics or pieces of advice. Just the simple realization: I don’t trust you with my money, God. If I give I might not have enough for myself. If I share I might end up losing.  
There might be other reasons like not knowing where exactly you should give your money to, drowning in a sea of opportunities. Or doubting that your money will be used for a good purpose. 

I love the way God refutes our hesitations, questions and doubts:

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Malachi 3:10)

The ten percent we give up for God’s kingdom and his purposes will always be rewarded. Our willingness to give will not result in lack or need. 

But what happens when we give? 
In human terms, giving away means having less. Spending means losing. Well, this is not how God works. His principles seem to contradict our often so set ideas:

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
    
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    
and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:24&25)

There is the story of the poor widow who gives just a few pennies (Mark 12). And yet God values her gift so much more than the rich people who might not even realize their money is gone. I don’t think God cares so much about the exact amount we put in the offering box. He is after our heart and our attitude while we give. Are we ready to let go of certain things and experience a change of heart in return? 

This is the mystery of faith: Everything you invest will be given back to you in amounts you can never possibly imagine. I am not saying you’ll be trouble free. I am not saying we’ll all be millionaires. But the water you give will come back to you in streams of life, grace, and blessings. Withholding equals want, but giving freely will lead to a richness only the giver of all riches can provide.

Now this was/is me rambling…What are your thoughts on this? How do you handle your money? Do you invest financially into the kingdom? How has God blessed you through this? Would love to hear from you!


Dieser Post ist vielleicht nur eine Botschaft an mich, aber vielleicht trifft sie ja auch ein paar andere in meiner Generation. Ich möchte auch keine Moral hier predigen; es geht eher darum, eine Diskussion anzustoßen über ein Thema, das mich beschäftigt und bei dem ich gerne die Meinung anderer hören würde!

Leute in westlichen Ländern haben heute mehr Geld zur Verfügung als jemals zuvor: auf Bankkonten, in Investitionen, auf Sparbüchern, in großen Summen, die sie jeden Tag beim Einkaufen oder Online ausgeben. 

Trotzdem kommt es mir so vor, dass Leute in westlichen Ländern heute weniger Geld für und ins Reich Gottes investieren als jemals zuvor. Ich kann euch keine Statistiken oder genaue Zahlen dazu bieten, deswegen liege ich vielleicht auch völlig daneben mit meiner Annahme. Aber wenn ich mich selbst beobachte, wie ich mit Geld umgehe oder mit anderen darüber rede (oder die fast Abwesenheit dieses Themas in Predigten) denke ich, dass wir nicht unbedingt unser Geld mit der Perspektive Gottes darauf verbinden. 

Hier sind also einige Fragen und Probleme, mit denen ich normalerweise kämpfe…

Was sagt Gott über Geld und Geld geben?
“Aber niemand soll mit leeren Händen vor demHerrn erscheinen, sondern jeder mit dem, was er geben kann, je nach dem Segen, den der Herr, dein Gott, dir gegeben hat.” (5.Mose 16:17)

