Stand Still and See the Miracles Happen

The experience of waiting is often viewed as a passive and unexciting one, yet I want to assure you that this is most certainly not so. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Laws and a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law, and traveling to see more of the world and gain some international work experience, I now find myself in what I believe to be the “waiting season of life”, hoping to find a job that will provide me with the opportunity to pursue justice and help people.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been called “the manager” due to my natural take-charge attitude. Now, however, I am being challenged to be still and wait, and learn to balance my natural go-getter personality with the new “waiting expectantly” attitude. Whether I was reading the Bible, listening to a sermon, receiving a prophecy, or just simply thinking and meditating, I always received the reassuring and encouraging message to “wait and trust Me, I will bring the right opportunities and people into your life.” Therefore, on this promise, my soul waits silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him, knowing that the Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him (Psalm 62:5; Lamentations 3:25).

While I was waiting and trusting God, I received an e-mail from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in Geneva asking me to undertake a traineeship with them. I did not even apply for that traineeship; therefore, the first thought that came into my mind was that trusting God to bring the right opportunities to me works! It was when I finally stopped chaotically chasing everything, hoping to catch something, and started to wait expectantly and trust God that He opened the door of a new opportunity for me. Two weeks later, I was training with the WEA, a permanent representation to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland. 
WEA is a global ministry working with local churches around the world to join in common concern to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus in their communities. The WEA network works to give a worldwide identity, voice, and platform to evangelical Christians. The organization achieves this through seeking holiness, justice and renewal at every level of society. I was responsible for writing reports on the human rights situation in Democratic Republic of Congo and Kazakhstan, for the submission to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a process that involves a review of the human rights situation of all UN Member States and it provides the opportunity for each State to explain what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries. The reason why the WEA submits reports to the UPR is to address human rights violations in countries under review and give recommendations to the governments of these countries on how to improve their human rights situation. Another reason for these reports and their follow-ups is to inform the churches on what their government says it will do and what it actually does to improve their human rights situation. WEA strongly believes in the power of churches, God’s children, to make a change in their country; but first they need to be well informed.

I asked God to bless my time in Geneva and help me make the most of it. I prayed that He would put me into contact with people who needed Him, who needed to be encouraged and (re)connected to Him. It was very humbling for me to experience how God used me, with all my imperfections, to introduce Him to others and to tell people about His unconditional love and forgiveness. I used my personal experiences to explain to my new friends how God speaks to me and what He has done in my life, and that He can do the same for them.

You might be thinking that you are where you are in life to do one thing, but God may be using you in so many other ways that you might not even be aware of! I thought I was in Geneva just to write reports, but I ended up meeting interesting people and having significant conversations about Christ, which changed their perspectives on life and Jesus.

Waiting should always be accompanied by prayer and the expectation that every day you are getting closer to God and to what He has prepared for you, while noticing and enjoying His miracles in the present. I encourage you to stand still and consider the wondrous works of God (Job 37:14). Pray that not one miracle He does in your life goes unnoticed, because every single thing that you notice God doing allows you to experience His presence and to increase your faith and trust in Him. Waiting is a period in which you can rest in Christ, order your thoughts, and pay attention to what God is doing in you, around you and through you. It takes courage and determination to wait expectantly; therefore, waiting is an active act where you constantly need to set your mind on God’s promises! Hold on to the promise that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint; therefore, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him (Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 37:7). Waiting is not a period of “doing nothing”. In this waiting season of my life, I do look for vacancies and apply for jobs, but I do not stress about the economic crisis or the lack of (paid) jobs in my chosen field of human rights. I believe that God is faithful to those who wait on Him and that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Your Heavenly Father is well able to make a way where there seems to be no way, and even to make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). Now therefore, stand still and see the great things the Lord is about to do before your eyes! (1 Samuel 12:16)

Encouragements From My Diary

Since I recently came back from Bangkok where I was doing a legal internship, I know that some of my friends are expecting a blog about my experiences in Bangkok. However, I have decided to do something different this time. I thought it would be better to write a blog about what got me through these experiences, and what encourages me right now. I keep a diary where I write about my thoughts, difficulties, revelations, progress, questions and answered prayers. I will simply share with you some parts of my diary; the passages that make me think deeper and that are currently encouraging me.

One of the passages that I’d like to share with you is from a Joyce Meyer sermon: “Finish what you've started. Finish your walk with God. Grow up! Go after spiritual maturity, not just stuff. Whatever you do, don’t let money rule your decisions. No amount of money is worth your peace. No amount of money is worth the stress that you end up with if you got a schedule that never leaves you any time for anything, except to run. God has a better life for us than just run and go and run.”

A prayer that helps me, comes straight from the Bible! “My prayer is for God my Father to fill me with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That I may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful (me: and not just busy all the time!) in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10). Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go (Psalm  32:8). Fashion my heart to make it look like Jesus’s (Psalm 33:15). Deliver me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4). Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 1:10).”

A sermon by Francis Chan has made me think about how I live my life. Do I live as Jesus would want me to live, the way that people who followed Him lived (the stories that are written in the Bible), or does my lifestyle mostly depend on culture and traditions? “When you are alone, reading the Bible, praying to God, do you feel peace? Or do you think that you could do more for God? Are you convicted of certain things?”

Since I find it difficult to focus when I am reading the Bible, but at the same time I want God to communicate with me through His Word, I decided to…start highlighting! Before I start reading a book from the Bible, I ask God to speak to me, to give me more revelations. Then I start reading a book with the intention that God will speak to me through it. Once I read a passage that applies to me and my situation, I highlight it. After completing the book, I go back and see all the passages that God used to speak into my life. I used this method while reading the book of Isaiah, and this is what God has told me (I quote from the book of Isaiah).

• In returning and rest, you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. 
• Therefore, the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him…He will be very gracious to you and the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying “This is the way, walk in it”. 
• You are My servant. I have chosen you and have not cast you away: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. 
• For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “fear not, I will help you.” 
• I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another. 
• Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 
• Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: “fear not My servant.” 
• I have formed you, you are My servant…you will not be forgotten by Me! 
• I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. 
• For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. 

I have decided to stop panicking about what I am going to do next in life, where I will be living, what job will I have (and when!), who will I marry (and when!), how many kids will I have, how many kids will I adopt...making plans A, B and C, just to make sure for my own peace of mind that my life will be awesome in any case scenario. I have decided to stop chasing everything at the same time and being afraid of missing out on something good. Instead, I will be still, trust God’s Word(promises), seek Him and spiritual maturity first, and He Will give me the desires of my heart. And remember,“those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10).” Amen!

He Saw Me Shining in the Future

A while ago, for some reason, I thought of the people who had a significant negative impact on my life; people who mistreated me - bullied, rejected, ignored, used. I guess one of the worst types of mistreatments occurred in highschool, when I was an insecure and unhappy 17 year old girl. I was going to a "white school", which means I was one of the very few "foreigners" in that school. I looked different from all the Dutch blond girls and I had an accent (still do!). In addition, I spoke up for other teens who got teased and couldn't stand up for themselves. All of this made me an easy target. I remember going to school crying, knowing that I would hear humiliating remarks thrown at me by the three school bullies, who were all in my class. I remember going back home crying, knowing that nothing will change anytime soon. I would come home, lock myself in my room and read the Psalms from the Bible. I found my comfort in God. He saw everything, He knew everything, and He gave me the strength to go through it all. He was there for me, encouraging me through His Word. It was better for me to go Through it, than if God would have made my life hurt-free pink fairytale. Because of that experience, I have more compassion for people who are hurt and I learned how to stand up and speak up for myself and for others. 

God sees us now, but He also sees how we will be in the future. He saw me in the future, He knew I will be better again, confident and Shine Joy! This life is a race, and I believe that Jesus stands at the finish line cheering us on and telling us that All things are possible for those who love God and keep running towards Him. 

The funny thing is, the people who made my life so miserable...I can't even remember their faces or names! All I know, I am much stronger now, and confident that with God, I can handle Any situation, no matter how hurtful or humiliating it is. If someone is making your life less pleasant now, trust me, after a while, you won't even remember their names! So is it really worth to get agitated and dwell on every negative thing people tell you? Don't let "little people" take away your joy. Don't get distracted. Shake off the negativity, get yourself a positive attitude by keeping your mind set on what God has to say. Start discovering who God is and on that journey you will find out who you are and step by step you will discover why you are here.

