Can You Forgive A Pit Bull?

Four years ago, my sweet little beagle of 5 years was killed by two pit bulls.  It was one of the most horrifying days of my life.  She had grown to be such a part of our family that her loss was devastating to us.  It was such a violent and senseless attack on our family pet that the anger and outrage I felt against pit bulls and their owners was indescribable. 

So how strange is it that 4 years later we adopt a little pit bull puppy who I absolutely adore!  How did I get to the place of loving something that I hated with such passion?  To me it is an example of how God loves and forgives.  Of how he wants us to love and forgive…

 I wish I could tell you that I saw those two pit bulls again and was able to understand what they were going through that day and forgave them.  That’s not what happened at all.  I never saw those two dogs again.  They just vanished.  However, the hatred I felt towards them translated to the breed as a whole.  I just couldn’t let go of the pain that those dogs caused my family and it was the fault of every pit bull out there!  Isn’t that how we feel sometimes when we have been wronged? Sometimes it isn’t enough to attack the one person who may have hurt us.  We throw them into a category or type of person and we judge that group as a whole.  We do it with people of certain races, cultures and even socio economic class.  We wrongly judge an entire group of people because of what one person did to us.

It is impossible to love when you are holding on to unforgiveness.  I realize that the hate and anger I was holding onto was preventing me from healing completely.  It took months for me to get over what happened.  As I thought about those dogs, I realized that they didn’t know any better.  Someone taught them the behavior they exhibited that day.  Those dogs were taught that their behavior was acceptable;  very much like we are shaped by our parents and environment.  Let's not even get into what is happening (or not happening) in our spiritual lives that cause us to do hurtful things.   

Eventually I released the whole incident.  I didn’t want it to have a stronghold on my heart any longer.   I chose to let it go.  When I did, I found myself not hating.  If I hadn’t done so, I don’t think we would have been able to embrace this most recent member of our family, Bailey.  In taking care of Bailey, I have discovered how misunderstood her breed is.  She has to be handled firmly but she is the most loveable dog I have ever had.  She shows incredible loyalty and affection towards us.  I am able to love her because I have released the past.  Forgiveness isn’t just going to happen.  It is a choice we make.  And as much as we would like to think it is for the other person.  It is for us!  Forgiveness releases us to love.

            Are you holding any unforgiveness?  Could that unforgiveness be preventing you from moving forward?  Are you struggling to love someone or certain people because of something in your past that you are still holding on to?

CHOOSE TO FORGIVE.

Joanne

Get Your House In Order!

"Get your house in order!"  How often have we head that phrase?  How often have we actually applied those words to our lives?  Well, I can't remember when the first time I heard this phrase, but recently felt impressed to get my "house" in order.  I initially thought of the obvious...organize my closet, clean out the garage, balance my checkbook!  But the more I looked beyond the obvious the more I realized how much more there is to my "house". 

My Spiritual House ~ When I looked at where I am spiritually I realized that my spiritual house could use some work.  I needed to be more consistent in my quiet time and bible reading.  When you look at your spiritual house is it in order?  Are you happy with where you are in your spiritual life; in your own walk with God?  If not, don't wait another day...Get Your House In Order!

My Physical House  ~ Now is the time to get this "house" in order.  Oh but you say..."I'm too busy"; "It's too late to change my habits"!   This is one house you don't want to wait to get in order. 

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. " (1 Cor. 6:19-20)  I think this passage of scripture says it all!  We have to get (and keep) our bodies in order.  When I fail to take care of my body, I fail to glorify God in this area of my life.  This is not about fitting into a size 2!  It is about taking good care of the vessel we have been given.  What are you feeding your body?  What are you doing to make sure that your body is geting enough exercise?  What habits do you need to get rid of that are hurting your body?  Are you getting enought SLEEP!!! 

Do you realize that when you don't take care of you, God is limited with what He can do through you?  Get Your House In Order! 

My Family/Relationships House ~  Okay...so I know you are wondering what in the world is this?  In looking at the areas of my life that I needed to get in order,  God brought the focus to my family and relationships.  I asked myself the following questions: "Is my marriage where I want it to be?"; "What can I do to be an even better parent?"; "Am I holding on to unforgiveness in any of my relationships?"  Not easy questions to ask yourself, but I was ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work in this area!  Unlike the other "houses" this house requires you to work on not only yourself but also on your relatioships. 

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."  (Colossians 3:12-14)   

I promise you that when you begin to do the work in these areas, you will begin to move foward in your life with so much more confidence.  There is something about knowing that your house is in order that allows you to freely move into what God has for you next!  So...what are you waiting on?  GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!  

What are some of the "houses" God is asking you to get in order?

Three Words To Live By...

Julia Roberts currently stars in the movie, "Eat. Pray. Love."  I haven't seen the movie, nor have I read the book.  But I like the idea of having 3 simple words to live your life by.  I recently found my three!  Sing. Pray. Write.  After months of trying to figure out what I should be doing in my life right now, I asked God to point me in the right direction.  I asked him to give me the steps that I should be taking to ultimately fulfill His destiny in my life.  I have to be honest...I was expecting the Lord to give me career advice!  I was surprised when I heard those 3 very simple words.  They had nothing to do with what I thought I needed or where I thought I needed to be.  But behind each word some action is required on my part.  Obedience.  My confusion and anxiety about where I needed to be was wrapped up in my natural thinking.  My spritual confusion was conquered through my obedience to those 3 simple words.  How complicated we sometimes make our lives when all we really need to do is submit to the obedience of the Holy Spirit.  As soon as we obey, we have discernment.  And when we perceive God's will and focus our sight on what He is telling us to do, our entire life is kept in simplicity.  I am learning to appreciate the simplicity that is in Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:3.  So I ask you, what 3 words do you live your life by.  If you had to condense your life to 3 things that He is asking of you right now, what would those three things be?  Listen and Obey.

My First...

Well I did it...I created a blog and am ready to share the many life lessons I have learned along this path called "life"!  First and foremost I write out of obedience.  I have been putting this aside for years.  Mostly because I didn't know where to begin or what exactly I was supposed to say.  But now, I write confident that what I have learned about myself will help someone else on their journey to accepting, embracing and loving the person they are.  So I hope you will stick with me through this process.  I am still learning.  But what I can tell you is that the little girl who considered herself to be unremarkable, unattractive, unheard is able to say "I am beautiful!"  Not because of who I am but because of whose I am...