May Update

 I recently read a book on spiritual direction and the longings of the heart and I wanted to share some reflections on it. I’m not entirely sure that the reflections have much to do on spiritual direction as much as forgiveness. 

This is the future of FOCUS! I’m so excited to see how God shapes these hearts through this ministry!

Our end of year party worship!

The book says this: “Our heart longs for satisfaction, for total communion. But human beings, whether it's your husband, your wife, your father, mother, brother, sister, or child, are all limited in giving the level of love and acceptance we all crave. But since we want so much and we get only part of what we want, we have to keep on forgiving people for not giving us all we want. So, I forgive you since you can only love me in a limited way. I forgive my mother that she is not everything I would like her to be. I forgive my father because he did the best he could. This is of enormous importance right now because constantly people look to blame their parents, their friends, and the church for not giving them what they need. Many people are so angry. They cannot forgive people for offering only limited expressions of an unlimited love. God's love is unlimited; our love is not. Any relationship you enter into- in communion, friendship, marriage, community, or church-will always be riddled with frustration and disappointment. So forgiveness becomes the word for divine love in the human context.”

My sweet friend Mackenzie sharing what’s she’s learned this year! She was in my core my first year in Denton!

I think about how often Jesus talks about forgiveness and how often others and I need to be reminded to forgive. Often times, what I need to forgive is not people’s sinfulness but my own desires for them to like God. All the love we can offer each other is limited. That’s okay! We do our best to love people but it’s not helpful for us to harbor resentment for the ways others fail to measure up to God. 

I think a deep desire and longing of my heart is for things to be as they will be in the age to come. I long to have all the time in the world. I long to not be hurt by others, I long for death not to be coming for those I love. I long to be closer to God and fully in his presence. And I think these desires are not bad. But discontent in where God has me is unhelpful. 

We sent the biggest group of students to SICM this year to help equip them in campus ministry!

I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I get to walk with God daily,  live life with my friends and family,  and I get to do God's work on campus. I know that God is making everything new and so I put my hope in that! I give grace to those as they fail to measure up to God and I give myself grace as I fail to love perfectly. I know I'm in the process of becoming who he intended me to be and I rest in knowing he delights in me and this season I'm in. 

Prayer is you can forgive those you need to forgive and love those God calls you to love!