willing to listen

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015 (7:04 a.m.)

Holy, Loving, Living Lord,

THANK YOU! Thank You that You allow me to behave stubbornly. And pridefully. Unwilling. Unable. And unready to change. My mind. My heart. My direction.

And all the while You allow me these things, You don't leave me alone in them. Thank You Father. Thank You for the willingness to doubt. To question. To wrestle. To examine. Our hearts. Our motives. Our hurts.

I have failed this past week. Failed to love as You would have me love. Failed to live and forgive as You have taught. Failed to listen to the hurts and slights of others.

Hmm... that's a key piece to the fiasco. Father, I desperately need Your help in learning to listen! Ouch. That even hurts saying out loud. All this time I have prided myself [another “Ouch!”] in thinking I'm so good at hearing the hearts and intents of others.

How I thank You for showing me just how wrong I can be. Yep. That's me. Wrong. Again. And the difference this time? Buoyed and backed with Your unconditional love and forgiveness I get to confess my flaws and foibles to You, all the while resting in the Truth of Your mercy and grace.

Thank You Father. Thank You for loving me far more than I can ever deserve. It's YOU that I turn to. YOU that I trust. So often I take my eyes away from You. Searching the world. Attempting to make sense out of insanity.

And there You stay. Waiting for me to come to my senses. To “calm the %$#@ down” (Philippians 4:6) and truly listen to all You have for me.

Father, thank You. I tied myself into knot after knot trying to be patient enough. Kind enough. Loving enough. All in my own strength and power. Wanting desperately to experience the fruit (Galatians 5:22b-23a) promised to each of us.

And one of my biggest mistakes? Absolutely forgetting the first few words of this valuable section of Scripture. “The Holy Spirit produces...” (The Voice). The harder I tried to make it all work out the way I wanted, the worse our attitudes got.

It was only when I was finally willing to listen that I was again able to hear. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You that I am not limited to a certain number of mistakes. Thank You that in finally being willing to put my pride aside, Your Truth that has always been here shown through.

Thank You that I truly get to live Your Word! “Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: 'Thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed Your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that's the way You like to work.' (Matthew 11:25-26 The Message)

“Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. 'The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. (v. 27)

“'Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.'” (vs. 28-30)

Oh bless You and praise You Dearest Jesus! On a day such as this, the commemoration of Your Last Supper, how I thank and praise You for once again providing me the willingness to listen. That I would indeed hear and find rest. In You.

Thank You. Praise You. Use me to Your liking this day. I am Yours and I want that to be seen. Easily. Readily. Eternally. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(703 words ~ 8:19 a.m.)