Es scheint, als ob der Reichtum und Segen, der uns gegeben wurde, nicht nur für uns bestimmt ist. Obwohl wir arbeiten und Geld verdienen, ist alles, was wir haben, immer noch ein Geschenk Gottes. Und dieses Geschenk muss man kostbar behandeln. Wir sollten es wertschätzen (und seinen Geber), indem wir unseren Segen mit anderen teilen. Das gilt auch für unser Geld.
“Wohlzutun und mitzuteilen vergesst nicht; denn solche Opfer gefallen Gott wohl!” (Hebräer 13:16)
Teilen ist nicht immer einfach. Es kann auch Opfer erfordern. Aber wir können sicher sein, dass es nicht umsonst ist. Man hängt sich so leicht an Geld, auch wenn es uns eigentlich gar keine Sicherheit bieten kann. Wenn wir es aufgeben und mit anderen teilen, machen wir vielleicht gleichzeitig auch eine Aussage darüber, wem wir wirklich vertrauen. 
Warum geben wir also nicht mehr?
Ich glaube, das Schwierige an Gottes Verheißungen ist, sich wirklich darauf zu stellen, sie auf unsere Wirklichkeit anzuwenden, sie in die Praxis umzusetzen. Die Realität ist ein bestimmter Betrag auf unserem Bankkonto, die vielen Scheine und Münzen in unserem Geldbeutel, die Liste an regelmäßigen Ausgaben im Monat. 
Immer dann merke ich, dass meine Glaubensrealität von Glaubensmangel bestimmt ist. Keine mutigen Songtexte mehr oder Ratschläge. Nur die einfache Erkenntnis: Ich vertraue dir beim Geld nicht, Gott. Wenn ich etwas gebe, habe ich selbst nicht genug. Wenn ich teile, habe ich am Ende zu wenig. 
Es könnte noch andere Gründe geben, wie etwa nicht zu wissen, wo genau man sein Geld hingeben sollte, da man in der Flut der Möglichkeiten ertrinkt. Oder der Zweifel, ob das Geld auch wirklich gut genutzt werden wird.
Ich liebe die Art, wie Gott unsere Zurückhaltung, Fragen und Zweifel ausräumt:
“Bringt den Zehnten ganz in das Vorratshaus, damit Speise in meinem Haus sei, und prüft mich doch dadurch, spricht der Herrder Heerscharen, ob ich euch nicht die Fenster des Himmels öffnen und euch Segen in überreicher Fülle herabschütten werde!” (Maleachi 3:10)
Die zehn Prozent, die wir für Gottes Reich und seine Zwecke geben, werden immer belohnt werden. Unsere Bereitschaft zu geben, wird nicht im Mangel oder Not enden. 
Was passiert, wenn wir geben?
Menschlich gedacht bedeutet geben, dass man am Ende weniger hat. Ausgeben heißt verlieren. Tja, aber so arbeitet Gott nicht. Seine Prinzipien scheinen unseren festen Ideen so oft zu widersprechen:

“Einer teilt aus und wird doch reicher;ein anderer spart mehr, als recht ist, und wird nur ärmer.Eine segnende Seele wird reichlich gesättigt,
und wer anderen zu trinken gibt, wird selbst erquickt.” (Sprüche 11:24&25)

In Markus 12 gibt es die Geschichte der armen Witwe, die nur ein paar Pfennige gibt. Aber Gott schätzt ihre Gabe so viel mehr als die der Reichen, die vielleicht gar nicht merken, dass ihr Geld weg ist. Ich glaube, Gott geht es gar nicht wirklich um den exakten Betrag im Opferbeutel. Er will unser Herz und die Einstellung, wenn wir geben. Sind wir bereit, bestimmte Dinge loszulassen und dabei zu erleben, wie er unser Herz verändert?

Das ist das Geheimnis des Glaubens: Alles, was du investiert, wird dir in Summen zurückgegeben, die du dir nie hättest vorstellen können. Ich sage nicht, dass alle deine Probleme gelöst sein werden. Ich sage nicht, dass wir alle Millionäre sein werden. Aber das Wasser, das du gibst, wird zu dir zurückkommen in Strömen des Lebens, der Gnade und des Segens. Zurückkalten führt zu Wollen, aber freies Geben wird zu einem Reichtum führen, den nur der Geber aller Dinge geben kann.

Das waren/sind meine Gedanken…Was denkst du darüber? Wie gehst du mit deinem Geld um? Investiert du finanziell in das Reich Gottes? Wie hat Gott dich darin gesegnet? Ich freu mich, von dir zu hören!


[Five Minute Friday] Write

Normally, the prompts for Five Minute Friday concern how we see the world, what we think of certain ideas or how we could encourage people.
Well, today it is about what we actually do.
We write.
Why do I write?

