Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Love the unlovely

Jesus doesn’t love us because He is obligated to or because He is guilted into it. He loves us because He desires to do so, and He wants us to do the same for others.

He wants us to see everyone, including those whom we would rather not look at, through His eyes–the eyes of love. He calls us to love those who bring us joy and those who bring us hurt. Those who make us laugh and those who frustrate and irritate us. Those who are easy to love and those who challenge us. Those who are in sync with us and those who disagree with us.

We are supposed to love the unlovely. Love those whom we find it most difficult to love. Get to know the ones who others ignore. Love those who are not accepted as easily. Look to those on the outside fringe and pull them into the center. It doesn’t matter if they are stinky, loud and obnoxious. It doesn’t matter if they have different values, different life styles, or if they make poor choices time and time again. Jesus tells us to LOVE them.

We also get to love those who are close to us, those who are accepted and those whom everyone loves. Love all people. Do not hold back. Love. Love like Christ, with no limitations.

It is so stinkin’ hard sometimes. But He never said it would be easy. As Todd Wilson likes to say, “It’s harrrrrrrrrrrd……. But it’s goooooooooood.” A few nights ago, Leeland said to me (along with several others who were in the crowd), “The highest form of worship is obedience.” God tells us to do it. So, we need to do it. But not only do we need to do it, we’re supposed to desire to do it. We can’t just go through the motions. Our heart needs to be in it.

Recently, God has given me many opportunities to forgive and love. He has forgiven me time and time again, and has never stopped loving me. It’s time I do the same for others in my daily life. “It’s harrrrrrrrrrd…. But it will be goooooooood,” because blessings abound when we say YES to God!

Wordless Wednesday



Saturday, November 13, 2010

Armadillos

Armadillos half way across Texas = things a sleeping Benjamin says in the van when you try to wake him up to go into the house.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Seven years

It's been seven years. Seven years since I've held you, touched you, kissed you. My arms are so empty without you and my heart aches for you. I love you and I will hold you in heaven my sweet baby Joshua.

I have so many things to share about this whole journey. Things I've kept inside. It's been painful but beautiful at the same time. That probably sounds strange but God's love, strength and mercy were evident seven years ago and still are even today.

If I could go back in time and choose not to experience the birth of Joshua, knowing that he would quickly return to Jesus, I would not change a thing. Even though I only knew him for nine short months, and losing him was the deepest, darkest, most unbearable pain I have ever felt, I wouldn't give up one moment that we had together.

Someday I'll tell the story as I remember it.

Joshua Stephen Carpenter, November 4, 2003