I've been thinking more today on reconciliation.
In the earlier post, I came to the conclusion that we need to be more fully reconciled to God as we seek to be reconcilied to others. But how do we be reconciled to God? What is that first step that we take? It is easy to say that we need to take that first step, but what is it?
Is it a humble prayer of surrender: Lord I need your discernment.
Is it a turn to the Scriptures: Lord I want to love your word. Teach me to love it.
What is it? I'm guessing it begins with a prayer... an honest and vulnerable prayer to Him explaining our heart desire...
May He honor that simple and honest prayer.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Ministry of Reconcilation
2 Corinthians 5:17 - 21
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
I looked up these verses at first with the mindset of being/not being reconciled with other people...but in my reading, what I really find this verse coming down to is this: our being reconciled to God. THE CALL IS TO US TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD!
So what happens if we aren't reconciled to others? Does this tell us that at the root of this dissension is our not being reconciled to God in the first place? Perhaps not always, but this is something we should think about. We are quick to hate tension and hurt with those we love, we want to place the blame, we want to jab someone, making them feel bad for what they've done, (but not too bad, or then we'll start to feel bad). It's a sick, crazy game. And what if, at the root of it, we aren't fully reconcilied to God? What do we need to do to become reconciled to God?
Charles Fredrick Akhed in his book "The Ministry of Reconciliation" says, "And the minstry of reconciliation does not end, it begins, when by conversion and avowal of faith in Christ the individual soul takes its first step back to God."
The message of reconciliation has been committed to us; it is in our hands. Sometimes, we can't deal with the people; we need to realize that they are beyond our control... and sometimes, it is just best to hand this all over to God, to take this first step back to God.
Mary Ann Fatula says, "Though it may meet with silence or rejection, forgiveness is always directed ultimately at the miracle of reconciliation. This means the desire, at least, to overcome bitterness and estrangement, and to unite again in a different way, on a deeper level of peace and acceptance. To be reconciled, therefore, means seeking to be related in love, yet not by simply repeating the past. It means to enter into an entirely new realm of understanding, of ourselves and of those forgiven, to see ourselves and them in a new way. By its very nature, reconciliation means committing ourselves to the hard and sometimes tortuous task of speaking and doing the truth in love. "
From this we can look at some of the thing that reconciliation involves: forgiveness, overcoming bitterness and estrangement, seeking peace and acceptance, and being related in love. These are just words without Him by our side. We cannot do these things and live them out without his help. We cannot undertake this task of reconcilation without His grace and Spirit leading us.
In our desire to be reconciled to others, we need to start by being reconciled to God. And in our attempt to be more fully reconciled to Him, we can pray and ask and seek that he would honor our attempt at reconciliation with others.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
I looked up these verses at first with the mindset of being/not being reconciled with other people...but in my reading, what I really find this verse coming down to is this: our being reconciled to God. THE CALL IS TO US TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD!
So what happens if we aren't reconciled to others? Does this tell us that at the root of this dissension is our not being reconciled to God in the first place? Perhaps not always, but this is something we should think about. We are quick to hate tension and hurt with those we love, we want to place the blame, we want to jab someone, making them feel bad for what they've done, (but not too bad, or then we'll start to feel bad). It's a sick, crazy game. And what if, at the root of it, we aren't fully reconcilied to God? What do we need to do to become reconciled to God?
Charles Fredrick Akhed in his book "The Ministry of Reconciliation" says, "And the minstry of reconciliation does not end, it begins, when by conversion and avowal of faith in Christ the individual soul takes its first step back to God."
The message of reconciliation has been committed to us; it is in our hands. Sometimes, we can't deal with the people; we need to realize that they are beyond our control... and sometimes, it is just best to hand this all over to God, to take this first step back to God.
Mary Ann Fatula says, "Though it may meet with silence or rejection, forgiveness is always directed ultimately at the miracle of reconciliation. This means the desire, at least, to overcome bitterness and estrangement, and to unite again in a different way, on a deeper level of peace and acceptance. To be reconciled, therefore, means seeking to be related in love, yet not by simply repeating the past. It means to enter into an entirely new realm of understanding, of ourselves and of those forgiven, to see ourselves and them in a new way. By its very nature, reconciliation means committing ourselves to the hard and sometimes tortuous task of speaking and doing the truth in love. "
From this we can look at some of the thing that reconciliation involves: forgiveness, overcoming bitterness and estrangement, seeking peace and acceptance, and being related in love. These are just words without Him by our side. We cannot do these things and live them out without his help. We cannot undertake this task of reconcilation without His grace and Spirit leading us.
In our desire to be reconciled to others, we need to start by being reconciled to God. And in our attempt to be more fully reconciled to Him, we can pray and ask and seek that he would honor our attempt at reconciliation with others.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Big To Do!
