Even though Heavenly Homemakers is not hosting Gratituesday today, I feel compelled to be grateful anyway. I would like to start out with words from Robert Fulghum's book, All I Really Needed to Know, I learned in Kindergarten. May you be blessed..
All I really need to know about...
- how to live and
- what to do and
- how to be
I learned AT THE CROSS!
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Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there the first time that I placed myself at the foot of the cross. These are the things I have learned by listening to JESUS' words as He hung on the cross:
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- "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 JESUS was caring for others! He was exhausted! He'd been beaten beyond belief. He had to carry His own cross. He was in unimaginable pain. These people had done this to Him. He was probably sleep deprived. Yet, these are His first words on the cross! He did what He had the power to do in spite of the circumstances. He wanted His persecutors to make peace with their Maker. Thank you, JESUS, for teaching me forgiveness, grace, mercy, compassion, hope, self-discipline of the tongue, offering a second chance or a new beginning, self denial, love, wounded healing... .
- "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 JESUS was caring for another! He wanted to make sure that the thief on the cross had eternal life. He did what He had the power to do in spite of the circumstances. He wanted the thief to make peace with His Maker. Thank you, JESUS, for teaching me forgiveness, grace, mercy, compassion, hope, offering a new beginning, self denial, love, wounded healing... .
- "Woman, behold your son: behold your mother." John 19:26-27 JESUS was caring for His mother! He wanted to make sure it was clear who would be responsible for Mary. He did what He had the power to do in spite of the circumstances. He fulfilled the fifth commandment, "Honor your father and your mother." Thank you, JESUS, for teaching me obedience, grace, mercy, compassion, hope, priorities, self denial, love, wounded healing... .
- "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" ("My GOD, My GOD, why have you forsaken me?)" Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. JESUS was caring about His relationship with His Father. He did not want anything to come between Him and His Father. Yet, His Father could not stand sin. So, as JESUS took on the sin of the world, He would be seperated from GOD. He questions...maybe even asks for reassurance as to the reason "why". Thank You, JESUS, for teaching me dependence on the Father, forgiveness, grace, mercy, compassion, priorities, self denial, openess with The Father, love, wounded healing... .
- "I thirst!" John 19:28 JESUS was caring about His needs! He articulated His humanness. Then, again, maybe not! Maybe, just maybe, He was thirsting for the Father who He was seperated from. He was seperated from the River of Life. In spite of His circumstances, He was staying focused on His mission. Thank You, JESUS, for teaching me endurance, perseverance, finishing what You started no matter what, follow through, self denial, love, wounded healing... .
- "It is finished!" John 19:30 JESUS was caring about loving and pleasing His Father and loving mankind as He stuck to His goal! Thank You, JESUS, for modeling selflessness, sinlessness, forgiveness, gentleness of spirit in letting the Holy Spirit lead You, hungering and thirsting for a righteousness that only comes from above, mercy and compassion to Your fellow man, purity of heart and motive, a peace that passes understanding, peace-making betweeen mankind and their Maker, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, perfect love under horrific circumstances - persecution, wounded healing... .
- "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit!" Luke 23:46 JESUS was trusting fully in His Father's love. This scripture was one that most Jewish women taught as the first scripture to their little children to memorize. It's quite possible that this scripture was one that JESUS had learned from Mary. It was time to put it into action. Time for trust, hope, new beginnings, love...wounded healing...
The cross summed up the two greatest commandments for me. Thank you, JESUS!
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Matthew 22:35-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
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TWO THINGS:
1. I would love for you to share with me what you have learned from the cross by completing this sentence starter: "All I really need to know, I learned at the cross..."
2. Enjoy and learn more about spiritual things learned at Annette's post:
http://ichoosejoytoday.blogspot.com/2008/11/isnt-life-complicated-sometimes-my.html
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