34. July 27, 2009

its been about 3 months since my surgery and finally, my shoulder is beginning to heal!!! still hurts more than i'd like it to, but it is definitely doing much better. i've been out of the sling for about 3 weeks....getting a much better range of motion, though i'm still limited a pretty good bit. I'm slowly able to lift light items and can even use both arms to fix my hair now, hahahaha!!! :)

my lupus is about the same...no major changes...good days and bad days. i've had a lot of headaches the past week, but nothing that i can't handle through the strength of the Lord. He is so very near and present and comforts and strengthens me daily.

as i studied His word late last night, God really spoke some things into my heart about love. Romans 12:9-11 says....(New Living Translation) "Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically."

God calls us to love all people ...a true & genuine love...love is more than empty words or ritualistic habits....love is more than saying kind words to some one's face just to walk away and speak ugliness about that person....love is more than just knowing the "right things to say".....love is more than just using "love" (as in...."i'm saying this to you in love") as a mask to say whatever we want to people....love is more than just a hug around the neck or a kiss on the cheek....God gives us a very clear definition of real, genuine love.....

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not LOVE, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not LOVE, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.

We can go to church 5 times a week, serve in as many ministries as possible, have all the gifts and talents and do and say all the "right things" at the "right times"....but according to His word, if we don't have LOVE, we gain nothing. We can give prophecy, quote scripture, fluff our spiritual feathers and show everyone how much we know about God's word.....but if we don't have love, we are "clanging cymbals" in God's ears.

Its easy to love the "lovable"....but are we loving the UNLOVABLE?? Truly loving them with a genuine love as described in 1 Corinthians 13? I'm not only talking about felons, the homeless, the broken (sometimes it is easier to love those you do not know more so than people you know well....it is often easier to see God's forgiveness for perfect strangers than our own friends or even family)....but I'm talking about the person that disrespected you at work... the checkout girl that was rude to you...that family member that is so difficult to love... The person at church that gets under your skin... The people who have wronged you, hurt you, abused you....that person that you are envious of...are you loving them? Are you holding tight to the number of times they've wronged you or hurt you?? Read 1 Corinthians 13 AGAIN....

Lord, help me to love EVERYONE with a true and genuine love. Forgive me for counting wrongs, for not letting go of anger or bitterness towards those who hurt me. Help me to love the unlovables in my life...ALL of them...help me to let go of past hurts...heal those wounds, Lord Jesus, and give me the strength to move on. In Jesus' holy, righteous name, AMEN!