bruised face and all, I went to church this morning and, as always, that was a very good choice to make...there is something to be said about belonging to a church like mine.. vibrant, authentic and real.. we indeed are a family.. a pastor who genuinely loves his congregation through thick and thin and doesn't shy away from preaching TRUTH!!!! not one second of the 90 minutes is a waste of time..
great worship and the Word, unfiltered and sharp as a double-edged sword.. alive and transforming, challenging and encouraging..
I could go on and on about the sermon today and I might even blog more about it later, today I just want to share one "little" did bit.. profound, timely and HUGE for me..
"The Path to Holiness is sometimes a very unhappy Path" WOW!!!
right after stating once again that God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness.. this one, even though I have been living this concept, accepting it and living it's reality, no one had ever put it quite that blunt before...
having decided a little while ago that I am not going to be looking anymore ( as in online dating ) "allowing" God to be in total control of this area of my life, an area that seems to be the hardest to deal with at times, I have had moments of sadness and loneliness and have been thinking a lot about trying to rest and be content, not trying to change my circumstances, realizing that this could be not only for a long time but maybe even for the rest of my life here on earth..
solution oriented person I am, this is hard.. it has nothing to do with this being hopeless, more with trying to be fine with whatever God's will for my life will be...
it has to do with surrendering and trusting.. it has to do with wanting to be more holy, because He, who is Holy is calling me to be like Him.. not being online and meeting a "potential" companion guards me from many things I could be tempted to do..
for one I could start to compromise the views I have of God and His plans for us.. hard to believe what a wide variety of "Christians" can be found on a Christian Dating site.. :S
I am affectionate and passionate and I have been alone for some time now and I would be tempted to compromise when it comes to purity.. I know how hard it is for me to control myself in this area so it is better for me to stay away... making choices to guard my heart..
I cannot jeopardize my testimony, my walk with the Lord for something like romance and some immediate gratification.. my life is all about bringing glory to the One who saved me.. (not "the world"
as in billions of faceless people) the One who specifically paid for my sins, so that I could be reconciled to the Father... I just won't..
so the path to holiness, the path of obedience, the only path there is, is not an easy one.. I am choosing to go through whatever this will mean.. for today.. and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow...
surrendering each morning and asking for help with this difficult task, among many others.. the protection, the blessing and the joy that I receive as a result of staying close to Him is well worth it..
the path can be unhappy, but the reward will be amazing.. Happiness, it's overrated if you ask me :)
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