"To Love Someone is to Know the Song in Their Heart and to Sing it to Them When They Have Forgotten the Words." Debbie Hron. I got this saying from a calendar that I used last year. It is a freebie from The United Spinal Association, formerly known as Eastern Paralyzed Veterans. Part of their fundraising campaign is to mail out calendars every year and hope people will contibute to their cause. We do. We like what they stand for.
Anyway, I ripped this page out of the middle of the calendar and taped it up on my desk. It has some cutesy country style artwork. Two fat cats surrounded by lots of hearts and some little birds. The verse inspires me to try to encourage others, and to encourage myself as well. There is plenty of darkness in the world, lots of mean sarcasm, too much name calling and so much mud-slinging going on that I really am tired of the news and also lots of what goes around on Facebook. It's easy to be mean and tear others down. It's not always easy to say something nice, or even something beautiful; that is not too popular anymore. I think this is a lovely verse to memorize and practice. It reminds of another of my favorites.."Be kind, for everone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Philo. He lived around the time that Jesus walked the earth. Old advice. Still good advice. Believe it or not, I learned that verse many years ago from a bag of Celestial Seasonings tea. I saved the little tag for about fifteen years, until it sort of wore out. The tag is gone, but the words still ring true in my heart.
I have heard it said that some people have a life verse. I used to wonder what mine was, but the the Lord has been reminding me of mine fairly regularly for the past few years. I never thought of it that way, it was just something I longed to see happen in this life, not just in the next. It is from the gospel of John. (He is my favorite gospel writer.) It is so important that Jesus prays it twice in his prayer to the Father on our behalf. I'll use the Reveised Standard Version as that is the one I was using when it pierced my heart. " ..that they may be one, even as we are one...." Jn.17:11, and again " that they may all be one, even as thou Father, art in me,and I in thee, that they also may be in us...." Jn 17:21. "That they may be one"; I converted it in my prayers to "Father, make us one".
Sadly, this is still not the truth of Christianity. We are often so absorbed with our own practice of of faith that we cannot see what our brothers and sisters are saying or feeling. We are so busy trying to hear what God is saying to us that we forget He speaks to all of us.
Even in our own churches, we often have no time or interest in the people God has put right in front of us, but we want to save the world. Odd, isn't it? I can get so wrapped up in my own issues or needs or wants or fears that I don't let into my heart the very people God has placed around me to help me get through to a better place. Or I shut out someone else because I don't understand them and would rather avoid learning to relate to someone new. (I switched to I so I am only pointing at me) Or I just don't have room in my life for anyone else. The list goes on.... I do struggle with these. Different days, different ones, but still working on being open.
How will we get to be one if we can't take the time to sing the song of another person's heart? How will we get to be one if we can't remember that everyone is battling something? How will we get to be one if we won't risk sharing our own heartbreak with another?
Maybe we can if we remember that Jesus prayed this for us. He asked his Father to make us one. He still wants that for us, and he always interceeds for us. I know he is still praying that prayer for his people today. I am reminded to pray it again today too. Will you join me?
Anyway, I ripped this page out of the middle of the calendar and taped it up on my desk. It has some cutesy country style artwork. Two fat cats surrounded by lots of hearts and some little birds. The verse inspires me to try to encourage others, and to encourage myself as well. There is plenty of darkness in the world, lots of mean sarcasm, too much name calling and so much mud-slinging going on that I really am tired of the news and also lots of what goes around on Facebook. It's easy to be mean and tear others down. It's not always easy to say something nice, or even something beautiful; that is not too popular anymore. I think this is a lovely verse to memorize and practice. It reminds of another of my favorites.."Be kind, for everone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Philo. He lived around the time that Jesus walked the earth. Old advice. Still good advice. Believe it or not, I learned that verse many years ago from a bag of Celestial Seasonings tea. I saved the little tag for about fifteen years, until it sort of wore out. The tag is gone, but the words still ring true in my heart.
I have heard it said that some people have a life verse. I used to wonder what mine was, but the the Lord has been reminding me of mine fairly regularly for the past few years. I never thought of it that way, it was just something I longed to see happen in this life, not just in the next. It is from the gospel of John. (He is my favorite gospel writer.) It is so important that Jesus prays it twice in his prayer to the Father on our behalf. I'll use the Reveised Standard Version as that is the one I was using when it pierced my heart. " ..that they may be one, even as we are one...." Jn.17:11, and again " that they may all be one, even as thou Father, art in me,and I in thee, that they also may be in us...." Jn 17:21. "That they may be one"; I converted it in my prayers to "Father, make us one".
Sadly, this is still not the truth of Christianity. We are often so absorbed with our own practice of of faith that we cannot see what our brothers and sisters are saying or feeling. We are so busy trying to hear what God is saying to us that we forget He speaks to all of us.
Even in our own churches, we often have no time or interest in the people God has put right in front of us, but we want to save the world. Odd, isn't it? I can get so wrapped up in my own issues or needs or wants or fears that I don't let into my heart the very people God has placed around me to help me get through to a better place. Or I shut out someone else because I don't understand them and would rather avoid learning to relate to someone new. (I switched to I so I am only pointing at me) Or I just don't have room in my life for anyone else. The list goes on.... I do struggle with these. Different days, different ones, but still working on being open.
How will we get to be one if we can't take the time to sing the song of another person's heart? How will we get to be one if we can't remember that everyone is battling something? How will we get to be one if we won't risk sharing our own heartbreak with another?
Maybe we can if we remember that Jesus prayed this for us. He asked his Father to make us one. He still wants that for us, and he always interceeds for us. I know he is still praying that prayer for his people today. I am reminded to pray it again today too. Will you join me?
