Sweet Tea, Advocacy and Me

It's lengthy but every word is worth reading to a weary soul.  The heart that's turning to God with the question, "Why?" Trust me, read this.  This passage is from Lysa Terkeurst's book, "It's Not Supposed To Be This Way." She wrote it one day while journaling. It's not supposed to be prophesy but a dialogue between God and Jesus. Upside Down The Son turned his head and quizzically said, "Hmmm...Father, those are strange words to assign to this life. Can we pick some other words? I have some fantastic suggestions for this one. She's optimistic and strong. She's caring and compassionate. She's good and generous, and she's so very aware of others. She's a deep thinker and a deep feeler all in one. She's so very rare, Father. Yes, she's rare." "I know. And that's why she must be upside down." "Father, as she gets older I don't think she will like that You gave her these words.

This might sound stupid to say but we come across all kinds of people every day. The ones who seem to have it all together. The ones who have endless energy, drive, attention, hope, etc And on the flip-side, we come across those whom we would describe as cold-hearted, depressed, anxious, angry, overwhelmed, etc What are we offering those people who are struggling in our exchanges with them? Help or hurt? Compassion or condemnation? Condemnation: censure, reprimand, disapproval, judgment, acusation  Compassion: empathy, sympathy, tenderheartedness, mercy, consideration When we interact with someone, are we listening to what they're saying? I mean, really saying without words? Are we watching their body language? Are we looking them in the eyes, willing to look past their outer shell? Are we trying to see the condition of their heart and look past the mask? Are we looking for ways we can support them, show them true love, let them know they're worth love, attentio

No, that blog title isn't some positive statement saying that I stop to smell the roses or stop to notice the sunset every night, the sunrise, etc Or that, it's those little things that bring true, pure joy in life that keep me going amidst this time between the two gardens (Eden and the New Heaven). Nope, it's the little things that this past year, I'd normally chalk up to 'synchronicity of the universe' or, what I used to call 'God stops.' 'God stops' being when God just grabs your attention.  Why the two universes of thought you may wonder? Because I'm in a major faith struggle, the biggest one of my 34 years if I'm being honest.  Up until this point, the people closest to me would say my faith and trust in God is strong, encouraging even and I'd have to agree actually. My faith has been the only thing that's gotten me through life's curve balls, disappointments, challenges, heartaches, whatever you want to call them.