I keep thinking about Brenda's INSPIRING BIRD interview. Brenda's words about a blessing were so eloquent. I listened to her podcast again this afternoon and she was so right.I kept thinking about what she said about a blessing being about grace, and it's true. All the things that I came up with on my list of "I AM SO BLESSED to have _________ in my life" were things of grace and mostly, more than anything, it is a list of people I have in my life that are a blessing to me. I read recently something about the words "mercy" and "grace". It said that grace is something that is given to us that we don't deserve and mercy is something that is withheld from us that we do deserve. The people who I am so thankful to have in my life are gifts that I have received that I have done nothing to deserve. I have done nothing to deserve their friendships, their wisdom, their knowledge, their understanding, their steadfastness, their inspiration their forgiveness, their acceptance, their love, their openness. Quite the contrary, I often time have said and done things in all of my humanness that would seem to have earned quite the opposite. So then, it would appear, that these blessings are also gifts of mercy. Gifts from a merciful God who can see me, all of me. . .not just the good parts of me, but the unspeakable parts, the wounded parts, the weak and dejected parts, the parts I don't want to own up to. . .and yet He says, "I love you so much. I accept you for who you are and in my love for you I am going to bestow upon you people that you will love and they will love you. They will be an extension of my love for you while you are here on earth. . .a tiny, little taste of the love that is in store for you. . .gifts for you to experience until the day you experience, in full, the love I am for you." Beautiful people who love me and forgive me, accept me and encourage me – who are there for me when I least expect it – who are praying for me when I didn't even know to ask – who believe in me at my most desperate and discouraging moments – who, despite my self-involvement, work to truly know me and invest in me and in all that I am striving to become. Beautiful people. . .undeserved gifts. . .powerful blessings. . .merciful grace.
I love you very much and am so thankful that you have been given to me in this life.
truly blessed,
*jodi
6 comments:
You know what, Jodi? I could write back the EXACT same thing about the way I feel about YOU! That was so beautiful and I am going to print it out...I love you forever,
:::m:::
Jodi, you are a blessing! Your willingness to share yourself, your heart, your creativity, your strengths and weaknesses make you a vessel that God uses in His plan for His world. I'm just happy that He chose to put you in my life for a while. And I thank Him daily that He put me in a time that we are only a "computer-minute" away. JOY! rhonda
You're doing wonderful work Jodi! I'm so proud of you for hearing and doing. Lots of love!
~B.
Jodi,
I totally am inspired by you! I miss seeing you in the office each week and hearing your laugh! Keep inspiring us come visit us!
JQ
Jodes, I am blessed in so many ways, God smiles on us often and in so many ways, big and small, but one that I have always recognized is the fact that God gave you girls to Daddy and I. He has continued to bless us with the spouses that each of you have chosen and of course, our hearts are so full with love for the cutest little 4 year old in the world. I love you
Where do our blessings really begin in this family? Each time we're together it seems to grow even more...and more...with each new little blessing that comes along. What a fun day on Sunday as we watched our little Tucker dedicated to God and then as Blake and Damon entered their own little world as four-year-old cousins. And, of course, Audrey...our one and only little girl...for now. :-) I love you all!!! And, I feel so, so blessed!!!
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