L-O-V-E is the Movement

Gosh, I have wanted to write on other things: relationships, my book, “The Lady’s Rage” and some of the everyday challenges and triumphs I have had recently; but I keep being drawn back to the same theme of forgiveness. Let’s just say that I don’t see myself as one who harbors ill feelings. I don’t hold grudges. I can’t think of anyone that I am mad at. However, there are people that occasionally offend me. Offenses come. We are all in this world and we are all so very different; and at times people will say or do things that are inappropriate, demeaning and all together offensive to us. And that is not to say we are right and they are wrong; but that because of the vast differences between people it is easy sometimes to offend or to do or say something that rubs another person the wrong way.

My greatest offenses come at the expense of my call…not to perfection but to righteousness. I am offended by things, conversations and actions that are clearly meant to create havoc. I like peace. I like peaceable situations. I like peaceable people. I am very comfortable in quiet environments where I can hear a bird chirp, the wind blowing, the trees rustling and the sound of my own thoughts; because it makes it easier for me to hear the voice of my Father. Chaos, ruckus and arguing are not things I enjoy. And on the occasions, that I am forced to be subject to chaos, argument and havoc I am innately bothered. I want to make peace. Unfortunately, not everyone is like me. Some people thrive off of drama. The more the merrier. And as much as I would like to make the world a happier and more peaceful place, it clearer is not. The challenge is this when the offense strikes you at your very core. Can you forgive? Can you let it go? As I said, I am not a person who harbors things. I believe that people can change. What you did or said in a moment may not be where you are forever. I know there are things I have said, things I have done in a period of my life that are the complete opposite of who I am today. My past literally contradicts my present and my present will inevitably contradict my future. I am constantly changing, moving and growing.

In fact, I had a conversation with my mom Sunday and I was talking to her about movement. I was marveling at the sound of my voice, as I was talking, and how it is that everything in my body is in constant movement. Even as I sat in the living room talking to her, blood was moving in my body. Cells and neutrons (I think), words and terminology for my biology are at movement even as I type these words. Nerves are reacting and ping ponging messages to my brain that are helping me formulate my thoughts. Movement. I was telling my mom, that God is constantly moving on our behalves. We may not see it, we may not know it but He is moving. Things are reacting and ping ponging off of the words that we speak. Whatever is abundantly present in us will emanate from us in the words that we speak. The words that we speak are the very elements that move us, change us, deliver us and grow us.

I say that because we must always be moving in love. Love is the movement. For out of love grows forgiveness. Forgiveness, if you are a believer is a lifestyle. It should be an absolute. If not, we will be stuck and grow stale and bitter with time. If I am, as a child of God, offended at the world, its system of doing things, the ignorant and ill informed opinions of people who are without knowledge of the true and living God, than I too am perpetuating the same ill advised and demented behavior that is offensive to me. I must forgive everyone. EVERYONE. Jesus lamented, “Father forgive them they don’t know what they are doing.” We all are like children. And the greatest evidence of my right standing, sonship, with the Father, My God, my creator is not in my perfection but in the acknowledgement, receipt and dispensation of His great and unfailing love. Forgiveness comes at a price. It cost your humility. It cost you saying, what you did to me, said about me is not going to stop me from loving you. Forgiveness prepares to give before the offense occurs and gives without reluctance. I challenge you today, as I challenge myself, FORGIVE EVERYONE.

In His Love, Natrietia

Good News

I felt like writing again on forgiveness today. Strangely, or rather apparently, there is a need for me to be writing on the subject again. Last week I blogged that forgiveness is for everyone. There is power in forgiveness and I wanted to write on it once more. Forgive Everyone. And I mean everyone, and the harder it is to mouth the words and to sum up the courage to do so, the more essential it is for you to release the burden of that hatred. Hatred is a prison. Forgiveness is freedom. Last week, when I wrote on the subject I was much more focused on the process of forgiveness that brings healing to the broken or to the offender. I wanted to segue just a little to the right and write for a moment on forgiving yourself. Some of us have a difficult time forgiving and loving ourselves. We find it so much easier to forgive and love “other” people but we are hard on ourselves. We hold on to past offenses and feelings of regret. We spout hateful words to ourselves, “You suck.” “You’ll never change.” “Once a loser always a loser.” But I want to remind you that in Christ you have received (been given) FORGIVENESS of all sins. Not on the basis of your own perfection or your own righteousness; but on the basis of His free gift.

I was listening to a remarkable man of God, Joseph Prince today and he was preaching a message on grace and He said something very true and very pure. To surmise, he essentially said that there is no grace message. It is just the gospel. “The gospel is grace.” If we believe that the gospel is absent of grace, or that grace is a by-product of the gospel than we have entirely (I’ll repeat, entirely) misunderstood and misrepresented the gospel as Jesus Christ delivered it. If grace is something all together separate than we have not fully understood the good news. We have added something to it that God did not intend. My husband often preaches that the cross is not an addition sign. It is not The Cross plus what I do. It is very simply what Christ has done. Period. The good news (gospel) is that our sins have been FORGIVEN. Gone. Gone. Gone.

Forgive everyone including yourself. Let God love you and be as good to you as He wants to. Not long ago, I had a thought. I was thinking about myself and I had a few gripes against Natrietia. And the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “What would you tell someone who was going through what you are going through? How would you encourage them?” I smiled of course. And it was then, that I learned something. I learned that I have to encourage myself, minister to myself just like I would a fellow brother or sister. I have to think of myself, as God does. I have to forgive myself, just as Christ forgives me. I have to receive the good news…. Daily. Some people subscribe to their local newspaper or world news chronicle to keep them informed. But there is news, that God has delivers to you daily that will keep you in a place of liberty and freedom...it is the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ.