Skip to main content

Part Three: The Blessed Shock


A continuation of the Summer 2012 series. Catch up on Part Two.

My next upset came in the form of an article I read about how to Be A Blessing to Your Friends. I recommend reading it in full, but the title gives a great basic idea of the topic. I soon came across 2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The verse was pointed out to me after I had read the article, but the intertwining of the two – and the fact that I heard them the same morning from different sources – got me to thinking how my application of blessing was doing. Not super well was my verdict. Paul was intentional when he wrote the final verse in Chapter 13. He meant every word to the Corinthians. How could I do less for those whom I come across, especially those I claim to love, be trying to love?

I can’t. When my prayer for them is for them to be caught in the burning love of faith my consciousness of their souls becomes apparent and my love for them is able to grow through the strength of Christ not by my own power.

My morning of shock made me realize how little blessing I added to the lives of those around me. It could not have come at a better/worse time. [if that sentence confuses you please refer back to The SGB to gain insight]

I would love to just learn all my life lessons now, but alas the Lord teaches our slow brains gradually. In all honesty, it’s better that way. Things have more of a chance to sink in at least that’s how it is in my life. I need to see where I am lacking because if I don’t see it I cannot change it. I saw in a very real way that I have not made it my intention to be a blessing. If I have been that to anyone, it has been unintentional though I am hopeful I have blessed more than injured.

Ah, the worst of times. I did not want expend the effort to bless. There are many people in my life I do not want to be a blessing to or pray 2 Corinthians 13:14 over. Because I am selfish. I am wicked. My flesh often wins. Fortunately the God I serve commands obedience of all of me. Having given over my life to Him, the time it takes me to learn lessons seems to be shrinking. Though not as fast as I would like.

An added prayer, To Bless.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First in Awhile

The past year or so I have been working with the youth group at the church I grew up in. Such an odd thing to wrap my mind around. The group that in so many ways formed who I am today is something I still get to be there for. Though now I'm the responsible one. The mature one. As our interim pastor says, "the one with all the answers." (He JOKES anyway).
I show up and help lead where I can. Because it's what is needed. And it's a calling I feel I have on my life. To work with young people, to help teach.
The irony is that my journey lately has taken me through a struggle with discipline. Becoming the person I need to be and doing the actions to get me there. I watch my husband and it seems so easy for him while for me often it's a battle ofbut I don't want to. 
And I have to admit comparisons have only intensified that feeling. It's so easy to sit back and deny what I ought to do in favor of what's right in front of me. 
But I've been so blessed w…
Post a Comment
Read more

I am Redeemed

You set me free. I don’t have to be, That old man inside of me. I’m not who I used to be. Thank God, I’m redeemed.
I’ve loved this song since it was released. The simple truth I so often forget. I am redeemed. It’s basic. Essentially basic. But why can’t I remember?
So often I find myself slipping into my version of “that old man.” I listened to a sermon awhile ago and the pastor talked about how everyone goes through times of desert. Then he started talking to me.
Just make sure you aren’t keeping yourself in the desert any longer than you have to. Longer than you have to.
The phrase played in my mind like tacky wordart. Big, bright letters swirling into sentences. Into meaning. Into my life.
I don’t have to be like that. I don’t have to do that or hide there. I am redeemed. Bought back. Made better.
Set free.
Don’t keep yourself in that desert any longer than you have to be there.
There is a special kind of grace in this remembering. I get to realize all over again how thirst-que…
Post a Comment
Read more

The SGB

Sensitive people get to me; in a negative way. I can’t stand the wishy-washy, back-and-forth mindset that seems to pervade their life. The “what ifs” and “if only I’d...” thoughts that consume, if slowly, entire lives, I cannot handle it. I have realized why:

The mass confusion, the chaotic retracing maybes devour me regularly.

Often I call it “stupid girl-brain.” And no, it isn’t always to do with a love interest, but 99 percent of the time it is about some sort of relationship (fam, friends, and love.) The stupid girl-brain has a habit of overanalyzing a situation, a sentence, a look, until every possible meaning has been taken out and looked into for accuracy – according to the stupid girl-brain. Sometimes this even includes adding expressions and words the SGB “knows” the other person meant. My baby sister would refer to this as a face palm moment and as much as I agree with her, I don’t know how to turn off my SGB.

Even as I write this I’m trying to imagine how the people I desp…
Post a Comment
Read more