Wise words from a friend

I bet you have one. Maybe not all the time, but I bet there is someone who shows up in your life to bring wisdom to you at just the right times. Maybe they are words of encouragement, maybe loving rebuke, maybe they "explained the way of God more accurately" to you. I am so blessed in this particular season of my life to have several people like that. Some are friends who've been speaking wisdom to me for years, some are faceless voices on the internet that share what they're learning. People who let God use them to share wisdom in just the perfect dosage on the perfect schedule for me to take it in.

Debbie B. is one of those women who is always doling out wisdom in my direction (and many other people's as well) in loving little morsels. I wish I could share with you all the things I learn from her--but I couldn't resist sharing this one tidbit from a recent letter.

Hi Sheila!

I am so exhausted tonight, this morning, whatever it is. We had the party and gift giving at Riverside tonight and it could not have gone better. These children are so sweet and gracious, and the gratitude and thankfulness that came in the form of tears in their mamma's eyes was so touching. We were so blessed. I am so blessed by those who help me in this work. Jonathan would be so blown away by the loving hearts of these lovely Christian people. Many of them you don't know because they are new to GCOC, but you would love their giving hearts. Mark and I have been unwinding and talking about the good time we had tonight (I couldn't have done this without him, he started early with a funeral and went right into doing whatever he could for me) and the holidays and precious time with our children and grandchildren. This has been a good day....and I'm relieved it's over. I think you may know what I mean. 

I really loved the list you made and especially the story you told about Luis. I'd like to meet him. The more I devote my life to serving others the less pretentious I become and the less I care about things of this world. I think some of this comes from becoming older and wiser, but most of it comes from serving others, making myself exhausted for others and really putting myself second. I think I like this person I am. BUT, now I have to be careful not to become too judgmental of others who are not in the place that I'm in, serving in the way I am. I need to leave that to God. I remind myself that I still have growing to do and that's enough for me to worry about.  

Well, enough of that. I'd better get to bed. I think I've finally unwound enough to go to sleep. We still have gifts to give out so we'll need to go to their homes and deliver in the next few days.

Blessings on you both during this busy holiday season. Do you have a Christmas tree? I'd be interested to hear how the people of Nicaragua celebrate Christmas and I bet your other readers would be interested too. Love, ~Debbie

Go back and read that part I italicized. Go on.

!

That's the Christian I want to be all summed up in half a paragraph. 

I love, love, love that phrase "making myself exhausted for others". Listen to how she explains that exhausting herself for others is what helped her find balance in accepting and loving who she is, and accepting and loving others wherever they are, in humility before God. 

I don't know who your wise friends are--but I am confident God has put some in your path. I know I am so grateful for what I learn from mine. 

^{2 Corinthians 3:5} Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,⁶ who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.