Lord, how do you expect me to love this person?

Did she just really ask that? Yes I said it out loud! I feel sure we all at one time or another have had someone come into our own little worlds that we feel has just wreaked  havoc. Someone that has either said or did something that has caused hurt, pain, anger and frustration within our lives and households. A person or persons that has taken situations to the extreme and has no desire to stop the "drama". Someone that  will throw a monkey wrench at you when things seem to be smoothing out just to have the turmoil began all over again.
It's hard to show Godly love in situations of anger, and hurt. When we feel we are being criticized,scrutinized and judged ,how are we to show Godly love? And I have found that it's even harder to love when the person or persons doing the hurting justify their actions and words in the name of Christianity.

So how do we do this unseemly impossible task? How do we love someone who, out of our own hurt and anger, we feel is unlovable?

To begin with I must confess I have been struggling with this for the last several weeks. Through my anger and frustration as well with my hurt feelings, I have had to re adjust my way of thinking over the last few days. In other words, I had to stop thinking and stewing. I had to make myself stop brewing over every occurrence that has happened in this issue and finally tell God to help me love this person as he instructs us to do. And yes, I have had to  ask through gritted teeth.There is no reason to put on a happy face with my Daddy God, as he already knows my heart. He sees my anger and frustration. He sees my hurt and pain.

After several weeks of mind boggling emotions and thoughts overwhelming my daily existence I have decided to apply God's word to the situation. ( yes I am human and after so many venting phone calls to Diana and several "Are you kidding me" and "this is crazy ridiculous" comments, I have seen how my whining and gripping has not down anything but keep me in distress)

God's word tells us in  Matthew 5:44 "But I say unto you,Love your enemies, Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you,and Prescute you"(NIV)

Instead of just voicing God's words, I am now applying them to my circumstance. I have allowed too much of my time in the last several weeks to be consumed with all the irritation that has taken place. So as I closed my eyes in prayer last night, I asked the Lord to help me love those who have caused hurt and pain in my family and I asked him to forgive me for allowing myself to get so consumed with my emotions that I did not apply his words. I had to remind myself that forgiveness and Godly love heals the heart, heals MY heart. After all I am still a work in progress and the best part is my daddy God knows that as he is the one molding me!

My prayer is for anyone that is allowing anger,past and present hurts to consume their entire being, to ask the Lord to help you "love" them through the eyes of God. When we do that we experience such a freedom and a joy that is more powerful than any hurt this world can throw at us!

Rememeber "He that is in us, is greater than he that is in this world!"

Much Love,
Stacey