Tenderness

I go to "my spot" often with hope and an eagerness (ok, and a tid bit of anxiousness) to read, pray, and listen to God.  I also share the space with my hairy friend:), not that she gives me any option in the manner.  Either share or hear her scratch on the door the whole time!

So I spend time with God because I want to.  I need Him, and I want to know Him, grow close to Him, and just maybe be used by Him.  I want to sometimes be quiet before Him in hopes of hearing from Him.

May I share something I read recently from a book I am highly enjoying called, Abba's Child by B.Manning?  I want to experience the tenderness of the Father in my personal journey and have opportunity to share it with others.......

"I am reluctant to push God off His judgment seat and take my place there to pronounce on others when I have neither the knowledge nor the authority to judge anyone.  No one at this table has ever seen a motive.  Therefore, we cannot suspect what inspired the action of another.  Remember Paul's words after his discourse on homosexuality in Romans 1.  He begins chapter 2, 'So no matter who you are, if you pass judgment you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge.'  I am reminded of a statement by the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy: 'If the sexual fantasies of the average person were exposed to view, the world would be horrified.'
"Homophobia ranks among the most shameful scandals of my lifetime.  In this closing decade of the twentieth century, it is frightening to see the intolerance, moral absolutism, and unbending dogmatism that prevail when people insist upon taking the religious high ground.  Alan Jones noted that 'it is precisely among those who take their spiritual life seriously that the greatest danger lies.'  Pious people are as easily victimized by the tyranny of homophobia as anyone else."
My identity as Abba's child is not an abstraction of a tap dance into religiosity.  It is the core truth of my existence.  Living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness profoundly affects my perception of reality, the way I respond to people and their life situations.  How I treat my brothers and sisters from day to day, whether they be Caucasian, African, Asian, or Hispanic; how I react to the sin-scarred wino on the street; how I respond to interruptions from people I dislike; how I deal with ordinary people in their ordinary unbelief on an ordinary day will speak the truth of who I am more poignantly than the pro-life sticker on the bumper of my car.
We are not for life simply b/c we are warding off death.  We are sons and daughters of the Most High and maturing in tenderness to the extent that we are for others-all others-to the extent that no human flesh is strange to us, to the extent that we can touch the hand of another in love, to the extent that for us there are no"other."
This is the unceasing struggle of a lifetime.  It is the long and painful process of becoming like Christ in the way I choose to think, speak, and live each day.........But whenever I allow anything but tenderness and compassion to dictate my response to life-be it self-righteous anger, moralizing, defensiveness, the pressing need to change others, carping criticism, frustration at others' blindness, a sense of spiritual superiority, a gnawing hunger of vindication-I am alienated from my true self.  My identity as Abba's child becomes ambiguous, tentative, and confused.
Our way of being in the world is a way of tenderness.  Everything else is illusion, misperception, falsehood. 
The compassionate life is neither a sloppy goodwill toward the world nor the plague of what Robert Wicks calls "chronic niceness."  It does not insist that a widow become friendly with her husband's murderer.  It does not demand that we like everyone.  It does not wink at sin and injustice.  It does not accept reality indiscriminately.......The way of tenderness avoids blind fanaticism.  Instead, it seeks to see with penetrating clarity.  The compassion of God in our hearts opens our eyes to the unique worth of each person.  "The other is 'ourself''; and we must love him in his sins as we were loved in our sin."

How do you view God?  How do you view sin?  How do you view yourself in this world?  Are you experiencing God's tenderness?

The Hurt and the Healer - by Mercy Me

Why, that question that is never far away
But healing doesnt come from the explained
Jesus please dont let this go in vain, your all I have

So here I am, whats left of me
Where glory meets my suffering
IM ALIVE
Even though apart of me has died
You take my heart and breath it back to life
Ive fallen to your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide

Breathe, sometimes I feel its all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on you
Lord take hold and pull me through

Its the moment when humanity is overcome by Majesty
When grace is ushered in for good, when all our scars are understood
When mercy takes its rightful place and all these questions fade away
When out of the weakness we must bow and here you say, "its over now"

Jesus come and break my fear
Awake my heart and take my tears
Find the glory even here.

Sweet Moments with Aiden

Listening to Aiden giggle while running up and down the levees' with him and Annie, our dog.

Listening to him remembering a time being out at the lake with Paw-Paw.

Listening to him imagining catching a 'cruise' (ship) with his fishing pole.

Seeing him have fun inspite of not catching any fish!

Enjoying the sound of the waves, the sea gulls, and the feel of the wind with one of the cutest kids I know.

