“Brother and Sister Sandpaper”

  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34,35

 ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:39b

 Have you ever notice that the Lord places in our lives, certain people in order to challenge our daily walk in the Lord? When were around these person, one cannot help witness their character flaws. Their flaws are blaring in our faces and cause us to point our fingers at them and make judgment on them. As we point our fingers at them, one cannot help notice that same hand were pointing with has three fingers pointing back at us. They are pointing back to us to show us that we have same problem in our lives.

These flaws are sins in our lives that we need to repent of, in order for us to grow become the person Our Heavenly Father wants us to be. Sometimes these individuals can drive us up the wall because they get on our last nerve. The reason why they are getting on our nerves because the Lord is using this person as a piece of sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges. The sandpaper causes to repent and change our ways all together. It will hurt for a while, but the benefits are worth it.

What are some of those rough edges are like our pride, anger, un-forgiveness, selfishness, and etc. The Lord is using this person, so we can repent and change our ways. I would like to share an experience that I had several years ago. The Lord was using this certain individual to teach me love, patience, long suffering and endurance to see things through.

Several years back, I was a pastor of pastoral care and work with a person who was my sister sandpaper. This person was the Church’s secretary. This person was my best friend’s girlfriend and they both tie the knot in marriage. At first this certain individual and I were best friends too, but as the Lord raised me to certain positions in the church, problems came between us. Her attitude towards me was cold, indifferent and sarcastically at times. I felt, I had to walk on eggshells around her and made my life at times like living hell. I had office in the basement and I would stay in there to avoid her all together. At times I was damn if I did and damn if I didn’t.

This all came to ahead on this particular night when I visiting the both of them at best friend’s place. I said something innocently and this person attitude towards me turn to anger and very cold towards me. I had just about had enough of it and I left my friend’s place. His apartment was about fifty feet away from my house. By time I got into my place I was full rage of anger. I am a person that doesn’t get anger that easy and if I do I am over it all together easily. Well that night I was full steam and I had reached my breaking point. When I enter my door, my daughter told me that church secretary was on the phone. So I got the phone and she started to apologize, but I told her that wasn’t accepting it and that I had enough of it and I didn’t want anything to do with her. I felt justified in my anger and it felt good too. I would be damn to be treated that way again.

The next morning, I still felt justified, but the Lord was working on my heart. I started to be convicted about my anger, but I was trying to rationalize it, so I could how onto to it.

As I was being convicted, I called my prayer partner to see if I was justified on holding on this anger. Thank God, I have godly prayer partner. She encourage me to enter my prayer closet and ask the Lord’s help in this matter so my heart can be changed.

So I went into my prayer closet and got on my knees and ask the Lord to change my attitude. I was on my knees for least half hour pleading with the Lord and I ask Our Heavenly Father to give a love for that person. As I got off my knees, I was consumed with love for this person. As it says in 2 Nephi 4:21 “He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.” I called this person and made arrangements to see her later. We both asked each other for forgiveness when meet later that afternoon.

In following days this person’s attitude didn’t change and at times it got worse. But my attitude towards her did change all together. I had a godly love for her and no matter what she threw my way, I return it with love. I not only showed her love, but also went out of my way to bless her. It says in Proverbs 25:22 “For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” My actions were consume with love for this person and showered her honor and encouragement. A year went by and nothing changed, until this particular morning. This person asked to speak to me and when she did one can see her heart was changed too. She asked for forgiveness and it was there all ready. We both cried and embraced and we felt the love of Lord consumed the both of us. This person always shared that my love and kindness made it difficult for her to hold on her ill feelings. That morning the Lord restored the both of us.

I learn through my sister sandpaper to love unconditionally, patience, long suffering and encouragement. It is my prayer when brother and sister sandpaper shows up in your life, enter your prayer closet and ask Our Heavenly Father to give you a love for this person and when He does, step aside and watch God’s miracle.     

“Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart!”

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.  Hebrews 13:15

In an earlier blog, I talked about the “Prayer Closet”. In which I encourage one to find a place and make that your “Prayer Closet” and seek Our Heavenly Father on daily bases. It is good to retreat to our special place and seek His face through out the day, for we were created to hunger after God and to commune with Him.

We know Our Heavenly Father is a good God and He loves to bless us His children. In Matthew 7:7-8, it says,  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. Then in Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus states the following, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

We as His children love going to Our Heavenly Father in prayer to ask Him to bless us or ask Him to grant the desires of our heart. For we know that nothing is impossible with God. He like any good father loves to shower blessings on us, but the only problem is our prayers are self-center and they are selfish too. We come consume with our own selfish desires that we fail to see the whole picture. We love to flee into our prayer closet and fall on our knees and shoot our mouth off like gallant gun and saying ‘give me this or give me that.” By hearing this prayer, one cannot help to witness how selfish our prayers are.

But what Our Heavenly Father desires for us to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. He also desires for us to have a thankful and grateful heart. He loves it when we kneel or sit before Him and express our gratitude for all that He has done for us. When we praise Him our prayers ceases to be self-center because we are focusing on Him. When we praise Him, Our Heavenly Father’s heart is moved to a greater passion. It is easier to bless someone who grateful for all blessings they have. On a personal note, I as a father love blessing my children, but I love even more when show their gratitude, because it moves me to shower them even more.

One would ask why we should have a grateful heart and the answer is simple. He loved us first and He sent us His only begotten Son to save us and He redeem and us from the fall. Jesus died on the cross to pay the bill for our sins. His death cancelled out our debt and gave us the gift of eternal life. These two gifts alone should cause us to bless Him and praise Him. Like it says in Psalm 150:1-6  “PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp Praise him with the tumbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals .Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD”. This psalm is telling us to praise Him with our whole being. Our praise should be “Thank you Lord for giving me Your Son and loving me enough to redeem me and for forgiving me for all of my sins. Each day of our lives should be like celebrating Christmas and Easter in one.

We should be grateful for all blessings that He has given us. Such as our families, our homes, our jobs, our health, our victories and the list can go on. We should be grateful even the situations that we are experiencing, because Our Heavenly Father working something out for us, so we can grow and mature and become person he wants us to be. The lesson can teach us the love the mercy of God and knowing that nothing is impossible with God.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in 2 Chronicles 20. The people of Moab and the Ammonites were attacking Judah. They surrounded the city of Jerusalem and planning on destroying it. King Jehoshaphat was consumed with fear and sought God’s face and proclaims a fast for the Land of Judah. The Spirit of the Lord came upon one son’s Levi and told them the battle wasn’t theirs, but God’s. The Lord also told them that there was no need for them to fight this battle and He told them to stand still and see the salvation of God. Then King Jehoshaphat appointed singers unto the Lord. In verse 21 it says: “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever,” When they began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord set a ambush against Moab and Ammonites. They were defeated and destroyed. After the battle Judah for three days gathered all spoils.

On personal note, I love to sing and praise God on daily bases. When I praise Him, it lifts up my spirits and makes my day go better. I like sitting in my prayer closet and I will sing various songs and hymns to my Heavenly Father. I also like to make up my own words as I sing and praise. I would like to encourage to take time out your busy day and sit before the Lord and praise Him, I would encourage you to stand still and see God move on your behalf.