Loving People

   It's been one of those weeks/months when it's easier to not look at the pain, the shame, the guilt others carry.  I sit here with the scriptures open questioning, how do you keep on loving when it seems so hard? How do you lay down your life again and again? As a wife and a mother the answers seem to just come, but when it comes to the outside what does that look like?  There is a lot of ugly in life. In the world. In people. In places, and in our hearts. There is a lot of ugly right here in me.

 It's hard when you feel like your losing hope and you have cried out to the Lord and nothing changes... When your believing for the miracle that doesn't happen..

 

 I remind myself of all I have seen, and set my hope fully on what we have not yet seen. Placing all of my hope and all of my trust and all of my focus on the grace given to us through Christ.

We went to church yesterday, what a timely encouraging sermon, it was if God was whispering "keep going, keep loving change will happen"  When you really get into life with people and decide to just say I'm not going anywhere, I may not agree with your choices but I am going to be here and love you anyway.

 

 I believe - that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
This is a big one-when you choose to walk through life with someone no matter what. It doesn't mater if you agree/disagree have the same convictions or what-ever. I think a lot more people would feel loved if we didn't measure each other so much.

I believe - that no matter how good a person is they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. 
Yep! We have been hurt by someone and we have hurt someone. All guilty.

  I believe - that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
Growing takes a long time, I screw up a lot!  There is still a long ways to go, so be patient with each other.

  I believe - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. Sadly this is something I had to learn how to do. It wasn't that I didn't love people but I learned people need to simply hear "I love you".

  I believe - that you can keep going long after you can't.
I have lived some horrific things and still came out on the other side with a deeper faith.

 I believe - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
That's what being a mom is.

I believe - that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe - that friends can do anything or nothing and have the best time! .

I believe - that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - that your life can be changed in a matter of hour's by people who don't even know you.

I believe - that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.