Happy 2012!

"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity when we plan only the things we can do by ourselves." A.W. Tozer

This quote struck me over the holiday break and I thought it would be a good one to try and live by this year. So I have it posted on my fridge and have been 'chewing' on it a bit.
We so often, unintentionally even, put God in a box. We make desicions, or choose not to make desicions based on fear. We limit His power and might.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more then ALL we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever"

Its not even when we ask that He so incredibly chooses to 'show up', He 'shows up' in ways that we cannot imagine!! I want to know Him and trust Him more. I want to thrive in life, not just survive in life. I want to be used by Him, not just attempt to do things in my own strength.

And the journey continues.....

Happy New Year!!!

The Big Day

Alf and I checked the weather yesterday morning and it did not look good. The hourly forecast showed 80% chance of rain at the time we would be outside for the burial.

Throughout the morning I looked outside and saw rain coming down in sheets. I stressed over what we would do, and stressed over all who were driving in from Slidell, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Covington, etc.

The service was beautiful, and it was time to go to the burial. I climbed in the van, turned toward the back to talk to the boys and I saw behind us a beautiful rainbow in the sky. A rainbow! THEN we drive off and the skies had cleared up!! It was windy and chilly, but very few raindrops. In fact, the sun even peeked out a little while standing outside!!! We were blessed with the 20% and He even threw in a rainbow :) It was so awesome, absolutely awesome! God is awesome!

Experiencing the death of my dad has reminded me that I am NOT the writer of this script:) Sure, there are days that I wish I could write the script. And there are other days when I think, "I could not write the script any better.'

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. -- Psalm 34:7-9

Thanks to all of you (both near and far) for your love and support at this time. Hoping it is a beautiful Christmas for everyone!

Allison

A Time to Say Goodbye

Dear family and friends,

Sunday morning, December 18th, Alf and I got a call that my dad was on the floor of a grocery store unconscious. We got to the emergency room and shortly thereafter, were told that they had tried for nearly an hour to resuscitate him, but he was dead. Having had a triple bypass only two years ago, this was not supposed to happen so soon.

He was 77, so we are grateful for the long life that he did have, but you're never ready for something like this. We are trusting in God, knowing he is good, and we are thrilled to serve a God where we can confidently say that he is in heaven....maybe even dancing with my mom :).

We would appreciate your continued prayer as we work through all the emotions that take place when something like this happens so suddenly.

We have made plans for the funeral to be on Thursday, December 22nd at Lake Lawn in Metairie (right off the interstate). Visitation will start at 10 and a service will take place at 12. If you are able to, we would enjoy having you. We desire for the time to be a celebration of his life, not simply a mourning of his death.

Thank you -

Allison Nelson

TRUST

I comment to a man that God has given me a heart for, 'I am nudging you a bit' and he says don't nudge....push....shove.

And I look at God and think, 'WOW! you have called me to do this??!! Can I?'

There is a side of me that wants to run and give up. Take the 'easier' route. There is another side of me that wants to be all in. There is excitement, anticipation, hope....but I'm scared.

I wrestle with God - how do I push him? What does he know? Where does he desire you to take him? Am I doing enough? Am I doing to much? Am I going to screw up? Is he going to give up?

I ask the man, with hesitation and strength from God (and ready for rejection), if he would want to do breakfast with my husband and I. He was quick to say yes and said that it sounded great!

I ask God, are you really going to give me words to say what he needs to hear? How much am I going to hear of this guys life this morning? Is it going to be enough for me? Am I going to be ok with where this goes? I cry out, HELP me not to make this about me and my personal gain! Help me to make it all about you. It is all about you and your glory.

A couple years ago, as we were beginning this journey back home, I memorized the verse -Psalm 40: 1-3. At the end of verse three it says, ' many will see and fear and put there trust in the Lord.' I was eager to see who those many were. And how I would get to play a part in that.

I just need to trust.

TRUST. (sigh) TRUST.

Not walk away in fear that it wont go the way I want it to go.

Walk forward in faith and courage and in Spirit.....and then watch what the Lord does.

And my loving Saviour reminds me what its all about.....its all about HIM.

Being put in a place that is requiring me to trust HIM so, has made me draw nearer to Him and want to get to know Him more. Why trust you?? Who are you, really??

I think yesterday on a walk how we only have a glimpse of who God is, but that glimpse is enough to want to bow down and worship.

I read in A.Voskamps blog this - We may not know the outcome but we tenaciously believe that in Him we overcome - because Love comes down.

What a privilege it is......I have to go get ready for a breakfast now:)