So I went about my day not knowing much of what we would do; considering that my little cousin's soccer game was cancelled due to inclement weather, and also knowing that we'd be going back home the same day. It's not easy trying to continue your day wondering if your love for God is strong or not, and whether or not the things you see on television are truly what you're supposed to be watching (which in most cases is probably a negative). However I do know this; love for God should always be there and never hard to resurface, if lost, or found, if though to be hidden. But how do your actions and language constitute how much love you're showing for others? Time for another one of Uncle Clark's day stories!
I'm going to a University I've never really thought about, let alone considered when I was in my younger years of high school, but nonetheless it isn't a bad choice in my opinion. It might not be the best choice for engineering, but it's still an engineering school, so I refuse to treat it any less than what it's worth. Getting to the point, I didn't have any attire to at least show some kind of school spirit, so you can imagine I was overjoyed when we went shopping yesterday for some Tech shirts, and I found some great ones at pretty much half the price of the usual priced collegiate wear products, sweet! And being the crazy person I am that wears the same shirts every week, I had to get at least three Tech shirts to add to my new attire and wouldn't you know it, I felt like I was finally supporting my college. Granted, I probably wouldn't get caught up in those silly rivalries like Texas and Oklahoma, or A&M and Texas, (Yeah, I called them silly).
Anyway, going back to the lesson, story time ends here. I've obtained some new shirts and feel great wearing new clothing, always do. But subsiding my behavior on them (the shirts), I'm still not a big fan of materialism, even though I'm the person who always wants to spend my money on gifts for others soon after I obtain the money. But rather, the big lesson is bent upon when I found the verses of Scripture that are truly against judgmental actions or instances. Each speaking about not judging others, but one in particular stuck out to me the most.
"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"-James 4:11-12
In other words, how dare us be the ones to call people names, label people for their past mistakes and take them for who they've been in the past. You wonder why I make connections with others who I have somewhat disliked strongly in the past? It's due to the fact that I wish to further people by loving them and not simply destroying their self-esteem further as they probably often dwell on the mistakes they've made in the past. Granted, no one is perfect, and I've made my own share of mistakes, so has every other person in this wacky world.
Each and every one of us has a dark secret, a story that has never been told except to those whom we have given our time, love, and life committed to or at least expecting to stay with those people for a large margin of time or even in the span of one's entire lifetime. Take this as such, quite recently my closest friends made it as such to not keep any secrets nor anything bother us when we bring up any topic. The very essence of loving one another is to be forgiving of them for all that they've done, and build them up in such a way that will benefit their drive and motivation to turn away from such bad habits that hindered them in the past.
Of course, I never expected perfect friends, but rather than shun them for their past mistakes, I was rather happy and proud to call them my closest friends and brothers and sisters in Christ for turning away from their bad habits and going to God for their salvation and greatness in life. I'll love people, but if you're not willing to change yourself for God, then I won't become a close friend of yours and I won't confide in you as I do with my other close friends.
My three best brothers and I all share similar perceptions about how to go about our lives. However, we each differ with our own struggles, one buddy and I being similar but also different to a certain extent. And we grow closer on the strong basis of one ideal: We will not judge each other because it is not our job, and we will sharpen each other both in faith and fellowship, as we do not like others judging us, we shall not confide in the same practices as those against us. Of course, we realized that those who judged us did not build us up, nor did the friends who increased the harmful behavior did we choose to not associate with them any longer. I'm very grateful to say that with the gifts from God that I receive being these best friends and other close friends, I learned so much more about them and the trust keeps growing.
Take one thing from all of this: Don't judge others for their past mistakes; especially if they're doing something to change it for the better and going for God. Rather embrace them and be joyous with them as they develop in their new lifestyle for Christ and enjoy and cherish the growth with them.
Your love and compassion alone can further the growth of your close loved ones, and you guys can change the world.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love"-1 Corinthians 13:13.
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