Abounding in Love!

“I'm gonna get out my club!” Carol yelled as I stepped out of the truck.
“What?” I replied.
“I'm gonna get out my club. You were supposed to be here an hour ago! You don't follow directions very well do you now?” remarked Carol.
This was my first encounter with the lovely miss Carol. I was behind schedule loading up the gear with the current group, and I had a hard time finding her house and this made me quite late. I did not expect to be greeted in this manor and it was startling, but this was the beginning of a wonderful new relationship. I use this example to share with you about how God is working and revealing new things in me this summer.
Patience takes on a new meaning when serving those who don't outwardly appreciate your help. I have learned through serving Carol this summer that I am naturally patient, but I also have a lot of work to go. I have grown to love her rough sarcasm and I very much enjoy her company. It is not always easy to show love like Jesus would and I have had to hold my tongue in certain situations, yet I constantly remind myself of Isaiah 58:10. This verse says, “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” I want to emphasize the phrase “spend yourselves” because it is essential to the point in my opinion. I want to give all my energy and love to serve Carol regardless of her attitude or remarks. I know God will use my patience and love for Carol to illuminate Himself to Carol and those who serve alongside us.
It is such a blessing to experience God through serving people in this community. The kingdom of God is so evident and real to me in this community. I may have been concerned when I first met Carol, but God has used her to teach me more about His love. I mentioned earlier that patience takes on a new meaning and here is what I meant: Patience is more than just waiting calmly in difficult situations. Patience is about sharing the love of Christ and looking past the difficult situation. It is about having enough love for the person to surpass the challenge.
The moral of the story is do not be intimidated by people with difficult personalities. God's love is bigger and can make boulders seem like pebbles. It is amazing what a difference it makes to love people like Jesus would. In Numbers it says, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.” What an awesome God we have! I pray that God will continue to give me the strength to be slow to anger and abound in love. It is only through Christ who gives me strength that it is possible.