Jack Handy
So much has happened in the last couple of blogless weeks, and I often have said to myself: "Self - I need to blog about that." And haven't found the time to do it. For a few reasons. First - we had Easter Vacation, and a long stretch it was. It was so nice to check out for a while - even though I had much work to do over break, I let that go and enjoyed greatly time with the girls, superstar, and the indoor water park. Then Dad, my nugget cousin and AJ came to visit for a week. It was beyond awesome having Grandpa stay with us - and I think he even enjoyed his time in the big city. A bit different pace than that of his normal day to day life back in MI, but we certainly loved having him visit us. It is hard to believe that it is rapidly approaching two years since we moved away from MI, and it seems like more than that to me because I was actually out in NYC working before the move.
But I digress - God continues to put the concept of LOVE in my day to day walk. I am not really sure why He is doing that, but I can tell you the day to day applications are easier when I pay attention to the lessons I seem to be getting in His Love. Mine is not big enough. It will never be enough with just my love. But with His, I am realizing the potential of loving those that I don't particularly want to love. As a matter of fact, there are situations where I want to avert loving this person or that person, but they kind of love I struggle with flows out of me when I tap into this kind of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
There are people it is hard for me to love - and God helps me to love them in this way. There are people that I REALLY love, and God blows my heart up as of late with the blessing of them in my life.
More - Along this same line, I am learning to let a lot more go in my life this year. There are things that used to really get me upset, I would get frustrated and angry with people I thought were 'stupid', or at work doing things a way I didn't think was best. But I have learned that I need to just love them, and let that type of anger and frustration go. It doesn't mean that I allow people to walk on me, or don't speak up when I need to, but I have realized that through His Love, I might be able to help myself and others by allowing things to roll off me more in this life. Interesting indeed.
In case you follow this blog regularly, you might have picked up on the fact that I am a bit excited about my new role next year - and the opportunity to work with the aussie. (Spoiler alert - I am excited about it fo sho) Every moment that I process the fact that I am going to have the honor of developing leaders of schools, and the blessing of doing that alongside the aussie - I am truly blown away at His providence for my life. "For I know the things I have for you to do."
NEWS FLASH
As I sat and wrote the last couple of sentences, I am reminded (is that you Holy Spirit?) of something I felt like God told me a few years ago. As I spent much time looking for employment in NYC, I felt like God whispered something like "Be a Leader of Schools". I am in MI right now, so I can't pull my journals and find it (Spoiler Alert #2 - I will when I get home and blog it). At the time I was interviewing with a group called "New Leaders for New Schools", and so I remember at the time thinking that might be what God was leading me to, but you can see the results of that process in this post. I am again overwhelmed that something He was telling me over three years ago is now coming to fruition - and this is something I know I have learned is the Timing of Jesus. His plan is not always ours. His timeline certainly is not what we usually expect or experience, but if we are faithful in all things, God is mighty and powerful and meets our every need beyond what we ever thought possible. In all things. When we lean on Him, our lives are complete and overflowing with the love that I mention above. I better stop these deep thoughts before I blog for several hours.
But I digress - God continues to put the concept of LOVE in my day to day walk. I am not really sure why He is doing that, but I can tell you the day to day applications are easier when I pay attention to the lessons I seem to be getting in His Love. Mine is not big enough. It will never be enough with just my love. But with His, I am realizing the potential of loving those that I don't particularly want to love. As a matter of fact, there are situations where I want to avert loving this person or that person, but they kind of love I struggle with flows out of me when I tap into this kind of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
There are people it is hard for me to love - and God helps me to love them in this way. There are people that I REALLY love, and God blows my heart up as of late with the blessing of them in my life.
More - Along this same line, I am learning to let a lot more go in my life this year. There are things that used to really get me upset, I would get frustrated and angry with people I thought were 'stupid', or at work doing things a way I didn't think was best. But I have learned that I need to just love them, and let that type of anger and frustration go. It doesn't mean that I allow people to walk on me, or don't speak up when I need to, but I have realized that through His Love, I might be able to help myself and others by allowing things to roll off me more in this life. Interesting indeed.
In case you follow this blog regularly, you might have picked up on the fact that I am a bit excited about my new role next year - and the opportunity to work with the aussie. (Spoiler alert - I am excited about it fo sho) Every moment that I process the fact that I am going to have the honor of developing leaders of schools, and the blessing of doing that alongside the aussie - I am truly blown away at His providence for my life. "For I know the things I have for you to do."
NEWS FLASH
As I sat and wrote the last couple of sentences, I am reminded (is that you Holy Spirit?) of something I felt like God told me a few years ago. As I spent much time looking for employment in NYC, I felt like God whispered something like "Be a Leader of Schools". I am in MI right now, so I can't pull my journals and find it (Spoiler Alert #2 - I will when I get home and blog it). At the time I was interviewing with a group called "New Leaders for New Schools", and so I remember at the time thinking that might be what God was leading me to, but you can see the results of that process in this post. I am again overwhelmed that something He was telling me over three years ago is now coming to fruition - and this is something I know I have learned is the Timing of Jesus. His plan is not always ours. His timeline certainly is not what we usually expect or experience, but if we are faithful in all things, God is mighty and powerful and meets our every need beyond what we ever thought possible. In all things. When we lean on Him, our lives are complete and overflowing with the love that I mention above. I better stop these deep thoughts before I blog for several hours.
Comments
You used the word fruition. We love that word! Fruition: a using or enjoying; enjoyiment; gratification; lpeasure derived from use or possession. He sure does bring much to fruition.