| | So my house is a wreck and I'm feeling the stress of it. Cleaning has to happen. I cannot function in a really messy house. I need some clean, neat, tidy areas - and I have none right now.
Louie has delicious licorice. I'm gonna get me some of that stuff. 
But more importantly (well - more important than a clean house, though maybe not more important than good licorice?) Two [or maybe three?] things have happened recently that have made me start thinking.
First of all, I was driving somewhere and saw this guy running across the intersection to push a van, which had evidently stalled, across the intersection. He was soon joined by another guy - also running over to help, and then a third guy... and I was really touched. I love seeing people going out of their way to help someone! It gives me faith that there really are good people out there - people who are willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves to come to the aid of someone else. I know - no one is good, no not one - but God and common grace do bring goodness into this land, and it makes me happy. I need to watch Pay It Forward sometime - though I've heard it has a really sad ending.
Then I talked to my dear friend, Dona Loope, today and I remembered how sweet my friendship with her is. She was, is, and will always be a delight in my life. Though I haven't seen her more than 2 or 3 times in the past 5 or 6 years, my heart still swells when I think of her and when I talk to her. It reminds me that, contrary to what some people would say, you can be friends with someone forever [chorus of "Friends Are Friends Forever..."]. And that even though it's painful when people leave, the pain goes away and the sweetness remains. I'm realizing, more and more, that though I hate the thought of people leaving, I will be able to let them go. "I'll have tears as you take off, but I'll cheer as you fly!"
Lastly, I read something in I Chronicles the other day. I think it's 16:10.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
"Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice".... If we're seeking the Lord, we should be rejoicing. There should be nothing on this earth that can cause us to be discouraged or to despair, b/c we will believe that God means it all for our best, and therefore we will be able to rejoice in our sufferings. I am SO far from that! When things don't go my way, I am immediately horizontally-minded and can't think of anything but "When will it get better?!?!"
But I do believe that God is growing me in this area. It wasn't so awfully long ago that I would never have believed or accepted the possibility that I could rejoice in suffering. I still am not sure I'll ever get there, but I know that God can bring me there - if that makes sense. |
| | Posted 7/16/2008 11:17 PM - 21 views - 3 comments
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