I just barely got my artificial stuff up from the fall. I had ordered my wreaths for the fireplace and the front door a few days ago. I thought it would be fun to see another friend tomorrow and celebrate Christmas and Jesus. I love her so and she is such a joy to be around her. She said I don't have my Christmas tree up yet. I said Kathy my pumpkin rotted in my car. I don't know why. I looked at it every time I got in and got out of the car. I drove a long way to find this different pumpkin and was excited to get it. Somehow I just never got it out of the car and one day my son got in the car and put his foot through it. Now do you feel better about your preparations for Christmas?
But what if you are totally organized and on top of everything. Your house is waiting for Southern Living to show up and you have the perfect gift for everyone and it is wrapped. You are now on to charity and buying for others who are less fortunate and you are exciting about giving and blessing someone else. What about you? Are you free to be you too? We all are different. I had lunch with some ladies I love today. We were talking about how different we are from our husbands. Some are introverts and some introverts. How do you work that with the Christmas parties coming up. Do you take it personal and get your feelings hurt because he just doesn't want to go? Or is he free to be him too? It is a big deal and we all feel loved in separate ways. We want what is important to us to be important to those we love but it just isn't always. My husband would go all the time and I am the one that I have to make myself go to things. I like and function and enjoy mostly small groups or individual times together. One is not right and one is not wrong.
My friend said today I have to have both. She has to have her alone time and time with groups. I suspect this is what we might work towards. I would imagine Jesus was a lot like that, balanced. But today I am writing about how Jesus loves us as we are. He delights and sings over us. We are His beautiful treasured creation He celebrates.
I ask my pastor yesterday why did Jesus not defend Himself on the cross when He was so mistreated. He said He did not try to get out of the cross because of the joy set before Him. We are that joy! We are to focus on that and the value He saw in relationship with us. How can we ever feel inadequate or unworthy or less that what Jesus says we are. Children of the King. We are accepted, favored, and designed to be just as we are and to become more and more like Jesus.
Today as I had lunch celebrating my friends birthday. They make me feel so loved and accepted. I am so comfortable with them. They make me feel free to be me, but yet it gives me a desire to be more that I can be that I have to depend on Jesus to trust and love Him more and others. People don't change by being critical, cynical about them, or judgmental. They change by loving them for who they are. This does not mean that we don't disciple each other but it means what we see in them that might need to change does not depend on our love for them and they must know how much we are for them to accept it. I love how the Spirit does not leave me alone but prompts me repent and cling to His righteousness. I have been nudged lately that there is someone in my life I love but needed to forgive again in a deeper way. It reminded me how much I needed Jesus. Those who are forgiven much love much. I know how much Jesus has forgiven me so therefore no one is a bigger sinner than me but His gift of righteousness is mine. Jesus is mine and I am His just as I am, unique and wonderfully loved. Knowing this freedom helps me embrace my weakness and my gifts and use them to Honor God. The more I receive Gods love for me the more I become the individual He has created me to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment