Learning to Labor and to Wait...

What's on my heart these days?

ALOT.

I've been pondering some things deeply,

especially grieved with the

way many of God's people

walk through life controlling others

out of their fear of  the unknown 

or because they don't know how to

accept "differences in administration."

My thots may seem random but trust me,

in true 'spaghetti brain' fashion, they do connect.

I read about not just pretending to love others...

so I think...

I choose by God's grace to love those who are

disrespecting me and my family.

Choosing is not pretending.

It's not putting on a front. 

It's reaching out to receive the life of Christ

and laying down my own fleshly life

that would react out of hurt and anger.

So I can be genuinely loving 

when I CHOOSE Christ.

I read in 1 Peter 3:8-18:

"You should be like one, big, happy family,

full of sympathy toward each other,

loving one another with tender hearts

and humble minds.

Don't repay evil for evil.

Don't snap back at those who say 

unkind things about you.

Instead, pray for God's help for them,

for we are to be kind to others,

and God will bless us for it.

If you want a happy, good life,

keep control of your tongue,

and guard your lips from telling lies.

Turn away from evil and do good.

Try to live in peace even if you

must run after it to catch and hold it!

For the Lord is watching his children,

listening to their prayers;

but the Lord's face is hard 

against those who do evil.

Usually no one will hurt you for wanting

to do good.

But even if they should, you are envied

for God will reward you for it.

Quietly trust yourself to Christ

your Lord

and if anybody asks why you believe

as you do,

be ready to tell him, and do it in a 

gentle and respectful way.

Do what is right; 

then if men speak against you,

calling you evil names,

they will become ashamed of themselves

for falsely accusing you

when you have only done what is good.

Remember,

if God wants you to suffer, it is better

to suffer for doing good than for

doing wrong.

Christ also suffered..."

And my heart is at peace.

I do not even try to understand

the things that happen on this earth.

I have seen and experienced

shocking things in the Christian world

and wonder...

but I am at peace and I embrace

the life He gives me.

I acknowledge that He is good

and that nothing is allowed into my life

without purpose.

I am glad that I serve a God who

knows all things as they truly are.

I am glad that I do not need to figure things out

but that I just need to 'be' in Christ...

no pretending,

no fighting others needed,

no lifting myself up to be known

of others,

no understanding needed

before I obey the simple words

of the Holy Book.

My God supplies all my needs.

I don't need to wend my way through 

life reacting loudly and trying to

demand my rights.

I want to be like Jesus.

I have work to do.

There is not time to waste

freaking out that others

are out of their place

and doing things that are not

in God's plan in the simplicity

that is in Christ...

I have things to be up and doing

'with a heart for any fate'

every single day that He gives me breath.

Life is too precious to waste

on nursing hurts, holding grudges and

feeling sorry for myself that 

my weaker brother/sister cannot

let me live in peace without

being used of the devil to

ruffle my feathers sometimes.

I am 'learning to labor and to wait'

and the key, I'm finding, is to

be in CHRIST alone...

finding hope in Him and not

trying to make people

be who only He can be.

That frees me up to serve and to love,

to have humility and compassion,

and to not get all riled up when

things happen that are

shocking and like cold water

dumped on my  head,

taking my breath away for a second.

May the Lord Jesus be our everything

all the days of our lives.

Those days are a gift from Him.

They are given to us for a purpose:

to know Him and to make Him known.

I do not want to miss that purpose

because I'm distracted by

the nonsense of others.

When someone takes my 'rights' away,

I want to simply go dig another well.

I will speak for the defenseless,

and I will stand in the gap for the oppressed,

but I will quietly go dig another well

like Isaac did and not fight back

when my well is taken.

That's my ramble this morning

after weeks of thinking and praying

and pondering life and it's 

many twists and turns.

These thoughts are born from 

experiences I've walked thru in life

and from listening to others of

God's people sharing the shocking 

things that happen at times

in the circles of people

who claim Christianity.

I know that He has many things to teach me.

These are some of what I've been learning.

Love and blessings,

Marcia