I am a very busy person. Everyday I deal with different people, issues, topics, problems, places.
At night my head often spins and I sometimes worry I might go crazy over all of this. What if I forget something? What if I can’t figure this out?
My thoughts are full of people I still wanted to write to, friends I still wanted to call, errands I still have to run or just reflections on things that just happened.

It is very easy to get confused and lost in my own thoughts.
It is also very easy to feel overwhelmed by everything I still have to do (supposedly).

This is when writing comes in.
It has a certain power to bring order into my thoughts and my life.
It helps me to organize confusing schedules.
To express what I am really afraid of.
To confess my own messiness at times. To see clearly and prioritize well.
When I put running thoughts on paper they often miraculously turn into a clear and logical structure. Overwhelming thoughts become a bullet point on a piece of paper. They are there, but they are no longer able to overpower me.

To write is to conquer.

Writing has the power to speak and see the truth right in front of you. Black letters on a blank page or screen. Letters and words of truth. Of comfort. Of encouragement. Of readjusting my focus to a godly perspective.

To write is to speak truth into something or someone.
When I write I foremost speak to myself.
But in this little space of the internet I call my own I push some of my thoughts out of the nest and see if they can fly and speak to someone else as well.

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It’s great fun writing with others – over at Lisa Jo Baker‘s Five Minute Friday Party!

[Five Minute Friday] Hero

Hero.
Images of epic movies come to mind.
A one-man-show of a courageous guy saving the entire planet from evil/aliens/nature.
A coach who inspires his team to keep fighting even though they are way behind.
A family who stands together through fits, struggles and misunderstandings only to experience a happy end.

But well, those are movies. How about real life?
Most of the time we’re not heroic at all.

We feel tired in the mornings even though we just got up.
We despair at the sight of the pile of work waiting for us.
Hundreds of emails are sitting in our inbox, waiting to be answered.
We do not make an extraordinary amount of money, we don’t fix problems per second, we don’t save relationships just like that.
We sometimes have to force ourselves to read the bible, to go to church, even though we actually feel lost and slightly disconnected to God.
We struggle to be perfect friends, perfect spouses, perfect parents, perfect Christians, perfect people.

We try to so hard to be heroes for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, in church – only to be reminded every day that we are just ordinary people. We fall down, we get up, we live.
And I wonder if the heroic in all of this is not the trying to be different (and failing at it), but the honesty to admit the ordinary.

Instead of upholding a fragile facade let’s promote a new culture of honesty.
Instead of holding on so tightly to an image of fake perfection, let’s celebrate our imperfections.
Let our lives and churches be places where we complement each other’s imperfections and heal each other’s shortcomings.

“Cause in the broken we shall see restored the image of the king.” (Andy Flannagan) 
[By the way: this is just one line of a truly amazing song from Andy. You should check him out at: http://www.andyflan.com/!

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More thoughts on heroes? Visit Lisa Jo Baker‘s page!

[Five Minute Friday] Visit

Ever since the travel bug got to me many years ago, I have an urge to travel. To see new places, experience the smell of other countries, the rhythm of a new city, the breath taking scenery of a new landscape.

But more than that I want to visit people.
To see the way they live, eat at their favorite restaurant, dance to their favorite tune, take a tour at night around their favorite places in town.
To sit for hours and hours, with not much more than a cup of coffee, just talking about the ups and downs of life.
Sharing lives and sharing hearts.

I’ve had a few of such visits, and most of them were unplanned. No month-long planning, no detailed schedule. Just a bit of time. If you give time to a person, you are always in for a treat full of blessings. Always.

And yet, I am still here. Alone. What’s holding me back?
Well, there’s distance. Many dear friends live everywhere but close. A visit would take one or more plane rides. And a bit of a vacation.
And there’s money.

But, honestly, most of the time, it is plain laziness.
Or busyness. Or a lack of trust. Call it what you want.
Sometimes I discover myself not trusting a friendship enough.
Not trusting a surprise visit would be appreciated.
Not trusting I would be thrilled to see a friend simply showing up and “messing” with my packed schedule.
Not trusting that we should be just as fine seeing each other instead of typing our lives and thoughts.
Or not trusting I will finish the work load in front of me if I take a weekend off to spend with a friend.

