Were they wrong? Yes.
Were they cruel? Yes.
Was it a one-time thing that blew over? No. It spread. Gossip, rumor, and innuendo always spreads.
I don’t want to point fingers or lash out.
Well…
I do…
but I won’t.
That’s not love…and love is the thing.
So how does love handle this injury?
It’s all there…in…and in between…the lines of 1 Cor 13.
If I know love…
I know what love would do…
and knowing that…
it’s then just about doing what I know.
Simple…if not easy.
Love is Patient…
I think of our Lord, and how he so quickly defended the reputation and rights of those wrongly attacked. But I can search through all of Scripture and not find an instance where he defended himself from lies, insults, or attacks. Love often lets these things go without a response.
If I want to be more like love, more like God…
then I need not to fight fire with fire.
Love is Kind…
I have to try to understand why they might have done what they did…
and to some extent I have…but not fast enough…
and I have to admit that I’ve done what they’ve done….
and to some extent I have…
but not fast enough.
I can only justifiably caste stones if I’m without sin. So I can’t pick up rocks.
…no matter how many I can grab…or how pretty I can make them look.
Love is putting myself into their position in order to understand better.
The “me” in me wants to judge, and not understand.
But that doesn’t matter…
What matters is this…
the more like love I act…the more like love I become…and God wants for me to be…
…conformed to the image of his Son… (ROM 8:29)
…and so that’s what I want too.
Love is not so much proud…
A little truth here…
I always want to be right.
I always want to be seen as right.
Oh this weakness…
thinking my way is always the right way.
But even if they are wrong, and I’m right…doesn’t matter.
Love is respectful of other opinions, even while strongly disagreeing.
Our Lord created a whole universe, to create one planet, to create children, to give them free will.
How many decisions of mine has our Lord “strongly” disagreed with?
How many people always choose rightly?
Only one.
I’m not Him.
I have to let…this…go.
There’s this toy…
The game is throwing it across the floor…
and Laska the Love Kitty pouncing…
and he keeps it in his claws for a bit…
but even he knows…
the game can only be continued…
if he lets…it…go.
And love is only beginning to wind its way through…
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
“well, i do, but that’s not love.”
THAT is profound. what we want is not always what we should do. love is not always our gut reaction, or even our second turn around the bend. it’s hard to love. but stay strong, brother.
this quote from Jonathan Parnell from “Desiring God” sums it up perfect: He was there — yet he never sinned. He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger.
you are loved and prayed for, dear brother.
Rachel, the wrong decision is always so much easier to make than the right one, non-love this always easier than love – downhill is easier than up. And I guess if sin weren’t inviting, it wouldn’t be so hard to resist. I’m gaining strength – love is giving me strength – God is giving me strength, nice people (i.e. you) are giving me strength. Forgiving… Moving forward… It’s a little bit of a minefield… But I’m not alone. Thank you Rachel, and God bless you.
Craig, there is a really great book that deals with offense, I just finished up taking the course in my church in mid-December. I think that you would really gain some insight on offense. It is called “The Bait of Satan” by John Bevere. I cannot tell you how much I learned from this. Now that things have slowed down after the Christmas rush I am going to be going through the book again.
http://www.amazon.com/Bait-Satan-Anniversary-Devotional-Supplement/dp/159185413X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325176942&sr=8-1
Erin – I never get a chance to read actual books. Right now it’s the Bible – and oodles of blogs – and the blogs I read are awesome – I learn so much. But I’m thinking – if you’d like, drop me in e-mail – let me know what you learned – and if I can fit it into love – or into Scripture – for the other blog – I think I’d heart the inspiration. Just an idea. Thank you Erin, and God bless you.
oh, and the e-mail addy is sapphyre12@att.net – just in case ツ
Wow, that metaphor was so perfect. God does things like that, doesn’t he? Thanks for your honesty.
and Ruthiey, I have no idea how that metaphor happened – the fingers moved – and just came out. And just between you and me – I really heart that metaphor. thank you Ruthiey – God bless you – and happy birthday again.
Your words show where your heart is, and that is in Jesus Christ. We are human and we get hurt, but you handle it correctly. I’m proud of you and thank you for sharing yourself, the raw self to help others be pointed in the right direction when they themselves become hurt. I think, no…I know He above is smiling at you. Once again, I heart your post!
Kristin, I’m handling it better now – there was a key phrase in the post
“and to some extent I have…
but not fast enough.”
yeah…that.
Anyway, thank you Kristen, and I heart that you heart my post ツ
I feel you veering to the right…right into the arms of Jesus! After all, He is the only one you have to please. Him and, ah, one or two of us who read you…(really just kidding about the readers).
You talked about Romans 8:29 and being conformed into His image. That is exactly what someone in my comment section said today after I wrote about affliction. She said, “All that comes our way is considered good because it is for the purpose of conforming us into His image.” I feel like we’re on the same road and your posts put meat on my boney ones because you are in the midst of the refining fire. You have my prayers and admiration.
