Journal Entry

Here's my journal entry from today:

May 16, 2007

As I woke up this morning, I was talking to God and was nearly moved to tears. I was telling him how sorry I was that I couldn’t deserve him. He said that it was better that way. He said if I could deserve him than I wouldn’t need him. It’s a leap and possibly heretical, but I think that our desire to be loved and needed is not just God-given, it’s one of the ways that we reflect his character. Maybe it’s love. Maybe true love creates that desire for the people we love to love us and need us back, but also provides the grace that allows us to love people even when they can’t fulfil that desire.

Brandt did an great job with his Bible Drill, of which I got an advance read. He made an incredible point about the need to temper encouragement. To ask questions before you encourage to find out how you should encourage a person and how much encouragement is needed. I took it personally (because no matter what "it" is, it's all about me) and as a criticism. In reality, I think I am suppose to take from it a challenge and admonition from God. I am gifted to encourage, but that doesn’t mean I do it perfectly. Just like Rob is gifted to play guitar, but he doesn’t play it perfectly. Our gifts still need refinement, practice. I pray that I can encourage well, that I’ll learn to temper and time my encouragement, always with love, truth, and Spirit-leading.

Thank you God and thank you Brandt.