Well, away with these thoughts!
Here’s to a bit more trust.
A bit more spontaneity and less planning.
A bit more friendship.
And hopefully, a bit (or a lot!) more visiting.

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How about visiting Lisa Jo Baker‘s blog for more interesting thoughts?

[Five Minute Friday] Encouragement

Just a few days ago I wrote this post about some of the experiences I had at Mission-Net, a major youth event I helped coordinate over New Years. What really stood out to me were not the main speakers on stage, the great messages they delivered or the music. It was the little things, often very quick and unseen, that blessed and encouraged me.
A hug. A smile. A short prayer in the hectic schedule. A cup of coffee, brought by a friend who knew I really needed it. A word of blessing.

It doesn’t take much to encourage others.

So I guess none of us really has an excuse to not do it. If we live through the day, aware of our surroundings and other people, there will be tons of opportunities to encourage someone. May it be a smile as you cross paths on the street. May it be a compliment on a friend’s new look. May it be a coffee date with someone who really needs someone to talk to. May it be a quiet prayer for someone in need. May it be a short note with encouraging words.

But most of all, may it be because you are you. You were created because the one who made you said, “I love this one. Everytime I see him or her handle her life and interact with others I am encouraged.” We are encouraged without even doing anything!
Being is enough.

So go and be – you never know how encouraging your presence or ordinary acts of kindness can be.

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For more encouraging words: head over to Lisa Jo Baker‘s Five Minute Friday!

The small things that matter/Auf die kleinen Dinge kommt es an

Even though it’s already mid-January I want to post some memories of an event that took place over New Year’s: Mission-Net.
Coming out of a Europe-wide youth movement this bi-annual congress seeks to bring together young people from all across Europe – to teach, inspire and equip them to live a missional lifestyle.

I only knew bits and pieces when I got involved in the planning team in January 2013; by the end of the year I was part of the leadership, running a congress for 2800 people. It was definitely a challenge, but also an adventure and an immense blessing!

I could tell stories of great music and worship, inspiring messages by great speakers from all over the world, seminars on all kinds of topics, about 50 different languages and dialects floating around the Messe compound of Offenburg.
Yet, when I look back at these seven days of congress (as well as the year of preparation going into it) there is a lot of little things I learned to appreciate, still marvel at, and most of all am incredibly grateful for. So here’s my take on Mission-Net 2013/14.

Don’t ever underestimate yourself. 
I had never organized something this big, and I also probably never had that much responsibility. I could bring a few things to the table, but I discovered so much more about myself! This challenge taught me so much about organization, coordination and communication as well as team leadership – and I must say I kind of like it (even though it might also be that one Germanness I have inside of me :))!
Nevertheless, it was also a process of getting to know myself, including my limits. It takes courage and wisdom to know where to get involved, when to shut off the computer, or when to step back from a job. This is definitely a life-long learning experience, but challenges are a good place to start learning.

Make it a habit to trust others.
As just said, I was (and still am) a newbie to this, and yet I was trusted with so much. I am so glad for the other leaders who trusted me, challenged me, encouraged me along the way, pushed me forward – and it lead to growth and blessing! We will never learn by just sitting in the closet; sometimes we need to leave the nest and test how far we can fly. Or we need to be the ones who “push” others out of the nest and encourage their first attempts at flying. I experienced both these situations; I was surely blessed by my own “flights”, but maybe even more by watching others soar and fly.

Teamwork truly is a gift. 
Most of the planning was done virtually, since the leadership as well as all other volunteers were spread all across Europe. Countless emails went back and forth, mostly with people I had never met before. Slowly by slowly, relationships developed, hidden between the lines of administrative emails. So I was even more excited to finally meet these people, finally putting faces and names together.
I guess it is rather curious to see that the only time we actually met was under stress, in the midst of a crazy schedule, with countless of requests and jobs pending. All of us had a lack of sleep, had been running around for many hours already – yet, there was not a single incident of snapping, impatience, or serious misunderstanding (which could have easily happened under such circumstances, with such a diversity of characters and personality profiles).
Instead I met the most incredible people, with great expertise on their topics, a fun personality and such an inspiring passion for people, prayer and God’s vision for this world. This was and is grace, some of them have become friends and I hope we stay in touch!

