Relationships

I love the way the lace curtains make a pretty shadow on the wall---things like this warm my heart!

I have been reading a book called, "When Sinners Say 'I Do' by Dave Harvey. It is such a helpful book. Yesterday , in particular , some of the words spoke right to my heart.

He spoke about how the heat of circumstances often cause things to spill out. He gave an example of his lawn mower and how the oil cap was not on tightly and when the engine heated up the oil flew out. He says, "The heat (the circumstances) did not fill the engine with oil, it simply revealed what was in the engine."

We think that something our spouse does or says causes us to get angry or whatever. He says: "No, it's simply showing you the impatience that was already in the engine of your heart. The heat just stirred it up and made it obvious"

"Have you ever considered why there are no accounts of Jesus slamming a door in angry frustration or inflicting the 'silent treatment' on someone who hurt him? Why didn't Jesus get irritated or bitter or hostile? The simple but astounding answer is that when his engine was heated by circumstances , what was in his heart came out: love, mercy, compassion, kindness. Christ didn't respond sinfully to the circumstances in his life--even an undeserved, humiliating, torturous death---because the engine of his heart was pure. What was in his heart spilled over. It was love!"

"Your spouse was a strategic choice made by a wise and loving God. Selected by him, for you from the beginning of the world, your spouse is an essential part of God's rescue mission for your life. Often a spouse plays his or her part by raising the engine temperature and heating the oil. But if we're wisely honest we will realize that God is behind it all, revealing the familiar sin so that is might be overcome by amazing grace."

I love those thoughts. He says we are always to look at our own hearts and deal with what is in them---the cause of our conflicts are as James says---"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." We tend to blame our spouse for making us angry, or impatient, etc---but it comes from our own desires. Jesus was perfect--he had all kinds of people and situations, but he always responded out of good desires.

Something for me to think on

The paragraph stuff is not working this morning--when that happens I resort to colors!!