You give and take away..
Hi all,
As much as i'd love this to be a cheerful, "i love and miss YES Camp" post, a "woo! i felt God so strongly this time!" post, its not.
This YES Camp was a fantastic experience for me, entirely new, indeed "No eye has seen, no ear has heard" and i'm convinced that God's mercies are indeed new every morning, regardless of how many camps you've attended, how much you think you know about God; as the cliche goes, "the more you think you know, the more you don't."
God spoke to me through the speakers many a time, Br Mike's letting go of the past, living in the now. That if we got hurt in the past, does it mean we should shy away from love again? For a period of time till the day before the camp, i kinda rationalised within myself (trust me, we humans are good at that), i told God "I want to love Lord, the way You love us, i want to love the people around me. But i'm afraid. I don't want to get hurt, it's too difficult".
Br Mike's sessions was a real eye-opener... "If you want to love unconditionally (agape), you are bound to get hurt! i say again, bound to get hurt!" Though it may seem like common knowledge, the human ability of selective hearing is also commendable. Sometimes it really takes something like this, so in-your-face, so direct, for even a tiny trickle of the message to seep through our thick skulls. "So, do you still want to love? If you know you're going to get hurt again, cos its the way of the world to take advantage of agape love, do you still want to love?" - a sheepish "yes Lord, i want to...help me.." was my reply.
As of now, i can't say i'm able to love freely, love like what is written in 1 Cor13. I wonder if i ever can. But i want to try.. Lord, help me.
I want to share 2 wonderful, God-inspired messages revealed to my group during the camp.
Firstly, a prophesy that was confirmed many times over through other people, events, convictions.
"Seek me not in far off places, for I am close at hand" (thanks james)
Secondly,
"When God closes one window, He opens another." (thanks Ilona)
The last week, the message that seems to resound particularly in my life, stemming from the second message, is the need to die to self before rising to life (like the sun-flower and also the wheat of grain) It's very tiring and painful when God appears to show you an open door, after walking past a series of closed ones. Or perhaps, one door nicely painted, after a series of dull, grey ones, and you constantly seek God's will in these. Then, it all seems right, "Go ahead, see what's inside this door that attracts you" says God. And then when you excitedly rush to the knob, you find it locked cold.
Tiring..Difficult to continue following God's call and will..yet where can i run from Your love..Nothing else in the world will satisfy..Obedience..I need You God..I love you.
Period.
Rhino. No 7
As much as i'd love this to be a cheerful, "i love and miss YES Camp" post, a "woo! i felt God so strongly this time!" post, its not.
This YES Camp was a fantastic experience for me, entirely new, indeed "No eye has seen, no ear has heard" and i'm convinced that God's mercies are indeed new every morning, regardless of how many camps you've attended, how much you think you know about God; as the cliche goes, "the more you think you know, the more you don't."
God spoke to me through the speakers many a time, Br Mike's letting go of the past, living in the now. That if we got hurt in the past, does it mean we should shy away from love again? For a period of time till the day before the camp, i kinda rationalised within myself (trust me, we humans are good at that), i told God "I want to love Lord, the way You love us, i want to love the people around me. But i'm afraid. I don't want to get hurt, it's too difficult".
Br Mike's sessions was a real eye-opener... "If you want to love unconditionally (agape), you are bound to get hurt! i say again, bound to get hurt!" Though it may seem like common knowledge, the human ability of selective hearing is also commendable. Sometimes it really takes something like this, so in-your-face, so direct, for even a tiny trickle of the message to seep through our thick skulls. "So, do you still want to love? If you know you're going to get hurt again, cos its the way of the world to take advantage of agape love, do you still want to love?" - a sheepish "yes Lord, i want to...help me.." was my reply.
As of now, i can't say i'm able to love freely, love like what is written in 1 Cor13. I wonder if i ever can. But i want to try.. Lord, help me.
I want to share 2 wonderful, God-inspired messages revealed to my group during the camp.
Firstly, a prophesy that was confirmed many times over through other people, events, convictions.
"Seek me not in far off places, for I am close at hand" (thanks james)
Secondly,
"When God closes one window, He opens another." (thanks Ilona)
The last week, the message that seems to resound particularly in my life, stemming from the second message, is the need to die to self before rising to life (like the sun-flower and also the wheat of grain) It's very tiring and painful when God appears to show you an open door, after walking past a series of closed ones. Or perhaps, one door nicely painted, after a series of dull, grey ones, and you constantly seek God's will in these. Then, it all seems right, "Go ahead, see what's inside this door that attracts you" says God. And then when you excitedly rush to the knob, you find it locked cold.
Tiring..Difficult to continue following God's call and will..yet where can i run from Your love..Nothing else in the world will satisfy..Obedience..I need You God..I love you.
Period.
Rhino. No 7
posted by Rhino for God! at 11:17 AM
1 Comments:
To really love is to open yourself to the other person and taking a risk on them.
The risk is that they may return the love or they may not. Some may even turn it against you, and hurt you.
The reason it hurts, is only because you really loved them in the first place.
So is it worth the risk?
Whenever someone reciprocates that love back, such a joyous and wonderful relationship it will be! It will be wonderfully affirming growing for those involved!
The one whom you touch will go on to touch the life of someone else! It will be far more rewarding than those relationships that do not work out.
So yes, it is worth the risk. It is
worth showing the type of love 1 Cor 13 teaches about and remember 1 John 4:18-20.
"18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us.
20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen."
So continue to love. For God is Love, and we are called to love one another as He has loved us.
- Your brother in Christ
Post a Comment
<< Home