What is love worth?

A very sad thing has happened this week. My son called to tell us that his wife cheated on him.
I was outraged to say the least. How could she?! I knew that they were having problems, my son and I talked several times about things. I was hoping and praying that it was going to all work out, that it was a time of adjustment and like all new marriages they would become stronger through the struggle…. But it didn’t. She chose a cheap and easy lie. WHAT SHE DID WAS WRONG!

I began to wonder. What is it that makes a person choose to hurt the one that they have proclaimed to love? The thought of doing this to my husband is so inconceivable to me. I love this man with every breath I take and the thought of throwing it away for anything is beyond my comprehension.

Then comes the all too familiar whisper to my heart… What about our love? My quick response is none different than that of Peter’s when he learned that He would betray Jesus. Not me Lord! I would die first! (Tammy paraphrased) But the truth is I do it every day…
I choose a minute of self gratification… of selfishness… of momentary plastic thrill over true love.

In my devotion time today, God continues to urge me to “be holy as He is holy” This isn’t some nose in the air type of false holiness. But I am learning today that it is more of a yearning from him than a command. Could he be saying The only way we can be together is if you make the daily choices to be close to me. To let go of the self gratification that is false and fleeting and choose to love me enough to work through our relationship instead of around it?

I am learning that we have to choose for ourselves what Love is worth. Will we endure and fight to make it work as my son tried so desperately to do? Will we lay down what it is that we want to bring about what is right for the relationship? ….Or will we sell it all for 20 minutes of cheap self gratification? The choice is our alone to make.

Follow me? Measuring stick.

I wonder today why it is that the human condition is to measure and compare ourselves with others. We as young girls know what it is to look in the mirror and wonder if it is enough... do we measure up? As adults we tend to transfer this to others.... do our children measure up... do our friends, family, coworkers, or anyone around us?

The question is measure up to what? Who is it that we are trying to conform ourselves to? If we are all chasing our tails in this quest where does that really leave us... other than really dizzy? Why is it that we so desperately try to conform those around us to be like us? For our own comfort? So that we have some standard to compare?

We are taught in our study of the bible that Paul says "Follow me as I follow Christ," yet we use this to try to change any new comer to "fit in."

This is one of those questions that seem to plague my thoughts from time to time. Something that God puts into my heart to ponder and chew on to change my thinking.

I have ran across a scripture out of the message bible...(I love how this bible reads btw... more of a heart song than old text to try and forge through)

Psalms 18:16-24
But me he caught- reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but GOD stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved- surprised to be loved! God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Shouldn't this be the measuring stick that we use for those who God puts in our lives?
While I was drowning God saw value in me and reached for me.... When I was down and being kicked and hit God stuck by me.
God rewrote the text of my life... he gave me a fresh start....

There is value in those around me...not a need (or desire for that matter) for me to make others like me... Lord, help me to see people for who YOU have created them to be instead of what I feel comfortable to see them as.