Be an encourager. 
Preparation involved writing a lot of emails, asking questions, making suggestions, bringing ideas together, organizing schedules and teams. This could be stressful at times.
Most of the congress I was running around between the different halls, solving practical problems, answering people’s questions or making requests happen. This cost me a lot of physical as well as mental energy, I was exhausted at the end of every day and yet could not sleep at night.
I am so grateful for every little joke in the emails making me smile in the midst of confusing coordination; for everyone who stopped me in my run to ask how I am doing; for every hug or smile along the way; for every prayer – these things carried me through and I could not have been that awake and energetic without you! In the midst of great messages on stage I guess it’s these little encouragements I take away from the congress.

We are part of something bigger.
One of the memorable things from this congress might have been NewYear’s Eve. We had a prayer night with the message: There is hope for Europe! Hundreds of young people interceded for their continent and all the people that God loves and wants to have close to him. And then we celebrated, as one continent, as a young generation ready to love and serve, as a European family.
So, I guess there is hope for this world – if we are ready to be used by the one who is and gives hope. And I am excited to see where these 2800 people will go, serve and bring a bit of that change they have experienced in their own lives!

Obwohl es schon Mitte Januar ist, möchte ich noch etwas posten von dem, was über Silvester stattgefunden hat: Mission-Net. Als Teil einer Europaweiten Bewegung will dieser Kongress junge Leute aus ganz Europe zusammenbringen- um sie zu lehren, zu inspirieren und auszurüsten für einen missionarischen Lebensstil. 
Ich wusste nur wenig, als ich ins Planungsteam eingestiegen bin im Januar 2013; am Ende des Jahres war ich in der Leitung und habe einen Kongress für 2800 Leute organisiert. Es war definitiv eine Herausforderung, aber auch ein Abenteuer und ein ungemeiner Segen!

Ich könnte Geschichten erzählen von guter Musik und Lobpreis, von guten Predigten von super Rednern aus aller Welt, Seminaren zu allen möglichen Themen oder den ca. 50 Sprachen auf dem Messegelände. 
Aber wenn ich auf diese sieben Tage Kongress (und das Jahr an Vorbereitung) zurückschaue, gibt es viele kleine Dinge, die ich schätzen gelernt habe, die mich immer noch begeistern und über die ich unendlich dankbar bin. Hier ist also meine Rückschau auf Mission-Net 2013/14.

Unterschätz dich nicht.
Ich habe noch nie so etwas großes organisiert und hatte noch nie so viel Verantwortung. Ein paar Sachen konnte ich mitbringen, aber ich habe noch so viel mehr über mich herausgefunden! Diese Herausforderung hat mich so viel gelehrt über Organisation, Koordination, Kommunikation und Teamleitung- und ich muss sagen, mir hat es Spaß gemacht (vielleicht ist das aber auch das bisschen Deutschsein in mir:))!
Ich habe aber auch mich selbst kennengelernt, auch meine Grenzen. Man braucht Mut und Weisheit zu wissen, wo man einsteigt, wann man den Computer ausmacht, oder wo man sich raushalten sollte. Das ist sicher ein lebenslanger Prozess, aber diese Herausforderung war ein guter Ort, mit dem Lernen anzufangen. 

