It's a beautiful spring day - well, sorta. A tad bit warmer than usual (46 degrees) and the sun is visiting us intermittently, AND it's dry. No rain, no snow. So, yeah, it's a beautiful day. However, even if all those things were not happening, it would be a beautiful day, for it's one more day in the Lord. One more day for me to learn more about Him and His ways. One more day for me to become more of the me that He created me to be and to learn how to like the me that I already am.
It's a beautiful day!
I had a devotion today from Girlfriends in God about how to be an encourager. It was written by Mary Southerland, whose devotions I typically avoid cause she tends to bring a HARD word, i.e., admonishment, correction, etc.. To me, many times she can be a bit discouraging, so for her to write about how to be an encourager - well, I took it with a grain of salt after reading the title. However, it turned out to be a great lesson. One I truly need to apply to my life.
I've believed myself to be pretty encouraging. I enjoy lifting folks up, bringing a good, kind word - supporting folks when they're trying a new thing. I like to be the rah rah friend, the "You can do it!!" friend. However, I like to be that person when it's MOST convenient for me to do so. I'm quite stingy, stingy, stingy with my time. After all, I need most of it to focus on encouraging and thinking about myself:-). Yeah, it's that mind-numbing, navel-gazing self-focus that has gotten in the way of me being a consistent, when the Lord directs it, encourager. After reading this devotion, I know now, that through Christ, such a way of being needs to change.
So, I'm asking and believing that the Lord will move in me to lend myself - my time - to others more readily. To not avoid phone calls (or ignore them) and to not neglect returning calls that I miss. To actually dial a person up now and then to hear how they're doing. To pay folks a visit who I've promised to visit (um, such as visiting Kenny and Laura this weekend). I need the Lord to move through me. To enable me. It's only by His power that such a change can happen.
This extends to my parents and Jonathan, who tend to get the brunt of my selfishness. I'm good at letting Jonathan just do his own thing while I nit-pick about stuff concerning me, myself and I. I'm great at totally ignoring my mother when she's talking to me or rolling my eyes when my father attempts to make conversation, particularly when I"m trying to watch an episode of House Hunters or some other mindless HGTV show. Lord forgive me and continue to conform me to your way of loving others - encouraging others.
So, as an additional step in taking on this better way, Mary Southerland requested that readers write out the list of the fruit that the Spirit is able to display through our lives and ways in which the Lord can enable me to bless others by that fruit. Lord, help me to be complete, authentic, and loving as I complete this task!
Love & Kindness - Lord, enable me to love my father where he is at - to display that love in a very clear and tangible way. Keep me from being rude or put-off by him. He truly is desperate for someone to hear him and regard him with love and kindness. During this period that I am not working and have more free time to spend with him, help me to build a stronger relationship and friendship with him, and let your love and kindness flow through me to him.
Peace - Lord, you have impressed Kay upon my heart as someone who is in desperate need of true peace in his life that is separate from his work, his responsibilities, his recreation - himself. I'm not really sure how I can help him to experience that peace other than to remember him in prayer - regularly - concerning this need...to declare over his life your peace that surpasses human understanding and to request that it flow through his life in a transformative way, so transformative that it leads him back (or maybe for the first time) to a truly abiding relationship with you, a thriving relationship that reflects a life of repentance and a commitment to pursuing holiness in all areas.
Goodness & Joy - Lord, please show me a tangible way to return to Zarida the goodness she has extended to me and Jonathan. My mind draws a blank, but I know that you know a way that will truly bless her and bring her great joy.
Faithfulness - Lord, Lolita needs to experience in a fresh and real way just how faithful you are - have been - and will be in her life! Lord, may giving her the book "Your Best Life Now" open her eyes to the myriad of ways in which she can depend on you and KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that IN YOU she has all that she needs to accomplish EVERYTHING You are calling her to accomplish. You are mighty God and You know her and all her abilities - her strengths and her weaknesses. You love her just the way she is and can use her RIGHT now. Help her to truly rest in Your faithfulness and to let Your power flow through her life. Give her a deep understanding that she IS CREATED IN YOUR IMAGE and there is INTRINSIC VALUE in that alone!
Gentleness - Lord, give me the ability to treat my mother with gentleness, even when she is sarcastic and sometimes negative in her comments and actions. Keep me from retorting in anger and harshness - to not be short with her. Give me the ability to be slow of speech - to THINK - before I reply and when I reply, if I reply, to do so in a gentle and sweet manner.
Patience & Self-Control - Lord, help me to exercise these fruits in my daily care and feeding of Jonathan. I tend to fly off the handle, due to my controlling and manipulative traits, and end up being so much more harsh with him when he does something I don't want him to do, or doesn't follow instructions I give him EXACTLY the way I want him to. Equip me to be loving and kind to him when I correct him. Help me to discipline him in the loving way that you discipline me.
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