Hospitality...How It Should Be

My cultural/ethnic background is Armenian. One of the things that Armenians are known for is their hospitality. In my culture, guests are treated like VIP’s. We do everything we can to make our guests feel as comfortable as ever and encourage them to feel like they are in their own home. It is also our custom to give presents to our guests. For example, when one of our guests is a child or a newlywed, we always give them presents when they leave. In addition, if it was/will be our guest’s birthday in the near past/future, they will also receive a present from the hosts. Another custom is we do not go to somebody’s house empty handed (unless we are close friends and we see each other very often). Even when I have a sleepover at my Armenian friend’s house, they give me something nice when I leave. There is one rule that shall never be broken in my culture; You Do Not Let Your Guest Leave Your House Hungry. Armenian culture is very much about being generous and hospitable. We share whatever we have and we help however we can.

Having this cultural background, makes it easier for me to understand what the Bible says about sharing what you have with your fellow Christians and helping people with whatever you can. I personally pray that God will help me see the needs of others. I hope to be a person that offers help before anybody asks for it. When someone asks my help, and I am not equipped to help, I do my very best to find a person who can help. I don’t just hear them out, smile and say “well, good luck with that” (that actually did happen to me recently!). If somebody doesn't have enough money for food, and you do, well don’t just pray for them, invite them over for a dinner and when they leave, give them some money! If someone in your Christian family is walking around stressed out because they don’t have a place to stay, and you do have a house, well then offer them a room (or just the couch!) and help them find a room! I've read somewhere in the New Testament, that there was a church where Christians sold all of their belongings to provide for each other, and no one was in need. I am not telling you to go and sell your stuff; I’m just saying use your “stuff” to help others as much as you can. God gave you a house, a car and food for a reason, and You are not the Only reason. Share, give, help! We pray that God would bless us big, abundantly, beyond our imagination. Well, shouldn't this prayer give us an indication of how we should bless others? We as Christian do want to be more like Jesus and have His characteristics, right? Well, if you ask Jesus to bless you abundantly, and you want to grow more into the likeness of Jesus, shouldn't you also try to bless others abundantly? God uses people to bless people, and I want to be the kind of person who is fully available to bless people big time! I believe the more I am willing to help and bless people, the more resources God will give me to bless others.

I have the feeling that, usually, people are willing to help, whenever it suits them. One will help, as long as it won’t cost them money, sleep or anything else “important”. If I’m going to be a person who helps others whenever it suits me, then what makes me different from others? I think that one of the things that should make me, a Christian, different from others, is how much I am willing to serve others. If someone needs help, whether we are friends or not, I want to be the person who goes the extra mile and shows love to the person in distress and brings some peace into the situation. I hope this encourages you to think more about your serving heart.

Man Up and Ask the Lady Out!

I often see Christian singles who want to be in a relationship, but are not, while we are made to be in a relationship! After some observation and talking to Christian singles, I have finally decided to write a blog about it.

I am going to start by pointing out two situations that may occur in a church.

(1) Relationships between singles in a church become so friendly, that the singles start seeing each other just as sisters or brothers, and it becomes awkward to initiate something and express your “romantic” feelings. Let me break it down to you this way. I am a single woman, and if you are a single man, there is a chance that I see you not only as my brother, but also as a potential future husband!

