“Increase our faith!”

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
Habakkuk 3.17-19

After my run this morning, I needed encouragement. I woke up at an earlier time to go out and refocus on my Savior. Sometimes when I get out of my devotional routine by coming home for a week or getting abnormally busy, my relationship with God suffers. So, while I was out, Abba and I talked a lot. Well, I mostly talked while He comforted. My plate is full lately, but today's worry was money for Honduras. See, I'm going to Honduras over spring break and I have to raise more money then I think I've ever been in possession of. And it's enough to drive a person crazy, especially when my funds are lying in the hands of other people. In reality, and what we talked about this morning, was that IT DOESN'T. Ok, yes, I know this. I know that God is the giver of all life and provides for me just as He provides for the birds; in fact, more so. But this all too common thought is really hard to transfer to my heart. It becomes hard not to doubt when the funds are not coming and the trip seems impossible. Even though I can look back on my life and SEE the abundant provision and beauty that He has made out of a mess, Satan seeps in all too often.

But perhaps the most frustrating thing about it all is not believing that He is faithful, but determining HOW to believe that He is such. Because believe me, I have spoken now meaningless words of trust in full faith; yet, here I am, struggling with doubt. I know He knows that I am a frail human, made from dust. That my thoughts are nothing like His and that my understanding leads me astray (Isaiah 55.8, Proverbs 3.5-6), but I forget that allllll the time.

I don't really have a conclusion to this particular ramble. Perhaps it's just a way for me to confess my doubt and keep myself accountable through the internet (hah!) to let Abba increase my faith.

love

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."
(found in various places, but this is from Luke 10.27)

Abba is teaching me lots lots lots about love lately. Love has always come easily to me (for the most part), but He is teaching me about hard love now. Growing up, I didn't struggle that much with loving those who had personally done something wrong towards me (last year excluded...). I still talk to the boyfriend who cheated on me. I still talk to the guy who turned my world absolutely upside down. I still talk to the people who betrayed me. I don't like to just dismiss people when the world tells me I should. I don't say that at all to boast in my accomplishments, though, because with more love that is poured into my heart, I realize that it is NOT of me. The only reason I can be that way is because God made and makes me that way and I want to make that crystal clear before going any further.

But a part of love I do struggle with is loving without fear or expectations. Because I don't contain perfect love that expels all fear (1 John 4.18), I have a hard time not getting hurt.
I have been dealing with a situation lately with a person that needs a lot of love. This person is really struggling and because of that, he doesn't know how to act towards others. In fact, he tends to act in really bad ways, making him known for negative things. I know that that is not him. I know that he has had bad experiences that make him act that way. And I know it's all because he is scared.
But that is scary to ME. It is scary to try to love someone who is so unpredictable. It is crazy and hard to love someone who could at any moment turn on me and portray this bad behavior because that means that I am putting myself out there. That I am laying my heart on the line and that means I will probably and have already been hurt. And I'm tired of getting hurt.

But the more I dwell and worry on that, the more Jesus tells me that that's exactly as it should be. I think back over His words and realize that never once did he say that I should definitely love His people with all my heart, but only if my own behind is covered. ONLY if I wont get hurt or betrayed or slandered. He is the example by which we live, yes? And he loved prostitutes, liars, murderers, adulterers, and those who were deceptive.
In fact, he was murdered for them.

So what gives me, or anyone else, the right to hold back love? To be fearful of treating this person as I would want someone to treat me. After all, I receive my worth and my love and well-being from the ONE who's presence can never ever be taken from me (Psalm 139). John 15.13 says that there is NO GREATER LOVE than to lay down my life for my friends. For a long time I thought that meant literally laying down my life. But now, I know that that means giving up my fears, desires, and most importantly, love.