SAY IT SLOW .... K I N D N E S S

 SAY IT SLOW ..... K I N D N E S S

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm inclined to say to myself, "LYNDA, GET A GRIP!" I prefer Jane Austen's, "I will be calm, I will be mistress of myself". But I never remember that one as easily! (I dug it out of "Jane Austen's Little Book About Life" just now.)

This week, I have read two passages about kindness, gentleness, and patience. 

Matthew 12:7: "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless."

Matthew 12:20a "A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench,..."

Proverbs 15:4 says, "Gentle words are a tree of life;..."

Have you ever thought that these are not just encouragements to be gentle and kind but words that express who God Himself is towards us?

He is kind, patient, gentle and faithful.

Our words and our natures are harsher than He is.

Our words and our natures are harsher to the people around us than He would be to them.

Our words and our natures are harsher towards ourselves than He is.

I want to be gentler and kinder than I'm inclined to be, just like Jesus. 

Not be quick to write people off, my words withering people's souls. But be so kind and patient that the bruises heal and the fire burns brightly again.

I should do the same for myself...

You should, as well.

With love,

Lynda xx

ADAPTABILITY

Well, here we are in a brand new year!  The last couple of weeks has been a whirl of happy chaos mixed with the simple pleasures of family life. 

Now as I have come out of that in between zone between Christmas & New Year where I'm not sure whether its last year or this year, it is clear to me that one thing is not working well.

For many years I have had a favourite spot for morning prayer. Some of you will have heard of our 'green room'! 🤣  But as our lives have changed so dramatically and Jeff is retired, this space is no longer working for my morning prayer because it is an open space.  Instead of telling Jeff to leave me alone which isn't good for a happy marriage, I have set up in our spare room.  

It doesn't have the same chair, nor the ambience of being close to our back garden, but it is private.

Now I realize that many of you may not have the luxury of spare rooms, but my point isn't that.  

My point is that sometimes we hold on to our favourite way of doing things way past their use-by date.

Is there a 'one thing' that you need to change as you embrace the new year?

With love,

Lynda xx