LOVING OUT LOUD
So I am in the grocery line and impatient is not even the word to describe how irritated I am waiting for the person in front of me. Shuffle, search, dig, shake – the hunting for the exact change in her purse has now become a community project as we all wait for her to find .57cents – like for real? I’m tapping my foot, breathing heavy, checking my watch, crossing my arms, huffing and puffing trying to push her through the line with my antics. No dice. Steady she goes and I realize I just need to pay her .57 cents and get on with it because it is obviously bothering me more than her.
I began getting that check, you know the one where you know the other person is not the problem – you are? That tugging on your heart that your attitude is just a little lower than Christ-like – okay well mine was way off, but you get the idea. I was not being understanding, considerate or anything, I was really being selfish and right then and there, I had a lesson to learn. I needed to love out loud.
Jn. 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that ye also love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Wow. The truth is, regardless of the external situation, we have an internal motivation always ready to be activated – that motivation is the love of Christ. The way in which He loved us is filled with service and sacrifice. Regardless of our past, present and future decisions, Christ loves us unconditionally. The challenge is now for us to love others with the same type of love.
It’s so funny that when we make mistakes we yearn and hope for people to have grace and forgiveness but when others make mistakes we sometimes reserve criticism and judgement. How about offering the love of God and allow Him to execute the judgement. It’s okay to really let God be God instead of trying to intimidate, threaten, huff and puff others into doing what we want. I learned that every day I have many moments to choose love or impatience. I have moments to make it all about Christ and less about me. May I LORD choose right all the time and not some of the time – AMEN AMEN
Have you had any un so Christian moments? Pray tell and help us all
Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you for that post I am glad I read it.
God bless
Ok, Lady you asked for it! I wias in line last night at the grocery store waiting behind 4 people to do self-check out. I was eyeing my hubby as he stood there with me holding all the “COLD” items and I held the bread. As I got closer to him to tease or just say pay lots of attention to him, I noticed 4 more couples behind us….all smiling watching me goo-goo my hubby! Ok as I turned to veiw our spot in the line a lady and her daugther “BROKE” in front of me and the two couples waiting in front of me. I was so done…I stayed quiet and stared her down until she turned and looked at me! I was not turning away and I wanted to yell out”REALLY”, I was heated and as I got ready to speak, my hubby looked over at me and said “Baby maybe she has somewhere to be”, I stated, softly “YA, to the parking lot…with me, and just me and her. I then saw no others people were saying a word and they looked as if they wanted to so I said aloud, “God gives us all a measure of faith as well as a measure of frustration! As my turn came up, I could do nothing but laugh at myself…thanks for the reminder as stated above in a comment! Love you lady!
LOL that’s a real live example right there LOL
I do have those moments, but they are less and less each day as I stride to live the life God wants me to live…I am still a work in progress, but I will check myself inside and out when that ugliness starts to rise..
Last night I went 2 bed after 10pm & pretty tired. At about 11:45, I heard a loud boom-thought someone was breaking in. I laid there a bit and found out someone was letting off fire crackers. My son was still sleeping but I did not want him to awake. After talking with my hubby whose out of town, I called an emergency hotline just 4 firecracker issues (after calling police first) when I saw my neighbors on MY street doing this, I asked them to stop so my baby & I could sleep! The guy answered that he didn’t have any more & that he was good-I thought his comment 2 me was selfish, that because he was good he would stop. I said that I did not ask if he was good, just 2 stop. I felt so bad, I should’ve left it alone after asking him 2 stop. This morning I apologized after agonizing most of the night & morning. I learned that justification doesn’t mean right! I told God that I would rather have a good witness & love walk than 2 hide behind justification. He’s still working on me, lol!
Amen so glad we are all in this together – yes, He is still working on us all