Along the crook of where ocean meets land
I find myself walking over sea glass;
treasured gems in reverse,
not found in nature and refined by man
but having been discarded by man
has been refined by nature
I pick up a piece and ask it a number of questions.
What onslaughts have you withstood
to become so smooth and beautiful?
How many times did you wonder
if all the ocean's tumbling was worth
this beauty you could not have seen
along the way?
Where did you gather strength
to endure years pitched about
after being pitched out?
What does the voice of God sound like...
when it bores through self-hatred
and burnishes your broken edges?
How did you stay strong without fracture?
How did you patiently await the vision
of what you would become?
I slip the gem into my pocket
and I can hear it look me in the heart to say,
"I have al the same questions for you?"
Patience Arrow
Take God lightly
"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance." Romans 2:4 I wan to never take lightly God's amazing kindness, tolerance, and patience. But on a given day, how lightly I often consider and think upon these incredible things!
Repentance proves I do not take his kindness, tolerance, and patience lightly.
How to love as God loves
"Love is the loftiest preference of one person for another, and spiritually Jesus demands that this sovereign preference be for Himself." - Ozzie Chambers
The Bible reveals to me that I must learn to love people. I am not always very good at loving others. God has loved me not at all because I am worthy of it or that I am lovable in any way, but because it is His very nature to love. How can I actually love in a way that is GOD's nature? To love someone as God has loved me!?
God will likely bring people purposely into my life who I do not like much. He will bring people who are not at all easy for me to love.
God: the great patronizer? No, it is His love. That is His kind of love, which I am called to.
My problem is I most often try to force it and make this kind of love happen. I do not think this kind of love is going to happen within me overnight, but I also do not think God is forcing me into it. Yes, he has called me to it. He has demanded it of me, but I do not think he expects it so promptly that he pushes me forcibly into it either.
In fact, 2 Peter 3:9 tells me that "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." I cannot overlook Jesus' ability to wait for me. I cannot forget that Jesus knows I am incapable of loving as He does, and yet he patiently waits as I learn.
But it is that patience which should compel and drive me to be better. It is that patience, which should drive me to love more. I have to go to the hard to love and not only love them more, but love them as Jesus has loved me, which as I have revealed, is PATIENTLY!! There will always be irritating people who are very difficult for me to love, but the call still remains. Love others as Jesus has loved me. Love with patience!
But it all must be nurtured. It is not an overnight change. I must learn to grow that kind of love within me. I have to learn that kind of love as I daily learn to accept that kind of love.