SO WHAT LOVE
By Wade M. Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
There are some amazing features of life that go beyond by understanding. When I am having great difficulty and my mind and emotions seem to be playing games in my head, the hold I have dug seems to get deeper and deeper and I am hopelessly trapped.
When suddenly I remember the first thing to do is LAY DOWN THE SHOVEL.
God is pleased when we in love cheer, applaud and encourage others. One of our greatest tools is to become an intercessor and pray.
1. BUT NO ONE KNOWS I HAVE PRAYED?
2. I cannot see how this can help?
3. Prayer is a petition.
Greater than: SEEK AND FIND
Matthew 7:7-8
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Grow more love, more faith, more works, more patience, more kindness, more BROTHERLY KINDNESS.
Listen? Wrong thinking
Mustard Seed Action
Matthew 13:31
31 Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
We must talk to God and listen to OURSELVES. It is a fatal attraction we tend talk to self and darkness is a fog that brings depression. My friend we must quit talking negative!
Psa. 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
PSA. 42:11
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
We count what is wrong? We tend to focus on the negative.
We murmur in depression and unhappiness. We must Remember God and His promises.
Quit talking and start listening!
Blessing in Disguise
HEAVY CARGO I have a fishing pole and I cast my line – pull it in….
Psalms 55:22
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Listen before talk
Matt. 17:27
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Aug. 23, 1998 my life changed. My mom died. We had a tradition every Christmas. My dad is a pastor and people bring a lot of fruit by the parsonage each December. As a child mom and I would make “FRUIT SALAD”. How precious are those memories. The last few years Cancer had taken its toll on my mom. I would make the fruit salad and she would set and remember the past. 1997 Christmas was painful as we knew this was our last Christmas together. Mom had tears running down her precious face. I peeled and cut and diced and we sat and cried together as we made fruit salad. The next day mom was very weak. Well mom decided to get the fruit salad and eat some. As she removed the 2 gallon bowl, she dropped it and what a mess all over the kitchen!! Mom started crying like a baby. I said mom it is OK, we will make more and laugh as we make it. My wife, sons and family began cleaning up the mess. I ran to Winn-Dixie and bought some more fruit and returned to the parsonage to make 2 more gallons. Everyone gathered around. We sang, we peeled and diced. Her spilling the fruit was a great blessing. My sons, my family will remember 1997 Christmas as one of the best.
I TELL THAT STORY WITH JOY. BUT THE REAL TEST WAS THE 1998 CHRISTMAS
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
We did not return to my parent’s home for Christmas 1998 for the first time ever. Linda and I were home alone. They asked me to make FRUIT SALAD. I said, “You are crazy! Never again!” I sat around in gloom and despair. Linda put the tree up and I was in a dark dungeon. First Christmas ever without mom or dad! See I allowed, I made the choice to sit in misery and allow the dark poison of depression steal my Christmas light. It was my choice to focus and listen to my voice of pain.
Christmas Eve morning I heard Mom whisper to me words: FRUIT SALAD, DON’T SPILL IT.
I jumped up and ran to Kroger’s. It was time to release myself from my own voice and hear God’s plan.
I came home, hours and hours I peeled and diced fruit. I made 4 gallons of fruit salad. I dished it in small bowls. Linda said where are you going? I said I am setting myself free. I stand upon the promises of God and I see a bright light. I have good news.
I knew where I was to take a bowl. To bring freedom. But I refused. I took to my friends and neighbors. I feel that thought you have “SO WHAT LOVE.”
Now you still have more fruit bowls and now go show your So What Love. I pulled into a drive way of some one that left the church in anger and talked about me like dirt. I feared to approach their door. I prayed and then knocked. The mas was so surprised and asked me to come in…I explained “Momma’s Fruit Salad”. Hugged the old couple and left.
I remembered others that had hurt me. The fruit salad and bowls seemed to be endless. I found “Momma’s Fruit Salad” set me free. God was giving me Joy, Peace & Love back!
This could have been it. But my heart knew Christmas 1998 still had one more big bowl of fruit salad and one more big favorite bowl. This bowl was the biggest and my heart knew I was not finished.
I called Linda and explained I would not be home for a few hours, go to bed. I drove 3 hours one way with my last bowl. Someone had seriously hurt me and even told people I had a nervous breakdown and was crazy in the past.
After the 3 hours drive I pulled in their driveway. I knew better than knocking on their door. It was a cold, cold night. So I put the last big bowl in their car seat with a not: “LOVE”. One word: LOVE.
I had learned “SO WHAT LOVE” and felt like I was free from my depression dungeon. I never heard from my ‘’SO WHAT LOVE” for several years. I heard that they had thanked someone else for the fruit salad, and that was OK.
Travel with me down several years. I saw this individual somewhere. They had been crying and came up and said, “I have been praying and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and told me that fruit salad some time ago Christmas was a gift from you. They said “I AM SORRY, please forgive me.”
Psa. 51:12
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Christmas 1998 brought me a great gift. With patience the “so what love” did what NO MAN COULD DO.
1 Cor. 13:8 (KJV)
Charity never failed: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1 Cor. 13:8 (NIV)
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
1 COR. 13:8 (MSG)
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
HOLDING EACH OTHER UP by Robert J. Morgan
In Guideposts magazine Donald Vairin of Oceanside, California, told of serving as a young hospital corpsman in the invasion of Guam during World War II. Suddenly his boat came to a grinding halt. They had hit a coral reef, and the commanding officer ordered everyone off the ship.
Donald jumped into the ocean and sank like a rock, his carbine rifle, medical pack, canteen, and boots dragging him down. He forced himself to the surface, gasping for air, only to sink again. He tried to pull off his boots, but the effort exhausted him, and he suddenly realized he wasn’t going to make it.
Just then he saw a man thrashing in the water next to him, and in desperation he clutched onto him. That proved enough to hold him up and get him to the reef where he was picked up by a rescue boat. But Donald felt so guilty about grabbing the drowning man to save himself that he never told anyone what had happened.
About six months later, on shore leave in San Francisco, he stopped in a restaurant. A sailor in uniform waved him over to sit with him, and as he did so in announced to his friends, “this is my buddy. He saved my life.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Donald.
“Don’t you remember “said the man”. We were in the water together at Guam. You grabbed on to me. I was going down, and you held me up?”
His Servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr . Kyfingers@aol.com