(2) There is not much of a relationship between singles in a church, because, one is afraid of sending out the wrong message. You think that if you ask a girl out for a cup of coffee, she might think that you are "planning to marry her". Therefore, singles end up behaving awkwardly towards each other in church. Let me shed some light on this situation. We, women, do Not start planning our wedding whenever a man asks us out. If you ask me out for a cup of coffee, lunch, dinner or a whole day out, that does not mean that I will end up marrying you or expect you to have a relationship with me. Don't flatter yourself; it takes A Lot more than a (very classy) dinner or a day out to make me want to marry you, Ever. However, it could be a nice starter…
There are a few stories in the Bible where a man decides  that it is time for him to have a wife, so he takes the initiative and goes out to find himself a wife, often traveling long distances. Nowadays, single men don't even need to travel anywhere to find themselves a wife, there are plenty of good Christian women right in their church. Open Your Eyes and Look Around!
From a young age, we Christian females, are taught that the man is the initiator and the pursuer. So what do we do? We wait until the man (finally) takes the first step. What happens often is we wait, and we wait, and we wait. Eventually, we end up giving the guy a hint, aiming to let him know that we want to be more than "just friends". This often wakes the guy up a little and he Finally attempts to ask the girl out. This is just disappointing, because it shows us that men are often not the pursuers and the initiators as we hoped them to be. Men are often insecure and also wait and wait and wait for a hint from the female or hoping that God will open up the heavens and let the girl of their dreams descend right into their lives.
Men, what is the worst thing that can happen if you approach the lady? She says no. So what? The worst thing that can happen to a person is if one dies without having known and being known by Jesus. Now that's messed up! If you compare that with a “no” from a girl, then “rejection” does not seem so bad, does it? Asking a girl out is not a matter of life or death, do not exaggerate. Yes, we are all afraid of rejection, and that is often the reason why men do not initiate anything with the women they like, but instead choose to wait for a hint. It is the safer way, isn't it? You do not need to have courage or show strong male character if you have a hint from the girl that she likes you too. 

90% of the time, I do not feel attracted to Any man. However, I believe that quite a few men could have made  me fall in love with them, if they would have asked me out and shown some effort. Pursuing does not mean you wait for a hint from a girl. It means, you see, you like, and you conquer! Educate yourself and learn how to pursue a woman. Study the woman, know her likes and dislikes. Find ways to make her smile. Read Christians books on relationships, ask advice from older couples who know a thing or two about relationships. Put some effort into it! Do not just spend your life wondering, what could have happened if you did this or that. After all, you do not want to see the girl you like ending up with another man, just because you did not have the courage to simply ask her out. Have some courage and ask the girl out! If you like a Godly woman and you express that to her, she will Not mercilessly bring you down! We, women, understand that men may feel pressured or insecure, but it does not mean you should act on it! A Christian woman wants a man to take initiative, show strong character, and pursue her respectfully. We do not expect men to act perfect or to say all the right things. Nevertheless, we do appreciate the effort that a man makes to make us feel that we are worth pursuing and loving. 

The ‘After Graduation’ Mood

Dear me,

As I am writing my dissertation to complete my master’s degree in international human rights law, I cannot stop thinking about the future. You know…the life after graduation! Questions like ‘where am I going to live?’ and ‘what am I going to do?’ are running through my mind. 

In the period of one month, I have applied for so many (paid) internships and jobs, and contacted so many organizations, that I have lost the count. Sometimes I receive emails from organizations that I have completely forgotten! (Then I need to Google the organizations to remember why I emailed them!)

At moments like this, I appreciate extra much that I know the CEO of everything, the One who holds my future, the Comforter. God will give me everything I need at the perfect time so that I will acknowledge the fact that I got it all from Him. After all, He did not bring me this far, to just leave me hanging here! He will continue the good work He has started in me. I just need to have faith in God’s power.

This whole experience puts things into perspective. What is important? It is important to grow as a person into the likeness of Christ and acquire His characteristics. That needs to be my focus, and I should not be distracted from it. What I do now when I tend to fall into the ‘panic mood’, is being still and breathing! Exhale in and out, put things into perspective and focus on God’s love and provision for me.

Of course is applying for jobs the right thing to do after graduation. However, I should not get carried away with it, and start being all over the place and stressing out! I need to stay focused, apply for the jobs that I like and wait. Yes, I said Wait! While I am waiting, I should expect good things to happen to me and expect to be favored!

So relax, continue writing your dissertation, remember that God is in control and expect to be blessed beyond your expectations!

From me to me, and to other graduates who are in a similar situation.

Thoughts Running Through My Mind Lately

Once again God showed me that He has a sense of humor too! In my prayers, I told Him that I don’t understand hints, so He should tell me straightforward what He wants me to do in my life. Last week, someone had a prophecy for me (a message from God). I was told that I should not worry about what I’m going do next in my life, but that God will PUSH me to the right direction, that sounds like a straightforward answer to me!

