It's All About Love - Part 2

Today I continue on with my thoughts on the "love" chapeter from God's holy word. It amazes me how true these written words ring today...such a great lesson for living.

1 Corinthians 13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Verse 4 – “Christ is patient, Christ is kind.” Considering how impatient I am as a person, it amazes me at just how patient Christ has been, and continues to be. Life is a balancing act…and when I fall off that balance beam in one direction or another – it pulls me away from Him. His kindness, and loving patience, helps me to refocus and become centered on what is really important.
“Christ does not envy, Christ does not boast, Christ is not proud.” Here again, I fail. Although I am pleased to say I have come a long way since I have brought Christ into the center of my daily living. It used to be so easy to envy those with large, beautiful homes and newer vehicles. But I have learned that all that does not matter – afterall, you can’t take it with you. When I see the poverty of people living in third world countries, or indeed – 6th world countries such as Haiti – I realize how blessed I am to have a home at all, and food on the table, and a car that has been pretty reliable about getting me to where I am going. I am grateful for friends and family members who have traveled to these countries, and have helped me realize just how fortunate I am to be living in the U.S.A.Christ is not proud or boastful – He was a man of humble existence – born in a lowly stable. I admit I had problems in this area also. I used to wonder why my scrapbook pages weren’t being snatched up by the publishers, afterall – my pages were good, and I thought “above average”. Well, how proud is that?! It was an awful thought to have swimming in my head. Not only did pride set me up for bitter disappointment, I was focusing on myself as an artist – and not the One who actually gave me artistic talent. A year ago I put pride on a back burner and gave up expectation when calls went out for the magazines and/or big contests. My, how much easier life can be when pride is set aside. Instead of feeling bitter disappointment I shrug my shoulders and say to myself, “oh well, it is not in God’s timing – He has something else for me down the road.” Indeed, He has … and He has blessed me with a good year of page calls for idea books as well as other opportunities to share my talent with others.