The Reason Why You Need an Accountability Partner: A Story

Unfortunately didn't get to put this on facebook so here we go. Detailed pic of the birthday cake I made my cousin!


It happened again.
After a couple of weeks of being flaked on, promises broken, things forgotten, taken for granted I cracked.
As soon as I prayed for God to teach me to be patient in love, He really tested me.
It's funny because the tests are really insignificant in the grand scheme of things (like keeping a promise to do something but they don't until the fourth time) yet I blow things up to a greater portion. Man, I'm so conditional.

I decided to share this with my accountability partner over Joe's iced coffee. She told me that we should meet up after her class at 9:30.


We ended up sitting in Union Square on a relatively balmy evening in New York City. She said she found a passage that spoke to her concerning about my issue.

John 6
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.


The point?
Let's say bread is love, says my accountability partner, we have as much bread as our hands can hold but once we distribute it, it runs out. But if we give to the bread to God, He will make it overflow.
That what I have by myself, what I have to give people will run dry. Unless I submit it all to God, can it multiply and become something greater.
Yeah a lot of things were said that I won't mention because they're more observations she has made on me as a giver (ie being taken for granted, treat becoming ritual and habit etc and encouraging me to keep persevering in the midst of suffering).
On the other hand, the slice of remaining birthday cake, I gave to Betty who forgot her wallet while rushing to school. She ate the cake for dinner, shared it with a friend and a classmate who said "it tastes like home" (AWW) and called me saying "wo xihuan chi ta de dan go!"

I asked her to pray for me there and then we headed to our respective homes. I knew God also refered to Himself as being bread in the Bible so I went to look it up to strengthen what my accountability partner shared with me.. and it's just two chapters away from what she shared with me!:

Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Mosese who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 25-33

Today as I was doing morning devos I came across this passage:
"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

WOW that was such an encouragement for me this morning after having prayed with my accountability partner over my grievances and struggles. God is going to cure me of this. I was flustered with the whole waiting period that I had to undergo to be cured of this sin, and God lead me to this passage to take comfort in as I wait for His answer.
Yet I have prayed with my accountability partner and Small Group about many things: prayers for patience, for my delight in God to grow, to being content in singleness, for God to reveal His will for me, for my thesis to glorify God etc...
Those are ALL going to be answered because, even though only a handful of people have asked, God will deliver and fill us!

And it's not even about 'oh Sam you're just treating God like Santa'. In the Bible it says, if we make requests in Christ, they will be fulfilled. For when we know God, we know ourselves and when we know ourselves we know what to pray for because what God want is what we want. None of us can solve our problems by ourselves. If we could deal with our bouts of depression, anger, impatience, lack of faith, we wouldn't need God.

My faith is growing daily. In the past when I asked God for something, often I would second guess whether or not He would carry through. Yet reading something like this has really grounded my trust in God- an unwavering faith in Christ who already knows our needs before they come to our lips.



So after meeting up with acc. partner last night (I missed Heroes for it. Luckily there's NBC.com XD), I received news that our landlord agreed to let us have a two month lease extension.... which means I won't be homeless during the final stretch of thesis! Instead of getting kicked out at the end of April (senior thesis show, two defenses, book 'publishing' etc), we get to keep the apartment till end of June!
Although many people say there's no way they would refuse this in this time of economic downfall, I still give thanks to God because He is meeting my needs continuously.

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This is how I've been treating conflict this past year:
If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Matthew 18:15

It usually works. If not, crack open your Bible and read the rest.
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Lately I've been wondering if it is wrong to say dirty jokes in a manner that makes it light banter. Considering me a prude, people like saying things to me to illicit some kind of response which comes in form of my signature "sam is disgusted" kind of face or a -_-.
I'd never say anything to anyone in case people thought I was a serious prude. How fun can a friend be if she's serious and prudish? But last week I was doing some prep reading for our Bible Study at Small Groups on Ephesians: I decided to keep reading and hit this passage:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the Lord's people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:3-4

That was a huge comfort to know that I'm not being stupid. What benefit do the ears of listeners gain when they hear about 'balls being chopped off' or 'boobs being grabbed'?
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Dear cousin, this should be your banner or something somewhere. =P