I’ve been called to focus on virtues ever since I joked about it in my bon voyage blog a few weeks back. Even as I wrote it I was being cheeky but once I was on the ship I thought about how many virtues there were and how a few years back I had done an excercise on the difference between the ‘public’ and ‘private’ virtues. I went and dug up my information and though I will be honest and say I have no idea who the author is over this, I will say it isn’t me. I thought about not sharing because I can’t correctly give props to the writer of the small segments but it has been calling my name for ME to listen and I don’t see that it’ll hurt to share for you as well. What is not mine is in italics.
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called to according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Acceptance – Acceptance is a public virtue (one we can relate to our relationship with others). Acceptance is a matter of trust. Trust in ourselves, but trust in God, who alone can see the heart. The heart that accepts is a heart of peace. Rather than constantly striving to re-create our lives and the people we love, we can learn to be content through the grace given to us in Jesus Christ.
Trust has been ringing in my ears for the past two weeks and after spending much time in prayer and discernment and accepting the wonderful messages I’ve received from some of you I recognized that God was saying “You aren’t to go this road alone. Accept the help people are offering and allow them to be a part of this exciting journey.” When my father called Monday and told me he was behind me and that he believed in me and that he wanted to be a part of helping heal others I felt that weight of uncertainty lift. I knew I needed to take my friend up on the offer of starting a small business 501 c-3 which allows me to move forward with whatever it is that God is wanting to do through the books He calls me to write or the message He calls me to deliver.
The ministry is called Healing Hearts Ministry and is being set up TODAY! 🙂 The 501 c-3 takes a bit longer to apply for so please keep this in your prayers. Actually it benefits everyone in the long run for me to be designated in this way and it keeps me accountable which makes me feel better.
The coolest part about this? If you look at my HOME page, the masthead is the HEALING HEARTS LOGO and if you click on the scrolling screen with the HEALING HEARTS logo and click on the FEATURED STORY it will explain how this logo and ministry name came to be about 5 years ago!!!! I kept it, I used it and knew that it would be meant for something in the long run in regards to what God is calling me to but I had NO IDEA it would be this opportunity. None.
God is faithful. God shows up BIG and he shows up small but he always shows up. God shows up…sometimes way in advance. 😉
“Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows, because…the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.”
Galatians 6:7-8
Authenticity – Authenticity is a private virtue (one we can relate to in our relationship with God). Authenticity with God and within our own souls brings great liberty, and great power. We can relax and be ourselves. We can admit our shortcomings and allow God to work within us. We can stop trying to keep up a front and let the Spirit come in. And then a miraculous transformation begins to occur: we begin to look more like Jesus.
Being authentic with God is trusting He loves us and accepts us even in the ugly. Being authentic with God is giving Him the ugly! We can give Him the ugly because He only sees the beauty of His creation and what it is you’ll work through, push past and overcome in order to reveal His beauty to the world.
This is one virtue I pray for my boys and for every kid out there. Be authentic with who God has made you to be. Even as adults we try to be like everyone else and it never feels right because we are putting on a mask that is itchy and just doesn’t fit because it was not formed by Him. Someone asked me recently what makes me happy and I said “God”. The only person that can make me happy and the only way I’ve noticed that I receive true happiness is when I am with God, when I bring Him into every moment of my day and when I finally ‘let go’ and take off the mask(s) that I’ve been trying to work on and mold to fit me because I naively thought they would make me ‘happy’.
When you seek the virtue of authenticity you find happiness.
May God bless you all in this day!
Blessings
Shannon