Look at the heart

A very good friend of mine gave me this heart for my birthday. I have it hanging in my cabin kitchen window.

This week God taught me something. He told me that I need to look past the surface of people around me and look at their hearts.

I work at an elementary school and it's so easy to be annoyed by some parents who call or come in and are pushy,rude, or needy. But God told me to look past that. I need to look at their hearts. These parents love their children. They want only the best for their children. They may not be very polite or even nice in articulating their needs. They may be demanding. They might not understand how a school works or what our limitations are. They might not even really know what's best for their child. But they do love their child.

I need to remember this. And when I do, my attitude towards these parents changes. And my change in attitude leads to a change in my actions. I can give more grace. I can be more patient, more helpful, more understanding.

How I react to people around me - not just at work, but everywhere I go - is a choice I make.

I must take responsibility for these choices I make each day.

And I must choose to look at the heart - and give grace.

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Memory verses: (Have you been learning some of these verses along with me? I hope so!)

I John 5:11-15

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

The one who has the Son has life.The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life.

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

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79. Seeing 6 deer, but not hearing them. How do they move through the woods so silently?

80. Cheesy hashbrowns...not only are they delicious, but they bring back such good memories of family gatherings

82. Flowers delivered to me at work for my birthday, from my husband

84.Birthday pictures from my grandchildren

85. Having just enough money to pay the bills

89. The U.S. flag waving outside my window at work - it reminds me of freedoms we too often take for granted