Persuasion & Prayers Read-Along :: Day 15

As I sat down to finally do a little blogging and contemplated what I wanted to chat about today, I realized that I hadn't posted the final day of the read-along. So here it is! Better late than never, right?

........right??

I hope so! If not, oh well. Because I'm posting it late anyway! :) If you care to, head over to Amber's posts from July and check out all the discussion. And read the rest of this post too! Please? :)

Day 15 :: The Prayers of Jane Austen Prayer :: #3

Quote to Ponder:

"Incline us, O God, to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves."

Observation:

I really appreciated what Amber wrote, so I'm hoping she doesn't mind if I share it here:

Don't the sentiments expressed in this prayer fit well with the lessons of Persuasion?

• Time is short; don't let pride hold you back from the love you're meant to give.
• Hardships come and meaningful things take time, so we must follow Jesus's example of patience and endurance.
• We all mess up, and the knowledge of this ought to make us humble before God and with each other.
• All in all, God works all things for our good (Romans 8:28), and we're deeply and truly blessed.
• We need God's mercy to save us from our self-centered and hard-hearted tendencies.
• "Everyone needs compassion," as the worship song "Mighty to Save" (Hillsong) sums up. We've all suffered in our own ways. We all need love.

Question :: Did this prayer speak to you and your current situation in life? If so, how?

Oh to love others as we are loved! Regardless of how much we may get hurt, we are called to love always. Love well. To be kind and compassionate. To love others is to be vulnerable. The older I get the more I come to understand how hard this is, yet how much I am blessed when others love me, in spite of my flaws. And when I do the same in return, the blessings flow down in ways I'd never imagined. Love well, my friends. You will be ever so grateful you do.