A Thursday Letter to the Tiny Man
Meg
"This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life(U) for us.(V) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 John 1:16, HCSB).
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Christmas Love
Meg
With the military comes a good bit of traveling. Last week my husband was out of state, this week the two of us will be traveling half-way across the country to visit with family and friends. The time together will be a good one, but I’m sure it won’t be without it’s drama. What family isn’t? Isn't that part of what makes family get-togethers so precious? Here we are, stuck together in a family for life, forced to love through flaws and shortcomings. I was reminded yesterday in church that it’s not my place to change my family, or to make their lives better, but to just simply love them. What a simple task, but we often make it so overly complicated. We think loving is such a hard thing.
To be honest, I would never have the capacity to love, if it wasn’t for Christ. He is the one who showed us all what true, sacrificial love is all about. He is the one I want to love like.
I’ll be honest, I in no way have this all figured out, but my resolution for Christmas this year is to simply love. If this means not bringing up certain issues or topic, then so be it. I’ll love, and let God do the rest.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
“Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (1 John 2:10).
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
To be honest, I would never have the capacity to love, if it wasn’t for Christ. He is the one who showed us all what true, sacrificial love is all about. He is the one I want to love like.
I’ll be honest, I in no way have this all figured out, but my resolution for Christmas this year is to simply love. If this means not bringing up certain issues or topic, then so be it. I’ll love, and let God do the rest.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
“Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (1 John 2:10).
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Safety in the Wilderness
Meg
I just got back from my church’s final Ladies Bible Study of 2009. I’ve been so blessed by this group of ladies. We’ve shared so many tears, so much laughter, and so much amazement over what God is doing in our lives. Many of these ladies are older from me, so I’ve gleaned so much from their experiences. In this study we talked a lot about the wilderness journeys we all go through in this life. Just like Job in the Old Testament, we have times in our lives when it feels like everything good has been taken away from us. This wilderness time may last for weeks, or it may last for years. However long it may be, God is asking us to cling to him to make it through to the other side. When we face these wildernesses, our faith is tested immensely, but he’s asking us to look up, instead of within or around us.
For me, this wilderness began when I found out my husband was deploying. I spent many days crying and thinking all about how rough my life would be in a new town without my best friend by my side. It was only when I began to get past myself that God began to work in me. It was only when I reached up to Him and asked him for help that He reminded me that he alone holds the keys to life and death. Each of us is here on this earth for exactly as long as he has planed: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). It was extremely hard for me to accept this truth, and to be honest, I still struggle with it to this day. Just the same, it’s comforting to know that my husband is safely in the arms of Christ.
In the end, my husband’s deployment was cancelled at the last minute, but only after I gave the whole situation to Christ, and was content with whatever would happen.
To be honest, I can’t imagine life without my husband. But I know that my Lord and Savior would see me through, one step at a time.
God taught me a great lesson in trust this year, one I won’t easily forget. He made me realize that safety doesn’t come from people or circumstances, but from God alone. He is our true refuge and safety, as Psalm 46 so beautifully says.
I don’t know when my husband will be called up for a deployment again, it could be tomorrow, it could be a year from now. Either way, I know I’ll approach the next one with a different heart. I pray that God will help me be at peace through that next wilderness time, and help me to see the hope on the other end, even while the world is still dark around me.
“ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:18-20).
For me, this wilderness began when I found out my husband was deploying. I spent many days crying and thinking all about how rough my life would be in a new town without my best friend by my side. It was only when I began to get past myself that God began to work in me. It was only when I reached up to Him and asked him for help that He reminded me that he alone holds the keys to life and death. Each of us is here on this earth for exactly as long as he has planed: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). It was extremely hard for me to accept this truth, and to be honest, I still struggle with it to this day. Just the same, it’s comforting to know that my husband is safely in the arms of Christ.
In the end, my husband’s deployment was cancelled at the last minute, but only after I gave the whole situation to Christ, and was content with whatever would happen.
To be honest, I can’t imagine life without my husband. But I know that my Lord and Savior would see me through, one step at a time.
God taught me a great lesson in trust this year, one I won’t easily forget. He made me realize that safety doesn’t come from people or circumstances, but from God alone. He is our true refuge and safety, as Psalm 46 so beautifully says.
I don’t know when my husband will be called up for a deployment again, it could be tomorrow, it could be a year from now. Either way, I know I’ll approach the next one with a different heart. I pray that God will help me be at peace through that next wilderness time, and help me to see the hope on the other end, even while the world is still dark around me.
“ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:18-20).