Lerne, anderen zu vertrauen. 
Ich war (und bin wohl immer noch) ein Anfänger bei all diesen Dingen, und trotzdem wurde mir viel zugetraut. Ich bin den Leitern sehr dankbar, dass sie mir etwas zugetraut haben, mich herausgefordert haben, mich ermutigt haben- es hat zu Wachstum und Segen geführt! Wenn wir nur in einer Kammer sitzen, lernen wir nicht viel; wir müssen auch mal das Nest verlassen und testen, wie weit wir fliegen können. Oder aber wir müssen andere aus dem Nest “stoßen” und ihre ersten Versuche zu fliegen unterstützen. Ich habe beides erlebt und wurde durch meine ersten “Flüge” gesegnet, aber wohl noch noch mehr, wenn ich andere fliegen habe sehen. 

Teamarbeit ist ein Geschenk.
Die meiste Planung geschah virtuell, da die Leitung überall in Europa verstreut war. Viele Emails gingen hin und her, die meisten Leute kannte ich nicht. Langsam entwickelte sich eine Beziehung, versteckt zwischen den Zeilen der Planungsmails. Also habe ich mich umso mehr darauf gefreut, die Leute kennenzulernen, endlich Namen und Gesicht zusammenzubringen. 
Eigentlich ist es interessant, dass die einzige Zeit, wo wir uns gesehen haben, unter Stress war, inmitten krassen Zeitplänen und Anfragen. Alle hatten Schlafmangel, waren viele Stunden herumgerannt – trotzdem gab es keinen einzigen Vorfall, wo einer schnippisch, ungeduldig oder verwirrt war (was total normal gewesen wäre unter solchen Umständen, bei so vielen Charakteren und Persönlichkeiten). 
Stattdessen habe ich unfassbar tolle Menschen getroffen, mit viel Wissen, einer tollen Persönlichkeit und einer Leidenschaft für Menschen, Gebet und Gottes Vision für diese Welt. Das war und ist Gnade, manche sind Freunde geworden und hoffentlich bleiben wir in Kontakt!

Sei ein Ermutiger. 
Im Vorfeld habe ich viele Emails geschrieben, Fragen gestellt, Vorschläge gemacht, Ideen zusammengebracht, Teams und Zeitpläne organisiert. Das war manchmal stressig.
Während des Kongresses rannte ich zwischen den Räumen hin-und her, habe praktische Probleme gelöst, Fragen beantwortet…Das hat körperliche und geistige Energie gekostet, ich war am Ende jedes Tages erledigt und konnte doch nicht schlafen. 
Deswegen bin ich umso dankbarer für jeden kleinen Witz in einer Email, der mich zum Schmunzeln brachte; für jeden, der mich stoppte um zu sehen, ob es mir gutgeht, der nachfragte; für jede Umarmung und Lachen; für jedes Gebet – das hat mich durchgetragen und ich hätte nicht so wach und energiereich sein können ohne euch! Trotz der guten Predigten von der Bühne sind es wohl diese kleinen Ermutigungen, die ich von diesem Kongress mitnehme. 

Wir sind Teil von etwas Größerem.
Eins der eindrücklichen Dinge war wohl Silvester. Die Bostschaft war: Es gibt Hoffnung für Europa! Hunderte von jungen Leute standen für ihren Kontinent und all die Menschen, die Gott liebt, ein. Und dann wurde gefeiert, als ein Kontinent, als eine junge Generation, die lieben und dienen will. Als eine europäische Familie.
Es gibt also noch Hoffnung für diese Welt – wenn wir uns gebrauchen lassen von dem, der Hoffnung is und gibt. Und ich bin, wo diese 2800 Leute hingehen werden, um zu dienen und ein bisschen von dieser Veränderung zu leben, die sie selbst erlebt haben!

[Five Minute Friday] See

I often walk through town, and since it is a rather small town, I run into people I know.
From university, from church, friends of friends… Sometimes we just say a quick “Hey”, sometimes we just pass a smile. But sometimes we stop rushing to the next appointment and start talking.
How have you been? When did we last see each other?

Sometimes I receive a casual message from a friend, and before we know it we end up talking for hours. Sharing a bit of our lives and hearts, all the time wondering what depth we’ve just discovered about each other.

