Who am I?
My name is Olivia Basha. I’ve known about Jesus for as long as I can remember, but I’ve known him since 1999. Since then He has
continued to be patient, gracious, merciful, and faithful to me as He shows me
more and more of my own depravity and more and more of His profound love. I’m a
sinner whose punishment has been paid by God Himself and whose rap sheet has
been wiped clean because of Jesus’ perfect life and resurrection.
What is “An Iris Awaits”?
This blog is not a log of my weekly activities or a space
for processing my emotions through the written word—I have a diary for that. ;)
Instead, the posts on “An Iris Awaits” are messages crafted with intent for the
dual purpose of encouraging and challenging a specific audience.
Posts under the “Church” tab are directed specifically to
followers of Jesus Christ in the context of a local church. This does not mean
that Christians are the only ones who may read them but merely that much of what I
share in them is applicable specifically to those who already have a
relationship with Jesus. However, I do hope those who do not know Jesus will
read them as well and will consider what it means to be one of His followers.
The “Culture” tab contains observations/opinions about
current events. While the intended audience for these posts is wider, I hope
still to address such issues in light of the gospel, because Christ should not
be relegated to a compartment of our schedule or a ranking on a list of
priorities. Rather, His life, death, resurrection, and current position should
inform every aspect of our lives. As I am learning the implications of this
truth, I will seek through these posts to share what I learn. In other words,
it is my desire not merely to tack Jesus or a Bible verse onto a topic like a
sticky note but rather to give thoughtful consideration to how the gospel
should inform our understanding of it.
The "Cross-cultural" tab is a 2020 addition, begun after my now-husband and I became engaged. Since I am American and my husband is Palestinian, our relationship has afforded me the privilege of learning about a culture different from mine, which has in turn opened up to me new avenues of learning about God.
Finally, the “Catch-all” tab contains posts that do not perfectly
fit into any of the above categories. So basically, it’s like the mystery
flavor of Dum-Dums.
In 2023, thanks to several friends who agreed to translate, I began sharing Arabic translations of previous posts. These can be found under the اللغة العربية (Arabic language) tab.
Why the Title?
Those who know me well know that flowers have played a
unique role in my life, particularly since middle school. It was then that I
discovered the Language of Flowers, a Victorian-era phenomenon, and cultivated
a growing interest in the idea (no pun intended). This fascination found its
way into my cousin’s and my creation, Centennial
Garden, and culminated in my
undergraduate history thesis on the topic. Essentially, the idea is that
certain symbolisms are attached to certain flowers—enter: irises. According to
numerous flower dictionaries of the period, an iris signifies “message.” Hence,
“An Iris Awaits” conveys the idea of a message waiting on you in your mailbox.
Why write “An Iris Awaits”?
Blogs are ubiquitous. Anyone and everyone can make one and
throw his or her voice out into the universe of the internet. I’d given
fleeting thoughts to starting a blog in the past, but was never really sure
what I’d write about and didn’t want it to be just about me—again, I have a
diary for that.
But over the past few months, as I have been learning from
the Lord through Scripture, I have noticed a growing desire to share what I am
learning with others, not so that I get any adulation but so that they will
hopefully be encouraged and challenged in their own walk with Christ. One of my favorite illustrations is that of a
sponge. A sponge is designed to soak up liquid, but, if the liquid is not
squeezed back out, the sponge will sour. In the same way, Christians will sour
if they merely soak in what God is teaching them instead of squeezing it back
out by sharing it with others. So this blog is my way of squeezing out what I
have taken in. I certainly do not pretend to know everything. On the contrary,
much of what I share comes from lessons I am still learning myself.
As I began to ponder in what ways I could “squeeze out,” I
shared several “mini blog posts” on Facebook and was surprised by the responses
I received from people, some of whom I didn’t even know, who shared that they
had been encouraged by my posts. This response led me to consider writing as an
avenue to explore further. I believe that God gives us talents/interests for a
reason and that we should use them for His glory. So as several people have
affirmed my writing skills, I have begun viewing writing as something which perhaps
God would have me to use for His purposes.
Knowing my own susceptibility to pride, however, I hesitated
to create a blog, not wanting any compliments I might receive to go to my head
and not wanting pride to swell up in my responses to any potential
disagreements. I confess this is still a hesitation of mine, for I want God to
get the glory He deserves (which is all of it), and I want to maintain a
posture of humility in expressing my thoughts and discussing them with others.
But I have come to realize that the risk of an inflated ego does not excuse
refusing to use what God has given me. So I have taken the plunge, trusting the
Holy Spirit to keep me humble and praying that He will receive glory through
the feeble words of a broken vessel such as me.
