It's been a busy few weeks and it's only going to increase in the next few months. The good news is that, in the past week, we received an offer for our house although this has raised more challenges than it has solved at this precise moment in time.
It's fair to say that the honeymoon period of being here is over. No longer are you just "on holiday", enjoying the sights and sounds of the new environment, making new discoveries as you turn down a street or walk along a busy thoroughfare. True to church culture, I've received my first complaint (must be doing something right then) and felt for the first time that I'm not new anymore.
And do you know what? As I dig through Paul's letters just now to read about his advice to those involved in disputes, factions, fall outs and ungodly practices, I'm sitting here longing for heaven. I'm desperate for heaven to invade earth. I can't wait for imperfection to disappear (my own, of course!) and for the heavens and earth to be transformed.
Until that moment, and in particular today, I'm fixing myself on the cross, where mercy, grace, hope and love meet.Oh how wretched am I for my failings, my criticism and my judgmental thoughts and yet how lavish is his love displayed there for me.
At the risk of sounding like an eighteenth-century hymn writer (move over Wesley), its where I want to stay today.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
ReplyDeleteBe thou my inheritance now and always.
Be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
beautiful words THM, so appropriately put here for me today.
ReplyDeletethank you.
Ugh. People suck.
ReplyDelete(including me)
I find the most difficult part about criticism though is not to take things personally, and also to listen as sometimes in the midst of all the rubbish people do have a valid point in there somewhere that perhaps is helpful to take on board.
Anyway, hugs. You've been doing a fab job Lynn, and to be honest the patience of our leadership team astounds me.
I found coming to the church I presently am a member of a very alien experience from the last one I was part of. Been lots of tears, confusion and frustration over the last 21 months.
Sometimes I wonder if my idea of 'church' is just totally crazy...! :)
hi BK
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment.
This post wasn't particularly or entirely related to criticism getting me down.
The reality is that we have moved house, not been able to sell it, settled our children into a new school and come to a city where we have few very close friends. Even just one or two of these things count as stressful life events, psychologists say.
In the last week about four of these have hit home all at the same time!
Which is why I've "cooried in" to everything the cross means to me this week.
Amen to all of that Lynn. I am fed up too, mostly because I'm tired I suppose. But I'm fed up with myself, with work politics, and with this sin-sick world. It's at times like this we need to "coorie in" as you say to the cross "where mercy, grace, hope and love meet".
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