Hate

"If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else--your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be ?

Oops, my apologies.  I actually ended up falling back asleep when Joe left for work. And good thing the Lord woke me up minutes before my antibiotics. So, that's good. Now, back to my writing.

First of all, I am thinking that my readers all have inquiring minds, and perhaps may be thinking the verse that I shared is pretty crazy. Maybe, you guys would like to dig deeper into that meaning of the verse? "Don't we have a good God who is only about doing good stuff?" Is that what you're thinking? Let me offer my thoughts.

Yes, that Bible verse includes the word hate. Surprised? I don't think God means for us to hate-hate other people, but his definition of hate kind of means love him more than other people. Does that make sense? Don't worry I'm a little confused too. However, I kind of get it.

So, for this writing I'm not going to use the word hate. I'm going to say love God more than other people. God says if you want to be a disciple you have to love God more than other people.  Is that verse that I just shared kind of turning people off? Maybe that's why there are some people who would rather not choose Christianity? I can see that being the reason.

I'm going to share a story that the Lord God just made pop in my head. Good thing too, thank you Jesus, because I had no idea where I was going to go with this writing. Lol

So, once again I will talk about my husband Joe. And, I will also share a story from my life. Joe and I have a different faith or maybe more like a religion from our families. I mean we both believe in God. However, our interpretation with how we worship differs.

When Joe and I were in the early dating years, we did not share the same faith. So, staying with him is what I guess you can call playing with fire. As months, then years went by, I was feeling my faith getting stronger again. And, I think being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis is what totally brought me back to my relationship with God.

Joe still wasn't a born again Christian. So, Sam was still playing with fire. I was stubborn and I did not want to listen to that part of God's word.  Then, a couple years went by of dating, and I think the Lord probably thought this girl is not going to listen and is so stubborn. So, I'm so thankful that God did the next thing he decided to do. And, that is convict my heart big  time.

One day, around the time I invited Joe to come to church with me. He probably didn't want to, but prayers helped in asking God for help that Joe would decide to come.   Long story short, Joe came to church to that one day. My pastor David Yount at the time invited us over to their home after church for some Krispy Kreme donuts and Nutcracker tea and me and Joe decided to go. When we finished our donuts, Pastor David Yount took Joe off to the side and me and P.J, the pastor's wife were on the other side just chatting and finishing up our tea, and praying for pastor and Joe as they talked.  Then, maybe an hour later Pastor and Joe were done talking and the four of us were so happy because Joe accepted the Lord and was now a born again Christian! 

To this day, all people who are Christian has their spiritual growth that goes up and down and is at their own pace. So, for many years even after that he still was very obedient to his family. And that's what Christ wants, remember he says honor your father and mother? And, I totally believe that and God's timing he will have provided a way for Joe to break out being kind of in his family's control. And you know he knew but God wants him to do. However, God was telling me even though it was so hard to not speak words of negativity regarding the subject.

So nine years went by, and I was thinking alright Sam this is the time! There are a lot of different factors that came into play. However, I'm only going to share one. One day, I remember crying in my bathroom because I was so confused and I didn't know what the Lord wanted me to do with my boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. I was being convicted because we were living together but we were not married.

So, I was praying in the bathroom at the same time crying because in my prayer I told the Lord, and I knew he didn't like what we were doing living together. Joe didn't see anything wrong with it if we weren't doing anything. However the Lord convicted my heart instead it was like we were a stumbling block to other people

So, as I cried and as I prayed I told the Lord if it wasn't the Lord's will for me and Joe to be together, to take him away! I remember that was so hard for me. But I did what I knew God wanted me to do. The Lord even spoke to my Pastor Gerry who told me and Joe what we know needed to happen.

So, I decided that I was going to end it and move in with my friend Laura. I was still dating Joe. And, I guess my heart was not the only heart that was being convicted. Days went by, and I was preparing my moving in with Laura and I guess Joe had a different plan.  I think it was about a week later and Joe proposed. Also known as Joe totally obey the Lord.

I actually have a few more stories like that when I came to putting in the Lord and being obedient to him first before anyone else. Those I can share in a different time. I do hope that this sorry that I shared with you was very encouraging and helpful to maybe others in the same situation.