Monday, October 3, 2011

Loving Well (or not)

Have you ever believed that you were loving someone well? Loving them really well?

Then you discover that you're the only one that thinks so?

In my feeble attempt to pour out love and grace. I was accused of being unloving, unkind and judgemental.

Ouch!

Sort of the opposite of what I was going for.

That ever happen to you?

This great God of ours; he does that sometimes. He messes with our lives. Calls us out of our comfortableness to grow us. To change us.

He does this because he loves us so much, and he wants us to be able to love even better.

But.

Sometimes it's painful--the changing. Conflict in relationships is painful to me. I hate it, actually.

Can you relate?

Jesus is definitely doing some messing in my life.

Even though it sucks and it's painful, and it makes me uncomfortable, I'm excited to see how he'll redeem it.

In the meantime. I'm praying and loving.

________________________________________________________________________________

960. Emails with my sister.

961. Trying to give grace and failing. Miserably.

962. Amy's great post about failing--have you failed lately? Good!

963. The people who work in the nursery at church. They reassure this anxious mama with such grace.

964. Navigating our first play group.

965. Anticipation of my sister's visit this week.

966. Apple picking!



967. The fruits of our labor.





Sharing today with Ann, the Soli Deo Gloria girls and Michelle.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great post.
the apple picking
the love
hang in there on the loving someone and finding out it wasn't all you meant it to be,..
chin up happens to everyone.
T

Unknown said...

I LOVE, Love, lOVE that picture of you and your husband! Congratulations on your four years!!

And I am with you -- I hate confrontation AND conflict in relationships. Praying for His healing hand to be upon both of y'all.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I am sorry that you were misunderstood.

Fondly,
Glenda

championm2000 said...

I love this--"I'm excited to see how he'll redeem it."

And the last picture, of course!

Michelle DeRusha said...

I hate it, too -- confrontation and conflict that is. I know sometimes it's necessary for growth and repair, but boy it's painful.

On a happier note...I love the wooing photo and the apple-munching kids. Pretty darn cute!

Carolyn Evaine Counterman said...

I'm not a fan of conflict by any means, but I have been learning to have "hard conversations" with the expectation that we (me and whoever else) are going to be okay on the other side of it. I used to always think that conflict meant that we were going to have to end things. Now I understand that hard spots are just part of the process. It was a terrible chore to get to this place, but I'm so glad I did.

Misty said...

I love your positivity. So often when we are faced with conflict, we forget Who is in our corner working it out for us! You have a beautiful family, thank you for a wonderful post.

Pamela said...

Comfortableness. I like that word and what it represents. But you brought a new thought to me through the conflict we encounter -- redemption. "I'm excited to see how he'll redeem it." I'm hanging on to that statement in the areas I'm being stretched and conflicted.

Bobbi said...

Bummer...it's hard when it catches you off guard and it SO wasn't what you were going for...Hope it gets better soon...and that you learn TONS from the painfulness.

SherrieSt.Hilaire said...

Great post! I broke out in a sweat (er, um...glow) reading it. Your story is similar to a recent lesson I was fortunate to have been taught! Ouch is right!

Thanks for your candid sharing! ( "

Renae said...

I'm not good with conflicts either. Especially ones with people I really care about, which require lots of talking things out, deep honesty, and then time for healing. Change can be very scary, especially when you don't know where you're headed. But it can be exciting too sometimes. Hopefully everything will work out to your liking.

And apple picking rocks! We just went on Saturday, but didn't get the nice, sunny day that you had. Still a lot of fun though.

Have a great week!

Deidra said...

Happy four years!

And yes. That uncomfortableness God's so fond of? I'm not a fan. But the results? Well, when I can muster up enough surrender to let God mess with me, the results make the rest of it worthwhile. :)