{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Prayers for the Permanent Collection","title":"Humility and Generosity | Teach Us to Trust in Order to Love","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":219,"description":"Humility and Generosity \nNo one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. John 15:13-15\nTeach us to trust in order to love \nGod, \nWe are lonely,isolated behind glowing boxesthat promised to build connections,but conditioned us to build walls,brick by brick,click by click.\nWe are hidingbehind online personascreated from our soul’s wish list,skinnier body,flawless complexion,great vacations,perfect marriage,saintly kids,dream job,smiling faces,happy emojis.\nWe are scaredof revealing our real listinstead of our wish list;we are afraid that what’s wishedgets more likes than what’s real.We aren’t skinny; we have love handles.Our skin is not flawless; we have pimples and wrinkles.We didn’t go to Bora Bora; we went to Branson. Our marriages aren’t perfect; we are imperfect.Our kids aren’t saintly; they’re prickly.Our jobs aren’t dreamy; thorns and thistles are stinging.Our faces are smiling but our hearts are frowning.Happy emojis hide frustration and sadness. \nWE ARE EXHAUSTED.\nJesus, Our Friend, \nYou who hung on the crossnaked, vulnerable, exposed.You gave your whole self for us;you never wanted anything other than us, imperfect as we are,love handles and all,to handle all of us with love.Our souls are never hidden from you;The pimples, the wrinkles, the sadness.Teach us to trust in your love for us.\nWe need to recoverthe trust that abuse eroded,when we gave ourselves to others,who treated our loneliness as opportunity,our insecurities as a place for hiding,our fear as a security blanket, and our exhaustion as if they won the fight. Teach us to trust in your love for us.\nLet us trust you enough to be generous.You fully gave yourself to us;we want to give ourselves to youin the freedom of perfect loveand...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ecB9oF1Zt1WpqVBmlsCUKi05JtYwosraqr-jnsSGTuM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iZTlh/OGZmYmIzNjAwN2Iz/OGJhMTEzYTlhYjg1/NWIwZS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}