Laced With Grace

I’ve been on a rocky path lately where I just feel so down and depressed. Do you ever feel like no matter what you go through it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anywhere? Yep, I know just what that’s like.  When I feel like this I remember the death of one of my old friends who passed away at the age of 23 from Cystic Fibrosis. At her funeral the priest read out this verse and it’s become one of my favourites:

Psalm 23 – A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Isn’t that beautiful? When God is our leader we don’t wish for anything else. He gives us such peace that it feels like we’re lying by a pebblebrook stream or in a quiet meadow. When we feel like we’re broken and on our own His words and love are always with us. When we’re having problems with people who don’t like us God blesses us. When we live with God His love is always with us.

What an awesome verse and what awesome assurances from God!

1Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

God’s been really talking to me lately about how healthy my body is. After a recent incident with my little dog I’ve had to change the times I take her out walking. I use to walk her and my children to school but now I rise earlier than anyone else and find that the crisp cool morning air is just a good a time as any. The best thing about it is that I can use the quiet time to pray and both her and I get the exercise we need.

BUT exercise isn’t enough in my book. Here are a few points that I’m going to be doing to get healthier:

• In the next couple of weeks my dh and I are going to be building a compost bin and a vegetable garden for our family. 
• We’re also going to clean out our small patio garden and plant some fresh herbs.
• Drinking lots of water instead of soda and coffee definitely helps too. 
• Socially we have a mixed variety of friends, some of them are Christians and some aren’t. The ones who aren’t like to drink to excess on different nights of the week whereas we don’t. Why don’t we drink too? The main reason is like the verse above says, why would we want to pollute our temples with things like alcohol and junk food?

The moral of this is that if we look after the bodies that God gave us then they’ll definitely last alot longer plus we’ll feel better for it too.

1Peter4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

You know, God has really been focussing this verse on me in the last week. I read this blog post and it really spoke to me.

I mean think about it, how often do other people annoy us? All the time right?

Someone doesn’t give way to us while we’re out driving, someone else cuts into your line at the supermarket, your spouse arrives home in a bad mood from work, the kids have been fighting all day. So what do you do?

Like the verse above says “love covers a multitude of sins”. What does that mean? To me it says that if we react towards others the same way they’ve behaved to us then what does that achieve? Nothing!

But if we think first how Jesus would want us to be as Christians then that tends to put another totally different spin on these thoughts.

Let’s ponder the situations again:
The person that doesn’t give way? Pray they have a nice day and pray for their salvation.
The person that cuts in line at the supermarket? You’re seething inwardly and thinking how rude they are but in reality let it go, it’s not worth the battle over something so tiny – don’t let it rent space in your head and heart.
The spouse that brings their bad mood home with them? Perhaps offer them a cup of tea or coffee, ask if you can do anything for them. Even giving that person 10 – 15 mins alone to relax works a treat.
The kids are fighting? Why not go out and take the dog for a walk, get some fresh air, go to the park or a short drive in the car.

So…how can you use love today?