How many times do you extend yourself to others who either don’t respond at all or don’t respond in a positive way?
You may remember that our family is fractured. (See post “The Day After” from November 2023.) This is always magnified by the holidays.
I spoke with my pastor’s wife. She has family hardships too. What?!?! Pastor’s families aren’t picture perfect? That may surprise some but, as a pastor’s kid, I can tell you they aren’t. Everyone has issues – whether they are apparent or not.
But God is sovereign.
We often extend invitations. However, many times we either get zero response or a definitive NO. How many times do we keep reaching out?
How many times do we keep being hopeful only to end up disappointed?
We are called to be like Jesus. We are to compare ourselves to Him alone.
He kept asking, kept loving, kept forgiving. And He knew their hearts!
I want to know the highs and lows and everything in between in my families lives. I want to live life with them and not on separate islands. I want them to know Jesus and to have a relationship with Him. I want them to know how much they are loved.
So, we continue to reach out, to invite, to ask questions. As a wise woman once told me, “We can give (people) love. We just cannot dictate how they receive it.”
By the way, we did get two yes responses this year! We are hopeful for more.
Reclaiming life - day by day and moment by moment. 