In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

I read somewhere “people may not remember what you said or did for them but they will always remember how you made them feel”. 

I ran into one of my youth in the grocery store and we exchanged hellos, talked for a little while about what’s going on in eachothers lives and reminisced about the good ole days before resuming to life in the present.  As I began to walk away he said “I really miss how you made us feel like we mattered to God.  I still believe I’m on God’s mind and that He wants to hear what I have to say”.

Isn’t that just like God to provide these wonderful reminders of why we say and do what we do? At the core of everything my heart really is to help others see God, themselves and others correctly…in light of God’s love.  That’s the call, the challenge and command on life and love…represent God. I think, talk and try to exemplify this consistently while clothed in the frailty of humanity.  The thing people love about me on a good day is often the thing that gets on their nerves on a bad day. It’s the thing that makes it challenging to live and love up close and personal when my dialog confronts those things we rather not consider. It’s not always easy, comfortable, without personal sacrifice or as rewarding as one my hope or think but it is the plight of trying to live and love authentic to who I am, who I feel I’m called, chosen and commissioned to be.

He does not know this (the person to whom I was speaking) but in that moment I felt so vindicated by God’s love for me. It’s been a rough few weeks of people not really appreciating who I am, a number of accusations and an intense desire within myself to leave it all alone…wondering if I’m actually helping anyone…if its worth living and loving estranged from most people’s normal. But God met me in the midst of my struggle to process and put into perspective why life and love is laiden with so many people expressing their annoyance, anger and account of all that’s wrong with me. My attempts to balance the call, the challenge, the command on life and love… to present another perspective often isolates me from the very people my heart longs to help. 

Not so long ago, I ran into someone that let me know something I said stuck with them.  If that something helps people see God, themselves and others in light of God’s love of in and for them then the challenge, call and commission to live and love as a representative has me feeling some kind of way. 

Like I’ll trust God to buffer, balance and bless the seed deposited into good earth…that the intended harvest will yield the increase God desires.  Like I will continue to consult Him on what I pen and say and keep submitting my heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.  I won’t always get it right (humanity) and when I get it wrong I pray my heart remains quick to repent (spirituality) and that those that love me will remember that what was said or done was to help not hurt or hinder anyone.  I cannot deny the challenge, the call nor commission to help others consider life and love differently in light of the standard of the Word.  I will however pray more earnestly that my attempts provoke, prompt and push us towards growth, grace and the greater good God desires for life and love. 

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (empowerment and education my emphasis) Romans 14:19 NIV