observations and actions

i woke up this morning at 

around 7:45.

i talked to jesus about a dream i

had because it kind of freaked me out

a little bit and then grabbed my

phone to turn off the alarm that was

set for 8:15. 

i had two new text messages from one of my

best friends, chris, both sent around 1:30 a.m. when

i was sleeping.

i think i muttered something about

"crazy college kids."

eventually (cough, like at 8:45), i 

rolled out of bed. 

like, literally, rolled off my bed onto 

the floor.

this is pretty easy, because my bed sits

on the floor hehe.

anyway, rolled out of bed,

washed my face, brushed my teeth, the usual.

and then i

started a pot of coffee

threw away the trash on the kitchen counter

started a load of laundry

rinsed out the popcorn bowl that sat on the living room floor

made sure the cat got fed (even though

i hate cats with a fiery passion)

gathered up the pillows that 

somehow always end up thrown anywhere

but on the couches

and i realized something.

i was pretending to be my mother.

(she's currently out of town for a few days).

i was doing all of the things i've watched her do 

for the past 20 years.

and it wasn't like i planned to do it, either,

because Lord knows that i, jennifer noel, would

never get out of bed and think 

to start laundry on her own.

but it just happened, because it's what 

Moms would do if she were here, and she isn't, so 

i just did it.

and it made me think about being observant.

i call myself an observant person.

i notice things about people that a lot of other people

don't notice. 

i get great pleasure out of sitting in one spot for

an extended period of time and just watching

them.

but i realized that watching someone for ten minutes

doesn't show me who they are.

it can tell me a lot about them.

(especially in airports. goodness, the things

i have seen in airports).

but at the end of the day, watching someone for five-ten

minutes doesn't tell me who that person is.

i only know that Moms would do those things

in the morning because i've spent my 

entire life

watching her do them.

i know Moms because of years of 

observations and conversation. 

(that was unintentional rhyming haha).

and as i stood in the kitchen, going

through the motions, i thought about jesus.

 i stood there, putting half and half 

in my coffee, and i teared up a little bit

and thought about my life.

because i'm so guilty of observing 

and not acting.

see, we have the perfect role model. 

we are to "be holy because he is holy.

but observation isn't enough.

you have to act based on your observations.

i like making people smile.

it's my favorite thing, i think,

and so i compliment people constantly.

and usually, i compliment them based on my

observations.

for example,

you can tell from a mile away if a girl has low

self-esteem. i target that hardcore and basically 

give them as many compliments as i can without being weird.

i act, because i've observed.

and it should be the same with jesus.

i know about jesus. 

i've read the bible through five times.

i've read the gospels countless times.

i can quote lots of things jesus said.

but do i actually know jesus?

has it just been a five-ten minute observation,

or am i actually pursuing the knowledge of

him and who he is,

so that i can act on those things?

at the end of the day,

knowing about someone isn't enough.

love is a choice. 

action is a choice.

if we don't act, our observations

are useless and don't matter.

i think it's time some of us

(myself very much included)

stop just observing 

and start acting.

"his divine power has granted to us all things 

that pertain to life and godliness, 

through the knowledge of him 

who called us to his own glory and excellence..."

2 peter 1:3