We can do hard things. We can do hard things if it's the right thing. This semester, our SPO Ohio chapter is going through the Virtues Formation course. In our opening meeting we heard about a gazillion times: It's always a mistake to decide what you are going to do before you decide who you are going to be. Character my friends. It's got me thinking a lot about the characteristics that I want to be defined by: generosity, honesty, purity, braveness, faith, hope, joy, peace. In any thing I do, I want to be marked by these things. In particular, I've been looking at the beatitudes and am fascinated by righteousness. God tells us... Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be satisfied. Trust in the Lord and do good and so you will dwell in the land and enjoy security. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart. We can do hard things. We can do good. And God is going to take care of us. I don't know about you, but I'm not scared. I am NOT scared. I am not scared because He promises it, and He never breaks His promises. It's like a "crazy trust exercise"! Sometimes, it's not easy or what we want or understand, but it's right. What is it?
Mary says, "do whatever He tells you". Whether it's good and easy. Whether it's hard and we don't understand. If we can be faithful and righteous in little things, we can be that way with the bigger things and even the things that we don't understand. I was talking recently to a good friend of mine about all this stuff she shared an image with me of a cross-stitching or embroidery. My mom does that stuff- I never have the patience for it... What amazes me is that while her embroideries turn out beautifully, if you flip them over and look at the back side.... it's a crazy mess! knots, all different colors, twists and tangles and who the heck knows what else... But all along, the she knew the image she was making. She was working from the front making a beautiful picture and those strings in the back, while they look confusing, all have their place. Every single one. God can write straight with crooked lines my friends! He can make something beautiful out of what looks to us like a mess. Trust. Someday we will see and then we will understand, but for now we can do our part and take our place and do one thing at a time. Do the right thing. Do it well. Live with integrity, patience, faithfulness, righteousness, trust.
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This Blog...I'm Emily: a mission leader with Saint Paul's Outreach. This is blog is here to keep you up to date with what is happening in the mission field at Ohio State! Archives
October 2016
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