He made a suggestion to read aloud 1 Corinthians 13 and insert your name in the place of love to see if love accurately described your life, your personality and your response to people in general.
so for me it would be:
Elise is patient, Elise is kind. Elise does not envy, Elise does not boast, Elise is not proud. Elise is not rude, Elise is not self-seeking, Elise is not easily angered, Elise keeps no record of wrongs. Elise does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 Elise always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
after reading that section i expected Francis to go on and say something to the effect of "That's a good way to check yourself" or "Striving to BE love in this way is a big job" but he said... " By the end don't you feel like a liar?"
i snorted because he was so straight forward, and he was right.
It might be easier for me to embody love like that with other people in public- but when it think about daily life with my kids and husband, days when i am just DONE--- Elise is not self seeking, Elise is not easily angered, Elise keeps no records of wrongs..... not so much.
In the times when i am hurt and discouraged, Elise always Trusts, always Hopes.... that might be a stretch.
"Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. Its not a label we can display when its useful. It must be central to everything we do and are."
So today, i pray for strength to be less of a liar. To stop pretending that my daily circumstances are something that could change or be of more importance than the command to LOVE, and love well.
4 comments:
We are reading this book as well. I am only on chapter 3 though. It's a great book so far.
Good word for today. Thanks for sharing.
Nice post! I too need to work on this!
I read that book and loved it . Now I reading Fogotten God by him. Also a great read. And I am reading oner thousand gifts. I am loving it. I too, am working on it!!
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