Taking a Risk

I am sitting in my office on this rainy evening not wanting to go outside and get wet. I hear the rain and am even less eager to go outside to get to my car. In a way I feel trapped between two places: where I am and where I want to be. As I ponder this I think of some of the conversations I have had with people lately. It seems a lot of people feel trapped in their circumstances. The feeling of being trapped is rarely good, because it often requires action on our part and we may not feel adventuresome enough to tackle it. Sometimes I find myself trapped in my thoughts, my fears, my desires…unable to unlock a situation that will lead me where I want to go. I find myself in this place with people I know who I want to have a relationship with, but for some reason don’t have a relationship with. Maybe this is because I never initiated it and now it just feels awkward. I recently watched a moving truck pull up to a neighboring house and then watched it pull away with half a household full of furniture that was moved in less than a year ago. I want to go and offer comfort and encouragement to my neighbor, but feel trapped by the distance of our relationship. This makes me think of people I hear about having illnesses, suffering losses, and those who have lost their jobs. Hearing about people in need whether physical, emotional or spiritual and wanting to reach out to them does none of us any good. They continue to hurt and I continue to feel isolated…trapped by my own fear, or trapped by my own complacency. I remember the words of James, “Faith without actions is dead.” Where is my faith?

As I look at my watch knowing it is time to go home I am wrestle with my feelings and relate them to other situations in life...the safe thing to do, the comfortable thing to do, is to stay inside and not go out and risk getting trapped in the rain. Why do I hesitate? Why am I concerned about feeling uncomfortable when I know it’s what I need to do? I want God to use me to bring hope and encouragement, so I must go. I must risk the fear of getting rained on, of being rejected, of embarrassment, of violating the superficial barrier that has been created. What if with my neighbor I just started with a hello, how are you?

“Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.” 1 John 3:18

Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied “You must love the Lord your God and with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

I have been praying that God would use me in some new ways, that I could be a vessel filled with His hope and love to share. I must risk it and go what about you?

Blessings of God’s love,
Shelly Juskiewicz
Pastor to Women

Love!

I saw the movie Valentine’s Day over the weekend. I so loved it!

I love seeing people in love, love watching people peruse love and the adventure of love.
Love does not always work out, but the bottom line is we all desire to be loved. Even those that seem to avoid love, run from love or are unwilling to admit they want to be loved - somewhere inside want to be loved and accepted for who they are. Love brings great ups and downs and both joy and pain, just ask anyone who has been in love. If you really want a first hand look at the drama of love than talk with any teenager who is trying to figure out love and what it is and what it is not or just reflect back on your teenage experiences with love. I want to be known as someone who loves others and extends love graciously. What does that mean for today…I will have to wait and see!

Shelly