Journal Entries... 3

Hmmm... it has been awhile since I've done a blog entry... and even longer since I've done an old journal entry. So, I've decided to do an old journal entry, this one is circa February 2010.

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory." ~ 1 Peter 1:8

It is easy to love someone and believe in someone when you can see them. When they are a tangible presence in your life, it is easy to care about them. Just like it is easy to thank God and praise God when all of His blessings in our lives are visible to us. When we cannot see His blessings, it gets harder to trust and believe that God is good and that He loves us.

On Breaking Up... Part 2

So... over a year ago, I had posted a post on breaking up... here.

And here we are... at my second post about this. I guess I've finally decided to write another post about it because... well... I've been asked about it so many times in the past 2 months. I kid you not... the amount of people I have talked to about breaking up... and heartbreak is too much... that MY heart is starting to feel like it's just been broken all over again. My heart goes out to anyone who has had their heart broken recently! I know it sucks, but persevere through it, I promise... well, not so much just me, but even more so, GOD promises that there's light at the end of what seems like a dark dark tunnel! 

So in my last breaking up post, I wrote about one of the most common questions, which was "Do you ever stop loving that person?" Today, I want to write about what I have decided to deem the most common statement! "I don't want him/her to get over this first." Well.. some form of that statement. 

Let's be honest, we've all said that in breaking up... at some point in the grieving process. Whether in self-pity or anger at the other person for leaving us here in the pit of heartbreak. I know I have said it... more than once... in the past year or so. Maybe not in quite as colourful language as I had in my first heartbreak... but more or less... the statement was proclaimed. 

So going on my theme of taking the higher road... I'm going to throw it out there and say that this thinking is WRONG! I am convicting myself as much as I am talking to the rest of you who are in a competition with your ex to "be the first" to be over the other. Let's get over ourselves already! The getting over process is NOT a competition between you and the ex... it is a process that involves God and you... and maybe people keeping you accountable. The less you know of how the other person is doing... the better. Unless you can hear about how they're doing and be genuinely happy about it...STOP FACEBOOK STALKING THEM! You're honestly just making life worse for yourself.

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you." ~ Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV)

Remember that God called us to love our enemies? The above isn't just a calling for people we love... to not be upset with them... or people we like having in our lives. This is a calling for those who have hurt us and upset us as well. There's no "BUT" in the above statement... that says "BUT if that guy/girl broke your heart, it's okay to hold unforgiveness in your heart." I've checked throughout the whole Bible... it's NOT in there. Sorry... as much we'd all like that passage to be in there... it's just not. 

I know what I'm proposing is not the easiest thing to live out... and I too am figuring out what that looks like. I am not claiming to have this whole breaking-up thing all figured out... but I also know that my God asks of me will always leave me with the least amount of regrets at the end of the day. He has never let me down in the area... ever! If God can bring reconciliation with THE ex... I trust that God can reconcile us to anyone in our lives. Actually scrap that statement! If GOD can reconcile US to HIM... He can reconcile us to anyone!

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV)

I believe that it is so selfish to proclaim that we don't want the other person to be "better" first. In wishing such things, I no longer live as Christ wishes me to live. I am living by the flesh... and therefore I am choosing to put those thoughts to death in me. I wouldn't want someone else to be wishing death upon me either... that's horrible! Do you want your ex to wish that you stayed miserable until you felt better?! Think about that!

Choose life... choose God... it's hard, but I challenge you to try! When all you wanna curse... life that person up in prayer... and see the work that God does in YOU! Release yourself from the other person... let them be... and allow God to love on YOU! 

That's my 2 cents... hahaha... you can disagree with me if you want... but I stand by what I believe about breaking up! It's what God told me. :) 

Monday (not so Morning) Musings..

So... it's been awhile since I've done a Monday Morning Musings entry... but thought I would sit down and give it a go today. :)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." ~ John 13:34-35

This is one of my favourite passages, and part of Justin's message from Saturday. :) Nothing is as nourishing and encouraging to the soul as when He confirms the things that He shares through those around you! 

Other than that... more so than Justin's message for community, this passage is my heart for what it means to be a family of God. This is so central to being different from the world and society around us. For me, this is what makes reconciliation within the community possible... and also why even though it is hard, it is a must in the family. 

I'm learning to see how much of an idealist I am, but my desire is not to make life difficult for everyone. I know this is hard to live out... I struggle with it on a daily basis, but this is the lifestyle that God has challenged me with. Because through this... we get to experience Heaven on earth. 

I'll be honest, lately my desire to live out this verse... and to encourage it has been wavering. I have seen so much pain... so much hurt... hurts that warrant revenge more so than forgiveness and reconciliation. Pain that tugs at my heart to demand that justice be done for my sisters in Christ... but this past weekend God reminded me that is not His way. 

Right now, I don't know how this works. How do you encourage forgiveness when someone is so obviously hurting so badly? At the moment, I am at a lost... I know only to pray. I am waiting on God for His plan. At the moment, all I know is that when we lay down our lives, our pride... God comes through and changes things in the Spiritual which will overflow in the physical. What seems impossible to the world is completely possible with God... and with that in mind... I will continue to push into this. I want people to know what we can't settle for what is acceptable and expected by the rest of the world.. that they can want more, and that God will allow them to reach the more only if they allow Him!