How much do we truly love others?
It's a very challenging question. Some of you are thinking you would rather forget people in your world; "some are odd balls" you say! We do have to be careful when we call others odd, because if we are all unique (which we are) surely we are all slightly different in some way!
Loving others despite our differences is the key to happiness; seeing the good in others and being a blessing to other people's lives. To truly love others with no strings attached, we have to love beyond ourselves.
Looking to my faith, the bible teaches us to even love our enemies! When we are wronged our first reaction is to get even; an eye of an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Instead, Jesus taught us to do good to those that have wronged us. If we only love the lovable do we expect to be a great person? The answer is no not really because anyone can do that. We are called to live a life of generosity and graciousness toward each other.
I recently saw a video clip of a lady who had a near
death experience. When she met God, she felt love like no other she
had ever experienced before. Jesus said to her, "do you love people like
this"? She answered, "well no, I could never love like this I'm
only human...but I've been a good wife and a good mother surely that's been
enough". Jesus said, "that's good, but you could do better".
This really challenged my thinking, am I really loving people how I should? Am I really a lover of people? We only have one life to live, one chance on this planet to make a difference and do something positive with our lives. The older I get I've come to realise life is all about people not things.
Jesus came for and loves all manner of people, if we are to follow His example, we've got a lot of work to do because God loves the righteous, unrigtheous, successful, destitute, the well & the sick, the disturbed, the young, the middle aged, the old, the ancient, the youthful, the decrepid, the over the hills, the rich & poor, the up and coming, the down & outs, the male, the female, Jew & Gentile, popular, unpopular, white & black, kings & peasant, the singles, the marrieds, the single parent, the divorced, the divorced-divorced-divorced, the happy and the broken, the hard working & the lazy, the home-builder, the home-wrecker, those living in hope, those living in sin, the saint, the sinner, the ex-offender, the cleaned-up, the messed-up, the straight, the gay, bisexual and transsexual, the enemy, the lovable, the loud, the quiet, the sociable and unsociable, the deceitful, the pure-hearted; the list could go on (quotes taken from Pastor Andy Dilnot, New Horizon Church).
So what are we doing today to reach out to others, not just our families, not just those who are good to us, but beyond ourselves out into the world of others despite our differences?
Bible Verses taken from Matt 5
And if
someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You’re
familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its
unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m
telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you,
not the worst. If all you do is love the lovable, do you
expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those
who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill person does
that.“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. Live out your God-created
identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God
lives toward you.
I recently watched a film called 'Click', basically the story was about a guy who came across a magic remote control! He could fast-forward bits of his life he thought boring, he could pause awkward moments, he could skip bits he didn't want to endure and re-cap on memories he'd lived.
This magic remote seemed amazing to start with and everything he ever wanted, however the remote control started to become accustomed to his regular habits. Because he regularly skipped bits of his life, it started to automatically skip parts; leaving the everyday moments of his life with huge holes! He also started skipping to the parts he was aiming for in life; like his promotion. This was to the point where he had missed his kids growing up, precious time with his wife and with his parents before they sadly passed away. By the time he realized it was too late, the time had gone and he couldn't get it back!
It was a stark reminder for me that we can't keep living in the future (if I could just get that new job things will pick up, once the kids are at school it will be better, once we get more money etc). It's not wrong to aim for greater things, but they shouldn't get in the way of enjoying now! We need to cherish those all important everyday moments in the here and now of our lives!
When we realize the here and now of our lives IS OUR LIFE then may be we will start truly living again. I was reminded to appreciate everything about my life. Those small moments may seem insignificant but in the end it is them that make up the bigger picture.
Lv Caroline x
I love the programme Secret Millionaire; where a random businessman decides to help out an unlikely neighbourhood. They usually go in and find the same old story of poverty, lack of support and love which has led the families in the area to become heartbroken, helpless and sadly sometimes complacent with life! From this, children and especially teenagers sometimes grow up with a lack of inspiration, no positive role models and little encouragement to push them forward with their lives; it's a very sad situation which can lead to all sorts of other problems.