Interestingly these moments make me realize how little I actually see.
While we’re talking my start continues to race and wonder how many things I would have to kick off my to do list because it was interrupted. While I hear about another person’s life I wonder how I could miss that, how I did not come alongside them when they were struggling, or laughing with them when they saw victory.
I might be called that person’s friend, but all too often I stay on the surface and see nothing but a perfect facade.

We’ve all been given eyes and the ability to see. Yet it seems to be our choice where we look, what we want to see.
Why not make the choice this year to see deeper?
To not look away or on your busy to do list, but to see people?
See what their life looks like, see what they struggle with, see what they rejoice about.
Choose to see more than a glimpse, and let yourself be seen by others.
Not always an easy thing to do, but everytime I did it I was immensly blessed and wondered why I didn’t do it more often.

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It’s Friday and I encourage you to SEE deeper into what others have to say over at Lisa Jo Baker‘s blog!

[Five Minute Friday] Fight

It’s a new year and Five Minute Friday is back! So here we go…

If you’re not into boxing then fighting doesn’t seem attractive in life. No one would look for a fight where there isn’t any, none of us appreciates struggle. And yet, when we look back on our lives it isn’t really important that we fought but how we dealt with difficulties and their results.

I am the firstborn in my family which gives me the privilege and also burden to try new things first. Moving out, going overseas, driving a car, looking for a job…There were quite a few situations I stood in front of a fight and wondered: Do I pick this fight or do I back down? What if I fail? What will come after the fight?

I remember when we came back from Uganda and had quite a rough start back home. Stranded in a small village. Suddenly no connection to the big, exciting world. No friends. No church. Even this first year was pretty hard I now realize it helped me to explore my leadership skills as well as first steps in worship leadings, preaching, or authentic Christian life.
I remember flying to South Africa after highschool graduation for a year of uncertainty, with strangers in yet unknown surroundings. Not every day was easy, joyful and exciting – yet it was the most impacting year of my life, shaping my personality, heart and soul and faith.
In retrospect my life often seems like an up and down of good and bad times. But only because I went through some tough and challenging times I can now appreciate the good ones even more.

And I remember the image of a bamboo. It looks a bit like a string of individual pieces glued together. In between the thinner parts there are thick knots. The reason is fairly simple if you look at the size bamboos can have, some of them can grow as high as 38 meters . The reason are these little knots, which stabilize the bamboo and enable it to grow even higher. Each knot means more growth, more life.

The bamboo it might serve as a good illustration for our lives. Some tough times might look like one of these knots, when we seem to be stuck with a problem or situation, when we fight with something over and over again. But later on we realize that such knots are necessary to enable new growth, new life, new depth.

So let’s move forward. Let’s pick our fights wisely, and remember the growth and depth we’ll get out of them.

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It’s Friday again, and this means that the writing community at Lisa-Jo Baker‘s website is back! Go check it out!

[Five Minute Friday] Reflect

Reflect. This is a word that’s been used a lot in recent years, because it sounds so deep, evaluative, reflective. 

By “reflect” people mean the soul search you do, to look inside of you and find something deep and meaningful about life or a certain experience. Which is true.
But I believe there is more.
Reflect doesn’t only have that inward perspective, but should be directed to the outside. Show something, reveal something, reflect something to the world and the people around you. 
The question is: What do YOU reflect? What do you want people to see when they look at you? Is there anything worth showing off?
I believe this is where the two meanings of reflect come together. 
We need that look inside of us to find out what is already put in us, what our soul’s been hiding for so long. There is more than we think. 
I heard a fascinating story about a goldsmith once who gave a tour to some ladies. When he was melting amber he talked about refinement and one lady asked him, “When do you know that the piece is refined enough?”And he answered, “When I can see myself in it.” 
In God’s hands we are like amber, being refined and molded and shaped. It might take a while, but we can be sure that HE has put something of himself inside of us, his images. And that when he looks at us he sees a bit of himself in us. 
Knowing what’s inside of us is the first important step of reflection. But showing it to the outside is equally important. Discover the bits and pieces that God himself has implanted inside of you. Discover your passions, driving motivations, reasons for joy. 
Because the more you find them, the more it will reflect to the outside and others can see who you are, and who made you. 
There are many examples of great people who simply reflected what they had found in themselves. One of them is Nelson “Madiba” Mandela, the father of South African liberty, who passed away yesterday. Many things have been written about him, said about him, so I won’t say much. But since I lived in this beautiful country and fell in love with it, I cannot help being grateful for what he reflected to his society- in the midst of corruption, Apartheid and hatred. He found love and forgiveness and understanding inside himself, and he showed to those around him until they would understand. May his reflection continue to impact South Africa and understanding, forgiveness and love grow. 
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One last time this year I am joining writers all over the world at Lisa Jo Baker‘s Five Minute Friday. We will take a break for the rest of December, but I will surely be posting other things! 

