The last few weeks, Tuesdays have felt like Monday, Part 2. Today is no exception. I stayed up way too late last night because I was on a very important phone call. Needless to say, when you go to bed at 12:30, 6:15 comes way too quickly. The dog decided he wanted to go out 5 times this morning. Of course, he didn't do anything the last 4. When I turned the radio on in the bathroom, my favorite station, Way FM, wasn't coming in very clearly, so I missed my morning worship and listening to Mornings With Brant. Because it was so humid, my hair wouldn't dry. And I just couldn't find anything to wear (well, I have plenty of clothes, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to wear. As I was putting my shoes on (seriously, they're flip flops. It doesn't take much effort!) I fell. Into the sliding closet doors. The dogs came up about 3 feet off the bed, and I'm pretty sure the doors are no longer on their track. But, I didn't have time to fix them, because I went to bed way too late last night. So, with an aching head and a tweaked knee, I made my way downstairs and out to the truck. Only to remember part of the reason I was up so late last night was so I could make my lunch. So, I had to run back in the house and pack up my lunch. At least I was able to pick up the radio station in the truck. I'm such a creature of habit that if you mess with my routine I get grouchy.
After a couple of songs played, Brant started talking about a Facebook discussion he was having. A lady said that we (Christians) shouldn't refer to ourselves as sinners. If he continued to do so on his radio show, she would quit supporting the station (which is listener supported). What a load of crap. There isn't a day that has gone by where I haven't sinned. I'm a horrible, awful, sinful person in a horrible, awful, sinful world. Only He was free from sin. And one day (obviously not May 21, 2011), either I'll leave this place and join Him for eternity, or He'll come back for us all. So, I'm thinking about all of this as I'm driving 55 MPH down the Lloyd. All of the sudden, I see something on the white dashed lines in between the right and center lanes. It was a mama duck and about 8 babies right behind her. She was shielding them from the oncoming cars. I looked behind me real quick and saw no one was coming up on me, so I slammed on my brakes. The guy next to me did too. And the car next to him. I'm just hoping they made it okay. But, they were going towards the center of the Expressway. I seriously burst into tears. I had come so close to hitting them. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I swear I saw straight up terror in this mama duck's eyes.
It made me think of my relationship with the Lord. There have been several times where I've been in a terrifying situation. But just as that mama duck had her babies close behind her, I felt the Lord going just in front of me, looking back and telling me it was going to be okay. No one ever said it was easy to follow Him. And I'm not sure anyone ever said we'd quit sinning when we made that decision. But He promised to be with us always, whether it's Monday, or Tuesday that feels like Monday. I'm praying the rest of today feels more like Thursday.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Praying for your enemies
This morning I received a challenge on Facebook from Mornings With Brant (www.morningswithbrant.com) Here's the challenge: "Pick someone you can't stand, or at least struggle with, and pray for him/her each day for a week, starting today. We'll check back in a week. Are you in? And if so, feel free to tell us (without specifics, names, etc.) for whom you're praying." Upon reading this in my news feed, I knew instantly two things: 1-I HAD to do this (but don't want to) and 2-I was supposed to pray for Krystal. She's my step-brother's soon to be ex-wife and the mother of my two nephews and niece who have been living with my mother since November.
There are so many reasons why I should, and do, hate her. And, there are several reasons why I shouldn't. This is the big one: "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of pray, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. That is what God does. He gives his best-the sun to warm and the rain to nourish-to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (Matthew 5: 43-48) Wow. There's no beating around the bush there. And, this wasn't Peter or Paul saying this - it was Jesus. It's not a request - it's a command from the One I said I was giving my life to.
Why is this so hard for me? Why is it so easy to pray for people in Alabama and Memphis, or Myanmar, or the homeless guy I saw this morning on the way to work, yet so hard to pray for the mother of my niece and nephews? I think it's because she's wronged me. She's called me names. She's hurt people I love. People in Alabama and Memphis - I don't know them. And none of them have crossed me. But she has. So, I'm going to spend the next 7 days praying for her. Not praying for what I want out of the situation, but praying for her needs, because He knows them. And, I have a feeling it will be a lot like your nose itching during a CT Scan. They say you can't move, so you suddenly have the most intense nose itch. I'm committing to praying for seven days. I pray every day, and usually don't even know I do it. It's habit. But committing to it? I have a feeling I'll conveniently "forget" to do this each day.
So, how about you? Do you now feel challenged to "Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."?
There are so many reasons why I should, and do, hate her. And, there are several reasons why I shouldn't. This is the big one: "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of pray, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. That is what God does. He gives his best-the sun to warm and the rain to nourish-to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (Matthew 5: 43-48) Wow. There's no beating around the bush there. And, this wasn't Peter or Paul saying this - it was Jesus. It's not a request - it's a command from the One I said I was giving my life to.
Why is this so hard for me? Why is it so easy to pray for people in Alabama and Memphis, or Myanmar, or the homeless guy I saw this morning on the way to work, yet so hard to pray for the mother of my niece and nephews? I think it's because she's wronged me. She's called me names. She's hurt people I love. People in Alabama and Memphis - I don't know them. And none of them have crossed me. But she has. So, I'm going to spend the next 7 days praying for her. Not praying for what I want out of the situation, but praying for her needs, because He knows them. And, I have a feeling it will be a lot like your nose itching during a CT Scan. They say you can't move, so you suddenly have the most intense nose itch. I'm committing to praying for seven days. I pray every day, and usually don't even know I do it. It's habit. But committing to it? I have a feeling I'll conveniently "forget" to do this each day.
So, how about you? Do you now feel challenged to "Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."?
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