Our purpose

One of the purposes that God has given is to become more like Christ. I find that is something I can't do, but have to trust him to make me more like him in character and actions. Today was a lesson of just that sort.
We gathered as a group of people who love gardening and car pooled to the Filoli gardens in Woodside in the Bay Area. Little did I know that it would be a teaching time, as well as a chance to see breathtaking gardens.
There are four basic personality types as you may know-
1. Sanguine - Mr Happy who loves people and talking and is prone to putting his foot in my mouth.
2. Choleric - Mr. Intense who need to control everything and is angry prone
3. Melancholy - Miss Artistic who is prone to depression
4. Phlegmatic - Mr. Nice guy, easy going and prone to be reticent.
Today we seemed to have too many cholerics, each with a different opinion and a couple who brought their children and seemed to both be phlegmatic. Jon was the peacemaker, a great phlegmatic trait, putting out minor fires along the trip.
Such things as not everyone being ready to leave at the same time to where to eat lunch made for an interesting day. How thankful I am that Jon is good at smoothing ruffled feathers.
Now that we are home and very tired, I am thinking about how God develops Christ's character in us. It can't happen in isolation. You need others to rub against. Need to develop patience? Spend time with someone for whom home time seems to stand still. Need to grow in the area of unconditional love? Spend time with someone who grated on your nerves. Spiritual maturity is learning to love like Jesus and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationships with others.
This Melancholy and her Phlegmatic spouse are signing off for now.
Tomorrow I will tell you about the gardens.