With all your heart, soul and mind…

What does it mean to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind’?

How do we LOVE God?

Verses, quotes, wonderings are welcome. I don’t have much to share. However, I am reminded about an analogy: our love for God and Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet. A beautiful love story (yes, also tragic). A love that is consuming and powerful. The ’til death do us part’ journey of two ‘star crossed lovers’. 

When I contemplate God, my heart is full. I want to follow him, I want to trust him. When I forget God, I live for myself, become concerned with selfish desires and worry. Yes, this love is powerful. A love that moves me to love others, and live a great story. How about you?

 

Different…

The other day, in a quiet moment, wondering what does it mean to ‘follow me’, the word ‘different’ would not escape me. When I think of my own faith walk, following Jesus, has looked very different over the years. When I think of my brothers and sisters, and their walks, they all are different. I felt as if Jesus was reminding me that following Jesus will look different, for me at different stages of life, and for each person who carries their cross…and for each person spiritually seeking who God is.

Why would we all look so different if we are all following Jesus?

“If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be liberated, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything-if the whole world is in your pocket-but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you?” Luke 9:23-25, The Voice.

Because in following Jesus we are being who we were truly created to be. In denying ourselves, we  find ourselves. We will stop going with the flow of the world, instead we will be awakened with a new calling, to follow Jesus, to find real life. To be part of the true kingdom, with Jesus as our king, restoring, healing, and bringing peace and grace to the nations.

I had a direct experience with this lately. I had ‘signed up’ for a 4 day weekend with some girl friends, without my kids. From the day I said yes I felt uneasy about it. I wanted to go, I felt I needed to go, but I didn’t want to apart from my babies for that long. We weren’t ready for it. In peaceful moments I’d decide not to go, to stay with my children, in distressed moments I wanted out and wanted to get away. So now I have chosen not to go on the weekend away. It was hard to deny myself, but in the midst of it, I am being true to my real heart. I am responding to my motherly instincts that sometimes get clouded over with desires to escape. I am embracing my cross at the moment, my mission, as mom.

 

Follow Me

Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

I’ve been thinking about this verse alot lately. When thinking about life, faith, purpose, truth, and many other things…that can be shaken to their core, I need to focus on Jesus, and follow his lead. For in  his leadership I find peace, grace, love, mercy, community, beauty, restoration and real life.

How about you?

 

Cultivating Love

Yesterday it was pure bliss to spend 2 hours alone in the garden. I got to thinking about this passage and wondering how to ‘cultivate love’, the sort of love God talks about. Is it given? Or is love hard work? Sure I love those around me, but my patience wears thin, my kindness is not always evident, I record wrongs, often I am rude, without hope, quite simply my love is often not enough and I fail.

It’s a good thing God’s love  is enough.

I need his patience as I work out the weeds. Hand in hand with Jesus as my co-gardener, my mentor, I know this love will increase. 

I am thankful God’s love is all these things. Lately I have been reading the Bible in light of this loving God and I am blown away. His love overwhelms me. As I know his love more and more, I find it bubbling over in me. So yes, it’s hard work, but I also find it comes with understanding and knowing a loving God.

Jesus stir up this love in me as I cultivate beauty in my marriage, with my children, my family, my friends, community, this planet and people in need of some grace around the globe.

 

Garbage Update….and Next Passage

I felt strongly that I wanted to do something about the garbage that had seemingly overtook our special nature spot. My sister and hiked to the spot, with garbage bags and gloves in hand. It felt good. Satisfying. Upon arrival, we happily discovered that most of the garbage had been cleaned up. However, we managed to still find another full bag of garbage. It felt good to contribute. Symbolic of the clean up that I want done in my own soul. I am thankful for the insight I have to know there is a better way of life. A truly life-giving journey, a life in Christ, a life of love. This comes from real wisdom. Which brings about another passage. A scripture that I stumbled upon a few weeks back. A prayer.

 ¹³ Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
       the man who gains understanding,

 ¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
       and yields better returns than gold.

 ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
       nothing you desire can compare with her.

 ¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
       in her left hand are riches and honor.

 ¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
       and all her paths are peace.

 ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
       those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Proverbs 3

 

Garbage

When I reflect on this passage I am reminded about all the junk in my soul. I cringe at the way I sometimes talk to my children, or husband, especially in the heat of the moment. I am saddened by how my words are far from encouraging all of the time. I wonder how I grieve the Holy Spirit. I seek forgiveness for all the times I am far from gentle and tender-hearted. I long for a different way of life. I long to live as Paul suggests…

²⁵What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

 ^26-27Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

 ²⁸Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.

