Grace (crying): “Mom, David threw a Starburst at me and hit me in the head!”
Me: “Really?! A Starburst?! I think you’re overreacting!”
“Let me see if you’re bleeding.” (In the most sarcastic of tones)
Upon further investigation, I find a hematoma the size of a large marble bulging from her head. Oops…maybe I under reacted! A little ice pack and a big apology from little brother, and all was well. But as I often do, I found a lesson in all this.

Don’t we sometimes do the same when we know someone is in crisis? Now of course, most of us are sympathetic when there is a death or serious illness involved. What kind of monster doesn’t feel empathy and compassion for that? But what if it’s an ache or pain? What if it’s a fight with a spouse? What if it’s a problem at work with a boss or coworker, or the same issue we’ve been hearing for years?  Aren’t we tempted to write it off as overreaction? Aren’t our problems much more complaint worthy?

I am guilty of it. I don’t vocalize it, but yes thoughts have crossed my mind and even stopped me from reaching out. But who am I to determine what causes pain in another individual? Who knew a Starburst could do so much damage to my hard headed 12 year old?!

So, let’s listen a little closer to those crying for help. Let’s lend a compassionate ear to someone who is hurting today, even if it seems trivial to us. May we have the eyes and ears of Jesus. Should we really be scrutinizing the gravity of the situation and if deemed minimal, just ignore it? Or should we love the socks off the person, because God wants us to, no matter the breadth or depth of their issue?!  Trials and pain are relative. We need to resist the desire to compare ours to theirs, and just be there to listen and lend a hand where necessary. We must love our neighbor as Jesus loves us. We should be listening to the cries of our friends and family, and show them unconditional love. Our assessment of the situation is completely irrelevant when we love as Jesus loves us. If we simply love them through it and are grateful to get our minds off our own pain for a little while, we may just be blessed in the process.
 
Mark 12:28-31 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”  Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

​Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love,  a tender heart, and  a humble mind.

e"I've got good news and bad news." Don't you just hate to hear that?!
                                                      YAY!!!     oh, bummer....
What if I told you that some people who hear the good news of Jesus Christ actually think it's the bad news? When most of us hear the Good News, we are saying "YAY, that's GREAT news!" and we cannot wait to share it. But sometimes when someone hears this message for the first time, even if they were raised "in church," it can sound like anything but good.

We all get mixed messages from media, from family and from friends regarding death, heaven and hell. I grew up most of my life believing in God, believing that Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected, but also believing that if I was a generally good girl, I would go to heaven. I could see my dad and grandparents and meet the big guy with the flowing robes and long white beard. (God, not the winter warlock!)

Daily decisions, activities and habits are much less stressful and require less discernment when we adopt the "I'm basically a good person" , "I didn't kill anyone" theology. Forging our own path with our own desires and visions usually starts out amazingly well, but without God directing our journey, we fall victim to worldly selfishness. While we may gain wealth here, we do not secure a heavenly future.
So, here is a condensed version of the Good News....
God created man. Man sinned against God. God required sacrifices be made at an altar to appease Him so that they were forgiven. The Old Testament spoke of a Savior, one who would be the ultimate and final sacrifice, who would save his people. God sent Him, Jesus Christ, to walk among us, to die a painful death by crucifixion, and to be resurrected. It was all God's plan to save us. It IS good news. He loves us that much!

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So when you hear this good news and it sounds like judgmental bad news, I pray that these truths will change your mind....

1-God takes us as we are, where we are. We don't need to clean up and make ourselves presentable first. He does that. We just say yes to His invitation.
2-We are all dying, not passing away. DYING! It is unpleasant but you can't sugar coat it. So, making a decision to follow Jesus and have a heavenly eternity, for me is just about the only thing going. It's just smart!
3-We have hope in Jesus and can take that hope to others. We've all been broken and damaged, but Jesus is the great physician. Let Him heal you and then offer that same hope to everyone you meet. 
4- We all have a God shaped hole in our hearts.As soon as we put Him in the center of EVERYTHING, where he belongs, life becomes worth living. Not easy, but worth it.
Father, I pray that whoever stumbles across this post today is compelled to call out to you, to ask you into their heart and to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Father, fill them with your Holy Spirit and guide them to a Bible believing church.Thank you for the gift of life,now and forever. AMEN

In studying the two great commandments that God has clearly given us in Matthew 22:36-40, I am convicted to address the areas of unforgiveness in my life.(AGAIN!) How can I love someone when I hang on to rage and resentment?  I am sure I have written about this before but, this is a recurring stumbling block for me in my Christian walk.  Bitterness and grudges have no place in a person’s life. Harboring animosity toward another stands to eclipse the light of Jesus. Our goal should be to let our light shine, His light. Feelings like resentment and anger prevent others from seeing His radiance in us. So what do we do?

Forgiving someone does not mean you must return to the same relationship with them. In fact, in some cases it would be a bad idea. It simply means that you recognize we are all sinners, and we are all broken in one way or another. Forgiving someone requires a humble and gracious attitude. Forgiveness frees us to love the person in a different capacity, a love that may involve prayer and empathy instead of daily interaction. The chains of unforgiveness are heavy and serve no purpose. With prayer and acknowledgement of our own sinful nature we can break the chains. Allow God to work in the other person’s life. Lose the desire to prove that you are right, they were wrong, and that your anger is justified. You may be right. You may have been deeply hurt and damaged by another. But the sooner you run to Jesus for validation instead of winning in your own mind, the faster you will regain peace.

God tells us in Colossians 3:13 that we must forgive if we are to be forgiven. We somehow feel entitled to hold on to grudges, but when we really know Jesus, the path to forgiveness is pretty smooth and straightforward. He makes a way for us to be freed from the bondage of unforgiveness. He promises an eternity with him in heaven when we do not deserve it. How much less have others sinned against us and yet we hang on. Jesus paid it all. That means He died for their sins, too. So when they repent, they are just like us. No worse and no better a Christian. And of course their repentance is not something we can accomplish. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to prompt a person to come to Christ. We can only plant the seeds and pray. How many seeds are we planting while we hang out in the mire of unforgiveness? Not many.

Do yourself a favor and let it go. Release that hold you have, send the burden on its way and be free.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17

I will be heeding my own advice today ;).

Thank you Jesus, that while I was still a sinner, you died for me. Help me to give grace to those who have wronged me and to love them as you love me. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN