I can close my eyes and listen to praises and See God, hear God and feel the harshness but gentleness at the same time of His love. Why does it hurt? It makes my heart so heavy. I have never felt my heart so heavy. It hurts so much because when I feel His love I feel what He did for us. That makes me hurt and cry. It makes me love Him even more.
Well if that isn't enough to rock me out of my seat it just had to happen again this past week. It was on how we treat people. Intentional kindness. Not only how we treat the stranger but how we treat our brother. Are we INTENTIONAL? Realness. Heartfelt intentional? Do we just do what we need to do, of what is expected of us. Or do we go out of our "self" and find God's love (His love) to come out of us? If we had Gods love come out of us you know the person would FEEL it!
Just as I felt Gods love I wish I could love others that way! Why can't I? Because I am human and I was a sinner, but at times I fall into sin. Selfishness is my sin.
Not having enough time to do more talking to my brother who isn't my friend in daily living, not having time to just stop and tell someone that I like her dress (cause it happens ya know... we see that gorgeous girl in the store aisle and love the dress she is wearing... why can't we stop and tell her how pretty she looked in it.
lol, my husband can refrain from that intentional kindness though... hehehehe
How does the stranger see us as Christians? As political activists? As judgmental people? How do they see us treat our brother? Do they see us extend love and compassion? At Friday worship there were many words of familiarity to me as of late. One that grabbed me was annoy. People who annoy you or have sinned you.
I have been annoyed lately. A person annoyed me. A brother annoyed me. God was speaking at me. I loved it.
I wanted to cry out how much I appreciate God slapping me by words. If the said person who annoyed me offended me I could be justified to take offense. We are to take offense of sin. We are to call sin sin. But, we are to love. To be unified with our brother. The proximity doesn't need to be close. Just enough to stay a healthy relationship. We are to though, to take that offense and throw it away. Forgive and throw. At that minute, when he talked about how we are annoyed with what our brother does to us, I smiled and felt peace. Forgiveness and love. Unified. Why? Why not still be mad at the issue? Because it is baggage. I sure don't want my offensive actions to be my brothers baggage. I have much too much to carry. Would I want my brother to carry my sins? Golly, no! I would get God to take those off of his hands because I am barely able to lift them.
So fast-forward to today. Church. Church and the word love. The number 40! How unreal is the number 40 to me. The 40 day fast starts next Wed. Want to join me? I want to give up myself to my Lord and fast for our nation. It lasts until election day. Also is a new movie coming out called Fireproof. It is about how a man finds 40 FORTY!!!!!!!!!! ways to show love to his wife the love she was lacking. Do we lack at showing love? Let's find 40 ways to love people while we fast for 40 days!
Intentional. Jesus freak love. Are we still Jesus freaks? Did the song die out so we stopped being freaky? I felt stagnant. I really felt stagnant yesterday. My family was in line for a child's golfing game booth at a fall festival. The line was long. All of a sudden 6 or so kids butted in front of us. I said "Hey hey kid" pointing at the first boy and his posse to get back at the end. He replied with a confused look that she, (pointing at my friend in back of me) told them to. I looked at her with a strange look saying "You did?" She said "Yes, sometimes I just want to be nice like that". Great! That INTENTIONAL love of God was in her and I just made those kids confused by acting like the "other" friend wouldn't have been that nice. I was NOT intentional! Pssssshhhh! I felt like a loser.
There was also a high media news case on my mind where I felt judgmental without love. It is a news story that the media had played out. I am not sure what it is at now but it is about a young mother in Florida who has a missing child. I read the news reports and I judged. I think rightfully so, imo. Who knows how it ends. The point here is: if you have heard about that story, how do you feel about that mother? Stop and think. How are you feeling?
Is it Gods love for her? Some of us may not be showing her the love we should be. Are we at her door with picket signs shouting? Are we trying to grab her hand in the crowd to pray for her? If she could feel my hand right now, I would pray, pray hard. No matter what I feel is right I would want to show her love. Gods love. He created her. He created us in His gorgeous image. So if she is in the image of Christ shouldn't we show so much love that satan gets AWAY from her? Satan wants us to be mad, satan wants us to hate, satan wants the stranger to NOT see our love.
Though I didn't state my views about this case to a stranger, I did state them to my older daughters. I didn't scream to stone the mother but my views did show as a strong hatred. I wish now that they could have seen a difference. A hatred toward the sin that may have occurred but a love for the mother. I don't think I showed that difference.
Do we show differences when we talk about things that we dislike? I must start. These are MY daughters that I
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in time
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
