One of the things that keeps me blogging is the blogging of others.
True story.
I started blogging because I noticed a friend of mine blogging. Then as I got to know the blogosphere better I came across writers and sites from people around the world. Some faith related, others connected to other interests. Their blogging stimulated me to write more consistently and hopefully improve the overall quality of what I write.
More than that though, what I read challenged me about how I live. I am grateful for great known and lesser known brothers and sisters sharing their findings of their journey in Christ.
Something big that I came across was how gracious we can be with each other. We can be prone to lash out in our hurt when the victim of wrongdoing, but there remains something amazing about grace that compels us not to dwell on the negativity, but to seek reconciliation. Rather than holding on to bitterness of the offence, we prefer to cry out to God to do whatever makes for peace. Do whatever it takes not to be caught up in vitriol and anger, however bad the offence may have been. Rather apply Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness.
I acknowledge how challenging that is. I know what it is to struggle to love those I know are steeped in bad thinking and hurtful behaviour. It is certainly not about condoning that at all. It is, however, appreciating my life is a story of God’s amazing grace. Grace that forgave, grace that made a way to have right relationship with Him. So precious is that relationship, I should value it above my grievance and hurt. I should give my pain and heartache and frustration to Him, to remember that it’s not about me, but the Great One that lives inside me.
As I turn it over to Him, He sets me free to do what makes for peace in the relationships around me, virtual and actual.
It’s sad that not all my brothers and sisters are yet of that thinking and believing and living. But I live in the knowledge that as He works in me to produce fruit of the Spirit, so He works in those called by His name to cultivate and live this way of peace.
Thanks again, then, to believers online and offline who challenge me in this path of Christlikeness. Thank you, God bless you and may His love shine through you, so others can likewise be blessed by His presence that ushers in forgiveness and reconciliation.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 