Just a Few Thoughts.

I’ve spent the past two weeks at home. Most of it alone since everyone is at school or working, but I have seen a few friends. It’s weird being back home. I haven’t been home since spring break, and it’s so crazy to see how my brothers have grown up! Last night Brandon and I were looking at different pictures of him and seeing how much he’s changed from the little baby of last fall to this fall to even more different from just a few months ago and now. It’s funny. And Brady is still the same goofy kid, but older and more mature I guess. A long time ago he did something silly or wrong and my aunt corrected him, and his response to her was a very innocent, “But I’m just a little kid!” This has stuck with him and us over the years. Well about a month or so ago I was talking with him on the phone, which rarely happens, and something came up and I called him a little kid. He is almost 11, but he’s still the baby of the family. He told me in a very serious manner that he is not a little kid any more, which I still denied just teasing him. His reply was “No Brittany. I’m going to be in middle school next year. I’ll be a sixth grader in two months. I’m not a little kid anymore.” Ha ha it was a fun, bantering, sort of conversation, but the truth of his words still rings true. He’s growing up! I’m excited for it. I have some friends that are weary of their siblings getting older, but I think it’s exciting that my brothers are growing up. It means that we can have real conversations-even if they get dumb sometimes, they’re still legit- and we can hang out and not worry about just dragging a little kid along and “playing” with him. It’s so fun to have my brothers get older; I can’t wait for us to all grow up and be adults. It seems like then the nine year difference won’t matter as much.

With friends, it seems that it’s the same way. I have friends that are here in Frisco, or that are from Frisco and we’re both at different colleges, and others that are with me in Arkadelphia. It’s so interesting to me to see how we are all growing up. It’s weird how we grow apart with some relationships, and others we grow separately while we’re away but come back and it’s like we never left. I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but relationships are important. We grow, and we change, and it’s for the better, but we are still made to have relationships. God made us to change. He doesn’t want us to be stagnant. If we never changed that would be missing the point. We are made in the image of Christ, but because of sin we distorted that image, but because of the Cross we are to be holy as Christ is holy. This is a process, but because of God’s love we can be made pure in Him. So it doesn’t make sense to stay the same forever. We can’t do it; it just doesn’t work. God is continually revealing Himself to us, it’s the great revelation. We are constantly learning more and more about who God is and what we are made to do: glorify Him. But what does that truly mean? How do we do that? What does it look like to be holy? It looks like so many things, but summed up it looks like Jesus.

So how do we look like Him? Really and truly look like Him. Not a fake persona or mask that gives off the impression, but really is just a laundry list of things to do to please people. What if we stopped trying to please people and started living to please the One who made us?

I believe that love is at the core of all of it. Love is the reason behind God becoming flesh and going through a torturous death, even more incomprehensible than we can imagine, but conquered the mortality and death that was binding us. Because God loves us so much, we can live in freedom. We aren’t bound to the world or the ways of it. We can live the life He wants us to live-freedom, and love, in Him and with Him.

I’ve started a book which I think has brought this to the forefront of my mind. It’s on the relationship principles of Jesus. Today’s chapter was on relationships in general. It talked about how relationships are the most important thing. Period. Jesus placed relationships above everything. Our relationship with God comes first, above everything else. But then the relationships we build are what count in this life. It’s not about the amount of things that we collect throughout our lifetime, but more about how we treat the people around us. Even if we only come in contact with them for a short amount of time-like in line at the grocery store. So if Jesus placed relationships at the top of His list, then how should we follow that example? Shouldn’t we do relationships like Christ did them? What did His relationships look like? They looked like love. His were the most brilliant examples of sacrificial love this planet has ever seen. Those two words go hand in hand-sacrificial love. It sums it all up pretty well.

So, if relationships are the most important thing, God + us: first and us + others: second, and Jesus’ examples of relationships were sacrificial love, then we are to act and be in sacrificial love with every relationship we have. Above all else. Because of this, every decision we make should be made with that in mind. Am I acting towards this person as Christ would? Am I treating this relationship with utmost care because it is crazy important, or am I taking it for granted?

I know this is sort of long, and I thank you for bearing with me. I hope it made sense, and it’s not just my random thoughts rambling. This is what I’ve been challenged with today. I don’t have it all figured out, especially when it comes to acting it out in everything, but it does make one stop and think and hopefully live differently. I think I just found what I’m going to talk about for the Bible study I have to lead in a few days. Sweet! :-) May you have a day full of relationships that glorify God and may you sit at Christ’s feet today and cherish your relationship with Him and guard it above all else! Oh, and sharing the greatest Love is a great thing too! :-)

-Brittany