Life Hurts-and then it doesn't

Do you ever feel like life has slapped you in the face-and then came and stepped on your toe-
and then took your lunch, and then spit in your face? So life is not an entity that can actually reach out and hit you...but sometimes I feel like things/situations come at me one after another and things are ok-and then one thing pushes me over the edge.


That feeling is not fun.


I was at the pool at my condo and a guy came with this little kid. They got into a section that wasn't very deep-and I recall the child wearing some kind of flotation device. And as the guy (I assume his dad) stepped away from the child, the child seemed ok for a few minutes and then began flailing and squealing, scared of being in the pool. The dad reassured the child that he was ok and the he was right there with him, and the kid still seemed unsure until the dad came and held him.


Perhaps my problems, things that I “flail” and “cry” about metaphorically, are not as intimidating as they present. I have safety in Christ, I have a Father who won't let me drown in those issues.




The truth from Jesus,


“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'” John 8:12


"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

Life hurts sometimes; seriously it does. But to be blessed with real eternal life, salvation through Jesus, true love-is beautiful.

I feel like I'm gulping metaphoric water sometimes. I do my share of “flailing” for sure. Life is hard, but I'll cling to the hope I have.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” Hebrews 10:23

Pieces

I've moved around some in my life. I've lived in Louisiana, Virginia, and Florida. The other day I was thinking of the things I enjoyed-and some of the more frustrating things of the different places I've lived.


I've been truly blessed to live in some beautiful and neat places.


In my head I was weighing different pros and cons-thinking about the loved pieces I felt that I “left behind” in the places I lived before. But truly, I see myself as having a piece of each of the places I've lived as a part of my story.


I could move again. I don't know what else-or where else I might go. But I love that a piece of me is a Louisiana, Virginia, and Florida resident...


In Louisiana I gained the experience of southern hospitality, small-town life, crawfish boils, family, different cultural experiences, spicy food, and great connections.


In Virginia, I was able to live near mountains, experience living downtown, live with snow, see beautiful landscape, be a lover in the state that claims to be “for lovers”, and gain unique experiences and connections.


In Florida, I've lived near the beach, been able to experience some island time, visit some neat sites and cities, and have gained some great opportunities and connections.


These places are pieces that have contributed to my life.


Perhaps think about it, what are your pieces? What have you gained from the places you've been?

Love REAL, love NOW

Having just experienced the 12th anniversary of September 11, 2001 combined with the bit of perspective from what I've seen in life, I've come to realize how important it is to work to live love and have one's priorities in place. 

It pains me to see people obsessed with career aspirations and/or material gain and placing wants like this above God and the people in their life. 

We aren't promised that we will have tomorrow. You don't know what the next few minutes hold. I've watched people die and seen people hurt. I'm often reminded of how short our lives can be. I think it's too short to love boldly. 

I recently watched a television show that exhibited a person loving another by going out of their way to perform what one of the other characters referred to as a 'grand gesture' of love. 

Why NOT show grand gestures of love? Why does it seem odd-rare for people to reach out, sacrifice, and love?


Think about the love of Jesus Christ.


9"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:9-11

What beautiful love that was shown to us in having the ability to be forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.


Here this my friends,


12 "'This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another." John 15:12-17 

What a clear description of our call.

The story of Harry Potter and his mother sacrificing to save her son,
 the story of Sam and Frodo from the The Lord of the Rings demonstrating sacrificial love, and the movies where someone gives up time, opportunity, and prestige to show love can leave an impression on people... 

Why not live that way? Why not live love REAL, and live love NOW.  
Stop thinking about your own personal gain for a moment and think about how you can show a grand gesture to someone you care about. 

A little moment

I was driving today on a dirt road and saw a moderate sized turtle making his way across the street. I hate it when little creatures get hit in the road!

From my view in the car I could see that the turtle had room to walk all the way across the street; mine was the only car on the road in sight and I was slowing down.

I winced as when he seemed to hear my vehicle, and rather than continuing to walk he stopped and receded much of his exposed body into his shell.

I proceeded to drive around him and passed another vehicle coming the other way.

I thought of how turtle-like I can be in life. God sees the big picture of our lives. He knows how things will turn out, and in the end HE is victorious. However things approach me in life, and at times I stop and try to pop back into some metaphorical "shell" rather than trust that He is watching the steps of my life and sees how things will turn out.

The beautiful thing about living with God's grace is knowing that the outcome of my life won't end up as eternal splatter. But rather, I have the beautiful promise of God's love.


2 Corinthians 2:6-9
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.'"



Hebrews 10:23

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;"