Two days after Christmas I stood in line behind 19 people. We all fidgeted and sighed as two clerks slowly helped customers exchange unwanted merchandise for store credit.
ABOUT
ANGELA NAZWORTH
Angela Nazworth is a flawed and forgiven wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She’s also an encourager, a lover of good books, coffee, girl's night out, sunshine, and waterfalls.
In the...
Angela, since I’m new to this whole blog world, this is my first time reading your heart and I enjoyed it.
Since I usually skip the whole gift returning thing….I never really think about it. But wow, I’m thinking now, of some gifts (in the past) I returned. Actually, one was stamped: keep this one. Shortly after standing at the “returns” counter, I repented. But this is a great picture of what my attitude was during that time. Thanks for sharing.
I am right there with you Angela. My heart needs peace and joy even when I feel neither. I pray that Our Lord will see fit to rescue me from the disaster of self-pity.
Blessings and Grace to you…
You ask a good question. It made me SIFT through some of the topics that have been in my thought-swirl as I tried to come down to my resolutions for this year.
I think my heart needs….to know I am, each step, in the place I belong, doing what I am supposed to do. I get regular confirmation of being on the right path, but I can tell from my response to that confirmation how much I really NEED it.
I think we often labor under the impression that having received the need of our heart once it will set us for life. In truth we need manna daily, His guidance and feeding daily….and we need to show up for the meal.
I have thought a lot this fall about the difference between what I want and what Jesus has to offer. Unlike the woman with the red shoes, what I want tends to be a little flashier than what I get – the dependable presence of a God who does not fix things but who walks with us and helps us to make good out of the bad.
I have lived this too. The truth that we have only to make the choice to receive is somehow a hard one to live out. Yet once we surrender and reach out to take the offered treasure – it is ours.
So beautifully written. Thank you.
Oh, when I read this, I could totally relate. Far too often I cry, “wrong, wrong, wrong” when the Lord allows something in my life that I don’t feel is a good fit instead of accepting gratefully.
Angela,
What a great reminder and really so very true! He knows what is best for us but that is so hard to reconcile with our pride of thinking we know what we want/need.
Blessings!
Tara
I was cheering reading your post — it is so wonderful that you made it a point that there is no regret in being sad or mad. In the earlier part of my Christian life, I was totally led down the wrong path of stuffing my (true) negative feelings — and it created a lot of distortions of God’s love. It wasn’t until I truly could face God with all my sorrows and found that He could exchange them with His joy and peace — that my intimacy with God increased.
Thank you for keepin’ it real, Angela!
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for the gift of this post… I will share it with others ~ joyfully~
Maria
Angela, since I’m new to this whole blog world, this is my first time reading your heart and I enjoyed it.
Since I usually skip the whole gift returning thing….I never really think about it. But wow, I’m thinking now, of some gifts (in the past) I returned. Actually, one was stamped: keep this one. Shortly after standing at the “returns” counter, I repented. But this is a great picture of what my attitude was during that time. Thanks for sharing.
Wow….this post got me by the throat…almost quite literally. Very well written. Thank you.
I am right there with you Angela. My heart needs peace and joy even when I feel neither. I pray that Our Lord will see fit to rescue me from the disaster of self-pity.
Blessings and Grace to you…
You ask a good question. It made me SIFT through some of the topics that have been in my thought-swirl as I tried to come down to my resolutions for this year.
I think my heart needs….to know I am, each step, in the place I belong, doing what I am supposed to do. I get regular confirmation of being on the right path, but I can tell from my response to that confirmation how much I really NEED it.
I think we often labor under the impression that having received the need of our heart once it will set us for life. In truth we need manna daily, His guidance and feeding daily….and we need to show up for the meal.
What a great reminder. Thank you for this timely and needed lesson!
A terrific post – what we don’t often consider!
Food for thought. Thank you for the reminder. Peace and joy are on my heart of needs.
I have thought a lot this fall about the difference between what I want and what Jesus has to offer. Unlike the woman with the red shoes, what I want tends to be a little flashier than what I get – the dependable presence of a God who does not fix things but who walks with us and helps us to make good out of the bad.
I have lived this too. The truth that we have only to make the choice to receive is somehow a hard one to live out. Yet once we surrender and reach out to take the offered treasure – it is ours.
So beautifully written. Thank you.
what great insight and truth. Thanks for sharing it!
These were beautiful insightful words.
Thank you for sending them into just the right spaces where I needed them. You are so so right.
Oh, when I read this, I could totally relate. Far too often I cry, “wrong, wrong, wrong” when the Lord allows something in my life that I don’t feel is a good fit instead of accepting gratefully.
Thank you for this wonderful perspective. What a great image I now have imprinted on my mind that any shopping return trip will trigger.
Angela,
What a great reminder and really so very true! He knows what is best for us but that is so hard to reconcile with our pride of thinking we know what we want/need.
Blessings!
Tara
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this BEAUTIFUL post.
I was cheering reading your post — it is so wonderful that you made it a point that there is no regret in being sad or mad. In the earlier part of my Christian life, I was totally led down the wrong path of stuffing my (true) negative feelings — and it created a lot of distortions of God’s love. It wasn’t until I truly could face God with all my sorrows and found that He could exchange them with His joy and peace — that my intimacy with God increased.
Thank you for keepin’ it real, Angela!