Tender-Leon

I have always been easily moved to tears. I think people read too much into that. Its just my makeup, the way God made me. It doesn't make me more spiritual or anything like that. It just means I can tear up more easily than a lot of other people. God sees into our heart, he is not concerned with the outward appearance. I have many times prayed and asked God to keep my heart tender. Which reminds me, a co-worker once told me about taking his kids to dinner and they wanted Tenderloin, they called it  tenderleon. Sometimes I wish I felt free to really tell all that God brought me through. I keep going back to Grace - freely given - not earned. Even years after becoming a Christian, I struggled in areas of my life. I think from the way I was taught in my early years, I expected to be perfect. More than anyone else knew, I certainly wasn't. I felt I wasn't able to live this Christian life, it was for others that were perfect. After living as long as I have, I have seen God work with me in my darkest hours. Accepting Jesus is so easy, and it is an instantaneous acceptance, but the only way we can even come to God is just as we are. It don't matter how messed up we are, that is where God starts in our hearts and lives. I messed up many times and still God was there to work with me, loving me just as I am. That is Grace, just as we are, nothing more, nothing less. But so many times we hear of the rules other Christian have for living the Christian life. Where we start, how we should act and not everyone is the same. God sees into the deepest parts of our heart. When you walk with God a while and see his goodness over and over again, you want to be more like him. If we can just apply that same Grace to others and not try to help them overcome their sin, but let God do his work, he will change us as he sees fit. Other peoples rules, not God's are a hindrance to many trying to make their way closer to God. I remember this story from my childhood. A Pastor and his wife took in a fellow that claimed to be a Christian. One Sunday afternoon this fellow got out their lawnmower to mow their lawn and I remember hearing people talking. If he really was a Christian as he says, he would know better than to mow a lawn on Sunday afternoon. It was a man made rule, and yes I do believe we need to respect God on Sunday. We need to respect God on everyday of the week. What I think was missed, the lawn needed mowing and the man was trying to pay back for their kindness to him. Even if he didn't know better than that groups rule, don't mow the lawn on Sunday afternoon, I think the intent of his heart was to pay back their kindness to them. They were more concerned about what the neighbors would think of mowing the lawn on Sunday then the condition of his heart. Many times we are too concerned about appearances and not enough about other people. Another incident in my life comes to mind; I was driving somewhere after leaving a Church service with several people in my car and my wife wanted a Coke. The only place I could find open was a tavern and I refused to go in to try and get a Coke because of how I felt it would appear. More concerned about how I would appear than to meet the need of someone. Sometimes we can be so heavenly minded we are no earthly good. These may be minor things but I think they show the condition of our hearts and how much we need to change our hearts to be more concerned about others than how we appear to others. A young lady at Church was up front to join Church and when I got there to shake her hand I realized the young lady appeared to be pregnant. I have no idea what the story is, but we need to be ready to extend the same Grace God gave to us to anyone where ever they are starting from. God takes us just as we are, tattoos, piercings or what ever. I saw the man ahead of me hug her and I did too. Just as we are, where ever he finds us, he extends the Grace to us, to me. May I ever be Tender-Leon. God bless, LVZ.