Boys and girls and doing hard things

My wife and I are approaching our 11th wedding anniversary. I've learned plenty over the years, and have realized that I still have so much more to learn. One of the things I've learned is that just because something does not come naturally to me, doesn't mean that I'm off the hook for trying. Here's an example; I'm not romantic. When I think of 'romance', I think of flowers, but then my logical side kicks in and says "Why buy flowers that are going to die?" It's not that I'm cheap, I just don't see the point. I was so bad that for the 2 1/2 years I was courting my wife, I never bought her flowers...not once! Yet I now know that it would bring my wife great pleasure for her husband (me) to bring her pretty things like flowers to show her that I love her and think about her. I may have to even read books or blogs about romance in order to get ideas. I hate this idea, because I would like to think I'm intelligent enough to figure out some romantic ideas all on my own. I realize this is silly. Romance does not come naturally to me, so one of the ways I can improve on my knowledge and understanding of romance is to listen to others that love romance. There is nothing wrong with this. One of the reasons why I hate reading and asking hard questions about this stuff is because for me, it IS hard. The bigger question is "Is my wife worth it?"

If I study my wife, if I pursue my wife, and if I care about my wife, I could figure out some of the things she would enjoy doing, eating, having, etc. Then, with the assistance of some romantic brainiacs, I could use some of those ideas to let my wife know that she is loved and cared about. Our walk with God is similar.

If I study God, if I pursue God, if I care about God, I could figure out some the things He asks of me. With the assistance of godly men and women, books, studies, prayer, the bible and whatnot, I can get even a greater understanding and acquire more confidence in my relationship with Him. This is hard work, but is absolutely worth it in the end. No one is strong at everything, and our moments of the greatest growth we have in our relationships is when we try to do things that we know others would appreciate that we are not good at. In fact, those that know you're not strong at something, but work hard to learn it, appreciate it more than someone that is already proficient at whatever the skill set is. Does this make sense?

I encourage all of us to think outside the box, extend ourselves in all our relationships, including our walk with Christ. You will never get skilled at anything if you don't put in an honest effort, and you will be the one rewarded in the end. To use the excuse "That's not MY thing." is nothing short of excuse making and self-centredness. I've learned that I've been self-centred far too much, for far too long.

Happy Anniversary Amy, I love you.

Our small group study begins this upcoming Tuesday evening. Due to the postal lock out, we do not have our John Piper study yet, but will be discussing some theological issues that are on the mind of those that come. Email us if you'd like more info.

You can reach us at hillcountryreformed@gmail.com, or call us at 403-932-0519.