"Let your gentleness be known to all." ~ Phil. 4:5
Have you ever met someone with a "gentle spirit"?
I had the opportunity of meeting someone like this 10 years ago. She was my biological mother. From the moment I met her, I felt her love and gentleness. She was a godly woman, tenderhearted, never raised her voice to anyone and never lost control. Everyone who knew her enjoyed her company and she always had kind words to say.
When I met my mother, I thought there was no way possible that I could be related to this woman because I was the complete opposite. Life had made me bitter and angry at the world. I saw gentleness as weakness and always walked over anyone in my path before they could walk over me. But there was something about my mother's gentle spirit that made me want to spend more time with her. We were able to spend three years together and became the best of friends until she went home to be with the Lord. My mother taught me that being gentle does not mean being a doormat. It only means having strength under control. She also taught me that there are gentle ways to be bold and stand up for what is right and gentle ways to lead.
Gentleness is one of the fruit of the Spirit and should be part of our nature. God allowed me the opportunity to spend three years with the most gentle person I've known in order to harvest this fruit in my life.
(Picture of my mother holding me when I was 3 months old. Shortly after this picture was taken, she sent me to live in El Salvador and I didn't see her again for 34 years)Just as my mother showed me how to develop a gentle spirit, Jesus showed his disciples gentleness in his answers as they asked him so many questions. He never lost patience with them or raised his voice, He always spoke kindly.
In 1 Kings 19:11-13 "The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
God was not in the powerful wind and was not in the earthquake, was not in the fire, on the contrary, the Almighty God spoke from the "gentle whisper".
5 comments:
I can relate to your story. My mom left me and my 2 sisters with our dad when I was only a few weeks old. It is good to know that you were able to reconnect after so many years and had a good friendship with her. It gives me hope that I may someday have a good relationship with my mom. I think your blogs are very inspiring. Greeting from New Mexico, Leah M.
Dear Leah (in New Mexico); My prayer is that my blogs may touch even just one person and I see it has inspired you.. What a blessing because I know this pleases God. ~~~ Yes, reconnecting with my mother was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I hope you will get to meet your mother soon. Have an open heart and you'll see that God will allow you to have an awesome relationship with her, in HIS timing.
That was great word and something that I need to practice myself especially when it comes to my children. I can get unnerved to no end and loose it at times and not realie my wrong doings until after the deed is done. Thankfully my daughter has an fogiving spirit much like our father God and is always anxious to give me another chance. Thank you
This was short, sweet, to the point, and right to the heart! Loooooved ir
Excelente reflexion, muy llena de sinceridad y nobleza, Dios le siga usando Paty.
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