Accept The Person

     Woke up early this morning. Lots of concerns on my mind and my heart. Family and friends going through some tough times and yet I see so many blessing at the same time. We serve a might God and miracles happen everyday that we don't even notice. The last few weeks as I had my bible studies and Wednesday night teachings at church, there seems to be a theme of loving our neighbors and accepting others. Two questions have kept coming up, one , who is our neighbor and how do you forgive the unforgivable? If separated from God, our neighborhood is very limited and forgiveness is not often there. These are questions I have struggled with but God taught me some lessons years ago that have helped me through some touch times, I pray it will help you as I share Accept The Person. We are all children of God and he calls us to love even the unlovable and our enemy.

                                                             Accept The Person

     Learning to deal with life, for a time in the past, I was part of some support groups. It was after one of the meetings that the Lord taught me a valuable lesson. 

     A lady asked if she could talk privately with me. Yes, was the answer. As we sat down to talk, she shared that she felt I was someone safe to take to and could help and advise her in finding a sponsor in the 12 step group. She wanted someone with medical knowledge and then she shared about her sexual issues. I was shocked and offended and wanted to run away. Suddenly the Lord spoke to me. His voice was so real and so clear that I looked around the closed room to see who had spoken to me. The Lord said, Brenda, her problems are my business, not yours. Accept them as a person and leave their problems to me. We need to remember that God is not shocked or surprised by anything that happens or we learn about.

     I humbly took a deep breath and told her, I believe I know someone that is in the medical field and would be willing to work with you. If I have your permission, I will speak to them on your behalf. A few days later I was able to talk to someone for her and got them connected. I've never known the outcome, was none of my business and a short time after that she moved away.

     There was a valuable lesson learned that day and it helped to teach me about forgiveness. Years later when the Lord called on me to forgive the man who molested our youngest son, I remembered the lesson that day and was able to forgive the man and let the Lord deal with what he had done. It didn't mean he went free, he had to answer to the law for his crime but, it freed our family of being his victim any longer. The bondage was broken. Forgiveness breaks emotional bondage and prevents another's actions from destroying our hearts. 

     The problems of a man or a woman are Gods business not ours. Sadly to often we are the victim of the actions they take. We are to deal with the legal aspects, they are not to go free when they break the law. But, God will deal with the evil in their hearts. To love the person is what we are called to do.It requires loving God enough to say, I forgive. 

     Paul said it best in the New International Version

     2 Cortinthians 12:9-10

     But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insult, in hardships, "in persecutions," in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.



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