Forgiveness

At church on Sunday the pastor has been going through 1 Corinthians 13 - love.  I feel like I've heard the "love" services plenty of times, but he presents it so different.  I feel like I can relate...and learn a lot for the friendships and relationships I have now and in the future.  He has been going through each aspect of love.

So far I've been there for this much:

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful, or proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged." 1 Cor. 13:4-5

Two parts have stuck out to me the most.  Last week we talked about verse 4. He talked about how love is not irritable.  The pastor said that in order to not be irritable you have to develop thick skin.  That one probably hit me the hardest.  It's not as hard when someone who isn't close to you hurts you because they may not know much about you. But when it's a person who's opinion you value, that's when it hurts the most.  The pastor said that when it's a person you value, then you should really look into why they are saying something.  It may hurt but that can also help you grow.

This past Sunday he talked about verse 5 and not keeping a record of wrongs. It's easy to say you forgive someone.  But it doesn't always mean that you do.  Just because you forgive someone does not mean that you are saying what they did was okay.  I like to try and brush things off.  I have a hard time with forgiveness though.  I say that I forgive but it's still always in the back of my mind.  It's something I have to work on.

I've been reading stories from the Forgiveness Project today and it's just incredible to read how much these people forgive, even when it's the hardest thing to do.  I want to have that kind of forgiveness.

http://theforgivenessproject.com/stories/

New Adventures

Lately I've been reflecting on how perfectly everything has fallen into place for me with this new move.  Sometimes I get discouraged because I can't exactly understand why I am in this particular city.  It was never somewhere I wanted to move.  But then I am reminded, once again, that God has had his hand in this move every step of the way.

Someone asked me the other day how I just picked up and moved so quickly.  From the time I accepted the job (I was in St. Louis traveling), I drove to Chicago with my parents and back home, packed up my stuff, and hit the road. I left Arizona 10 days after I accepted the job.  It was quick, but at the same time, I waited and prayed for six months for a job to come along. 

It was hard to be at home and not have a job for 6 months.  I felt unfulfilled.  Like I was missing out on my life.  I think I even lost who I was at times.  But then something clicked.  I wasn't going to just sit back and wait for things to be perfect.  I was given the opportunity to enjoy being around my family, something I hadn't gotten to do in years.  I started praying and really spending time with God.  Also something I had struggled with for awhile.  God was teaching me patience...and trust me I'm still learning.

I've been in Philly for just under two weeks now.  It's definitely an adjustment.  No yards, driveways, and everything is so close together...I've also learned how to parallel park awfully quickly!!  I knew I had to find a church here pretty soon so I would feel more comfortable.  God had that one covered!  I happened to be in a Chick-Fil-A near my work on lunch break.  When I got back to the office I had a facebook post from a girl at Methodist...luck would have it that she saw me in Chick-Fil-A!!  I asked about a church and tried it out this Sunday...what a perfect fit!!  

I am amazed at how much God has had his hand in my life.  He shows up when I least expect it, but always knows just when I need it.  I am still getting used to this move and understanding why I am here.  But for now I'm trusting that this is where God has me.  There is a reason for it and I want to experience the whole ride!

This song was played on Sunday and I loved it!