Wow, God! (An Advent Journey)Sample

WOW, GOD. YOU GIVE US OTHERS TO CHALLENGE AND GROW US.

Experience

I’ve been thinking that if God put specific people in my life, then they must be important...to me and for me. I’m not sure I always treat them like they are. There is something to be gained and given in every interaction. And yeah, sometimes it’s a huge discussion that needs working out, but often, it’s small, daily bits… understanding how someone else sees the world. It can be a herculean task with some. Not everyone is fun to know. And some people may never understand you. 

My closest relationships have been messy, like a tug-of-war of back and forth with words and emotions. It’s in these times of working to be understood, and to understand, that I can see something new in other people…and myself. When that happens, I grow because I’ve learned about them, and I’ve learned about me. God puts them there to teach me. What if I approached my time with others as opportunities for me to be teachable, challenged even? What if I looked at every event this month as a chance to be changed or to discover something new? When I remember that God has divinely appointed every moment with someone, that helps me to be more open to what I could learn from them. 

Wow, God. You give us others to challenge and grow us.

Respond

Who has God placed in your life that challenges you? People can challenge you without opposing you. The key is knowing the difference. Challenges are good because they help you rise to the occasion to discover you are capable! People who challenge you because they believe in you help you “do life.” Really, that’s how life happens. Together. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Pray

God, thank you for the people in my life. Help me to see how others can challenge and teach me. Show me how they are helping me grow. Amen.