First let me say i fear I have gotten wayyyy behind on my 30 days soooo with that said, I will be writing a giving thanks post each day until thanksgiving even if it is not 30 days :)
So today I am giving thanks for honest, true friendships! My friend Amanda is new in our lives. She has not lived in Pascagoula very long and I have only known her a couple of months (I think it has been that long :))At any rate. from the moment I met her I clicked with Amanda, I knew from the moment I met her that she was someone I wanted to be friends with. We have been talking alot and she has witnessed our life, our days, our evenings, our meals, nearly bedtime etc...Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to tell you what is not working in your life, what things you really need to "get in order" You know. Someone who hasn't seen you make 500 trips around the same mountain (that is code for dealing with the same issues over and over) So back to Amanda. Yesterday was a bad day. It was just rotten, started out good with the kids and I doing some volunteer work and then it just all went downhill. At anyrate, we had church and something happened that just broke the floodgate for me and no matter how hard I tried those tears were not staying in my head. So on the way home (we ride together) we were talking and she just asked "can I be honest, you probably wont like what I have to say but i feel like the Lord wants you to know somethings" and she began to speak words that I knew were straight from the LORD words that I needed to hear, words that while they were difficult to hear I know I needed them. We got the kids, came home and talked for another couple of hours and I knew in my spirit I had some actions to take but that all would be well. So that is it. How often are we afraid to tell the truth for fear of bringing offense to someone? How often do we get offended when someone tells us the truth that we needed to hear? Everything she said to me was not difficult. It was all productive and used to teach me somethings I just hadnt gotten to yet. One of the huge blessings she gave me was to show me my children through another set of eyes. I have great kids, really if you look at their peers they really are great, but they are NOT perfect (which I never thought) she gave me the gift of recognizing their great qualities and how I am called to help refine those and what I can do to make sure that happens and how God can use those qualities for HIS KINGDOM.
So thank God for good friends who are not afraid to speak the truth into our lives even at the risk of hurting our feelings. That conversation really could have gone a couple of different ways and I am just glad it went as well as it did.
How do you react to truth spoken in LOVE? Do you get defensive and "bow up" not wanting to hear what you have done wrong or do you gently accept it and make a plan ot seek God to find out how He would have you change it?
Many blessings and Much LOVE to you all
SB
So today I am giving thanks for honest, true friendships! My friend Amanda is new in our lives. She has not lived in Pascagoula very long and I have only known her a couple of months (I think it has been that long :))At any rate. from the moment I met her I clicked with Amanda, I knew from the moment I met her that she was someone I wanted to be friends with. We have been talking alot and she has witnessed our life, our days, our evenings, our meals, nearly bedtime etc...Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to tell you what is not working in your life, what things you really need to "get in order" You know. Someone who hasn't seen you make 500 trips around the same mountain (that is code for dealing with the same issues over and over) So back to Amanda. Yesterday was a bad day. It was just rotten, started out good with the kids and I doing some volunteer work and then it just all went downhill. At anyrate, we had church and something happened that just broke the floodgate for me and no matter how hard I tried those tears were not staying in my head. So on the way home (we ride together) we were talking and she just asked "can I be honest, you probably wont like what I have to say but i feel like the Lord wants you to know somethings" and she began to speak words that I knew were straight from the LORD words that I needed to hear, words that while they were difficult to hear I know I needed them. We got the kids, came home and talked for another couple of hours and I knew in my spirit I had some actions to take but that all would be well. So that is it. How often are we afraid to tell the truth for fear of bringing offense to someone? How often do we get offended when someone tells us the truth that we needed to hear? Everything she said to me was not difficult. It was all productive and used to teach me somethings I just hadnt gotten to yet. One of the huge blessings she gave me was to show me my children through another set of eyes. I have great kids, really if you look at their peers they really are great, but they are NOT perfect (which I never thought) she gave me the gift of recognizing their great qualities and how I am called to help refine those and what I can do to make sure that happens and how God can use those qualities for HIS KINGDOM.
So thank God for good friends who are not afraid to speak the truth into our lives even at the risk of hurting our feelings. That conversation really could have gone a couple of different ways and I am just glad it went as well as it did.
How do you react to truth spoken in LOVE? Do you get defensive and "bow up" not wanting to hear what you have done wrong or do you gently accept it and make a plan ot seek God to find out how He would have you change it?
Many blessings and Much LOVE to you all
SB
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1 comments:
Sarabeth,
I don't know you, but your words inspired me...such truth. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to hear the truth, but if taken in the spirit which it is given...it can truly bless our lives. I admire you for being a faithful daughter of a loving God, and striving to be the best mother you can be. And, guess what? Your truth was what I needed to hear today. I have 4 beautiful children who bless me every day, but often I am much too hard on them and expect far too much. Thank you for reminding me to treasure every single moment I have with them. I truly am a blessed woman!
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