The Truth....In Love

This concept of speaking the truth, in love has really been on my mind lately.

Ephesians 4:15-16 says "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow, so that it builds itself up in love."

In the past few months, heck, really, in all of the years I've been a Christian, I've seen this phrase used by Christians to justify their condemnation of other people and their actions.  I have found in my own experience that most people who have "spoken the truth, in love" have actually just defended their beliefs and shouted from the rooftops that they are right and the other person is wrong.  End of Story.

There is a time and place for needing to speak some hard truths to a friend who you see heading in a wrong direction.  Guess what??  You need to earn that right.  Guess what else??  This is where the IN LOVE part comes in.  You CANNOT speak the truth "in love" to someone that you have no love for..and I am not talking about "love the sinner, hate the sin" kind of love.  I'm talking about the "rejoice when you rejoice, weep when you weep" type of love.  The kind of love where you know their story and they know yours and they know that your words are coming from a place of care and concern and NOT condemnation.

1 Corinthians 13:1 says, "If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Think about a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  ANNOYING right....they might be tolerated the first couple of times but then the noise gets old.  We should be a beautiful melody to those who God has allowed to cross our paths.  Love is the note that we need to play.  

1 John 3:18 says, "Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action."

Notice how John points out that we don't show love by our words and speech. We have to be love.  We have to be the one that shows up when someone is moving and is asking for help.  We need to show up when someone is experiencing loss.  We need to show up when those we love are headed down a path of destruction.  We need to show up when someone just needs to know you are FOR them and not against them.

Did you know that God works out salvation for different people in different ways?  I know...shocking right.  God made us all different.  We all have different stories, different scars, different life experiences, so God must work on us all differently.  Do you think that if someone hasn't acknowledged God's existence that God isn't working in them just the same?  If your "truth, in love" is pushing someone further from God, it isn't love.

It is Finished....for now

I just submitted my very last assignment for my Bachelor's degree in Business Leadership and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this accomplishment.  I have been in school since August 22, 2011.  I had a million reasons for going back to school, but mainly just to prove to myself that I could.  Part of me wanted to prove to the kids that anything was possible if they were willing to put their mind to it.  When I started school, I had a pretty stressful job that required a little bit of travel.  That job turned into a very stressful job with a whole LOT of travel.  I persevered though.  Sometimes it was setting an alarm at 2am in the UK so that I could meet with the learning team at 8pm their time.  Sometimes it was attempting for 3 hours to get an internet connection while working in Sao Paulo, Brazil just so I could submit an assignment.

 I couldn't have done it without a lot of help.  Sarah Carter reviewing my Algebra homework when I thought I was lost. Christa talking me through every single ounce of my Accounting - even from a long distance.   Jean and Lynn talking me through financial questions - the only thing that I know about margins are that they run down the edge of the paper and also for writing recommendation letters that got me into school in the first place (can you say Academic Probation).  Numerous people calling in favors to get me someone to interview.  Vivian letting me drill her about how she leads her team.  Theresa spelling out how she leads her team and for telling me that Beautiful should always have a capital B.  Tom and Mark who wrote me letters verifying my learning so I could get credit for a class. Rachelle, who was one of my biggest champions and always made me feel like it was a done deal.   Millie and Sarah who had to listen to me complain incessantly about this teacher or that teacher or school in general every day at lunch (or at least the days I was in town).  My mama for letting me know that she believed I could do it.  My friends at DC who encouraged and supported me and understood when I had to beg out of something because I had homework.  To the mafia, the majority of which have been battling school right along side of me, I could never have done it without each and every one of you cheering loudly for me.  To my boys..who have had to put up with a Papa Holly who is overworked and overwhelmed.  Thank you for putting up with me and loving me anyway.  Leanna, there are no words for the undying love and support that you have given me every step of the way. Watching you start and finish your Master's degree was inspiring.  Thank you for allowing me the space and freedom that I needed to be successful, even if it meant that I didn't pick up my stuff laying around the house.  Thank you for all of the work that you did getting us ready for Florida so that moving 1200 miles from home didn't get in the way of my ability to complete my assignments.  Thank you for always being willing to talk through my assignments when I was so stuck that tears were running down my face.

My biggest thanks goes to God.  Thank you for dragging me out of the pit that I was living in and giving me new life.  Thank you for giving me a renewed spirit and a refreshing of my mind that allowed me to believe that even a college degree was possible for me.  You allowed me to see that if I let You, You will stretch and grow me in ways that I couldn't fathom.   You have taught me to dream bigger than I ever thought possible.  You have given me clarity that all of this learning is going to be used to further your kingdom and not just to further my career.  That makes it all worth it.

For anyone I missed, just know that I thank you.  If you've ever stopped and said a prayer for me, or sent me a note of encouragement on Facebook, or celebrated my accomplishments...it has meant the world to me.  Now...I must go hold my breath until my final grade comes out. :)  oh...and take a nap.