July 12 2014

July 12 2014 Greetings My Friend, I wrote a Sunday Letters From Janet Facebook page recently. As I do often I was re-reading what I wrote when it hit me I missed something I generally pray for and did not mention. My prayer goes like this “Holy Spirit teach me to love, to serve, to give and to share the Gospel. Teach me to bring it back and lay it at the Father’s feet for His glory.” I then add “More about the Father’s glory and not about “me.” INJN I missed speaking about the last part….”to share the Gospel.” As I read the Bible I hear often that we need to “go forth spreading the gospel to every nation and every tribe” along with other verses that to me say “we aren’t to keep this gift to ourselves but to share it with all we know and meet.” I also think spreading the Gospel is not only about the words “Jesus, God, Holy Spirit” but also about how I live day to day life. It is also about how I have a heart to give….not to each and every need to a heartfelt gift of service,time and money. It is having patience with someone whose lifestyle is different than mine. Most of us are a mess when we come to our faith journey. We may have been into drugs, sex and rock and roll or even crazier type of living. As an abused child and then adult I developed a rather harsh mouth. My harsh mouth was my defense and I wielded it in any direction I felt a need to. Sometimes new believers tend to wear provocative clothing, while other new believers may not be regular bathers. It is easy to look at these people and develop an attitude of “I’m so much more than you are, were, will ever be.” That is not where I feel God’s love to tell you the truth. He took me with my harsh mouth. He took me wearing tight jeans because I thought that was the only way I’d get a guy to look at me again. He took me when I felt “white lies” were kinder than the outright truth. I have changed from those days but at first…..I was not a pretty sight. Most of us are not pretty as begin our faith journey. God takes us where we are at and then begins to do a work in us. If we understand this, accept this gift then we need to be open to the idea other believers will come to God in real rough shape. Am I perfect in my acceptance of people….not all the time. When I catch the judgemental woman in me coming out though I strive to ask God to guide me, to forgive me and to be the person He wants me to be with that person. That is part of my growth as well, learning to love all God’s people. Once involved in the church life there are moments of more learning. I’d handle a project this way and it is being handled a totally different way. It isn’t always easy being involved in God’s work. For me I strive to ask God often to teach me to accept people where they are at and teach me how to relate to those that don’t make any sense to me. My first encounter to accepting people was Junior. Prior to Junior the men that did renovating and such would pick up each day after they were done. Everything was put away until the next work day and then brought out. Junior does not do that. A ladder may live in a room for months, tools will be scattered here and there. In his mind he is ready to start the next time he is ready to work. In my mind I see chaos, days where work can’t be done and once more the chaos tends to wear on me. When Junior finishes a project, he cleans it up, puts the tools away and the joy at the beauty of his creation reigns. He likes clutter around him, I don’t. That’s OK because as I learn over and over and yet another time. At some point the total chaos goes away and he has thought out our home and our needs a great deal. Some of us are starting our faith journey, some have been on it for a while. We learn as we accept, live out what we learn. Are you willing to look past the flaws and sees what God sees? May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet