AGAPE

Here are some fun pictures of my Nana when she was in her late teens maybe early 20's. She was on the homecoming court at ACC (now ACU) in 1939. She was a beautiful woman, and was till the day she died. My cousin David did an extra-ordinary job of officiating the service. The service was quite informal, it was a tribute to the life of a woman of great faith, and I for one was inspired by the way my Nana lived her life.
David set the eulogy up as "The things he learned from Nana." I am quoting that loosely because I am sure he said it a bit differently but that was the gist of it.
She was a woman of faith, Christ was her best friend, and it was through Christ that she lived and grew in fellowship with Him, until her last breath.
David talked about how my Nana loved family. Family was very simple to my Nana, the family squabbles that seem important to others, meant nothing to my Nana, she overlooked peoples faults and saw them for what they could be, not necessarily for what we were at the time (that is huge). As someone who had alot of work to be done on my life, when I moved to Abilene, I never once felt like it was impossible to be transformed by the blood of Christ, I was able to see myself through my Nana's eyes, on several occassions. She was all of our cheerleaders.
David talked about his first football game, he was in the 4th grade, playing pop warner, and after the first play was over he was standing. My Nana called him over and said in her sweet southern voice, "Baby, when the play is over don't be standing, jump on the pile if you have too, don't worry I will wash your uniform, just get in the game." David said that was great advice on the football field, and I am sure he never was left standing at the end of the play after that, but greater advice for life. Get in the game.
There was more said, but those two have convicted me.
I am so lucky to have had a strong woman as my role model in my adult years. She never waivered in character, and she always had a smile for anyone and everyone who would look her way.

I am studying the Fruit of the Spirit right now for Bible Class. It is Beth Moore's study, Living Beyond Yourself. Her studies have always shown the Bible in a way that I can apply to my life, this study is rocking my world.

We studied Love a couple of weeks ago, and the true meaning of Agape. That was the kind of Love my Nana practiced. She turned the other cheek, she prayed for people who didn't always make things easy for others, she covered over others sins. She did not expose peoples faults, and no matter what someone had done or said to you, she would welcome them in for a meal, and as part of the family. These traits might be seen as weakness to some, the world would say the opposite wouldn't it? Many Christians say the opposite, or maybe a couple of faults exposed, or snide remarks behind their back might just serve them right after all...I am not pointing fingers I am speaking to myself. We are working the devils snare for him when we don't forgive, and when let bitterness and evil, take charge of our character. The sad thing is that we don't realize that we are sabotaging our own hearts when we do the devils work for him. He is so sneaky that he pulls us in with one misplaced action by someone else, and we then let him into our heart to be darkness.

This is something I am praying that God will help me with. In my nature I am a bit critical, I might give someone a couple of chances to show me kindness, or make the right choice, but after a bit, I just decide that it is not worth the pain, or the inconvenience, and my prayers move on to someone else, my energies are focused in a different direction, many would say good ridden's, Jesus would continue to love, when it didn't make sense to love anymore, (aren't we glad of that...and grateful...and overjoyed), why do we think that He expects less of us. With prayer and devotion to seeking His ways, we can be more like Him. Don't settle to be used by the devil, see yourself through Jesus' eyes, rise up to higher ground, bless others with your words, find yourself being forgiving and kind as a second nature. I am praying for that, and my Nana was a good role model.