Encounter

Pastor had mentioned for several months now about the Encounter Weekend..This will be the second one we have had at our church..Each Sunday since the first one I would listen to person after person get up and give their testimony on how the weekend had changed their life.

Husband and I signed up to attend it was Friday (6:30-8:00) Saturday (9am-7pm) and Sunday (8:30-10:00) Friday I had to go with Me, Myself and I because Husband had to work (and didn't get home from work until 2am Saturday morning...)

I admit I was a little nervous about spending 9 plus hours in "classes"...BUT, the time flew by and still processing all that I learned, I must say that God had every intention for me to be there....

Like I said I'm still processing.....This was a weekend of relearning things that I knew, like forgiveness...We must forgive others in order for God to forgive us...it is in the Bible, in black and white Matthew 6:14-15 to be exact....

There are things in the past that I thought I was past, I thought I had forgiven...you know that hurt that you have rapped up in a neat little package and tucked away (in my case very deeply tucked away) and thought you had forgiven...and when that hurt was brought back to my attention I knew I had not forgiven that person..and that with MANY things in my life I hadn't forgiven myself, which I have learned through this weekend is sometimes the hardest person to forgive.

In order for God to be able to use us for his work we have to empty out, what ever it may be...where there is bitterness and unforgivness there is no room for joy and compassion...He wants to fill us with so many things but first we must empty out the things that the world has offered us and we have allowed to fill our lives with...

God has called us to be his servant, to lift up those that no one else will.
To stand with those that have been left and deemed worthless...one of my favorite quotes is from the book "A Love Worth Giving" by Max Lucado this is what it says:

"He loves you when no one else loves you.
Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you,but God will love you.
Always.
No matter What."
I read that quote often, and last night it dawned on me...that isn't just for me, it's for the ones that have hurt me....God loves them...always...no matter what.
Blessings!

M