I am intentional about how I start my day. I wake up a bit earlier and make a cup of coffee.

Then I move to prayer, reading the Bible, and journaling. This happens on my bed. It really defies logic, but starting my day this way has lead to peace, growth, and balance in my life.

“Do good to your servant
according to your word, Lord.
Teach me knowledge and good judgement,
for I trust your commands.”
Psalm 119:65-66 NIV

Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. But, then you have an experience with what you don’t know. And now you realize the deficiency. A lot of “don’t know’s” LOL! That has been my experience with God. Creating this God space, has lead to an edification in my personhood. The changes have been a change in my belief system, that has centered and expanded my life.

I’m sharing from personal experience. I’m no expert! I’m reading the Bible cover-to-cover. What I have found is that it provides context, reading this way. I understand what Israel is experiencing, who is writing their story, and why are they writing this story. That has helped greatly with my understanding, and it has been in this place that my beliefs began to shift and change.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.”
119:67 NIV

“When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, ‘Get up; let’s go.’ But there was no answer. Then the man put her on the donkey and set out for home.
When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, ‘Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!'”
Judges 19:27-30 NIV

I read this story and I was not ok! Beware! This is a story of harm and violence. The story of The War Against the Tribe of Benjamin is in Judges 19-21. This story represented how far the Tribe of Benjamin had strayed away from God and the lawlessness that was happening in Israel because of it. This is also a story of how God uses harm that people do to each other for good. This is a story of social responsibility. It is our job to take care of the earth and our fellow man. Israel experienced their first civil war from one woman dying. Imagine what life would be like if we each cared about our fellow man.

“Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.”
Psalm 119:69-70 NIV

I love Psychology. I read the Bible from the perspective of placing myself within the story. I want to understand why the person would be writing the things they write. I believe that is purposeful and from God. The Bible is meant to come alive in the way we need, in the season of life we are in, and in the way God has purposed for us to use it.

It is my prayer that I share the Bible in a way that creates awareness. That we all become aware of ourselves and others. We experience lies, arrogance, callousness, and become unfeeling because we encounter people that are operating from harm and pain. Then we recruit others into this system as we show up and give harm and pain. But, what if we came into each experience with people with awareness? We become aware of our capacity to show up and give and our own needs. We become aware of the other person and what they have to give and what they need.
This is balance.
This is healthy.
This is most of all, reciprocity.
We should do this, no matter how casual or intimate the relationship.

“You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.”
119:68 NIV

God is good and from His example we should want to experience good. This is self-respect. We should create distance when people are harmful. This is living with boundaries. This is also how we don’t become harmful to others. But no matter what, it is our duty to show up and be good for others. This is creating good in the world that needs more good and less harm.