God bless you,
Dawn
veering to the right…that was bad Dawn – that was really, really, really bad! ツ And silly you – I’ve obviously got six or seven readers not just one or two ツ and we think the same – and we have the same God – and apparently sometimes we need the same lessons – So I’m not surprised that our words reflect each other sometimes. Anyway, thank you for your prayers, thank you always for your kind words, I heart knowing you. God bless you.
PS is * ok?
Love…. I can see and hear you in all you are saying. I see God in you and in your actions or by not acting out at all. Again thank you for your honest emotions and how you are dealing with this by using LOVE.
I DO look much better when people can see God in me. So much always really comes down to just looking at things the way that Love looks at them. Thank you Katie, if it were just those isolated tweets from that one post – that would be different – but the escalation from that to other “major” blog people piling on – that made it harder to get over – to know there are out there that think of me that way – tough – but I will forgive – I am – each day I respond in love is a good day. God bless you Katie.
i really, really liked this one Craig! i relate, because ive had people spread rumors about me, about my family, had girls push me down a flight of stairs, and i have had unforgivenss toward someone who cut me deeply and made me afraid of them. but i had to see it from their viewpoint. and more than that, i had to see myself through God’s eyes without the cross and then with the cross. without the cross, im filthy and deserve hell. so does my friend who hurt me. with the cross we both are redeemed to God and redeemed back into right relationship with Him and with one another. only God’s love can do that. only He can create such a miracle–cause people who have hurt each other deeply to not only forgive, but to grasp hands and embrace one another in prayer and brotherly and sisterly affection. thanks for making me write this–because i may just have to use if for a post! 😉 i needed to hear your heart here in what you write…let. it. go. this wraps up the year for me. this is what God wanted to teach me. there is so much suffering in this world…i have suffered much through my illness…it makes you realize what it is really of utmost value and importance… He has given us His love, one another for comfort, and an eternal glory with Him one day to look forward to, so though we journey with misery sometimes in a land that we are only pilgrims in, only orphans at the gate, we still have a hope.
blessings my brother and friend!
Nacole
first, I want you to know that when you see me on your blog today leaving a comment – it’s not because you left one here. I’ve gone down from 10 posts per week to 8 – and now I’ve got more time to read. You know I heart your words! Anyway I know only a little bit of your injuries – but when we blog about real stuff – and then get to read each other – we get to know each other on deeper levels than just the superficial – so I get you a little bit Nacole – really. People see the real me here – so if you know me from here – you know me better than almost anyone ever has. And I do think we need to take that lesson from Laska the Love Kitty – let… It… Go. So, one orphan at the gate to the other – God bless you my friend.
here is the post wherein i use the above comment 😉 i put it into my thank you list last week. because of you, i had something of substance to put on my list! and my thank you list for this week will be up shortly.
http://sixinthehickorysticks.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-everything-can-be-made-new-31-days.html
Wow, Nacole, this is profound! Every word spoke to me. Thank you!
goodness…im humbled, Dawn. thank you. i feel blessed that anything i say might affect someone. so, so grateful.
blessings,
Nacole
Craig, R.T. Kendall wrote a book called Total Forgiveness ….. it has helped me so much!!!! And…my Pastor has a sermon about forgiveness (My post on Weds is about both)…. you’re getting there….I see the light…careful, though…because that light can slip from us because we take our eyes off of it…. Take a peak at this quote:
“But if you and I totally forgive one who is truly an enemy, believe me, we have just crossed over into the realm of the supernatural…… Totally forgiving an enemy is as spectacular as any miracle. No one may even know, though. You quietly intercede for them in solitude. Only God, the angels and the devil know….We are talking about a feat greater than climbing Mount Everest, for totally forgiving an enemy is to climb the spiritual Everest. It means the highest watermark in anyone’s spiritual pilgrimage. And yet it is within reach of any of us….You and I can do something exceedingly rare: forgive an enemy (if we have one). Loving an enemy defies natural explanation…totally forgive anyone who has hurt you. And the blessing is beyond words to describe.” (paraphrase)
thank you Rebecca, I will be careful here – because I know those feelings of revenge and retribution are still swirling a little – but when I say that love is the thing – I really mean that – that’s why were alive – that’s why this blue dot is spinning in space – even the very biggest things on this planet are tiny – this is tiny. If it stopped at just those initial tweets – that would be one thing – having it grow – and knowing there are other people out there who think that way – that makes it harder. But love forgives – and love moves on – I’ll love. And I think I’ll be by today. And although I’m sad I won’t be getting to go to Blissdom – and although I’m sad that you won’t – it makes it easier for me to know that I’m not missing out on a chance of meeting you. God bless you my friend.