waiting

My strength is not waiting. It's just not. And yet, God has in this place right now where He wants me to be, and seriously, it has been quite challenging. And even a bit discouraging. Two words...endurance and patience. He's given me these two words, and it seems quite obvious that it's not a coincidence. Seriously doesn't make it any easier...but I guess that's the point.

~Wait on the Lord; be of good courage; and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!~ Psalm 27:14

~My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.~ James 1:2-4

~So, after (s)he had patiently endured, (s)he obtained the promise.~ Hebrews 6:15

~Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.~ Hebrews 10:23

~Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.~ Hebrews 10:35-36

... Just some verses that I've written down in my journal as of late. Life is sometimes tough. God is faithful, thank goodness.

Another note in regards to community...if you have the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, turn to chapter 18....
'Experiencing Life Together"....haha, I'm listening to I iTunes right now, it's on shuffle...and Jack Johnson's "Better Together" just came on, how fitting.

Some notes from ch.18:

- Life is meant to be shared
- God intends for us to experience life together, the Bible calls this shared experience fellowship
- Real fellowship is experiencing life together; it includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting...
- In real fellowship people experience authenticity: it is not superficial chit-chat, it's genuine heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing. It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
- Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in some churches...(I would add also in Christian ministries)...Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness and shallow conversation. People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. THESE ATTITUDES ARE THE DEATH OF REAL FELLOWSHIP (my emphasis added)
- It is only as we become open about our lives that we experience real fellowship
- The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other....If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves." The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light.
- Darkness is used to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
- Being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.
- Why would anyone take such a risk? Because it is the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy.
- We only grow by taking risks, and the most difficult risk of all is to be honest with ourselves and with others.


Wow, it's weird that I haven't read this book in over two years. And I don't remember this part of it at all. But strangely these exact themes have been coming up a lot in various conversations and communications. I have to go to choir practice, but yeah, maybe something to think about, what is God trying to say to you???

Peace,
Leah <><