"Love is Patient"...even for those who annoy me.

I read a post on Jon Acuff's blog, Stuff Christian's Like,  yesterday called, "9 Ways to an Awesome Christian Wedding." If you haven't read his blog it is quite an entertaining look at Christian culture and satirizes the weird things we do. One thing he mentions is that every "good" Christian wedding includes the passage out of 1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient..." I read it and chuckled. It is so true.

Here's the link to Jon's post:
http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2013/01/9-ways-to-an-awesome-christian-wedding/

This morning I was studying 1 Peter 1:22-23-
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,  since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God"

It says "love one another earnestly" and the then it says "through the living and abiding word of God."  After greater inspection I think that it is refering to being born again through the living and abiding word of God, but I was thinking what would it look like to love people through the word of God? The bible has a lot to say about loving people. Of course the 1 Corinthian passage popped into my head.  I have heard it to used so much in the context of marriage that I forget that it applies to all relationships. I think it's a little easier to swallow when we look at as applying to people we want to love well, like a spouse. What would it looks like to obey this scripture in interactions with people who annoy me?  If it has been a while since you have been to a wedding, here is the passage:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Cor 13:4-7 ESV)

• What does it look like be patient with my co-worker?
• What does it look like to be kind to that guy who always insults my football team?
• What does it look like to not insist on my own way when I think I know better?
• What does it look like to not be irritable when I feel like people are wasting my time?
• What does it looke like to not be resentful when my co-worker takes credit for my idea?
• What does it look like to bear critcism from those who resent me?

Yikes! The list could go on and on.  One thing I know for sure is that God has a lot of work to do on my heart if I am going to love people earnestly from a pure heart!

Blog Relaunch

Welcome to my new and improved blog! As I can no longer see my quarter life mark in the rearview I figured it was about time for me to rename my blog. This new title comes from Colossians 1:11-12

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (ESV)

This past semester we were challenged to memorize the book of Colossians. I only got through the first two chapters, and though it was really tough and time consuming, it was more than rewarding. The first two chapters repeat the gospel over and over and remind me of my identity in Christ.  In Paul's letter he says that through Jesus I am qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. I am most greatful to be the daughter of the most high King who allows me to share in his rich inheritance of eternal life.

As a response the position I have in God's kingdom, I seek to bring glory and honor in all that I do, especially in this blog.  Last night I struggled through a few questions:

1. Is a blog a good use of my time?
2. Does it bring honor to God?
3. What is my motivation for writing this blog? For my glory or God's?
4. Will this feed my need for approval?
5. Will I use it avoid authentic relationship in my real life?
6. Am I boldly proclaiming the gospel?

By thinking through these question, God pointed out some new and old sin areas in my heart. Too many in fact to flesh out today, but I will try to share a few thoughts on these questions over the next few weeks.  In the end, I feel like this could be a good way for me to share what God is teaching me, but I definiely need to be aware of several pitfalls. I already had to delete a previous post because it could be hurtful if a certain person read it. Let's just say this blog is a work in progress, just like me!

A New Year, A New You

The new year always conjures up a need for reflection. Last Sunday I was sitting in church thinking about the past year and everything seemed to be the same. I live in the same house, have the same job with the same boss, I have the same relationship status, and I still have amazing family and friends.  I have the same awesome life and I was a little bummed. God has blessed me so much and I was so enveloped in my own expectations of "progress" that I was missing what God had done in me this past year.
Once  I was reminded by Phil 3:8 that everything is considered loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, I finally was able to clearly see the blessing of this past year. I have grown to know the character of God to a new depth this year which has created worship in my heart. I have been able to see the cost of my redeption in a more intimate way that has resulted in praise of my Savior. I have been surrounded by women who will keep my accountable and spur me on to greater dependency on the Lord. I have felt a hunger for God's word and the holy spirit teaching me new things about myself and about God.  I have felt God's presence in a more consistent way this year. If that is not reason to celebrate, I can't imagine what would be.
As I look forward to this next year, I realize I need God's presence even more as God continues to reveal to me my sin. I am studying 1 Peter with my missional community and I have reminded that my worship and praise is not to be contingent on the blessings that God has brought me.
1 Peter 1:8-9
"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

My prayer this year is that I would love God and rejoice with that is inexpressible and filled with glory!
Here is a beautiful Puritan prayer regarding the new year from The Valley of Vision:

O Lord,

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year:

With Thee, O Father as my harbour,
Thee, O Son, at my helm,
Thee O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven:
With my loins girt,
My lamp burning,
My ear open to Thy calls,
My heart full of love,
My soul free.

Give me:

Thy grace to sanctify me,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
Thy right hand to guide,
Thy counsel to instruct,
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.

May:

Thy fear be my awe,
Thy triumphs my joy.

Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed:
In Thy presence,
In Thy service,
To Thy glory.

Give me a grace that:
Precedes,
Follows,
Guides,
Sustains,
Sanctifies,
Aids every hour.

That I may not be one moment apart from Thee, but may rely on Thy Spirit:
To supply every thought,
Speak in every word,
Direct every step,
Prosper every work,
Build up every mote of faith.

