Tag Archives: loving people

January 27, 2012 · 5:00 am

Becoming Aware of Him.

I love Him. Not just the Hands that provide for me. Not just the Voice that guides me. Not just the Arms that calm me. I love HIM.

His character. WHO He is.

Because, He is holy, I want to be holy. Because, He is love, I want to be love. Because, He is light, I want to be light.

I want more of Him.

I don’t want more of the same. The same never moves you forward.

And, I’m learning that the more aware I become of Him moment by moment, the more my life changes. I think differently. I respond differently. I see people differently.

Because, as you become more aware of Him, the more you will look at people on the heart. You will see past their messiness. You will see past their emotional baggage. And, you will see the root of their pain. And, compassion will flow.

And, then, God just might use you to be the vessel from which He pours out His healing.

You don’t have to emotionally invest into all of the people around you. But, you sure better see every person as valuable. We are not FROM God.

We are OF God.

Read that again.

We are OF God.

To not see another’s worth is to not see the worth of our Creator.

And, how awesome that God pinched off a piece of Himself and placed it in each of us? How awesome that the more we get to know His character, the more we emanate that character?

And, yes, I realize how broken my thoughts seem on this post. This is one reason I have found it so difficult to write lately. He is breaking me, growing me, expanding me, and stretching me in ways that are shaking up my world. And, I don’t know how to communicate it well.

Not yet.

But, I will.

I know I will.

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Filed under God Stuff, Spiritual Journey, Writing

Tagged as character, God-awareness, loving people

January 19, 2011 · 5:00 am

The Pastor.

We picked up our wings. That’s code for there is some football game thing, and I need food to bear through it. Sorry, Falcons fans. No. Really. Sorry. Anyhoo, a very good friend of mine (who is also my hair stylist which is code for VERY good friend) sent me a text to pray for her baby boy. Poor thing had slipped out of his big sister’s hands, hit his noggin’, and scared his momma to pieces. ‘Cause we mommas are good at getting scared to pieces.

I called her back immediately and prayed with her over the phone. Then, I knew I couldn’t just sit and wait on her to call me back from the Emergency Room. And, after I told Dad what was going on, he got all, “Um, I’m there pastor, I need to be there.” So, off we went together.

I watched Dad pray for this sweet, baby boy. Then, as we were leaving, I watched him pray for someone else.

It was an elderly lady waiting to be checked after a fall.

“Has anyone prayed for you?” He asked her.

“No, sir,” she told him.

So, he prayed.

As we drove away, Dad said something to me that has stayed with me.

“One of the greatest joys of being a pastor and doing what I do is getting to pray for people.”

I’ve never heard Dad say, one of the greatest joys of being a pastor is growing the largest church. Although, I know that changed lives matter to him.

But, I know that people matter to him most.

I left that hospital with a full heart and a holy perspective on what it means to be a pastor.

I hope I still say after 35 years in ministry, I GET to pray for people.

As for the sweet, baby boy? He is just fine. And, that scared momma? Well, I don’t even think she noticed the Falcons lost.

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Filed under making an impact, prayer

Tagged as loving people, pastor, pastoring, prayer, praying

October 20, 2009 · 6:00 am

A Fish Story.

Few people make me laugh until I cry. My dad is one of those people. It might be intentional like the time he replaced my toilet paper holder with a trick one. When I rolled, a recorded, “scary” message from my dad played. That was pretty funny. Frightening, but funny. Or, it might be unintentional. Regardless, whenever I’m around him, I’m just sure to laugh.

This most recent family vacation was no different. Many laughs were had. But his attempt at booking a fishing boat nearly sent me into early labor. Not really. But, dang, it was fuh-nee.

Driving around the gulf coast, Dad pulled into a bay area where many boats sit waiting for someone to rent them. A few men were standing in front of one boat. Dad thought it a good idea to call on that particular one. He called and inquired. While speaking with the boat captain, he noticed a gentleman in front of the boat talking on the phone, too. Dad continued to collect information when he said to the boat captain:

“I think I’m lookin’ atcha right now.”

A moment of silence ensued.

Then, I heard Dad simply respond, “No? No.”

“Err, this boat is not available on that day,” the Captain told Dad.

Nor was it going to be available any other day seeing as how this Captain, who was probably resting soundly in his bed up to the point that he thinks some freak is spying in on him, more than likely felt…uneasy?

I laughed until I cried. I especially laughed when Dad hung up his phone only to find the gentleman in front of him was still talking on his.

He’s a funny man. A funny man who loves the scriptures more than any other person I know. A funny man who is more excited about Christ today than he was thirty-three years ago when he first entered ministry. A funny man who is real. Who never speaks ill of anyone. And loves those who don’t even return that love.

I may never be as funny as him. But, I sure hope I pursue Christ and love people like him.

Oh, and he did get himself another fishing boat. He just had someone else call. 🙂

Dad - fishing PCB