the best teacher

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 6

I didn't want to post this link on Facebook but I found it helpful as someone living in the midst of many who often claim that 'sex is a social construct'. So I figured I'd share it here.

Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme
'In two states, a doctor who would look into the psychological history of a transgendered boy or girl in search of a resolvable conflict could lose his or her license to practice medicine. By contrast, such a physician would not be penalized if he or she started such a patient on hormones that would block puberty and might stunt growth'

I've been really struggling lately with the feeling that if I speak, those around me will start spouting assumptions not only about me but about my Lord. 

Well, I already hear them. Living in a place that was reconquered by Catholics after an Islamic rule means hearing about the intolerance of Christianity. Admitting that I am a Christian can lead to taking on a lot of assumptions. 

I had a whole post written out about this topic but I realized it was not coming from the right heart.

So, reading back through my journal I was caught by this: Love is patient. Love is kind.

That was written as I was been struggling with patience and kindness toward someone. It always gets me, even though it may be one of the passages I've heard most frequently over the course of my life thus far.

I was thinking the other day about how having a good teacher, more than anything, makes me want to work hard in whatever class. And then I was taken back suddenly, thinking about God as a teacher. He had compassion on the crowd and taught them. He takes compassion on me and teaches me.

So when I just want to burst from the intolerance I feel is directed toward me in the name of being tolerant of everything-really I almost went on a tangent there to rewrite the post I already decided not to write- I hear him saying 'patient....kind'.

His love is patient and kind. 

I love resting in the promise that 'the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea'. Habakkuk

That's a whole lot of knowledge of His glory. 

Someday the earth will be full of knowledge of his glory...their assumptions will be broken and they'll bow to the King who is perfectly loving and patient. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Somewhere out there over that shiny horizon is the U.S. As I enter my last month I'm also praying for general perseverance, as the end is in sight. I had a wonderful break from the city with my friend Molly, exploring Fisterra and Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. I even ran into a Penn Stater. It was a wonderful time of being reminded of the greatness of the Lord-from the vastness of the sea to the beauty of all the little flowers to all the people who helped us on our way.

We were blessed with many run-ins with people who pointed us to cool things to see, helped us find the bus, and wondered why we were in Santiago if we weren't doing the Camino de Santiago.

We got to see Guernica, beautifully clear tide pools, many pilgrims, the sunrise, the sunset...

All in all, it was a blessed time away and I am eager to take on this last month.