Never mind that I haven't blogged since Arcadia's 13th birthday, which was in May. Never mind that I have been so neglectful of this blog, I think that the name says it all. I am too dang busy!
Recently we have been going over a series of sermons on church that really have God working on my heart. Not just working, but working OVERTIME and then some. What last nights sermon boiled down to is love, and loving other.
Don't get me wrong, I love others, I do. But I tend to love them on MY terms, and MY terms only. Our pastor asked us when the last time we did something for another person in love, and I thought smugly to myself, I do, all the time. Then he asked, when was the last time we went above and beyond? Loving someone extravagantly. I had to be honest with myself, and the answer was I didn't know when.
Let me set the stage, I went into church with an unsettled heart, and so during our beautiful worship set, I prayed. Because I was coming into the service with an unsettled hear I asked him to really truly break my hear for what also breaks his. He did. I prayed the same prayer three times, and each time, I got the same answer. Ill be honest, those first two times I told God, "No thanks, that answer is not for me." He cam back with the same answer, and once more I responded, "No, that is not the answer, I don't want to give of myself because you see God, I always give of my self and I feel like this is my time to be selfish, my time to do what I want." This was simply not the case, and indeed he finally did break my heart.
So I start off today thinking and praying how I can love others on his terms, even when it is a struggle. How to encourage other mothers that are struggling, when I feel like I should instead give them a piece of my mind-as if I were the perfect role model...FAR FROM IT! I'm asking him to let love flow freely from my heart and my mouth and to look at others through his eyes. You never know where someone is coming from, what drives them to act the way that they do, both for the positive or the negative. Because Christ loved us, freely and with out hesitation I want to in turn love others that same way.
So, I am back to the question of when was the last time that you did something so extravagant out of love, and for nothing in return? The answer is still I don't know. But I know that I am going to find the opportunity, and find it soon. This will be more than simply paying for the order behind me at Starbucks, even more than collecting food donations for a thanksgiving dinner for a needy family. Those things are EASY. I am asking the Lord to challenge my heart, to lead me where he needs me to go, in order to extravagantly love someone else. When it happens, I will indeed share.
<3 Until then, keep the faith. <3
Recently we have been going over a series of sermons on church that really have God working on my heart. Not just working, but working OVERTIME and then some. What last nights sermon boiled down to is love, and loving other.
Don't get me wrong, I love others, I do. But I tend to love them on MY terms, and MY terms only. Our pastor asked us when the last time we did something for another person in love, and I thought smugly to myself, I do, all the time. Then he asked, when was the last time we went above and beyond? Loving someone extravagantly. I had to be honest with myself, and the answer was I didn't know when.
Let me set the stage, I went into church with an unsettled heart, and so during our beautiful worship set, I prayed. Because I was coming into the service with an unsettled hear I asked him to really truly break my hear for what also breaks his. He did. I prayed the same prayer three times, and each time, I got the same answer. Ill be honest, those first two times I told God, "No thanks, that answer is not for me." He cam back with the same answer, and once more I responded, "No, that is not the answer, I don't want to give of myself because you see God, I always give of my self and I feel like this is my time to be selfish, my time to do what I want." This was simply not the case, and indeed he finally did break my heart.
So I start off today thinking and praying how I can love others on his terms, even when it is a struggle. How to encourage other mothers that are struggling, when I feel like I should instead give them a piece of my mind-as if I were the perfect role model...FAR FROM IT! I'm asking him to let love flow freely from my heart and my mouth and to look at others through his eyes. You never know where someone is coming from, what drives them to act the way that they do, both for the positive or the negative. Because Christ loved us, freely and with out hesitation I want to in turn love others that same way.
So, I am back to the question of when was the last time that you did something so extravagant out of love, and for nothing in return? The answer is still I don't know. But I know that I am going to find the opportunity, and find it soon. This will be more than simply paying for the order behind me at Starbucks, even more than collecting food donations for a thanksgiving dinner for a needy family. Those things are EASY. I am asking the Lord to challenge my heart, to lead me where he needs me to go, in order to extravagantly love someone else. When it happens, I will indeed share.
<3 Until then, keep the faith. <3
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