“The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him.] Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. Be hospitable to one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]. 1 Peter 4:7-10 AMP

Love covers a multitude of sins…there is so much truth to this statement. I suppose that is why they say that love is blind. God intended it to be so. Now, I don’t believe that means we are to allow ourselves to be grossly mistreated, or to accept that we deserve a constant barrage of negative comments, actions, and attitudes. What it means to me is this: when we love someone with a truly heartfelt, Christ-like love, we don’t focus on the bits and pieces we find unpleasant or irritating. To me it means that we need to find it within ourselves to meet people where they are in life, accept them as they are, strive to help them draw closer to God, and understand that they are going to make mistakes which will sometimes cause us pain. I believe when there is a Christ-like love for someone, the forgiveness will come and you will find the love never left…in fact, that love will likely be even stronger because of the fire it has endured.

It is all too tempting to look at someone else’s life from the outside and feel envious or even diminished because we don’t believe we have the same amazing gifts and talents. Well, guess what? We don’t have the same amazing gifts and talents. God created each of us individually, with our own specific design intended for the purposes He needs US to serve in this life. When we minimize our own gifts, we will never use them to the full capacity that God desires. The man who spends all his time standing at the fence and staring at the beauty of his neighbor’s yard to the neglect of his own, fails to put his efforts and energies into making the yard he was given into it’s own potential paradise.

He’ll stand there and watch his neighbor water and fertilize his grass, pull weeds from his flower garden, till the soil in his vegetable garden, and build a lovely sitting area under an awning, all the while he is choosing to NOT plant new grass seed in his own yard, choosing to NOT water and fertilize the seed, choosing to plant neither flowers nor vegetables, and allowing his tiny porch to fall into disrepair instead of strengthening the floor and framework. He doesn’t take into account that his yard has soil that is good for growing different types of plants than his neighbor, or that his plot of land is laid out in a way that is better suited for a different landscaping design.

While God wants us to be able to look upon the beauty and success our neighbor has had in making the most of the yard he was given, He also wants us to put the same amount of time and energy into doing the same with the yards we were given. That will never happen if we spend all our time pining for what was never meant to be ours in the first place.

This perspective applies to our individual gifts, our purposes as married couples, our work, our children, and so on. The relationships we are given are unique because the people in them are unique. Just like my marriage will never and should never look like someone else’s, my gifts and talents will never and should never look like someone else’s. My singing voice is uniquely my own, though I may feel it is inadequate and plain, it is the one God gave me. The husband I have been given is one I am absolutely certain was prepared just for me, as I have been prepared just for him, and together we are so seamlessly one, God’s intentions for us were clear from the very beginning. The sister I hold so dear is special to me because she has been anointed specifically to be my sister. That is why nobody else is able to speak to my heart and mind in the same way she does…all of these things are so because God intended them to be that way.

“And on that day you will say, ‘I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and you comfort me. Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation.'” Isaiah 12:1-2 AMP

Never question who you are or how God made you, because God never makes mistakes. He has been with you for every single success and every single failure. He is always with us, waiting to clear the path and guide us towards the blessings He has waiting, but He can’t help us get there if we are constantly standing in His way and questioning His guidance. What is it that you are holding back because you don’t feel good enough or worthy enough? What is it you are trying to do your way because you don’t know how to trust that God is already working it out for you?

Welcome Home

He set us down upon the ground,
With shadows He dimmed our sight.
Our mission was simple, our burdens were few.
He sent us His Son who gave us His life.
We were given the chance to make decisions
Of our own, but to us He still calls, “Please, please, just come home!”
If we listen with our hearts, we’ll hear the music of His soul guiding us gently along.
It’s hard not to feel the easy appeal of a friend who is singing His song.
So sing loud and sing clear and together we’ll hear
The soft echo of His voice, “Welcome Home”