Taking a Chance

Two days ago I met a young girl, who I will refer to as Maggie, standing on a corner holding up a cardboard sign. A cardboard sign that tells of a class of people, not very highly looked upon, and often ignored.

I put my four way flashers on and got out of my car, not really thinking, just moving. I walked up to Maggie and gently asked her “What’s going on?”

She was homeless and hungry…and pregnant.

“How old are you?”

She was eighteen, had just gotten out of a bad relationship, and was trying to get to Little Rock to stay with her sister.

I didn’t know what to do or how I could help her, but I knew that I wanted to. I didn’t have any cash, but I had some leftovers from the restaurant I’d just left and some crackers. I offered them to her and she quickly accepted…

Over the course of the next two days, and with Lifehouse and my sister behind me, I was able to offer Maggie some encouragement, a bus ticket to her sister, meals, a place to stay, and what I hoped would be a new beginning for her.

Maggie had been homeless for a week, after leaving her abusive, drug-addicted boyfriend of the last year and a half. She was four and a half months pregnant, lonely, and hopeless. Through God’s grace, my sister and I had the chance to sow seeds of love and truth into her…

Maggie had a ticket to Little Rock today. She was supposed to call my sister and I this morning, and we planned to meet her at the bus station; however, though my sister waited for quite some time for her, she never showed up. It’s possible she still made it to that bus, but we will most likely never know.

I can’t quite explain what emotions I have…When I stepped into this situation I was prepared to be lied to and was mindful of the possibility of being taken advantage of… but in the end, I still found myself disappointed…

With the sting of disappointment in my heart, I thought about all that God has done for us. How often do I take HIM for granted? How often do I take for granted the grace he so freely gives and disregard the new beginnings he offers.

Today I’m challenged. I could give up on helping those homeless and in need because of the possibility of their abuse of it, or I can take moments like these and be reminded to not only thank God for all he has given to me, but to step into the life and freedom that he paid so much for me to have.

Be reminded today how much God loves you and how much He has paid for you so that you could have life. And not only life, but life abundantly!
Love,
Sarah

Brotherly Love

I Thessalonians 4: 9-10 
Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

Rejected. Ignored. Abused. Betrayed. Suicidal. Dying...

Dying inside...

If you do a google search for "dying inside" you will find a plethora of stories of people who are hurting... My heart breaks for these people and a little part of me feels frantic for what I could do to help... But who are these people, where are they...

The truth is, they are probably all around us, we just don't see it... They are everyday, normal people. They work with you. They go to school with you. To church with you. You run into to them at the grocery store, and you pass them on the roads...

I suppose, they are often hiding behind angry faces. Shaking fists. Bitter glares... which makes it really difficult to look close enough to see it... But they are there... hurting, and desperate for... for something. For love, yes... But not just any love... The love that every soul cries out for... The love of God...

What can we do today to help them experience that love? Is it possible that God could use us to help change the course of a hurting persons life?

May it be so...

Getting rid of the junk

Here's the thought for the day...

If we remove the other emotions that course through our hearts, I believe, we will see an increase in love in them... Giving us the ability to love others more.

This is a process that God is a NECESSARY component of.  Here's my prayer, that God would continue the work he started in me and get rid of all insecurity and self awareness, get rid of hurt and anger, get rid of impatience and pride...and fill me with peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, joy, humility, and in all of that - Love.

After all - "Love is patient, Love is Kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always hopes, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails..." (I Cor 13: 4-8a)

A Single Command

According to Romans 13:9, the commandments can be summed up in a single command, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"...

That's a pretty amazing scripture and really shows the importance of loving others.  It says in verse 8 that "he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one's fellowmen, meeting all of its requirements]" Amplified version.  I won't get into a discussion about who our "neighbor" is, but if you read Luke 10:25-37, you will find that same question being posed to Jesus and you can read his response.

I think the point is to Love Others. In Romans 13:10 we read that "Love does no wrong to one's neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore, love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law." Amplified version

When you go about your day, I challenge you to ask yourself if your actions are being done in love.  Like it says in I Corinthians 16:14, "Let everything you do be done in love (true love to God and man as inspired by God's love for us)" Amplified version.

It only takes a moment...

It's amazing how one minute we can be full of love for God, and then next feel irritated and frustrated with someone else... It only takes a moment to get sidetracked from what is really important.  Something is wrong with that picture, and sadly, I have been convicted of this very thing in my heart and my life... It is so important to continually renew our hearts and minds in the Lord, but we MUST allow that renewal and transformation process to invade every area of our lives... When it comes to dealing with people that I don't necessarily mesh with all the time, I need to be transformed and see them as God sees them.

I don't want a love that is limited. We know that God loves the world and he sent his son to die for us all... I pray that my heart would be changed and my love for others would transform into a real and pure reflection of God's love...

No more "moments"... I pray that I would never lose sight of God's love IN my life, but especially THROUGH my life...

The essence of reaching your world for Jesus Christ...

is Love.

This is a really short article - http://gospeljunction.net/uk/2010/04/20/loving-others/
but it's one worth reading...