Just Tennis
(Originally posted on February 5, 2013)
This post was originally written back in July. I just stumbled upon it, and realized I never posted it. So, I finished the last two paragraphs and am posting now. :)
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I was challenged this week by a question "What sort of characteristics attract you to a person?" These weren't the physical characteristics, but rather the attributes of personality the questioner was asking for.
As I contemplated my answers, I created quite a list. Good listener, helpful, offers good and Godly advice, encouraging, compassionate, caring, genuine, warm-hearted, fun to be around, etc... My list went on. But days later, as I pondered my list it struck me that the first four items on my list were characteristics that no doubt satisfied something within me, rather than just being parts of who a person is. And as I thought further I wondered how many people, if any, would even see those attributes in me? Then my heart felt heavy.
I was priviledged to be witness to a conversation tonight in which my husband was mentioned. A male friend of ours, who has struggled with an addiction recently that neither of us have ever had any experience with, spoke up in Bible study. I should say that this family has been active in our life for around a year now, but we haven't had a close-knit relationship. This man said that he could feel God working in his life. That he'd had to make the hard choice to give up some friendships because he knew they weren't healthy friendships. But he said that as he was obedient to God in this matter, that God began to send people into his life right when he made the choice to let go of some of the friendships.
Remember, I said we've known this family around a year, maybe longer, but at this particular time my husband felt compelled to invite him to play tennis with him and a few other men in our church. There wasn't the smallest thought in our heads at that point, that God was orchestrating something magnificent, while taking care of one of His children. No, it was just tennis. But it wasn't. It was so much more than we could see. Because this man spoke of how much it meant to him to have Cliff reach out to him, to spend time with Cliff and the other guys. And my eyes welled with tears. Partly because I am so proud of who my husband is, but mostly because I married a man who is sensitive to the Spirit speaking. There was a time, when several, if not all, of his friendships suffered for similar reasons that this man's did. But I can look back and see how God provided just the right friends, at just the right times. Men who stepped in and filled in the gaps. Men that God gave Cliff in different walks of his life to be his friends.
Cliff has such a heart for people. This is merely one example I found buried in a forgotten blog post from months ago. He has such a desire for people to feel welcome and accepted. He is teaching me, through his example, to love people where they are at. (even if where they are "at" annoys the snot out of me) He loves to serve and help others. He loves to spend time talking to people just to see how they are, what they have been up to, what kind of week they had. Such a caring and compassionate man. He is so good at building up those around him. (I benefit from this so often!) He truly has a servant's heart. He is the hands and feet of Jesus Christ at work. He is mine, all mine. The one God gave me to lead me through this life.
This post was originally written back in July. I just stumbled upon it, and realized I never posted it. So, I finished the last two paragraphs and am posting now. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was challenged this week by a question "What sort of characteristics attract you to a person?" These weren't the physical characteristics, but rather the attributes of personality the questioner was asking for.
As I contemplated my answers, I created quite a list. Good listener, helpful, offers good and Godly advice, encouraging, compassionate, caring, genuine, warm-hearted, fun to be around, etc... My list went on. But days later, as I pondered my list it struck me that the first four items on my list were characteristics that no doubt satisfied something within me, rather than just being parts of who a person is. And as I thought further I wondered how many people, if any, would even see those attributes in me? Then my heart felt heavy.
I was priviledged to be witness to a conversation tonight in which my husband was mentioned. A male friend of ours, who has struggled with an addiction recently that neither of us have ever had any experience with, spoke up in Bible study. I should say that this family has been active in our life for around a year now, but we haven't had a close-knit relationship. This man said that he could feel God working in his life. That he'd had to make the hard choice to give up some friendships because he knew they weren't healthy friendships. But he said that as he was obedient to God in this matter, that God began to send people into his life right when he made the choice to let go of some of the friendships.
Remember, I said we've known this family around a year, maybe longer, but at this particular time my husband felt compelled to invite him to play tennis with him and a few other men in our church. There wasn't the smallest thought in our heads at that point, that God was orchestrating something magnificent, while taking care of one of His children. No, it was just tennis. But it wasn't. It was so much more than we could see. Because this man spoke of how much it meant to him to have Cliff reach out to him, to spend time with Cliff and the other guys. And my eyes welled with tears. Partly because I am so proud of who my husband is, but mostly because I married a man who is sensitive to the Spirit speaking. There was a time, when several, if not all, of his friendships suffered for similar reasons that this man's did. But I can look back and see how God provided just the right friends, at just the right times. Men who stepped in and filled in the gaps. Men that God gave Cliff in different walks of his life to be his friends.
Cliff has such a heart for people. This is merely one example I found buried in a forgotten blog post from months ago. He has such a desire for people to feel welcome and accepted. He is teaching me, through his example, to love people where they are at. (even if where they are "at" annoys the snot out of me) He loves to serve and help others. He loves to spend time talking to people just to see how they are, what they have been up to, what kind of week they had. Such a caring and compassionate man. He is so good at building up those around him. (I benefit from this so often!) He truly has a servant's heart. He is the hands and feet of Jesus Christ at work. He is mine, all mine. The one God gave me to lead me through this life.
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