We’ve been talking about the women in the genealogy of Christ and of how they were “true in relationship.” They chose to bless, to make the sacrifices they thought God would have them make in order to be true. I love the greeting scene when Elizabeth blesses Mary over and over. She was not jealous of Mary but thrilled at her good news. She saw Mary’s faith and encouraged her with a good word.
We have a chance to bless the dear people and the difficult people in our lives this Christmas — a chance to be “true in relationship.”
How will that look for you? How will you depend on the Lord in this?
I’m already asking the Lord to help “no negative word come out of my mouth, but only that which will edify.” I truly want to be a blessing. Pray for me to be as dear and positive as Elizabeth!
How about you? How can we pray for you to be true in relationship?
18 comments
The women I was emotionally dependent on is my pastor; it was a mutual dependency. She is giving me mixed signals. I sent her an email wanting to meet with her today to try and straighten things out. She referred me to the Senior pastor. I thought I was doing something brave to go to her at the church and talk things out, especially since we have seperated, but then she emails me signing with her nick name, indicating she wants me to at least think kindly of her. She used the nick name after I told her I only want to meet her if its absolutely necessary.
When I received a return email from her, she referred me to the Senior pastor, my heart sank. I was livid. I went to the Lord and came to my local library to cool down, I am here now typing on this blog.
After talking with the Lord to help me respond rightly I came here to this blog. So I need prayer to respond for the better of her, I guess. I want to be true in this relationship, but my emotions right now want to act out irrationally.
However, I did email the Senior pastor and copied her to meet with him. But my heart aches and I am so confused by her mixed signals.
Livingloved,
I am sorry for this time of struggle for you.I do know however that you will come out of it for the better since you have taken it to the Lord.
I will be praying for you tonight,that Gods perfect will may be done in this situation.
I pray peace,strength and courage to fill your heart and your mind.
In Jesus name
Amen
Barb C.
I’m praying for you too Livingloved. I see so much growth and maturity in you — and like Barbara — I’m so glad you are taking it to the Lord. I think about how Jesus committed an unfair situation to His Father, knowing His Father would judge justly. Praying for you when you come to mind.
I am in tears reading what you gals wrote. I cannot tell you how torn up inside I feel. I have information which can take down this pastor and I don’t know what to do. She is new and I am new at the church. But she has clout, I don’t. But God.
I am so torn! Why does this happen to me with authority figures? And with the clergy? This is the third female minister I had homosexual issues with.
Thank you, thank you. Right now, you two have comforted me with your care. I just got off the phone with another woman who cared and told me the truth about how I come off like a man sometimes and I did not even know it. I told her it is common that abused children take on the characteristics of their abusers. Most of my abusers were men. I told her I love wearing skirts the most though. Part of it is demonic.
I think I have come off this way to this pastor and in her vulnerable state she flirted with it. God! I am so messed up inside. Thank you for being here at this crucial time. I pray this is not too much information and I am just so hurting right now. I have been going through the Friendship of Women book to help and it has in particular the deliverance from homosexuality. I even told this pastor the Ruth verses way too soon though. And even before I read the book. I felt this is where I saw God leading us and it has been hell ever since I shared those passages with her.
God bless you!
Livingloved — I think there is a natural attraction to authority figures and to clergy — a natural tendency to idolize them. As Romans 1 says, we have this tendency to worship the created thing instead of the Creator. I will pray for your love relationship with the Lord to continue to grow in 2010, as I see it growing. You honest and vulnerability is a huge leap of faith. But as with anything we tend to idolize, until we fill that gap with God, it is going to be hard to stop.
A few book suggestions. I know money is tight, but some of these could be gotten from the library, though the devotional is one that would be great to buy:
Sara Young: Jesus Calling (a short daily devotional)
Falling in Love with Jesus (by me)
Music by Sara Groves (you could perhaps get it used on Amazon)
Pray through the Psalms.
Much love to you
Dear women, thank you for your love, even to me: a threat to women it seems. I started Setting Captives Free today in hopes of strengthening my love for God and others, and myself. Pray that I have an actual female mentor to hold me. I so need a hug right now, but God has hugged me with your actual words, “Much love to you,” thank you. Prayers are powerful, thank you. I will try at the library. And praying for you all.
Feeling better already! Glory!!! Let God arise and his enemies be scattered.
I heard this yesterday, “…until the net is overflowing!” That is God’s kingdom filled with his people and presence.
Gulp. It’s hard to be this vulnerable! I am going to pray EVERY day for a family involved in our shared church planting effort. They are looking to be missionaries in Mexico now, and my jealousy over their opportunity has blinded me–worse still, prevented me from laboring in prayer over the work God has for them.
The pride in my heart that vomits this is putrid. Would you please pray that I would fervently pray for this family, and that I would be genuine encouragement to them as they seek God’s purpose in their lives?
Thank you for this insight, dear sister. . .
Thank you for your honesty BibleSpeaking Mom. I love it. It is so much easier to mourn with those who mourn than rejoice with those who rejoice. Isn’t Elizabeth a great model in this? She’s an older woman pregnant with John the Baptist — yet this teenager is pregnant with the Messiah.
You are so far ahead, seeing into your heart. I will pray — and am confident God will work.
Lord, I do pray for this woman, that she would see her prayers as an integral part of going with to Mexico, that she would be a genuine encouragemtn to them. Thank YOu for her, for sharing openly what so many of us have hidden.
In Jesus Name
To those of you who are vulnerably sharing — He is going to be especially close to you this Christmas — I believe that because of this promise:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:16
Yeah! Dee, prophesy! I believe it! Thank you!
