This was my first week making up summaries expecting to write about what I came up with. I was tempted to include reference to the verses from which they came, but refrained. Compared to the previous week, it was a blast. (Pun intended.) Today (as every day) could be life changing, so off I run to do the best I can with it.

My wife likes to watch cop shows. Every so often she picks one that I overhear, and I get upset over the inadequate job our government does of protecting us from the “phsyco” down the street. We have a friend whose daughter has had close calls with “weirdos” twice and I get a feel for why God has “Wrath against unrighteousness”. For the amount of damage one weirdo generally has before getting caught, I wonder if our system of “innocent until proven guilty” really applies in every case. It is all above my pay grade, but when I heard a mother say she could not forgive the man who acted against his daughter, I saw the conflict with that and the command to forgive and love our enemy.

“Like Christ” is of course the follow up to that and that each of us was sinful and “Need to be forgiven.” Our sin is so far from the goal, that only the blood of Christ can remove us from the penalty of it. God is holy and can only relate to Holy, so I should not judge the person who sins any differently than God judges me for mine. I should forgive, based on the love of Christ, and I should love.

One topic was the idea of asking God to “Help me understand and be willing.” I often think of the concept of following God and wanting to do that, but I am not sure I actually take the time to ask God to help me understand what that really means and to make “me willing.” The guide said he was “willing to be willing”, but not really “willing.” I know I sometimes struggle with letting go of the concept of “I want.” I want to figure out how my likes and dislikes are a part of the bent that God has given me to serve him as opposed to things of the flesh to be discarded and forgotten.

“Is Jesus like Jeff?” The story accompanying this phrase told of a man who had so impressed a non-believer with his love, that the non-believer wanted to be like this person and missed the source for the love he experienced. The “Jeff” in this story did not worry about telling everyone about Jesus, so much as sharing the love of Jesus with them. If we are to fulfill our calling, then we need to love others, even our enemy, so well, that they want to be like us.

“Right to choose our attitude” comes from a man who experienced the worst and still realized he had the ability to choose his attitude and that no prison or punishment could take that away from him. I align this with the ability to lower our expectations. Until our expectations are lowered to the point that waking up and breathing is enough for the day, then we will struggle to have them met every day. God does not promise us tomorrow on earth, but He does promise us His presence if we are still here, and that is enough.

“Be a faucet” sticks the broken pipe flowing outside our house in my mind and reminds me that I am not in control. I do not have enough resources to achieve much of anything and definitely nothing of everlasting value. Jesus told us that He lived on the love that came to Him through His Father and that we can live on the love He provides us. I do not have enough love to love my neighbor as myself, but Jesus has enough love to love my enemy. All I have to do is be the faucet that lets the living water of Christ flow through me. The faucet is useless if the water is turned off or the pipe to the source is broken. Do not be a broken pipe. Love your enemy. Be a faucet.