Today's diving in to how to live BOLD in love we talk about the B- Believe. I don't think there was ever a better example of belief in my life than my Grandmother, Patricia. Referring to yesterday's post, down to her very roots she knew who she was, and she knew what in life made her most happy- serving others. She was a quiet and soft spoken woman who's heart was truly the servant of God. This photo is one of very few I have left of her. She passes away in 1998 from breast cancer. That third photo over her left shoulder is me. She had each of her children's families and grandchildren's portraits on display equally, so no one ever felt favorited. She was compassion, and grace. When she was receiving chemo my mom was very cautious about bringing us around to visit her, because little kids are always carriers of some bug. But, my Grandma lived by faith and she believed God would protect her; she wouldn't get sick unless she was supposed to. So, she never let worry keep her from kissing us all over!
So what do you believe?
If you have found your faith in Jesus Christ, then you know part of our belief is a call to action. A call to live a life that sets us apart from others, just by the deeds we do daily. The key to living boldly, and having a belief that transcends the day to day in order to touch the lives of others is so simple.... it is LOVE. Love is the language that doesn't need words, it is felt and defined by our souls. If you have accepted Christ's love for you- that is step 1. If you have chosen a life that follows His teachings- that is step 2. Step 3 gets a little tricky it is action required because you "believe". I once had a Spanish Professor who told me that when examining our knowledge we should always look at the photograph not the mirror. She would joke that in the mirror she was still a 20-something swimsuit clad "hot stuff".... but in photographs she was a 40-something who ate too much Ben and Jerry's and needed to hit the gym. We can often lie to ourselves when we are self examining, but a photograph is more truthful. If you had paparazzi following you around today snapping photos of each of the mundane tasks that make up your routine, what would they see? Would the see you believing that God is going to get you to work right when you are supposed to get there... even if you get stuck in traffic? Would they see you using your belief to spread joy to someone who is struggling? Would your belief in a mighty God be visible in the steps you take, or the words you choose? How can you deepen you belief in Christ so that when those snap shots are taken you are seen listening, praying, patiently waiting and believing the answer, opportunity, lesson, or blessing is already on it's way?
Have you had a taste of that Living Water today? Has your bible been cracked? Has your head bowed, even for a short pause? Have you shown love to someone today, whether they deserved it or not? Just like God called "the least of these" to write this blog, He invites us to love the least of these because we have all been"less than" once. Be that flower. Let your roots grow deep and long! Soak up the eternal springs of goodness, and let your faith be so well rooted that when those daily tasks shake us up, our belief is what spills out, not our emotions or tempers. "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but those who choose not to believe have condemned themselves because they did not believe in the name of God's only son" John 3:18
As the Lent season begins tomorrow my homework for each of you is to make a mental note to choose to believe God will come through in at least one situation this week you would normally take upon yourself to solve. Last night I had the joy of speaking with a dear friend who just moved to Japan. She told me that one of her worries with raising a 2 year old and twin 9month olds was how to break her 2 year old of a pacifier without breaking her heart, since her time is now juggled between 3 small people with big needs. So she prayed about it, she believed God would take care of it because she didn't have the answer. Then one day her daughter just dropped the pacifier and was done. She laughed and told me that taking time to notice when God has stepped in to answer a prayer like that is half the battle most days because she is just busy. Most of us would not think to even ask God for something so small. I would probably have googled it and read 3 articles on it before I even thought to pray about it. (no judging I am being honest here, remember?). But there is our loving Father, looking down from heaven more than capable of helping with every need, every pacifier, and every situation. The big ones and the small ones all matter to Him.
