Choose to Accept
What struck me most about acceptance was what Holladay shared:
"When someone has a viewpoint on an issue that is different from the one I have, I need to accept [...] When someone's personality causes him or her to deal with a situation in a different way from how I would handle it, I need to accept [...] "
My first thought came upon a friend who is going through a really difficult time emotionally. Having gone through an emotionally fragile and hurt stage before, I sympathized with him and made the conscious effort to be there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to or to get advice from. There were times I revisited unpleasant memories by sharing my painful experiences with him, for the purpose of encouraging and building him up, to direct him back to God for healing and learning.
Despite all that however, my friend still continues to dwell in pain and heartbreak, and chooses to do things I had suggested he shouldn't do repeatedly, even after persistent encouragement. Gradually, it took its toil on me, I became so discouraged and so angry to a point where even reading his depressing nicknames on MSN or status updates on Facebook would affect me really badly for the entire day. And I allowed this to be manifested in my own relationships with others and began hurting them as well.
In reading the quote I shared earlier I was reminded (or rather reprimanded severely) that I cannot impose my beliefs and convictions on someone. Just like Christ who doesn't shove the gospel of love down our throats. But in this case, to accept that God is working in the person's life in His time and His way, one that is uniquely suited to him. All I'm called to do is to keep loving my friend with Jesus' power and love, and to keep pointing him back to Christ. And that is what I will persevere in doing with Christ.
Choose to Sacrifice
When I think of "Sacrifice" it always comes with a certain noble grandeur aura, that it is a great and mighty power that only the big heroes seem to have. I acknowledge that this perception is often influenced by what we see in the cinema, think Leonidas in 300 holding the line against the Persian army, or Aragorn in LOTR who leads the charge into the massive armies of Mordor, or even Jack in Titanic, who lets Rose lie on the plank to stay afloat from the freezing Atlantic water.
More often than not however, the power of sacrifice is not only reserved for big heroes or the romeos that we are exposed to. The power of sacrifice can be manifested in the seemingly small daily things that we all can do. Whether its being that little bit more patient with your family after a long and tiring day at school or work (I'm often quite guilty of snapping at my family when I've had a bad day). Being kind to offer to do the unpleasant house chores like washing the toilet and or doing dishes without being asked to. Persevering in holding genuine conversation with a friend from school or colleague from work that you're not entirely comfortable with and not just thinking of making an excuse to run and turn the other way (again something i'm not proud in admitting)
Like the Ah Lau planeteer challenged us, the power is yours. The power to accept others for who they are, the wonderful creation that God has made and placed in your circle of influence. The power to sacrifice to give or do something that you have the ability to do for the people around you. Draw from Christ who is our never ending source of love and power!
In closing, I want to share a powerful video clip I watched on Facebook during the week, I believe it was based on a story I read in an email a long time ago. I'll let the video speak its volume for itself. Be blessed and reminded of how infinitely deep our heavenly Father's love is for us all.
[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7
In His love and mine,
Isaiah
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