chiseling....

WOo HoooOO!! Its Benji's birthday tomorrow, so I wanted to get a few lines in before things started to get hectic around here. Diego and I ran around today getting stuff done, since we waited for the last minute to do it all. Actually, we did a lot before but no matter how much you do, the nitty gritty stuff is done the day of. I mean I cant blow up balloons, hang decorations, start the barbeque, bake the cakes, get ready, take a shower and get Benji ready right now, nope. That all has to happen before noon tomorrow. Its got me excited, nervous, and exhausted all at the same time. But before all that happens and fantastic pictures for next week <3 (including homemade brownies with walnuts, medialunas, chocolate chip banana bread, and more pickles) I wanted to just put in a quick lesson I learned.
So I have been getting "chiseled away" by Jesus, which I put those in quotation marks because I would have never used those words if my brother hadn't written them to me the other day, which the word chiseled was the perfect word to describe how I feel. I feel far away still. I feel like I have failed and keep trying but seem to miss the mark. So when he said those words it was like, I know I am not great yet, but little by little I will molded into something amazing, and that made me feel good. I know He has his way of showing you He is there by working through other people, I just hope those people know how great of a jewel they are. Well, this week I was pretty rough on some people and I was not the jewel I know I am. Sometimes I get too rough on people when they don't see MY way. This selfishness I have for wanting everybody to be just like me is sickening. I'm glad people don't think like me, I don't always have the best thoughts, and I fail everyday in some aspect of life. So this week I found myself against someone who doesn't think the same way I do, and instead of being kind and loving them because God brought me them for reason and made them and myself these ways for a reason, I fought against something that He set up. I think God sends people just to push my buttons.. just to be like here, let's see what you got. And man I keep failing... I got nothing!
This week he brought me a non-believing communist. <-----  pushing my buttons. I have read 2 Thessalonians a few times, not too hard since its 3 chapters total, and I know that working is important. Not matter what work it is, we are working in the Lord. Whether we are building houses for others, leading people, cleaning others feet,  or whatever it is that you do.. we work. We have to work, we are God's ambassadors. In Chapter 3 verses 10 through 12 it says, (NIV Version)
"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work, shall not eat. We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. "
But how do you tell someone that The Truth says you should work hard and earn your own living when that's not their truth? <-------- see chiseling! God is good. All the time :)
I don't think that sharing the wealth is the answer. This doesn't mean that I don't believe in helping people, in fact, I think the complete opposite, I think that you aren't helping them at all. Your just teaching them to receive. However, I find it amazing that someone is willing to work so hard for someone they don't even know. I do admire the thought. I really think that  you have to give until it hurts. But I will keep giving myself until you see what I see. The Grace of God which changed me this way. So that's all I wanted to say. Blunt, but I hope you got my point ;) if not I have a bottom line.... no matter who you cross paths with, God knew first. So just remember these two main rules He gave us: Love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. And love others!