In addition, as I was listing all the areas of my life that I have submitted to God's will, I prayed that if there is any other area in my life that I haven't submitted to God, He should tell me, so that I can submit that too. Before I could finish the sentence, God told me "your mouth''. Wow, that was quick! I understood that Knowing God's will, is not the same as Doing God's will. You may well Know that you should think before you speak and don't let anything negative come out of your mouth, but actually doing so, are two different things! You may well Know about God's will that is revealed in the Bible, but do you actually Do what the Bible says? Did you submit All the areas of your life to God? It's time that I really transform that little weapon of mass destruction (the mouth) into a weapon of mass blessings!

After reading the Bible and listening to many teachings, I came to the conclusion that the most important thing is to love God and to know God (not just know about Him, but to actually really Know Him on a personal level). Everything else will fall into place once you start focusing on getting to know God better through His Word (that’s the Bible), prayer and teachings (sermons, Christian books).

When I was little, I didn't think much about what I want to Do in my life, I thought about how I want to be when I grow up (kind, smart and beautiful: Okay, I confess, sometimes I also wanted to be a Barbie). Obviously, after getting to know who Jesus is, I want to be like Him (and that's a whole lot more than just being kind, smart and beautiful), because quite frankly, I’ve never met anyone or heard about anyone else who is more perfectly loving, humble, compassionate, friendly and wise than He is. 

What Are Your Motives?

Do you ever think about why you do the things you do and why you behave the way you do towards people? Are you being nice to people because you want them to be nice in response, to get thank you’s and compliments or  for people to think nice of you? 

I always ask God to correct my motives. It’s just something that is important to me; whatever I do, I want do it with the right motives and from a pure heart. There have been several situations in my life, which made me think about the motives behind my actions. Do I treat people well to get a positive response/appreciation from them, or because the God that I love and respect wants me to be friendly and loving towards everybody? 

It’s very easy to be nice to people who appreciate/acknowledge what you do and thank you. However, when someone doesn’t even understand you being nice to them or appreciate your efforts to be kind, and in return  mistreats you, then it becomes extremely demotivating to act lovingly towards that person! But don't give up on being the person that God created you to be: friendly, patient, loving and caring (and other good characteristics!). Whenever you're facing difficult times, you are building your character.

I learned that the way I treat people (my attitude towards people) should not depend on how they treat me, how they make me feel or what they think of me, it should depend on how God wants me to treat people and how He wants me to be (because God Always wants the best for me!). Jesus says "treat others the way you want to be treated". Have you ever thought about how you want to be treated and how you treat other people? I know that I can’t treat everybody lovingly in my own strength; my love is simply not enough. Therefore, I ask God to give me everything I need (love, patience, compassion etc.) and to teach me how to love people His way. Why? Because I love God and I want to please Him, and because my reward comes from God, and not from people. In addition, this way of thinking/acting, is not only benefitting me, but also the people around me. Next time when someone mistreats you and hurts your feelings, don't act the way your feelings want you to, but be kind on purpose! Know that you are serving God, not people, and God blesses the ones that follow Him (have faith in Him and do His will) according to His riches and not our limited imagination.

Good Things Do Happen in this World!

Ever since I started studying human rights law, I have people in my FB ''friend list" who also study human rights law or work in the field of human rights. Because of that, I've been seeing so many depressing messages about human rights violations posted on FB walls. I'm tired of seeing horrible things every time I click to update the FB page; “girl tortured in Afghanistan”, “child-marriages in Yemen”, “people dying in Libya”, "Nuclear weapons of Iran". Even the news is full of horror; well that brightens your day in the morning! 

There are also good and beautiful things happening in the world! God created so many beautiful things for us to see and to enjoy and He also works through people to bring healing into the lives of others.There are people who do good things, who don't violate "human rights". Why don't we pay attention to that a little more often? Why do people constantly try to show us all that is wrong with the world, and almost nothing about what good is happening in the world? You don't see anyone posting on their wall "there are more children being saved because of the works of Joyce Meyer Ministries in India'' or "New Hope Foundation helps to bring healing into the lives of many abused women, therefore more and more women are living healthy and happy lives". All of these good things do happen in this world, today! Let us not be blind to people in need or be ignorant to the issues of the world, but let us also give some credit to people who do good and be more aware of good things happening in the world too! Let's be more aware of the positive! Let some light shine in this darkness!