Sifting
โWould you like a hot chocolate?โ
Thatโs a favourite phrase I use when missionaries arrive at the mission home for an overnight stay.
Each cup of hot chocolate is made with all the usual ingredients, but above all, it is filled with lots of love.
The most delicate part of the process is the ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ of the chocolate powder, for the final touches, to make it perfect.
To ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ: โput a fine or loose substance through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles.โ
โTo make a close examination of all the parts of something in order to find something or to separate what is useful from what is not.โ
At zone conferences last week, I commented on how we are all being “๐๐๐๐๐๐ .”
In Luke 22:31-32, at the Last Supper, calling him by his given name, Jesus said…
31. โโฆSimon, Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ you as wheat.โ
To ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ as wheat means to sperate the good grain from the chaff.
In other words, โYouโre going to be run through the ๐๐๐๐๐๐ Peter. Indeed, youโre going to find out whatโs in you Peter.โ
In essence, youโre going to be shaken up and bounced around and go through a tough ordeal.
Like Peter, that is especially true in the mission field, where we are all ๐๐๐๐๐๐ as wheat โ daily!
The ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ is done to refine us, and, in the process, we find out what we are made of, by discovering our many weaknesses.
Before that night was out, Peter had denied Christ three times.
32. โBut I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren.โ
As Christ prayed for Peter, likewise many, many others pray on our behalf every single day, โthat thy faith fail not.โ
For example – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, church members and leaders, missionary companions, and many others of other faiths too, pray every day for you.
Throughout life, all of us will be ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ and refined.
You will be shaken, stirred and cleansed to make the perfect you.
Yet, like Peter, I know that by following Jesus Christ, you will not fail.
How are you being ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐?
Procrastination!
โProcrastination is my sin.
It brings me naught but sorrow.
I know that I should stop it.
In fact, I will โ tomorrow!โ
โย Attributed to Gloria Pitzer
“Will we take the stairs?”
Armed with Righteousness
Extra Effort
Your true potential
Seasons
๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง by Rainer Maria Rilke
Emotions!
Do you pay attention to your feelings?
Yesterday, as we drove to Apeldoorn in the early morning for interviews, the traffic was worse than normal. Here in the Netherlands, itโs called โspitsurenโ (rush hours). It was becoming clear that we were going to be late.
Sometimes we can all get caught up in a cycle of our own emotions and negativity.
Have you been there?
Remember, you have a choice. You have the ability to choose your response to any situation.
We can choose to vent our emotions and โfly off the handleโ which may increase our stress levels.
Or we simply put a lid on them, which can also be ineffective and over time, even quite destructive.
So, what else can you do?
Self-management is key.
It is all about how youย act, react, or whether you take no action at all.
Firstly, you need to be self-aware enough to understand yourself and what triggers your emotions to be able to manage them well. Being self-aware of our feelings is a prerequisite to regulating them.
Yesterday, Monic was my rescuer as she spoke calmly, gently and measuredly, suggesting some possibilities for next time โ which all made sense to me!
โSo, weโll be lateโ she saidโฆ
Although she was traveling in the car with me, sheโd been studying for over an hour and wasnโt directly invested in the problem at hand.ย That really helped, by simply getting another perspective.
Secondly, learning to pause is a great way to control our emotions.
In its simplest form it may be simply counting to 10 in your head or stepping away from the situation somehow for 5 minutes before you decide how to act.
Thirdly, shift your mood.
Move your body around, put some upbeat music on, take a walk, give someone a hug, or talk to someone.ย All of these can help.
Fourthly, ask yourself โ whatโs important now?
Be accepting that things go wrong! Thatโs life.ย Rather than dwelling on what you canโt control focus on what you can control in the future, rather than dwelling on problems that have already passed.
Finally, one of my favourites is to consider โhow will this look in 6 monthsโ time?โ
Thatโs a simple way to put things into perspective on any situation. Will you even remember? How much energy do you want to expend on something that you wonโt even be thinking about in a few daysโ time!
How do you control your emotional triggers?