There's so much love in the world.
Yesterday I sat cuddled into an overstuffed sofa in a living room with 4 of my favorite girlfriends. We had been meeting together for lunch on Wednesdays saving the day for each other and for ourselves, and we were taking a break for Christmas. Knowing we wouldn't see each other for a few weeks we took the time to take inventory. Each woman thought back over the last few months and took inventory of her heart and her life and paid attention to what changes had taken place since we started getting together regularly to pray for and love on each other. We were all beautifully surprized.
I certainly was.
Here is what I learned:
Life is not either/or. It's both/and.
I used to think that people were either one or the other. Either needy and falling apart at the seams or confident and having all your shit together having come thorugh life unscathed. I know it sounds ridiculous and extreme to say it so plainly. But in my heart, that is what I really believed. In order to have something to offer, I had to have it all together and travel through life unscathed. and you and I both know that is not the way I've traveled!
But I've learned a bigger truth.
I've seen firsthand women come as they are and have something beautiful to offer every time. Whether it's a beautiful need expressed in humble honesty. Or a beautiful comfort that is a joy for them to offer.
Paul, that old stinker, figured this out lonnnnng ago.
He put it this way, "We hold this treasure in earthen jars to show that the power is beyond ourselves cause it belongs to God."
What a beautiful relief!
I am a verrrry earthy vessel. (as y'all know)
and I carry within me a verrrrry gorgeous pricey treasure.
It's both/and.
Woo-Hoo!!
:) SW
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2 comments:
Now that's a truth I can wrap around my heart and mind and like a blanket, knowing it will keep me warm!
Well said SW. When Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "You be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect", the greek word He used for 'perfect' does not mean 'without fault or without blemish', it means to be complete, to be whole, lacking nothing.
So, for those who aren't complete they must aquire what is needed to be complete.
Jehovah is good.
He is good because He knows good from evil, just like we do and always chooses to do good, like we don't.
That is what makes Him good.
And us too, when we do the same thing.
But we don't do this all the time. And when we don't chose good, but 'mess it all up', our Father will forgive us, if we ask Him and cleanse our conscience so that we can learn how to be complete as He is complete.
And that means all of us who love this God, for knowing how very good He is, are somewhere on that path toward completness. Which means, wherever we are, we have something to offer others- what we've learned along the way toward being whole!
So, Yes! Life is both/and. For in our God we do, indeed, have life and that with excess to spare and share!!
Elyew
(happy sigh)
(smile)
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