Nov 24, '15: "seek peace and pursue it"

Psalm 34:9-14
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

TA-ing has been crap nowadays. Already being emotionally unstable as an international student here, I don't know how I'm having the strength to keep putting each foot forward as insults and anger keep being hurled at me. 

It's entirely God who is keeping my character throughout all this. 

He keeps the righteous, as what Psalm 34 says. 

But that isn't my thought for the day. 

The word "pursue" is translated as "maintain" in the NLT. 

"seek"
בָּקַשׁ (bä·kash')
a primitive root;
^ H1245: to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:—ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).

All this just points me back to being a TA who seeks peace. Seeking peace is really putting the other person first. It is relating to them. 

John 13:12-17
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

In the same chapter, He says, 

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The thought which often comes to my mind is that most students do not complain about their grade--they lament. Most of the time, they're sad about it--not angry.
They don't understand. 

In a sense, if they want someone to lash out at, I'm glad to be that person. 

I guess a part of me wishes to be liked, even as a TA. 

And an even bigger part of me wishes that I am not alone here in America, but everyone knows the truth--I am alone and nothing's changed, even with friends like Hanne by my side. 

Either way, alone or not, I have Christ and the power of His resurrection to bring me into the Promised Land and live righteously for Him. 

I don't know where my thoughts led me for this one, but peace shall be my meditation for the day. 

"peace"
שָׁלוֹם (shä·lōm')
from H7999;
^ H7965: safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace ...

שָׁלַם (shä·lam' )
a primitive root;
^ H7999: to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications):—make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward ...

Psalm 34:9-14; 

★ry