[Lost and Refound] Forgotten Blessing/ Vergessener Segen

The other day I took a trip down memory lane, not really intended but absolutely worth while.
I was looking for something on my hard drive and stumbled across some old pictures and videos from the year I had worked in South Africa.

My sense of time didn’t matter anymore; I just lost myself in memories of rich landscapes, beautiful faces of beloved friends and vivid accounts of all the experiences we had together.
There was a lot of travelling, seeing places in the world that took your breath away.
There were so many encounters with people you cannot forget.
There were so many challenges you thought were overwhelming at first; yet, they only made you stronger in the end.
There was laughter, craziness, joy, silence, understanding.

Some pictures made me sigh. Some pictures made me cry because I just missed everyone and everything so badly. But most of the pictures and videos made me laugh out loud and smile all over my face. And made me think: We have been crazy blessed! What a privilege to experience the best and the worst of life together with such amazing people; to fall and to grow together, to laugh and to cry, to dream and to love – and to share a past together no one can ever take away from us.

Don’t we ever forget these memories. Don’t we ever forget how the father pours blessing over blessing into our lives, whether we see it or not. It might take a while to dig them up, but blessings are there and our hands are fuller than we think.

Vor ein paar Tagen habe ich ein bisschen in meiner Erinnerung gestöbert, unabsichtlich aber so wertvoll!
Ich habe auf meiner Festplatte etwas gesucht und bin dabei auf alte Bilder und Videos gestoßen von dem Jahr, das ich in Südafrika verbracht habe. 

Ich habe meinen Sinn für Zeit völlig verloren, weil ich so in Erinnerung versunken bin an reiche Landschaften, wunderschöne Gesichter geliebter Menschen und lebhafte Bilder all der Erfahrungen, die wir zusammen gemacht haben. 
So viel Reisen und Orte sehen, die einfach atemberaubend sind.
So viele Begegnungen mit Menschen, die man nicht vergessen kann.
So viele Herausforderungen die zuerst überwältigend schienen, am Ende aber nur stärker machten. 
So viel Lachen, Verrücktsein, Freude, Schweigen, Verstehen.

Einige Bilder haben mich nachdenklich gemacht. Einige haben mich zum Weinen gebracht, weil ich alles und alle plötzlich vermisst habe. Aber die meisten Bilder und Videos haben mich laut lachen lassen und ich musste übers ganze Gesicht lachen. Und denken: Wie mega gesegnet sind wir! Was für ein Privileg, die besten und härtesten Zeiten des Lebens gemeinsam zu verbringen; zu fallen und gemeinsam zu wachsen, zu lachen und zu weinen, zu träumen und zu lieben – und eine Vergangenheit zu haben, die uns keiner nehmen kann. 

Diese Erinnerungen dürfen wir nicht vergessen. Wir dürfen nicht vergessen, dass der Vater Segen um Segen in unser Leben hineinlegt, ob wir es sehen oder nicht. Es dauert vielleicht ein bisschen, bis wir sie ihn ausgegraben haben, aber Segen ist da und unsere Hände sind voller als wir denken.