 

And give me a desire:

To show forth Thy praise;
Testify Thy love,
And advance Thy kingdom.

Amen.”

My Favorite Memory

My church is doing a series called “Adopted.”  Adoption is such a cool picture of what God does for us. He sent Jesus to die for my sins and adopted me as his daughter. I am a daughter of the King! How often I forget to live in that truth. I hope one day that I will be able to adopt, but for now I have to be content in supporting adoptive and foster parents.

This has reminded me of a memory that is emblazoned in my mind and today I have decided it is my favorite memory (and I have a ton of great ones). I was going off to school at Baylor. We were running late to the airport and so my mom dropped my dad and I off at the curb to check in while she went to park the car. My mom decided that my dad should be the one to take me out to school so he could help carry all my stuff up to my 3^rd floor dorm room and then she would come out for Parent’s Weekend in a few weeks.  This was a pre-9/11 world, so once we got checked in my mom was going to meet us at the gate to say our goodbyes.  They were announcing last call to board our plane and my mom still hadn’t shown up yet. I was upset.  Then I see my mom hustling through the airport and I break into tears.  We said our goodbyes and I boarded the plane.

We were last to board and we walked past row and rows of people staring, my face stained with ugly crying. I was 18 for goodness sakes, too old to cry. We settle into our seats next to this white women and tiny Asian baby.  Of course we enquire.  She told us that she was a courier. That she had been to Korea to pick up this sweet baby girl for a family in Austin. I want to do that!

We landed and my dad suggested that we hold back so we could see the family meet their daughter for the first time. Everyone slowly filed off the plane until we were the last ones. We the helped this lady carry all the bags that a little baby requires and we walked off the plane. There waiting at the end of the jet bridge was a little family.  There was the dad ready with his video camera to record this monumental day.  The mom had tears flowing down her face as she waited to hold her princess for the first time. Then there was a proud, big brother, an adorable red-head 3-year-old with a bowtie and sweater vest in August with a bouquet flowers for his new baby sister. What a beautiful tableau that I got to witness! This is definitely my favorite memory. 

Here is a cool story they showed in church on Sunday.

 

James 1:27

 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world

Complete Defiance

So, I coach 7 classrooms in the pre-school program at my church. This means helping all the parents get their kids checked in, making sure all the classes have the appropriate supplies, and essentially just making things run as smoothly as possible. This past Sunday we had our highest number of pre-schoolers at our service ever.  Praise God that parents are getting a chance to hear the Word in big church, but man it created a rough Sunday for me.

The kids seemed to have eaten skittles for breakfast as they were bouncing off the walls and were  particularly defiant.  One 4-year-old was hitting another one and would not stop acting up, so his teacher had to take him into the hallway so that he would not distract the other kids. I tried to talk to him about loving his neighbor, but he stuck his fingers in his ears and mocked me the whole time. I was frusterated.

Afterwards, I was talking to a sweet friend about how frustrated I was with the complete defiance I saw and she was gracious enough to remind me that I am exactly the same. I am given the gospel over and over and yet most of the time I do not live in that truth. God does not cast me out as a lost cause but instead pursues me with divine patience. On those crazy days, it is easy to get wrapped up in the tasks and forget my purpose is to demonstrate Christ’s love to these kids.

Now, looking back, I am thankful for that interaction. How gracious God is to remind me of what he has done for me and I can't help myself but pray for that boy! And, for some reason, I can't wait to see him next week and welcome him back to class. I think God is going to do great things through him!

 

1 John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (ESV)

 

The Power Couple

So one of my best friends got married a couple of weeks ago and if I had not chickened out this is what I would have said.

“I have always known Jen and David together. I would guess that I spent more time with the two of them together than probably pretty much anyone else, but they never ever made me feel like a third wheel. As amazing as each of them are individually I truly feel that they are exponentially better together. This realization hit me the night that they invited me over for enchiladas a few weeks ago. We mainly sat around the dinner table and laughed until we cried. The way they play off each other, challenge each other and encourage one another creates, in my mind, this “power couple” that people just want to be around. I know that God knew that bringing these two together would bring Him the most glory. We have already seen it through the grace they have shown through the entire visa process and I know going forward together we are in front row seats to see God glorified through them in even more amazing ways. I am thankful for what each of them mean to me individually but I am sure that knowing them together we are in for an amazing ride.”

I hope someone can say the same of me someday.

Ugly Authenticity

Every once and a while I get a hankering to write. Usually there is something that is funny or exciting or painful, but not today.  My life is pretty dang good. I feel like God is growing me more each day. The more I mess up the more I appreciate God’s grace.  The more self-confident I get the more God puts me in my place.  I love having friends around me who love me enough to call me out on my junk. I love that I have people that will not let me complacent or stagnant. It’s amazing that after years of perfecting the mask of the “good Christian girl,” my friends can see right through it. They don’t let me “fake it until I make it.” They call me to be authentic and love me with crap and all.  Today I am feeling truly humbled and thankful.  It’s not at all earth shattering but definitely worth writing about.