That my wife puts up with me at times. No I am not the kind of fella that hangs out at bars, attends the local keg party at the University frat house, or stays out every evening participating in the latest recreational thing. I am the kind of guy that is passionate about things. All too often I find myself down the road filling the need of a family or walking a hard road with a friend and I look up and I am alone. Where is the help? Like my mom, I dig my chin in and carry the load myself. I have never been one for asking for help. If there is something to do or a project to carry out - I dredge through it and get it done. Sometimes that is good and sometimes not. My wife puts up with all of that and I am thankful for her as she reels me back in.
After my illness back in 1999 and living through the pain of the loss of my mom and my father n law ... I think my compassion for people has really increased big time. I feel more than I used to. I used to just worry about myself and my direct family but now - I feel the weight of those I am walking with. How can I make things better, improve the situation or even help them to a better place? How can I shine for Jesus so that they see Him and not so much me? I don't want to be that person who someone comes to and spills their heart and asks for prayer and just tell them I am praying for them. Maybe I do or maybe I don't. I want to see the change that God can do! I believe with all my heart that prayer matters and God answers those prayers - even if it is not what we had in mind or the results that we wanted. There is a reason for everything and we must learn something in everything. Look through our tough things the way God seems them and not what we see or feel.
For that family who is struggling - You keep me up at night.
For the dad who is trying to lead his family by following Jesus - You keep me up at night.
For the single parent who is raising their family alone - You keep me up at night.
For the friend who is looking for a real friend to walk with them - You keep me up at night.
For that child who is in need of a male role model - You keep me up at night.
For the child who goes to bed hungry or is embarrased by free lunch @school and is being made fun of - You keep me up at night.
For that person who lost a loved one and has never recovered - You keep me up at night.
Faith is not just prayer - Faith is getting behind the wheel and doing something with it. The hungry and the homeless in our communities need Faith shared with them that has action behind it. Our country is pretty devided these days - back stabbing on all the commercials - half the country Democrat the other Republican. You want real change in this country... you want to see real people stop hurting and their situations get better ~ Put some action behind your faith and get out there. There is always someone hurting more than you are. Awesome things can happen when Gods people get motivated and put into action. This Christmas and holiday season ahead sure will be a tough one for many..... but it doesn't have to be that way or hurt that much.
My morning time the last 2 mornings:
Colossians 3
He Is Your Life
1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Thank you Carol for walking with me and always having my back - thank you Donna for your email yesterday ... thank You Jesus for understanding me more than I understand myself.
Peace today,
Lon~
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