Growing up my Mum and Dad were such an encouragement and inspiration to me. This engaged me and shaped me into who I am today; I can't thank them enough and realize I have been very blessed. I understand that this is not the case for everyone and the world definitely needs more encouragers!
I'm not likening most of us to the scenario described on Secret Millionaire, this is obviously very extreme and most of us support & encourage our own families. However, we can all encourage others in small ways. What about that teenage girl down the road who has just lost her dad? What about the lady on the school run who's feeling low? What about that child you meet who needs a bit of praise? Are we the kind of people that encourage, inspire and support our children, friends and unlikely people in our town? Is our attitude and outlook on life that which would help to inspire and encourage others? I ask myself, how am I helping others in my world? Does my attitude towards people help or hinder?
I work for a local Church in Nottingham in the UK and I know the heartbeat of its vision is to help and encourage people; to be positive role models, especially our work in the local schools and in our youth group. May I encourage those leaders and say well done; keep going! We are also launching another event soon called 'Love Eastwood' where we are going into some of the most deprived areas of our town just to simply bless people. If you would like to help and serve others in this way, there are many churches and organisations running events in which you can get involved.
Turning to my faith, Jesus said, "I have come not to be served but to serve and give my life as a gift for many". He was certainly big on giving and encouraging unlikely people (even those who didn't deserve it)! If God was teaching us to be servant hearted then this must be a very significant part of life for us all!
Lv Caroline x
1 Thes 5v11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Matt 20v28: The Son of God, did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many".
(Love Eastwood project - more info coming soon).
http://www.newhorizonchurch.org.uk
When we think of Easter we think about spring time, daffodils, new life, eggs, family, hope, love and not forgetting chocolate! Who can forget the chocolate, every year we have at least 10 Easter eggs between us all, any potential of eating healthily flies out of the window. For those on diets, you may as well forget it for a few weeks; if you can't beat them you might as well join them in chocolate frenzie heaven.
Also the Easter holidays always pose parents with the endless racking of brains for ideas of crafts and outdoor activities for our children and for those living in the UK, always hoping & praying for some sunshine to peek out of the clouds every so often; which on the odd occasion it does!
As I think on Easter, it is a time to remember the season of 'New Beginnings'. Those organised among us may have already done some spring cleaning. Things can become fairly dusty over time especially in those areas that are hidden away from sight. This reminds me of our lives - day after day we are accumulating dust and dirt that may need a little clean, especially those areas hidden from view. May be it's time for a fresh start and a new beginning; I certainly challenge myself with this concept.
Finally I turn my thoughts to the Christian message of the Easter story and look at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - the Son of God. It's probably one of the greatest stories ever told - it a story of love, hope, forgiveness & new life. The most significant part of this bible story was however about a curtain.......yes I did say curtain!
So what has a curtain got to do with the Easter story? At the time of Jesus, in the temple of Jerusalem a heavy curtain was hung to separate people from the 'Holy of Holies' (the place on earth where God's presence dwelt). Only a specially selected Priest was allowed to enter just once a year, to ask for forgiveness for the sins of the people. Symbolically therefore, the curtain represented a barrier between us and God.
Now this is where it gets exciting, as Jesus took his last breath on the cross, this temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom; it was literally ripped open! When this happened, it represented the fact that all mankind was now able to come to God freely. This was a new and much easier way of doing things; a new beginning for all mankind. That's why Christians the world over regularly thank God for sending Jesus, as through Him and what he did on the cross, we can now come to God personally.
Well I believe it's time for me to get on with some spring cleaning - I've got a lot of work to do on the inside and out. It's going to be hard work but well worth the effort. Happy Easter everyone!
Lv Caroline x
Bible Readings
Heb 10 v 20 - By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
Mark 15 33-39 - When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When
the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He
breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Eph 1v7 - He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
I was recently fortunate enough see
the stage show of Les Miserables in London, as well as the film. Anyone
else who has seen it will probably agree with me that it is a great
story & takes you on an emotional roller-coaster that never seems to
end. I have to say I felt a little worn out by the end of it; but in a
good kind of way!
