Neighbors

This is not about the empty house next  door or the one across the street. It's not about the guy next door who we never see or even the older gentleman down the street who is always looking around and is willing to help at a moments notice. The neighbors I am talking about are the ones, both friend and foe, who are in an all out battle for our very lives.


Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but instead  against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  God also gives us help from the heavenly realms. In 2 Kings 6:17 we read, 'And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ' We are told to put on our full armor, to fight the good fight, that we have all power through Jesus Christ.

All this to say this: with my feet firmly walking this ground below me, yet I will seek to see the unseen in the conflicts and the blessings in my life. Just as Elisha prayed, my prayer is, "open my eyes that I may see."

We do live in a world with lots of neighbors. We are in a battle that is being waged against us and our loved ones, and even against those who we do not call friend. We already know how the war ends and that Jesus is the victor. Let us now walk in victory, walking boldly with the authority given to us as followers of Jesus.

Walk forward!

"DO WHAT?"

I sent a text to a friend the other day and wrote, "Love you for who you are!"

After I pushed the send button, this thought came to me, "Why did I say 'who you are'?" I realized at that moment that I truly do love this friend in Christ like a brother because his heart is so good. He does not have to "DO" anything for me to love him more.

The next thought in my head was about a conversation I had just recently had with a friend over coffee. She said, "I loved you from the first moment we met." I told her thank you, but in my mind really could not understand why she loved me in that way because I had done nothing for her yet.

Then it dawned on me. I had set up a double standard in my life. I freely loved those around me but was afraid to receive love because of what it would cost me in "Do" time - afraid that the "I love you" was connected to an "I want" statement. Too often, I would hold friends at arms length because of fear of not being able to "do" what they expected of me but had not spoken...YET.

This goes even deeper, however. I found myself at times 'hiding' from God, from fully receiving his love, from being afraid that I could not measure up to the 'DO' he wanted from me. I know what the word says - what I believed was different.

I am so glad for freedom!

Revelation is freeing. I know without a doubt that I am wonderfully loved by God. I know now that I can be loved by friends and fully receive their love with 'no strings attached'. I know now that old grudges that I was hanging on to because someone did not 'appreciate' something I did for them can be left at the Cross - fully forgiven and let go.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

Father, thank you for forgiving me of pride that wanted to enslave me to unrealistic expectations of myself and those around me you have set into my life. Thank you that your love freely flows through and around my life, unencumbered by a mind that set up traps to capture what you so freely gave. Thank you for friends who  love me despite my sometimes prickly nature. Thank you for my husband you gave to me 26 years ago, who loves me every moment and blesses me. My heart overflows and joy abounds. Blessing, Honor and Glory to the ONE who gave it all, thank you Jesus. Amen.

Honest Conversations

I was driving down the road today praying and just having a wonderful time talking to God. I was doing all the talking and not a lot of listening. Then He spoke. Today was one of those days that He really made me squirm.

Here's how the conversation kinda went from my side:

"Father, I'm really struggling right now. I want to be closer to you and there's just something in the way"

"Ohhhh, you mean that unforgiveness...but I have forgiven him, even if he doesn't deserve it"

"I know, I really do want to forgive him, but I start praying and I get mad all over again...I just get worked up and then I move on."

"What do you mean by 'why do you want to get even?' "

"I know that he is human and therefore not without fault and that I am just the same way. But God..."

"Lord, I do love you and I do want to be obedient. I know that you love him and that you love me. I know that he is as much your son as I am your daughter. Forgive me for holding on to and even cherishing unforgiveness in my heart towards my brother in Christ. I forgive him...no strings attached...help me love him in the way you do."

"Send him a Christmas Card?? Tell him I love him! Okay, I will as soon as I get home."

"I love you too! Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for correcting me and setting me on the right path."

I continued my drive, eyes a bit misty, backside a bit sore, heart a lot lighter. And yes, a Christmas Card has been done and is addressed and ready to go.

Restored

I had a thought the other day...

I saw a clay pot that had been broken beyond any use. There were cracks all over it's surface and in some places, there were even pieces missing.

I saw a hand pick it up, gently pull it apart, and then lovingly put it into a large glass container. The hand then filled the glass container full of a golden oil.

As soon as the last drop touched the surface, a light shined through from the back. I expected to see every flaw that the pot had contained but instead saw the beauty of the light shining through.

That pot is me...
  broken, not whole, chipped away by use and misuse by this world we live in...some
  of the chips done by my choices and some done by others to me.

The hand...
  God's hand - lovingly restoring me for His purpose.

The glass container...
  God's purpose and protection.

The oil...
  His anointing on and in my life.

That pot could be anyone. It could be even you.

I don't know about you, but I am so glad that even through all my imperfections, every mess up and wrong step... God has restored me and set me aside for His purpose so that He gets the glory.

In heartache and in joy

In the moments
      of breaths in between,
seeing Your hand
                    touching sight of your heart
                                       the motion of Your love,

And realizing
       in brokeness you are revealed,
   in perfection hidden most,
                      for it is when I need you thus,
                                     the power of your sacrifice revealed.

You are the Potter,
        and I am the clay,
molded and made by you,
     my  blemishes noted
                    brokenness made complete.

You are my God,
         I am your child.
                        Suspend me in the oil of gladness,
          Your light shining through.
Saviour, wonderful Lord,
                                            even yet and still,
                       in heartache and in joy,
I am complete in You.

Jesus, in all things I give you praise and thank You. My hope is in You and You alone. Soothe my heart, lead me by still waters, direct my thoughts, emotions and all of who I am.
Amen

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

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!