 ²⁹Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

 ³⁰Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

 ^31-32Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. The Message.

I’ve spent some time today helping two people work through an argument. Something was said that offended the other, that one confronted the other, and words weren’t heard, and then the garbage of the soul was laid out for all to see. Now they are both knee-deep in words that lay as garbage at their feet. They wonder how to clean it up. Where do they even begin?

 It made me think of this picture I took this weekend. Our family went on a beautiful nature walk to this gorgeous spot of rocks and rivers. When we got there we witnessed the remnants of a long weekend party. Garbage was everywhere, broken glass, and litter scattered the rocks and bottom of the river. How would we even begin to clean up this space? To restore the beauty we once enjoyed so freely without worry of cutting our feet open, or finding an uncluttered space to share our picnic, or safe places for our children to explore.

Sometimes my soul feels like this. Scattered with junk. I long to have the spirit restore it’s beauty. To have the beauty overflow into gentle and loving expressions midst the people in my life. At times I see it. I feel it. I know it’s His beauty. Lord work in me. Stir up your spirit. Please clean up the garbage of my soul, that I may reflect your love more and more without junk getting in the way. For you are the restorer.

 

Imitate God

This morning we had plans for adventure. Somehow, close to lunch my mood changed. I got grumpy. Husband in his wisdom and compassion took the girls on a daddy day, giving mommy some time on her own.

A chance to sit and meditate on the current passage. I read the passage again, again, the line that stands out is ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another’ forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ I wish I could be this all the time. I seek it often towards my children. Deep inside me all I find is darkness. I am prompted to read a little further because the paragraph doesn’t end there, Ephesians 5:1-2… ‘Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ Imitate God…which means He is kind and compassionate, and more, gave himself to us. I am not going to find the strength to be kind and compassionate in myself. It is in Christ. I find comfort for the rest of the passage that in ways haunts me. For how do I measure up to what Paul is suggesting we aspire towards? I fail. I am guilty. I don’t even know where to start to change my ways. God in his grace, love, kindness, and compassion will build me up, He will take away those dark places, and shine brightly. For it is not in myself, but in Him that I find strength and the example to be kind and compassionate, even towards myself.

Tonight I put my daughter to bed. She doesn’t like bedtime. I like it even less. Anger surfaces when the saga draws out and she does all she can to keep herself from slumber, including touching my face, and banging the wall with her feet. Tonight I think on the Father of kindness and gentleness, for me, and for her. I imitate God.

 

A Thief? Not Me.

²⁸He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

At first glance I can easily pass by this passage. My stealing days ended long ago. Those chocolate chips from mom’s baking cupboard, a few quarters in the sofa, my sister’s clean shirt when I need to do my laundry…but now I own those chocolate chips in the cupboard, also those quarters, and there’s no one else my size in my home.

Who am I stealing from? Does this verse pertain to me?

Then it dawns on me…. When I purchase items made by the hands of children in sweat shops am I stealing their innocence? their joy? their childhood? When I use products and do activities that are not healthy for this planet am I stealing from my children and their children? From people and places both near and far that are affected by my choices? Buying chocolate chips from companies that steal it from third world farmers so that I can buy it cheap, and buy lots of it…what is my responsibility in this chain of events? How can I change these sad events that are happening in this world, mostly unnoticed, people remain ignorant, or are empathetic about these events. Who wants to pay $30 for a t-shirt when you can pay $10?

This is where it stings. Sins stain my hands. I feel hopeless. Even when I attempt to not support such ‘stealing’ I falter at every turn. I wonder what I can do…‘something useful with [my] own hands, that [I] may have something to share with those in need.

 

Please Be My Strength

Since being more intentional to “…give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. ²³Let the Spirit change your way of thinking ²⁴and make you into a new person…” Eph 4 …I have realized how hard it is to do on my own. It’s actually impossible! I find myself remembering scripture or praying in those times, to find the spirit’s leading, and for strength. The following song has been my litany.

 

No Longer Ignorant…Made New

We are not ‘ignorant‘ we KNOW Christ! As we rest in Him and are reminded of His words and teachings, His love and acceptance we will no longer have a ‘hardening of hearts’….now…to put off the ‘old self’ and ‘to be made new’. This is a challenge to myself this coming week.

I am touched by the words of my 3yo daughter on her Mother’s Day card: My love you mommy, because Jesus loves you. What mature understanding. From the mouths of babes! May I discover and shed the filthy rags I carry, and instead, LOVE because Jesus loves and be made new in my attitude, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

In thanksgiving that Jesus takes those rags, out of joy I seek to return love around, with the Spirit leading and enabling. Because He first loved us.