I know what I am

☕️💙 coffee and Jesus this morning and spending this time with an open heart and praying.

I have so much to do this weekend but I’ve learned that I do so much better when I begin my day curled up with my coffee in bed reading the Word .

My cousin, Rhonda Loden Hill, and I were messaging about songs and I asked if she remembered this old one that my Mema- her Aunt Nancy- used to sing around the house and while driving.
“Lord, help me Jesus
What have I ever done
To deserve even one
Of the many blessings
You have given
Lord help me Jesus
I’ve wasted it so
Help me Jesus
I know what I am

“I know what I am”

This!
Right here…just like Rhonda Gail said- it hits hard.

Here we are expecting other people to be better, wiser, kinder, more sensitive, more compassionate Etc and we might not be looking at ourselves very clearly.

I know what I am.
Lord help me Jesus. Sometimes- many times- I fall on my face and say all the wrong things at the wrong time but I know what I am and that I’m trying to become a better woman every day.

Years ago, my friend Aletta Joy Henderson and I were having margaritas outside at a little Mexican cafe when a man and his wife came up asking if they could pray for me that my hearing would be restored. .
I got a little attitude with them and so did my Allie Joy…and I told him that he could pray for me but he needed to pray for my heart and not my hearing.

I told him the story of my Aunt Dorothy who had been blind since childhood.
Dorothy had gone to a tent revival and the preacher man had called her forward and starting laying his hands on her eyes asking God to heal her sight.
She let him do his “show” which is what she called it then she said,
“I don’t need my eyes healed. I need my heart fixed. I can be mean and hateful and unforgiving.I can be jealous and act ugly.I need to be more like Jesus,,, pray for me to be kinder, to have patience, to love more. The first thing I’m going to see when I can see is the face of Jesus and that’s good enough for me.”
Then she laughed “but if you can make these glass eyeballs see- that will REALLY be a miracle!”

She knew what she was and so do I.
Sometimes people look at my deafness and think it must be so hard not to hear, but it’s not…
It’s not my hearing or lack of that’s the biggest problem…it’s what people see- although I have to wonder how that preacher man couldn’t see the glass eyeballs -but Jesus sees our hearts and He knows who we are and loves us anyways.

That’s one of the reasons this devotional hit me hard on the day before I paint my kitchen and dining rooms.

Jesus and Mema have been talking to me all year long about who I am and what I’m created for…to be an open invitation to others to come inside and be a part of my heart. Just like Mema..just like Jesus.

It’s a risk. It’s a chance, Lord, help me Jesus.I know what I am but most of all , I know who YOU are.

Pour on the love Jesus…I can do all things through YOU and for YOU!

☕️💙”You may not feel it today, but relationships are worth the risk. Still, risk-taking doesn’t mean indiscriminate bonding. Risk should be cloaked in wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-17).
Before Paul closes his letter, he informs Timothy of those with him who sends their greetings (2 Timothy 4:21). That seems odd. Where were these individuals in Paul’s dire moments? How does he possess a courageous vulnerability to trust again? We can’t know for sure, but Paul shows he understood some relationships were worth the risk.
He embraces the biblical warning against a haphazard seeking of companionship (Proverbs 13:20). Though he might be lonely, there were a select few on the shortlist worth the risk of future disappointment or abandonment. This is oh so important to note. You and I cannot hope to escape all the ills in relating with others, but we can circumvent toxic relationship trauma using discretion when filling our social calendars.
What should we look for in a friend?
Some people leave you better for being with them (Proverbs 17:17). This is your tribe. Look for those who are reliable (Proverbs 18:24), who are supportive of your joys, and loyal in your defeats (1 Peter 4:8). Pursue women who encourage you as a person (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Yes. There are people like this who will love you.
Pray about who God will send. When you find yourself in social settings, get off your phone. Instead, ask questions like, ‘How did you come to be in this group?’ or ‘What does your family do on X holiday?’ Ask about a favorite quick recipe or how they survived Covid.
Asking questions of people shows you value them, and it allows you an opportunity to learn more and determine if this is a relationship to pursue. Let this experience embolden your faith to believe God for your good in relating with other people.
Building adult friendships requires courage only God provides. Start with what you know by remaining close to Jesus. Remember that hunger for relationship is God’s idea, and He is working His plan for your good. There are people out there who need what you offer. Trust God to equip you and aim your efforts toward what endures. Then ask Him for the grace to become the friend you need.
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24
We hope this plan has been an encouragement. For more Gospel-centered resources from Cheri Strange, visit https://www.sheyearns.com/what-is-next