Change # 1

In an earlier post I mentioned that I'm claiming 2012 as my "Year of Change" but didn't go into any detail about the changes that might take place. Why not? Well - I decided it'd be best not to talk about them until I'm positive I'm gonna go through with it. This past week I actually made one of those changes reality.

So... here's the first one of the year...

Sunday night was my first night at Branch Life as an official member. And - it was glorious. I've been at Branch Life for a year now and it's been an amazing journey so far. The Lord is doing great things and I am so thankful that He is allowing me to be part of such a wonderful community of believers. He is adding to our number and that is most definitely a beautiful thing.

I'm so excited about Branch Life and what the Lord is doing there. Our pastor just finished a series called "Christ, Community, Neighbor." and it was really eye opening for me. Especially in the area of outreach. I love people but sometimes it's super easy for me to just stay within my little group of friends. Having a core group of friends isn't the problem. It's the fact that I don't make much of an effort to reach beyond them that's sinful. This past week's sermon was a bit emotional. He talked about loving your enemy and how, for whatever reason, we tend to hate our enemies instead. He also spoke about loving them even when they don't want to love you, when they don't want to reconcile, and when they hate you. It's hard to love when you aren't loved, when you're pushed away, when you feel like you don't matter, when you feel like you aren't good enough, etc. It's hard to love those people. But - that's exactly what we are called to do. To love like Christ loves us. Without judgement and without rules or expectations. To love no matter what the circumstances or situation may be.

Lord, give me the ability and longing to love. To love not only the ones who I decide are worthy of my affection, God, but to seek to love the ones that don't deserve my love at all. I want to love the unloved, the downcast, those unlike me, friends, strangers, family, enemies. Show me how to love them all and how to love them in the right way. This is my prayer. This is my desire. That I would love like You have loved me. Amen.