- finally get off that waiting list and secure my apt!
- organize so I can pack (last big thing to organize: scrapbook and craft supplies... they are a mess!)
- buy a kitchen table, desk and mattress
- need kitchen supplies?
-find a job!
- pick out paint colors. im thinking yellow for the living room and a greenish for my bedroom
- buy books and school supplies (yeah!!!! love this.. no sarcasm here)
- confirm registration/classes
- pray like crazy
-be prepared to miss him and them like crazy
-miss him and them like crazy
- organize so I can pack (last big thing to organize: scrapbook and craft supplies... they are a mess!)
- buy a kitchen table, desk and mattress
- need kitchen supplies?
-find a job!
- pick out paint colors. im thinking yellow for the living room and a greenish for my bedroom
- buy books and school supplies (yeah!!!! love this.. no sarcasm here)
- confirm registration/classes
- pray like crazy
-be prepared to miss him and them like crazy
-miss him and them like crazy
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Seven Months
Seven months ago TODAY, a bold, handsome, and good-to -the-core man took me out for coffee.
Our conversation was full of information, smiles, and laughter.
I remember some interesting characters walked past our table that day, but his eyes did not move from me. For whatever reason, they were fixed on me. This made me giddy, nervous, enthralled, and anxious all at the same time.
And then towards the end of that conversation his words came, slow but strong: "I like you."
Two months ago TODAY, my incredible sweet and wonderful boyfriend was out of town with me visiting a school. Past my tears and worries about an upcoming move for me, his words came again. Faster this time, perhaps more nervous: "I love you."
I like you, too.
And, I love you, too.
Our conversation was full of information, smiles, and laughter.
I remember some interesting characters walked past our table that day, but his eyes did not move from me. For whatever reason, they were fixed on me. This made me giddy, nervous, enthralled, and anxious all at the same time.
And then towards the end of that conversation his words came, slow but strong: "I like you."
Two months ago TODAY, my incredible sweet and wonderful boyfriend was out of town with me visiting a school. Past my tears and worries about an upcoming move for me, his words came again. Faster this time, perhaps more nervous: "I love you."
I like you, too.
And, I love you, too.
Monday, May 18, 2009
a week in oklahoma
the sight of: horses and sheep and cows on the oklahoma countryside, jacktown (which ive heard so much about), davids momma working hard at her bible study, adorable little blonde-haired Meleah and Mallory, David as a little boy in countless pictures i got to look through, utter excitment on my 26 years old's face as he walked through the Toy and Action Figure museum (http://www.actionfiguremuseum.com/), a old lacey wedding dress that made my sweetie gag (haha), serveral pics on walls in memory of sweet Amy, pictures lining the walls of Grandma A's, David's loving and sweet face, numerous crossword puzzles,
the smell of: sausage and eggs prepared for me by David's mom in the morning (so sweet, thank you),
the taste of: Carl's junior charbroiled hamburger, a ABSOLUTELY incredible Peanut Butter Cup shake from Braums (yum), my chopped beef sandwich from Rob's Smokehouse, and my yummy tacos (with sauce!) from Taco Tico, amazing crushed ice anywhere you go Meeker/Shawnee, nasty cough syrup,
the feel of: riding a water taxi along the canal in Bricktown, with my baby's arm around me, a cool day and breeze as we walk through OBU and downtown Shawnee, a nasty cough residing in my chest, my too-good-to-me boyfriend rubbing VicksVaporRub on my feet so that my cough would go away, frustration because I can barely speak above a whisper, moching,
the sound of: a storm blowing strongly outside, LOST on the televsion *and internet*, David as he 'hosts' Family Feud for me, Grandma R explaining her bowling traditions to me, Grandma A telling me how her and Grandpa A met, Ricky telling me he is proud of me, Transformers on in the background at the Toy Museum, David's incredible "mix" for our road trip
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Graduation!
the sight of: David in his black cap and gown, my mother meeting his mother for the first time, my sweet brother's chocolate brown eyes, my daddy's blue-check shirt, David's life-changing smile...
the taste of: jumbalaya and gumbo, mint oreos in my chocolate ice cream, sweet tea, and mocha flavored coffee, hamburger and fries at five guys, cherry coke...
the feel of: my hand in his, his arm around me, utter pride as he walks across the stage, anxiety as all our families meet for the first time, creativity as I make a mother's day gift...
the smell of: cornbread cooking in the oven, my clinque moisturizer, coffee brewing at the Picards, spray adhesive as I get my 'craft' on...
the sound of: "I love you" "nice to meet you" "3 back at the door," clapping at graduation, "let's dance" playing on the radio as David and I jam in the car...
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