The end of March Clodyne invited me to go down to the IKEA in Orlando with her. I've heard a lot about this store and how it has really neat and unique stuff for decent prices, so I was really excited to go for the first time. But, I was also glad to go because of being able to spend the day with this special lady. She's a joy to be around and we can share our hearts with each other. I admire her and her love and joy she has as a Mom to many littles, and takes it all in stride. We are both learning to take every moment in, because these little ones grow up too fast. I was also sharing with her, as we saw examples of this throughout the day, how God has really been showing me how as we go about this life and see people in public, we need to remember there's a story behind the face, and we don't know it. I want to be compassionate, and not hard and judgmental. When I go check out at a store and the clerk isn't friendy, and maybe doesn't help me out, I don't know the story behind her face. I don't know if she's maybe been up all night with a sick kid the night before, and is now pulling a shift , because her husband is in jail, and that's all she can do. There's a lot of suffering out there. A lot of pain. I never want to think I'm immune to that. As we saw this last week with the loss of Simeon. Tragedy can strike at any time. No one is exempt from it. Love with all your heart. Don't let the obstacles that are thrown in our paths to test us, succeed in stopping us from being the Christian we should be. These young people around us in our towns all have stories. No one knows what they've been through and seen in life. I never want my children to think, by my leading, that they are better than these kids, because how untrue that is. They need Jesus, and we show them Jesus by loving them and being His hands and His feet. I'm so thankful and encouraged that Simeon made a profession of faith just a week before he died. I remember the day that he was born, and it's been heartbreaking to me to see how hard this is to his family. I can't imagine their pain. So, I've told the kids a lot this week. Appreciate your brothers and sisters, you don't know how long you'll have them. Live every day like it's your last. Fix grudges, and forgive offenses. Life is too short to hold onto that stuff. Their little minds don't understand it all, but they know that a family is hurting really bad, and that life for that family will never be the same.
We were blessed to be able to find a dining room table that meets our needs on that trip. Working on getting some benches for either side, but it fits so much better in our small dining room.
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