i've been really captivated by the teachings of sweet mother teresa lately. her love, her gentleness, her sweetness, it inspires my heart.
"i don't think there is anyone who needs God's help and grace as much as i do. sometimes i feel so helpless and weak, i think that is why God uses me. because i cannot depend on my own strength. i rely on Him 24/7. if the day had even more hours, i would need His help and grace during those hours as well. all of us must cling to God through prayer"--mother teresa
to quote st. john vianney "shut your eyes, shut your mouth and open your heart." mother teresa added to this by saying "in vocal prayer we speak to God; in mental prayer He speaks to us. it is then that God pours Himself into us"
lessons learned: when you make up your mind, and profess that your life's work is to be a living vessel of His mercy, love, and His mouthpiece two things happen:
1) God sanctifies you. this is done with fire (to bring out the impurities).
2) the enemy attacks you. this is done with fiery things.
the difference: God's sanctification with fire rids you of impurities, so that you become like pure gold, in which He can see His reflection in. the enemy's fiery things are meant to destroy--rest assured, he will not succeed though. close your eyes, close your mouth, and open your heart in these times.
my move to africa is a mere 3 months away. the fire is coming from all sides. i can only cling to God through the enemy's fiery darts and i can only open myself for God's fire that purifies. i want to reflect him.
we live such a short life, i have two choices with my life: i can live it for me, about me, to benefit me. or i can open it up to be about Him, others, His Kingdom, and cling to Him.
there are too many tears to wipe, cheeks to kiss, hands to hold, shoulders to hug, ears that need to hear of God's great love, and how that love manifested in Christ.
i desire to take my eyes off of my own suffering, and gaze them upon the hurt of others. i desire to say, walk in, live in: "it's not about me, it's about those my hands can reach", and again, God, in His great mercy and infinite wisdom, brings opportunities for this to be practiced. He is a faithful, just, and righteous God, and we/i must say, anything to rid me of myself, anything to remind me that it' not about me, but it's all about You. it's all about Jesus. the first two commandments: love God. love others. let God fill you, so that He overflows from you and out onto others. let His love saturate them. for this to happen, i must decrease. i must take my eyes off of my own suffering, off my own hurt. i must say, the grief i experience, the pain in encounter, those days/nights where my heart absolulte weaps for itself, let me say, "okay Lord, let my heart weap that way for others, not for me, let my spirit ache that way for others, not for itself" it's not about me.
in the end, and through it all, God will take the enemy's fiery darts and attacks and use them for His glory, for His good, to still accomplish His plan--i'd even say to sanctify us and bring us closer to Him. whom else do we have to run to? none but Him.
i beg of you, where you're at. gaze upon others. be His hands and feet where you're at. be His living vessel where you are at.
when the darts and fiery things from the enemy come, know this: enemy fire always increases as you get closer to the battle lines. you are going in the right direction if you feel more and more assaults. run! run! the front line. there are too many people on the other side that need you. run!
run!!! it only stings for a little bit. keep running!!!
"i don't think there is anyone who needs God's help and grace as much as i do. sometimes i feel so helpless and weak, i think that is why God uses me. because i cannot depend on my own strength. i rely on Him 24/7. if the day had even more hours, i would need His help and grace during those hours as well. all of us must cling to God through prayer"--mother teresa
to quote st. john vianney "shut your eyes, shut your mouth and open your heart." mother teresa added to this by saying "in vocal prayer we speak to God; in mental prayer He speaks to us. it is then that God pours Himself into us"
lessons learned: when you make up your mind, and profess that your life's work is to be a living vessel of His mercy, love, and His mouthpiece two things happen:
1) God sanctifies you. this is done with fire (to bring out the impurities).
2) the enemy attacks you. this is done with fiery things.
the difference: God's sanctification with fire rids you of impurities, so that you become like pure gold, in which He can see His reflection in. the enemy's fiery things are meant to destroy--rest assured, he will not succeed though. close your eyes, close your mouth, and open your heart in these times.
my move to africa is a mere 3 months away. the fire is coming from all sides. i can only cling to God through the enemy's fiery darts and i can only open myself for God's fire that purifies. i want to reflect him.
we live such a short life, i have two choices with my life: i can live it for me, about me, to benefit me. or i can open it up to be about Him, others, His Kingdom, and cling to Him.
there are too many tears to wipe, cheeks to kiss, hands to hold, shoulders to hug, ears that need to hear of God's great love, and how that love manifested in Christ.
i desire to take my eyes off of my own suffering, and gaze them upon the hurt of others. i desire to say, walk in, live in: "it's not about me, it's about those my hands can reach", and again, God, in His great mercy and infinite wisdom, brings opportunities for this to be practiced. He is a faithful, just, and righteous God, and we/i must say, anything to rid me of myself, anything to remind me that it' not about me, but it's all about You. it's all about Jesus. the first two commandments: love God. love others. let God fill you, so that He overflows from you and out onto others. let His love saturate them. for this to happen, i must decrease. i must take my eyes off of my own suffering, off my own hurt. i must say, the grief i experience, the pain in encounter, those days/nights where my heart absolulte weaps for itself, let me say, "okay Lord, let my heart weap that way for others, not for me, let my spirit ache that way for others, not for itself" it's not about me.
in the end, and through it all, God will take the enemy's fiery darts and attacks and use them for His glory, for His good, to still accomplish His plan--i'd even say to sanctify us and bring us closer to Him. whom else do we have to run to? none but Him.
i beg of you, where you're at. gaze upon others. be His hands and feet where you're at. be His living vessel where you are at.
when the darts and fiery things from the enemy come, know this: enemy fire always increases as you get closer to the battle lines. you are going in the right direction if you feel more and more assaults. run! run! the front line. there are too many people on the other side that need you. run!
run!!! it only stings for a little bit. keep running!!!
