Man, it's been way longer than I expected since I've visited this space! Let's just say senior year is in full swing and time is flying by! I've heard it all through college that it only gets better and goes by faster but wholly-moley! Midterms are two weeks away. Where has the time gone?
It's going to take me a few posts to catch you up on what's been happening since my last post. So you'll have to bear with me. This post is concerning lessons learned this summer and quite honestly, I'm still learning. So let's back up a little bit...
I knew this summer was going to be a time of trial for me. As in I had some things to make right before I graduate college and move out on my own for good. Things like my attitude toward others who have more than me, as well as those who have less. Things like my appreciation for the thick-skinned northerners who don't tolerate any nonsense. Things like spending time with people who will be hundreds of miles away come August. The list goes on and on, but I realized it boils down to two things: contentment and respect.
Contentment by definition is "a state of happiness and satisfaction." As I have come to realize, contentment is more then just those two things. It starts with your attitude, which is something you have control over. You and no one else. The things that other people do can influence your attitude. But it's up to you as to whether that thing changes your attitude. Growing up in the church, I've heard this before. Even to the point that I had forgotten about it. But the Lord has been reminding me of this as I'm heading into a new phase in life.
Respect is usually mentioned in the Christian bubble in regards to wives respecting their husbands. I've always known I wanted to get married, have kids, stay at home as much as possible. The whole kit and caboodle #perks_of_being_a_teacher ;) As a young woman without a husband, I thought I was free of having to display this character trait. Boy was I wrong! (read: God raked me over the coals with this one ;) Respect is honoring someone. Even if you don't agree with him/her, you can choose to respect them and put their feelings ahead of your own. This is not easy for someone like me who is Type-A and sees a problem that needs solving and not a person to loved (more on that to come.) I have to really work at this and focus on the other person's feelings. It requires a certain amount of intentionality that does not come naturally to most people.
My selfish desires focus my attention on ME. But as a Christian, I'm not called to live a life according to what I want. I'm called to love God and to serve His people. I have to place others interests before my own. Even when I know I can help someone fix a problem in his/her life, I can choose to honor them. To put their best interest before my own agenda. The problem can wait. For now, there is a person that needs to be loved.
It's going to take me a few posts to catch you up on what's been happening since my last post. So you'll have to bear with me. This post is concerning lessons learned this summer and quite honestly, I'm still learning. So let's back up a little bit...
I knew this summer was going to be a time of trial for me. As in I had some things to make right before I graduate college and move out on my own for good. Things like my attitude toward others who have more than me, as well as those who have less. Things like my appreciation for the thick-skinned northerners who don't tolerate any nonsense. Things like spending time with people who will be hundreds of miles away come August. The list goes on and on, but I realized it boils down to two things: contentment and respect.
Contentment by definition is "a state of happiness and satisfaction." As I have come to realize, contentment is more then just those two things. It starts with your attitude, which is something you have control over. You and no one else. The things that other people do can influence your attitude. But it's up to you as to whether that thing changes your attitude. Growing up in the church, I've heard this before. Even to the point that I had forgotten about it. But the Lord has been reminding me of this as I'm heading into a new phase in life.
Respect is usually mentioned in the Christian bubble in regards to wives respecting their husbands. I've always known I wanted to get married, have kids, stay at home as much as possible. The whole kit and caboodle #perks_of_being_a_teacher ;) As a young woman without a husband, I thought I was free of having to display this character trait. Boy was I wrong! (read: God raked me over the coals with this one ;) Respect is honoring someone. Even if you don't agree with him/her, you can choose to respect them and put their feelings ahead of your own. This is not easy for someone like me who is Type-A and sees a problem that needs solving and not a person to loved (more on that to come.) I have to really work at this and focus on the other person's feelings. It requires a certain amount of intentionality that does not come naturally to most people.
My selfish desires focus my attention on ME. But as a Christian, I'm not called to live a life according to what I want. I'm called to love God and to serve His people. I have to place others interests before my own. Even when I know I can help someone fix a problem in his/her life, I can choose to honor them. To put their best interest before my own agenda. The problem can wait. For now, there is a person that needs to be loved.
