Dear God,
There are days that are just not the greatest. Yesterday was one of those days. I think you give me those days to come closer to you. But even though I know I need you to help me, I still try to fix things myself. I don't ask YOU to help me through those "not so great days". But Lord, you are still patient with me and you love me unconditionaly. 1 Corinthians 13 says, "Love is patient..." or "Love suffers long..." God, how many times do you suffer and wait for me to come back to you after I've made my mistakes? Why do you take me back? Why are you so loving to me? I don't deserve it at all. In Romans 2:4, it says, "Do you despise the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance?" God, this totally blew my mind when I read this!!! By loving me, caring for me, and suffering long for me, you bring me back to you. You remind me that I can't do life by myself. I need help. I am YOUR creation, created to live for you. My favorite analogy of this is of a potter. He takes a clump of clay and shapes it and forms it until it is a vase. He isn't just going to put his beautiful vase in some corner to collect dust. He wants to show off his creation and use it for it's purpose: to display flowers. In the same way, God, you made me and formed me in my mother's womb. You want to show me off. You want everyone to see how special YOUR creation is. And you made me to live for YOU and to show others how awesome and magnificent you are. So God, I want that for my life. That the life you have formed would reflect you. When people see me, I want them to see you and how great you are. I want them to see how great it is that there is a God that loves them and will suffer long for them. God I ask that you would show me how I can be patient with other people and also how I can suffer long for them. There are many times when I'm irritated with some people. But God, like you show patience with me, I need to show patience with them. And there are other times when I just want some of my friends to understand what it is to be a Christian. Like you suffer long with me when I sin, I need to be patient and know that I may have to suffer long for my friends. I need to trust in you and not myself. I need to trust that you have a plan in all of this.
This week, I'm giving myself a challenge: patience. I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me.
With love,
Your Secret Admirer
