love

on the "business" front, Asha didn't go to freeset on Wednesday. when kristen, Gita and Beth when to her room, she wasn't there. It was a bit of a strange day in the Gach, none of the ladies were out - it was pretty deserted. They had an appointment with another girl to begin teaching her english, and she wasn't there either. So...maybe another day. Here in India, things rarely go exactly like you planned.

on another note, God's been teaching me/challenging me with the truth of love. And how incredibly difficult love really is. earlier this week we read 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 - from the body of Christ to a description of love. And as i reflected on those verse, i was overwhelmed by how big love is. by how hard love is. as i read the description of love, i find that often i fail at love. i get impatient (over silly things) I can be mean, i can be incredibly proud, and rude, and selfish, i do get upset with others, i do not always hope, trust and endure. Love is hard. I know that following Jesus is a process, and i want to continue moving forward in that process. I was also amazed by how over and over the Bible says i can do all these amazing things - but if i do not love, then i have nothing, i am nothing, i have accomplished nothing.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7, The Message)

I was also reminded today of the goodness/sharpness of the word of God. This morning i wasn't in a particularly good mood. There wasn't anything particularly wrong, but i was tried, and just a bit crabby. I decided to spend my time on the bus reading the Bible (cause i knew i needed more of God in me if i was gonna get through today in a God-honoring way). It was good to spend time with God, and amazing that by the time i was done reading, and praying, my heart had shifted...and the crabby-ness was gone :) It's been a good day, and this evening for community night we're doing a photo scavenger hunt. i should be interesting :)