WOW! Tonight was Tabletop Tapestry at church. It is an event just for ladies. This was my first time attending and I'm SO glad I did.
Your words are either two things: Helpful or Hurtful
Think about that..... I have never thought about that- ever and I should have and will. Even if I need to write it everywhere around me!
The event was created around Matthew 22: 37-39
37 Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
That is so intimidating. How can you possibly accomplish loving God with your mind, soul, and heart? The answer is you have to value God as your best friend. He has to be your very best friend.
God loves you before you were even born but you are not friends. You can not become friends until you believe. Once you believe then you make Him your best friend. You put value in your relationship and commit time.
All that was fine and dandy. I mean I can do that. At this point in my life, me and God are "tight", buddies, He is my go to person. It shouldn't be hard for me to make the relationship stronger. OK, one down- one to go.
At this point I am loving this event. In love with it. I'm out of the house, I'm looking super cute in my new shirt from Target, I'm actually carrying a really cute purse and not a diaper bag, my hair is fixed and wait for it..... I've actually got full makeup! Life is great.
Then the speaker says something along the lines of this:
In order for you to be loved by God, in order for Him to be your best friend, you must love your neighbor. You must not hate anyone. You must not have an issue with anyone. You mom, sister, mother in law, friend across from you- NO ONE!
Hold on now... I was just having fun. I don't like what I am hearing. What is she saying? I have every right not to love certain people. I mean they've hurt me. Some have been so mean. Now she is telling me that God's word says I need to love in order to be loved by My God- My best friend?
Well, it broke my heart. In that moment it was a beautifully decorated room full of women but it wasn't. It was me and God. I walked away knowing I have to make changes, that I have to release some things that I've been carrying around. It is not for that person but for me and for my relationship with God. And I'm not expecting anything out of the person. Meaning I'm not looking for these people to be in my life or my family's lives. But I have to forgive and I have to not hate because it is not worth risking such a valuable relationship with God. I won't let these things hold me back a second longer from eternity of greatness.
You know who you are, I'm letting go. For some of these people it is a lifetime of things, for others it is almost a decade but I'm done and I'm so happy about it because I know that no matter how bad things have been done, no matter how hurtful, when I'm in front of my Maker- my Best Friend, I am not going to answer why I hated- why I didn't love because He will not need to ask. That is the beauty of God- the way He forgives.
"I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves us" How He loves us by the David Crowder band
My hope is that I can explain this to my husband in a way that he can understand like I did and that he too can love those that he feels (I use to feel until this point) don't deserve to be loved because it isn't worth it. It is not Christ like and he can't be best friends with God until he can love.
My wish is that I have explained myself in a way that everyone who reads this understands and it even help others. If anyone has a question or comment please don't hesitate to contact me at PattonFamily3@gmail.com
I wish all the ladies in my life could have been there. It was so amazing and honestly life changing for me. I am so free now. AMAZING!
Krista
I am MOM hear me ROAR!
