Lacking Sleep, Yet Full of Love

My heart is full to overflowing as I thank my God for what He did in the lives of the women that went on retreat this past weekend. One person said to me this weekend, "Planning retreat has to be like planning a wedding. You plan so long, only to have your wedding over in 30 minutes!" Those are my exact sentiments in regards to retreat. All the planning that went into it, and it was over in what seemed like no time! And, just like a wedding, there was such a joy and happiness in the end even though I was so sad to see the occasion over. I know that God dealt with my heart on some things, as I hope He did in your heart. As you well know by now, or at least you should know, we were challenged to focus on these four areas of loving others. We are to love those that are JOY, TESTY, FOE and FAR. After getting past the fact that I might be the TESTY one that others have to love, I was able to focus on who God is challenging me to love more. Most of you know that my family has experienced a lot of hurt at the hand of church people. There has been a lot of hurt incurred at the hand of those that proclaim to love the Lord. You would think that therein lie my challenge, but that was not the case. I am here to tell you that God is my Defender and the protector of my heart and He has delivered me from my ill feelings and hurt. That doesn't mean that I still don't hurt when I see those that hurt me, or that I don't still deal with wanting to dislike them, but God, in His great mercy, has taught me to love and pray for them, even in spite of not liking what they have done. God could only do that because if you know me well enough, I can hold a grudge all day. I usually won't be the first to break, but God has taken all that on Him for me. So, all of that to say, it was NOT the Foe that I felt as challenged to love this weekend, and I really thought that this would have been the case for me. Praise God for giving me this time to see just how far He - and only HE - has brought me.
The challenge for me this weekend is what it's always been from the moment I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. It is taking up His commandment to go and love the FAR. Remember? The one that we may just happen on while we are out shopping, at the park, across the country.
It's the stranger that God has commanded us to love. The heart of a missionary I have is truly born out of what has been ingrained in me all my life growing up as an MK. In some ways, that life makes all of this the esssence of who I am as a person. However, it is truly the essence of just being a Child of the King that will always be the prompt to GO and just BE love to those around me. I will never probably know the impact my life has had and will have on all, but that shouldn't keep me from taking every opportunity to go and love the FAR! I am so thankful that God gave me this weekend to love on you, who by the way are JOY if you didn't already know. Yeah, we may all borderline on TESTY...especially when you get 30 women together in one room, but know this! God has given me no greater honor than to love you ladies! I can truly say I have returned home and I didn't gain a FOE at all. Let's go, though and love those who are FARs, ok? We have a community all around us that needs us to show them love. Maybe it's opening the door for a stranger. You wouldn't believe how many will respond to even that. Just the other day I was in the grocery store and as I was leaving I saw a man in the entryway at
Bi-Lo trying to back up a motorized wheelchair and he couldn't do it because someone piled a bunch of buggies around him. I asked him if I could help him and he said he would be grateful, so I moved the buggies and allowed him to pass through. His words to me were, "Young lady, may the blessings of Jesus go with you. You have blessed me today. Today you have all my love. I love, love, love you!" Well, that was certainly more thanks than I expected or even desired, but God put a man in my path, much like Beth told us about this weekend in regards to the man's whose hair she brushed, and he just needed someone to love him. God is good like that. To this stay-at-home mom who often gets frustrated because she doesn't have a lot of "contacts" to reach out to, God ALWAYS provides a way for me to love on others.
My challenge to you today is obviously go and LOVE WELL. Remember to do as Beth said this weekend..."Continue to reach down into the LOVING WELL in order to love well always."
Thanks to all who helped this weekend. I love the Aroma team. God has knit us together and we do work well together. I want to thank Beva Bailey and Debbie Smith for offering to come and help us prepare food. They did a wonderful job. They give my favorite cooks, Rachael Ray and Paula Deen a run for their money. Yes, even you Debbie! One day you may be a great chef as a result of all of this! Thanks to all of you ladies for coming, being flexible, being fun, being friends and most of all...being teachable. May God use you greatly today!