Monday, October 3, 2011

Thorny Issues



As Doug and I were leaving a friends home last night, I made a comment about roses; that the ones that not only look beautiful but smell beautiful as well tend to have the most thorns. Now I know this for fact because I work for a florist and process flowers for use in our shop quite often. I have to use a little tool that knocks the thorns off...very carefully!


Recently, our shop received some beautiful spray roses that were bright orange in color and had a heavenly scent. The only problem was they had enormous thorns on the major part of the stem and ity, bity, tiny thorns near the flowers. Very hard to handle.


I have come across many people in my life who are much like these spray roses. You can see the beauty and potential of who they are but there is no way you can get very close because they have lots of "thorny" issues to protect themselves and keep people at arms length. I know that from personal experience...I was one of those people. I know this...I praise God that he sent people into my life who did not mind the thorns and kept loving me despite them.


So, if you know anyone who:
  • Is rude and angry all the time...
  • Tends to lead with biting sarcasm in conversations...
  • Says "NO" to all invitations...
  • Is downright not receptive to friendship overtures...
Don't give up on them. God hasn't.  You may be they very tool He has sent to help remove the thorns...very carefully and with Him leading.
If you were one of the people in my life who God used to remove the thorns on me...Thank You! If you were one of the ones who were "bitten" by one of my old thorns...I am so sorry and ask for your forgiveness and a second (or even third) chance to be a friend.


Father, thank you for your faithfulness to send people to love on hurting ones who don't know how to be loved. Thank you that you kept loving me through all the hurt and pain and sent ones who weren't intimidated by my "thorns". Use me today to show your love, to be the sweet fragrance in my life that brings peace into hearts of sorrow. I love you!


Amen

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Extravagant Love!

The words, "Extravagant Love", have been floating in my spirit today, kind of bumping up against the eyes of my heart and bringing me close to tears.

I find myself at a junction in my life with the opportunity to give God more of my time, my heart, more of my life. I know that He calls each of us to be His...most of the time I have split that between other things as well.

He gave us His all, an extravagant love that poured out his very lifeblood for each of us. How could I be not be ready to do any less.

Praying, quietly, actively serving and ready to serve Him. Now and every day!