Drop the ball

     "You are my friends if you obey me. I no longer call you servants because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now, you are my friends, since I have told you everyting the Father told me. You didn't choose me, I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. I command you to love each other." (Niv bible)
     Wow! 4 lines that could take a life time to fully appreciate, but isn't that the way of the bible full of richness beyond what we can fully comprehend. Now, this verse gets me thinking about relationships. Ours to the Son, the Son to the Father, the wife to the husband, the siblings, family members, friend to friend
and the saved to the unsaved.
      Yes, to the saved...... Jesus chose us. We didn't choose him.  When he chose us he appointed us to go...produce fruit that will last. Sounds good, but in practice it can be grueling. Consider that last disagreement we've had with anyone or try to forgive someone who has so wronged us, or the mistreatment to us by those living in the world.
     When my cubbies get in a power struggle, we often tell them someone has to 'drop the ball'.  If we are playing ball with someone and they throw that ball too hard at us we can always drop the ball and walk away from the game to keep the peace. Just as if we are arguing with someone we can drop the ball, walk away and not respond.
     I learned this a number of years ago in a different way, I read when being stuck by the barbs of someone's harsh words if you don't squeal they will stop sticking you..(yes, I was the pig so easily stuck and I was tired of being the pig!) So, I tried this in my most provoking relationship and you know what I got a greater degree of respect from the one who used to stick me for fun. Of course, when I initially quit squealing there was another reaction which included an agressive entrance into my personal space. By the power of the Holy Spirit and his promise "I have conquered the world and deprived it of the power to harm you." I stood my ground without retaliation and held on to "I am trusting you Jesus." You know what, it was the agressor who took a step back and peace was had by both of us. Now, that is fruit that will last.
     I like the last line which is to those of us who claim friendship with the one who calls us his friend...it isn't a suggestion it is a command..."I command you to love each other." This again is sometimes easier to hear than to follow through with actions. This is something liberating I learned from the Emmaus walk to be honest in our prayers...sometimes we have to confess to the Lord that we really don't like his children...those he's called us to serve. Sometimes they are difficult, sometimes they push us to grow and we don't like it, sometimes they think they know something more than maybe what we already have learned but God has asked us to love and forgive not slap the one who exalts themselves over us.  "I am trusting you Jesus!" And the great news is that "You oh Lord have overcome the world and deprived it of the power to harm me."