Monday I met a girl who won a piece of my heart. Her name is Anna Marie. She is four years old, has short black hair, and is WILD. She´s one of those kids that as soon as you meet her you fall in love. She´s smart and funny and talented. Yes, a four-year-old can be all of those things. Anna also has HIV.
When I found that out, a TON of past feelings came back to me. It was overwhelming... Truly overwhelming. I was reminded of the incredible people in Swaziland that I met. The ones that 9/10 of them have HIV--and probably aren´t being treated for it. I remembered the adults that I met that probably aren´t alive anymore. The people that when I met them I knew I would be a full-time foreign missionary. And with all of those feelings, I realized that after three years... I still hadn´t given those people to God. I still hadn´t acknowledged that God, who created and loves those Swazi people perfectly, was in control of their lives. So, this week for the first time, I surrendered them.
Then... I continued to think...
What is love? What does it do?
Elisabeth Elliot said that ¨love always means sacrifice.¨ I learned that to be true. It isn´t always a total massacring of your heart, like my love for Swaz, but it is necessary. You can see that epitomized in the perfect love: Jesus on the cross. She also said to ¨accept thankfully all things that God´s love has appointed.¨ That´s what love does... And that´s what I´m learning to do by the grace of God.
Grace and peace,
Margaret
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The following song describes love/grace and the consequence of not accepting it and giving it away (it's a one-sided double-minded mirror with no reflection) :-)
ReplyDeleteStrange description which somehow seemed apropo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X9U8Jb3Q64&feature=autofb
THIS IS THE WAY LOVE IS (LYRICS)
"When I gave up, You held up
When I ran out, You filled me up
When I kept runnin', You kept up
When I let you down You lifted me up
This is the way love is
When I couldn't find the words, You understood
When I didn't find the time, You were in no hurry
When I wouldn't make ends meet, You tied them together
When I cheated You kept to the rules
Well, this is the way love is
This is the way love is
When it's a one-sided double-minded mirror with no reflection
When I was keepin' it in, You were givin' out
When I was losin' out, You'd let me come back
When I was holdin' back, You were holdin' on
When I was losin' my cool You were keepin' Your love warm
Well, this is the way love is
This is the way love is
When it's a one-sided double-minded mirror with no reflection
When I kept it all to myself like a miser holds on to his last dime
When I closed up myself like a desperate hand on a lifeline
Well I was bled, I was dried, all wrapped up in my pride
This is the way it is when you're on the wrong
side
Well, this is the way love is
This is the way love is
When it's a one-sided double-minded mirror with no reflection"
... an admonition to keep it real!
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