Uncommon

     Last weekend, our family went to a church retreat in Westminster Woods. It was our first time there and the theme was finding your superpower and how you may be able to share your talents at church. Of course, Jeff's talent was "Creative Ability" and mine was a tie between "Creative Ability" and "Faith". 

     Most of the time, I am big on faith. I have had to be. The unexpected hits and I still push on. I may not know why things happen or how we will get through at the moment but in time God reveals his purpose. Sometimes though, I forget.

Lately, some inevitable truths about my husband had really been testing my faith.            Questions, doubts and fears filled my head and my heart. I always say that if the Devil is not messing with you and trying to tear you down, you are where he wants you. If how you live causes him to have to put effort into misguiding, hurting and deceiving you, you are doing something right! 

     Back to my marriage: we cannot mold people into who we want them to be. That is God's job. God knows when and how he breaks, molds, and puts us through the fire. So I asked God to help me understand my husband a little better and to put my heart at ease. Okay, I begged! Just a little better understanding is all I wanted.  

     In Acts 10 there is a story about a vision that Peter had.

The Bible says that he became hungry and fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and a vessel descend with wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the sky. Then he heard a voice say telling him to rise, kill and eat. But Peter refused to eat what was common or unclean.

"And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." Acts 10:15 

     This happened three times and afterwards, Peter was unsure of what this even meant. Four days earlier, Cornelius, a centurion from Caesarea, a devout man that feared and prayed to God, had been visited by an angel who had him send for Peter. 

Acts 10:19 says, "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them."

     What I love is that after he arrived in Caesarea, Peter told them how it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with foreigners but God had showed him not call any man common or unclean. He was more than okay being there and speaking to Cornelius and the group of friends and family that he had gathered. 

     Now, the story goes on, but this is what spoke to me the most. Peter had to have faith. He didn't understand the vision but, when he heard the Spirit, he obeyed without doubting. At the right time, when he needed to understand, the vision was clear to him. 

     There is nothing common about my husband! God has cleansed him and God is molding him to be who he was created to be, not to be everything I would want. God reminded me that I am in no position to judge and I too am still a work in progress. Most importantly though, he reminded me to have faith. I have looked at my husband and thought of all the morals and values I was raised by. I try to compare him and I have wanted him to measure up to man-made standards. God reminds me that he is His project, not mine. He tells me to let go. Stop worrying and remember to have faith. 

     This goes for everyone around us. Our neighbors, our family, our church, our whole world is made up of  people that God is working with. It is not our job to tell anyone how to live, what to do, or what to think. It is our job to be accepting and show God's love and mercy. We are to open our minds and our hearts and be welcoming rather than judgmental. We should strive to show the best we can be, to show how God has worked in us, so that others may have faith enough to let Him in. We are living examples of what God can do. We should be open books with no shame of our failures or mistakes. We should never pretend to be perfect and try to fix others. What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

In case you're wondering:
The story goes on to
tell us that Peter shared with them that he now understood that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. He tells them of Jesus of Nazareth and as he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. He goes on to order that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and afterwards they invite Peter to stay for a few days. It is a wonderful story in the Bible found in Acts chapter 10.