Walk in Love

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us..." Eph. 5:1-2

I came across this section of the Bible during our Bible study last week.  Again, God is amazing at knocking you straight in the face with what He wants you to do at times.  I really feel like I have been bombarded lately by God practically yelling to me, "LOVE!" Just when I start to question, What do I have to do to love? Why love? Why me? He sends me a pretty clear message.

I need to work on imitating Christ and just love others.  A section of the commentary that rang true for me was this, "When we practice small voluntary, sacrificial actions for others, we gain a deeper appreciation of the depth of Jesus' sacrifice for us."  That is one of the reasons why I am doing this.  Not only am I showing God's love to others when I love them, but I am growing closer to God myself.

So how do I start to walk in love?  By ceasing to walk the way the world walks.  And wouldn't know you, that is the title of the sermon series going on at church right now - Turning the World Right Side Up.  Seriously, all angles.

This was a great reminder that serving others is the key to love.  Submit to God and submit to others.  And love will abound.  I know that this is true because I have definitely felt the burden of negativity lifted off of me when I choose to love.

• Helping out colleagues at work and working together instead of on my own
• It's amazing how much less stressed I was this week
• Choosing not to be angry when a family member's actions didn't seem to be out of love
• That was a challenging one to get past, but man did it feel good when I did!
• Spending time with Seth in a spur of the moment get-together
• I had fun and met some new people too

I know I still have a ways to go.  Especially in the family area lately.  But seeing how God worked in my life this week, I know it is definitely the path I want to be on.  Who have you chosen to love this week? How'd that work out for you?

Unworthy of Love

Genesis 32:10 "I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant."

That's all, folks.  Jacob summed it up nicely when he prayed to God - we are not worthy of the love poured out upon us.  Yet, He does it anyways.  This is the model for which we should live.  Loving others, even though they may be unworthy.  We are fortunate and blessed to have a loving father that cares and loves beyond all reason, and our duty is the same.  It can be a challenging one, however it is what we are called to do.

I have been struggling since September with having my daily devotional time lately, and today I felt wide awake at 5:30, a half an hour before I was planning to get up.  So I understood that as a sign to get going and meet with God to help get me started with this new year.  I really want this to work out, and I know the only way to really help that to happen is to make time and an effort behind it.

I was listening to the radio recently and the DJ was talking about new year's resolutions.  They never last no matter what she tries.  However, a funny thing happens when they are tied to God -- they persist.  I am very much looking forward to continuing this resolution absolutely throughout the year.

I'm going to hold myself accountable, and even if I wasn't very good a choosing love (as was the case yesterday!),  I will still find a way to keep love at the forefront of my mind during the day.  I started with looking at the concordance dictionary at the back, and was actually surprised (I don't know why I would be) with just how many passages pertain to love.  Really, I shouldn't have been surprised!  But it will be a place to go when necessary, and definitely obvious reminders from God about love.  Like, I am not worthy of the love I receive from God, therefore, I shouldn't be concerned with loving others who are unworthy as well.

A Constant State of Tired

Being pregnant has caused me to be tired constantly.  No amount of sleep is enough.  If I am sitting, I will fall asleep.  If I am reading, I will fall asleep.  Sometimes, even if I am teaching, I want to fall asleep!  Needless to say, I don't make it out too late at night any more.

Last night was NYE - a time when people commonly stay up past midnight to ring in the new year.  This year, I was also celebrating the marriage of my best friend who got married in October.  It was absolutely beautiful and amazing to be able to be a part of both her wedding in California and the celebration in Iowa. On both occasions I was pregnant, and consequently, at both occasions I was tired.

However, last night was different.  I choose to show Erin my love and think beyond my 'situation'.  As the night carried on and got closer to midnight, it was clear people were tiring out from dancing and celebrating, so that's when I kicked myself into gear.

I danced my heart out for over an hour.  And I was wide awake!  I didn't stop dancing until about 12:30, when my legs couldn't really hold me up anymore. But it was amazing for that hour and a half, it was like I couldn't stop moving.  I had a fun time, and even danced to a sweet remix of my favorite song, Call on Me.  I completely forgot about being tired and pregnant for that time.  I'd like to think that my example showed others how to get past their own tiredness and keep going.  

I'm sad to say that I didn't choose love at the wedding in October, and missed out on the fun times later in the evening because I was 'too tired.'  Being pregnant gives you the opportunity to use a lot of excuses to be selfish, but last night proved that excuses don't really matter.

God gives us the strength to make the right choice and choose love, particularly when it is difficult.  It is in these 'situations' that we grow most from His love and guidance, not to mention, have the most amazing time doing so!

How do I feel today?  I think I'm going to need a nap...