BACKGROUND:
For those not knowing the story, it is set in post-revolutionary
France, where the main character, Jean Valjean, is released from prison
after 19 years (was sentenced for stealing bread for his family to
survive!). He
breaks parole to create a new life for himself, now a respected man
(although secretly a man on the run), helps a working class girl in her
hour of sickness & death and promises to look after her illegitimate
daughter, Cosette, for the rest of his days.
The
most poignant part of the story to me however, was when Jean Valjean
was first released from prison, desperate for food & shelter, he
finds comfort at an Abbey. The Bishop welcomes him in and gives him
food and shows him compassion. Unfortunately, Jean Valjean decides to
leave the Abby during the night but before doing so, steals numerous
items of silver. He is later found by the authorities, unbelievably
however, the Bishop decides to show even more compassion by saying the
silver had been given to Jean Valjean as a gift and gave him another 2
candle sticks for good measure!
Wow....what
kindness, what forgiveness. Even though completely guilty, the Bishop
let him go free and was willing to give him a second chance at life.
What a wonderful man, this act of kindness caused Jean Valjean to change
his ways and become an honest, good man. He later went on to save a
beautiful little girl Cosette, who would have certainly died in that era
of history without anyone providing for her!
This
film also gives you a sense of the real hardships people had to endure;
we are all guilty of thinking our lives are difficult, and I'm not
saying life isn't hard at times through money & relationship
problems, however this is nothing compared with some of the things these
people had to face during this period in history; hunger, seeing your
own children starve or die of disease, poverty, sickness & war
(sadly still seen in some parts of our world).
What can be learnt from the story:
- One act of kindness can make such a difference - someone's life can be turned around.
- It's right to forgive, even if we have been wronged - that's not easy!
- Be grateful for everything we have, our freedom, food, homes etc. Times are good even if we don't realise it.
Finally, this caused me to look
at the ultimate act of forgiveness we received from God when he sent His
Son, Jesus to the world. We don't deserve God's love but through Jesus
we can receive it, even when we have done wrong. Jesus died on the
cross, it was God's ultimate signature of love for all mankind.
Bible Readings:
Matt
18, v21-22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
John 3, v16 For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son Jesus, that we shall not die but have eternal life.
Rom 5, v8 But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Hope you have found this of some encouragement to you today.
Love Caroline x
I recently watched a series of 'Call the Midwife', where a baby was born with Spina Bifida. The series is set in the 50s/60s so the condition was not really understood & there was little medical help available. The mum of the baby struggled to come to terms with her little boy's condition, knowing he may not live beyond 16 years old, she cries to her midwife "why is it worth carrying on nurse". The nurse replied, "because no life is beyond hope".
I really can't believe how many people I hear and read about committing suicide recently. I'm sure you'll agree it's quite disturbing that someone would think their life that worthless or hopeless that they would want to end it. Where there is no hope - our whole world becomes a very dark place indeed.
Hope is a feeling of expectation & anticipation that things can get better for us. It is certainly a powerful tool to use when we have had disappointments, when we are feeling low and when we are struggling, which if you are human, (like most of us are!!) will affect all of us at some point!
Learning to look at our circumstances with hope helps carry us through difficult times and helps us see the future more positively; ultimately affecting how we feel in the present! So how are you feeling today - do you need more hope for better things to come? Don't lose heart; better things are coming, but let hope give you the courage to keep pressing forward, until you see those things come into fruition.
My faith many times has given me hope. Sometimes we can feel so weak in ourselves but by trusting and hoping in God we can renew our strength and keep driving forward for better things ahead. You may be saying....."but what about death surely that is the end of all hope"? Christians hold onto hope even then, that when we accept Jesus not even death can separate us from His love.
Even if everything else is lost, if hope survives it gives us the energy to overcome life's most difficult circumstances.
