JennanneJ

“When we have begged and demanded from God all that we can, and when he still doesn't change our situation, we're left with a choice, we can choose offense with him, or we can choose obedience.

Offense is a terror of a thing: it puts us in the judgment seat over God. We strong-arm God, we yell at him, we tell him all the things he's not. And while it's good to be honest with God, there is a difference between heart-felt honesty and hostile honesty. Heartfelt honesty comes to God on its knees. Hostile honesty comes to God pointing the finger.”
― Ann Swindell, Still Waiting: Hope for When God Doesn't Give You What You Want

“When someone in vulnerability tells you everything they’ve known has fallen apart, the correct response is not to quote scripture, the correct response is not biblical apologetics, the correct response is a hug. The correct response is to say, I love you. They have to encounter an impossible love. It’s the only way the gospel comes to life.”
― Mike McHargue

“So often when we say 'I love you' we say it with a huge 'I' and a small 'you'. We use love as a conjunction instead of it being a verb implying action. It's no good just gazing out into open space hoping to see the Lord; instead we have to look closely at our neighbour, someone whom God has willed into existence, someone whom God has died for. Everyone we meet has a aright to exist, because he has value in himself, and we are not used to this. The acceptance of otherness is a danger to us, it threatens us. To recognise the other's right to be himself might mean recognising his right to kill me. But if we set a limit to this right to exist, it's no right at all. Love is difficult. Christ was crucified because he taught a kind of love which is a terror for men, a love which demands total surrender: it spells death.”
― Anthony Bloom, Beginning to Pray

“Everything want to be loved.”
― Alice Walker, The Color Purple