I have read this blog again.(your reply Livingloved to mine and Dee’s prayers) I do not know your situation other than what you have related here. I want you to know I think I understand.
i was sexualy abused throughout my childhood by a man who was supposed to love and protect me.I confess here that I had such a fear of men growing up, and trust? Not on your life! I loved women. I was not sexualy attracted to them.I trusted them and I adored them.There was never any confusion in my mind of my sexual orientation. In my heart and in my mind I wanted a family,a husband and children. I dated men until I found the one of my dreams.He was not the man of my families dreams he didn’t have much and they said he probably never would.But he had exactly what I needed.He Loved the Lord and he loved me.And oh,how I loved him. All of my other relationships have been with women,their kindness,compassion and love have never really let me down.
They are wonderful women of Faith. I know that in my younger days I was very emotionly vulnerable. I look back now and am so thankful that the Grace of God kept me from attaching myself to the wrong people.Had I come across a woman with homosexual tendancies before I met my husband or before my relationship with Jesus my life may have turned out differently.
This week I will celebrate the birth of our Saviour for the first time
in 40 yrs without my husband. (He passed away this past February)The rest of my life will be spent “Flying Solo” as I have told Dee before.Although none of us really ever “Fly Solo” because God said he will never leave us nor forsake us.And oh,I am so thankful.
((((((((HUGS)))))) Livingloved,
I will continue to pray for you!
Barb C.
Barb C. Thank you! Sorry for your loss. God I pray your loving arms to consume my sister’s heart …
Well, I am feeling suicidal and made a pact with my Senior Pastor to not do it until I see him today at 3 pm. I just talked with a Christian on line help line for the first time. I had never called them or an on line ministry for this; I have had problems with suicide before.
But I was desperate and called them. (I saw my mother attempt suicide 3 times; I do not want to do that to my children.) Anyway, thanks Barb C for sharing your story. You do understand, its painful the ache, but I am not the sum of my feelings, but the sum of His love for me, by faith we fight the good fight. Thanks for fighting with me and your glorious hug!
In His love,
LivingLoved
I am better now. Trying to be true in relationship to Christ and lean into him. After talking with the Senior pastor we will confront the Assoc. pastor together next week. I asked if he could set up a mature female Christian to mentor me. He said he would.
Is being true in relationship mean maybe I should leave? Because from what the Senior pastor told me the Assoc. pastor thinks I am more than sisterly towards her and she does not want to pastor me. I have tried nothing but to be the opposite towards her, although struggling while relating with her.
I am a little confused about our initial prompt of letting no negative thing come out of our mouths when there are times in being true in relationship one has to say or confront some negative situations or what seems negative to say out of love.
Livingloved — I’m thankful you are better. I know many are praying for you. I’ll write you in a few days — but will continue to pray.
I think a clearer translation of Ephesians 5:29 would be unwholesome word, or destructive word —
you are right — sometimes we are called to say negative things, but our motive should be to bring healing instead of destruction.
Love to you Livingloved. Remember the words of O Holy Night: “THe soul felt its worth.” Christ came for you.
Ah…such living water that verse, “Thy soul felt its worth” glorious.
Love to you. crying …thank you, yes, Christ did come for me, dwelling on that thought…
Okay, that Eph. translation makes better sense.Thanks.
Because of Christ, Merry Christmas to all and deep gratitude for your love and prayers.
LivingLoved,
I work in a job where I have to deal with negative situations all the time. I am leading a downtown revitalization project and my specific responsiblities are to work with the current downtown businesses and build relationships of trust. Our work is all about change so there are constant negative reactions to what we are doing. I choose to respond to them with positive words.
Negative situations sometimes need confrontation. But you can choose to confront in a defensive negative manner with strong harsh words, digging in your heels and standing firm in opposition, or you can choose an attitude of reconciliation. Reconciliation requires listening with a heart for understanding the other’s point of view. Listen for the truth in what they say with an openness to alter your point of view due to a new understanding of the whole situation, not just your part of the issue. Reconciliation is not compromise. Compromise causes each side to settle for something less than either desired, no one is really at peace with the outcome. Reconciliation causes each side to see the issue in a new light and with a new understanding so there can be a peaceful decision as to moving forward.
My issue this Christmas is my baby-mamas. Our oldest son is an oxycontin drug addict who is awaiting his sentencing for robbery to feed his drug habit. He has 4 children by 3 women. These grandchildren need to keep a sibling relationship and it is our desire to see to it that that happens at grandma and grandpa’s home. Two of the mothers try to get along. The third will not respond to our calls and we have not seen our youngest baby granddaughter since June when her dad was arrested. I need prayer for a generous heart toward this baby-mama and for grace to keep a joyful spirit of Christmas as the other two come for Christmas dinner at the farm.
Merry Christmas to each of you wonderful women and all the others who follow this blog (love you, Laura!). May each of us give Jesus the gift of our issues. What better birthday gift can we give our Lord than to turn them all over to him, gift wrapped in repentence and tied with a big fluffy red bow of love?
Wow, thank you for sharing. My heart breaks for all in your situation. May the God of the impossible show you and your family the possibilities in Christ. May your story be told in memory of God’s love through you. Wow, talk about genealogy and God’s power to make all our crooked places straight.
You are a gift!As well as all the women here, to me!
Thank you, again.
Dear Dee,
I just wanted to wish you a blessed and wonderful Christmas!
Numbers6:24-26.
Fellowsojourner.