Hope this has been an encouragement to you today. Lv Caroline x
Bible Readings:
Isaiah 40, 31 - But they who wait & hope for the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run
and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Rom 8, 39 - None of this fazes us because Jesus
loves us. For I have hope that nothing—neither life nor death ,
angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or
unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love.
I was recently fortunate enough see the stage show of Les Miserables in London, as well as the film. Anyone else who has seen it will probably agree with me that it is a great story & takes you on an emotional roller-coaster that never seems to end. I have to say I felt a little worn out by the end of it; but in a good kind of way!
BACKGROUND: For those not knowing the story, it is set in post-revolutionary France, where the main character, Jean Valjean, is released from prison after 19 years (was sentenced for stealing bread for his family to survive!). He
breaks parole to create a new life for himself, now a respected man (although secretly a man on the run), helps a working class girl in her hour of sickness & death and promises to look after her illegitimate daughter, Cosette, for the rest of his days.
The most poignant part of the story to me however, was when Jean Valjean was first released from prison, desperate for food & shelter, he finds comfort at an Abbey. The Bishop welcomes him in and gives him food and shows him compassion. Unfortunately, Jean Valjean decides to leave the Abby during the night but before doing so, steals numerous items of silver. He is later found by the authorities, unbelievably however, the Bishop decides to show even more compassion by saying the silver had been given to Jean Valjean as a gift and gave him another 2 candle sticks for good measure!
Wow....what kindness, what forgiveness. Even though completely guilty, the Bishop let him go free and was willing to give him a second chance at life. What a wonderful man, this act of kindness caused Jean Valjean to change his ways and become an honest, good man. He later went on to save a beautiful little girl Cosette, who would have certainly died in that era of history without anyone providing for her!
This film also gives you a sense of the real hardships people had to endure; we are all guilty of thinking our lives are difficult, and I'm not saying life isn't hard at times through money & relationship problems, however this is nothing compared with some of the things these people had to face during this period in history; hunger, seeing your own children starve or die of disease, poverty, sickness & war (sadly still seen in some parts of our world).
What can be learnt from the story:
- One act of kindness can make such a difference - someone's life can be turned around.
- It's right to forgive, even if we have been wronged - that's not easy!
- Be grateful for everything we have, our freedom, food, homes etc. Times are good even if we don't realise it.
Finally, this caused me to look at the ultimate act of forgiveness we received from God when he sent His Son, Jesus to the world. We don't deserve God's love but through Jesus we can receive it, even when we have done wrong. Jesus died on the cross, it was God's ultimate signature of love for all mankind.
Bible Readings:
Matt 18, v21-22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
John 3, v16 For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son Jesus, that we shall not die but have eternal life.
Rom 5, v8 But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Hope you have found this of some encouragement to you today.
Love Caroline x
Our lives are like a huge jigsaw-puzzle where many small
pieces fit together to form the bigger picture. There is much happiness to be found if things in our lives fall into place. However, along life's path we often meet dead-ends, unexpected circumstances,
obstacles & struggles we must overcome. This can be extremely difficult for us. It is however, through these hardships we can add dimension & strength to our character; where we can hopefully grow into bigger people.
Sometimes we get frustrated because all the pieces of our lives don't seem to be coming together as quickly as we would like. It's in those times when we simply need to have patience and wait - that is sometimes the hardest thing to do! Many times I have had to trust God about what the next step is for me.
Our
approach to life, attitude towards others & trusting God to guide us will determine whether the
complete picture will be a masterpiece to be proud of or just ordinary; or even a jumble (hopefully we will avoid the jumble)!
If you feel you could be doing better right now and you're in a bit of a jumble, take heart in knowing we are all a work in progress.......so keep going. The pieces will come together with time, even if it is hard to see right now.
Psalm 18:20-24
God made my life complete when I placed all
the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh
start. Every day I review the ways He works; I try not to miss a
trick. I feel put back together and I’m watching my step. God rewrote
the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes. x
