The way I was introduced to faith was too scary for words...at the time. I refused to go up for alter call to get "saved". It wasn't explained to me for a better understanding and I didn't trust the preachers. After services and later that night, I had a dream. I was 12 years old and I recall seeing myself at the edge of a cliff. Below the cliff were jagged rocks, stones, thick roots resembling branches, and I couldn't see the bottom of where I would land. I heard a voice telling me to jump because He will catch me. Of course, I didn't do it, I knew I had much to learn. If I recall correctly, it was dark outside (I capitalized He because I assumed it was God. I didn't know any better). Every now and again I think about that dream and instinctively know how far I have come and where I will never be again. I thank God for all of the tools He has shown me over the years (once I received Him) and the power given by the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus can never be taken away.
I began this blog because of those times when we look at where we are and wonder, if this is all there is? Those feelings of frustration and discontentment while being in righteousness have to be addressed so that when or if they return, you understand why. Because of the understanding, frustration is obliterated and discontentment will have to find residence elsewhere.
Frustration comes when you think your will is better then God's and what you would like to do isn't being done when you want it to be. We then usually get on our knees (because of training and for answers) and we ask God, "why, why, why?" Have you ever heard yourself saying this? Have you ever heard children asking their parents this? It is a special parent that listens to every why question from a child and answer each and every one for the child's satisfaction. Does it end though? Is the child ever satisfied? And what becomes of such a child that has so many questions? Private Investigator, Reporter, Research Specialist, Scientist, Surgeon, Doctor - these are some of the careers that are ideal for such a child that needs to have the answers right now. Nevertheless, listen to yourself saying why three times. Do it. What does it sound like? If you still don't know, do it again. Make the last why linger a little. Now, what does it sound like?
Babies instinctively will never be still if they are wet, hungry, thirsty, needs to be burped, sleepy or bored. They like for their environment to be a certain temperature. They like what they want when they want it. And as much as we would like to believe that we are the heads of our manors, we know when there is a baby in the house, everything changes. Its just that when the baby gets to be of some age, things slowly with each year, will get back to normal. Children cannot and should never be able to have run of the house. They have no idea what they are doing and all that entails in keeping a house to run smoothly. Why? Because of inexperience. It is why God entrusted certain people to be parents. This would also be true for babies in Christ... and then we grow up.
Satisfaction comes as we learn more about ourselves in Christ, just as Jesus did when his parents went looking for Him and was found in the temple. He answered them that He has to be about His Father's business (Luke 2:48-50 KJV). He was reading about Himself and asking questions of the clergyman. He gained an understanding of His calling as He read more about the Word. It is what we are also called to do. To be discontent is a sure sign of what you are not doing in Christ and therefore your questions of why have been answered.
Knowing that it impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6 KJV), He, being a good Father, answered all of our whims way back when. We didn't know any better, but each day as we drew ourselves closer to Him and finding more about Him, He showed us our faults and we changed what we could while He did everything else. We are willing and obedient. That's how we got as far as we have. When I recall that vision or dream on the cliff, if I ever see that again, I know what to say and do. First, I would no longer be in the dark. Second, I know that the Holy Spirit leads me away from danger. And third, if ever a voice tells me to do something that I would question the sanity of it, instead of just venturing forth as some have preached, taking that huge leap of faith and it could be to my death, I will whip out the many tools that my Father has given me to test that voice to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1-6 AMP). Because even though, it was a dream, one thing that God will do in those dreams is speak to us. If it isn't a warning then it will tell something about ourselves that we need to get straightened out. Still having the questions of why with all that we have to do means you decided not to do what you were told.
The time is coming sooner then we know. We have been warned ever since coming into the knowledge of the truth. God is still seeing when the bride is ready without that spot or wrinkle. I declare being a part of the body of Christ daily. I try to make sure there are no cob webs in my closet by renewing my mind daily, checking the cleanliness of my heart, and the death of the flesh. My walk in the Spirit has been tested more then I can count and when the voice of the Lord is quieter then usual, I know I am still going through one of those tests again. I wake in the middle of the night and pray because He has trained me to do so. When I hear people talk I am more apt to listen then make a reply (James 1:19 AMP). There have been times when the conversation was so juicy, I had a load to add, but had to remain quiet to learn those lessons- life lessons or deal with the consequences later. It is much easier to listen then it is to gossip and easy is the path we are supposed to be on anyway (Matthew 11:29-30 AMP).
Watch. Pray. Listen. What's hard about that?
Showing posts with label bride of Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bride of Christ. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A Peculiar People
Having to move through out my childhood, it was increasingly hard to fit in. Both of my parents were in the service and every three years there was a new state or country to be introduced to. Being known as the new one on the block was one thing but weird because we didn't talk like everyone else was something different. Once a handful of people got use to us, my father received his orders to be stationed elsewhere and it started all over again. Mom was finished with her military career after a couple of years but it seemed like Dad was going to stay for a lifetime. People were envious of us because of the traveling all over the world and the United States, but there is always a side that others don't see and could never see because of the envy.
In all of the travel we were a sheltered bunch. My father put himself out there as the provider and took all of the pressure that was sent our way. We, the children, didn't feel anything. Then when the split of my parents occured we could see it in my mother's face what my father seemed to take with ease. She still did her part in sheltering us from the harsh cruel world though Dad did it with such finese. By the time we were independent enough to stand on our own, not only did we have to recuperate from culture shock, never being in the same residence with our own ethnicity, but how our own ethnicity treated each other in general. Societal norms were nothing what we thought they were.
Once we became stable for more than three years for the first time in our lives, we realized that we could develop friendships. We didn't know how hard that would be until we actually tried to do it. When getting some advice from Mom, she had her own issues to deal with having to provide for a family of five for the first time. Her answer was to be happy that we have siblings close to our age and we could be friends to each other. Great, a means to be even weirder. But to Mom it was a means to keep each other safe while she was at work.
Looking at our situation now as a grown woman with grown children of my own, I can see that wolves were everywhere. Mom had three young daughters and seemed to be scared all of the time. Men were constantly coming around pretending to be interested when the prospects were more than a middle aged woman and a son didn't seem to be much of a threat. Mom would come home at night using public transportation. She was mugged twice but never physically harmed. My brother tried to help make ends meet with a paper route and was mugged twice as well but not physically harmed. Though it seemed to be rough, I know now other people had it much worse.
It took awhile for us to realize that Mayberry was a ficticiuos place that some writer made up. The village that it took to raise a child was somewhere that most people don't know about. Villages these days had wrought ironed window sills with hiddened loaded weapons and hints of road rage against pedestrians much less caring about the welfare of some wayward child.
About 20 years ago I recalled trying to hold back tears thinking that some day people would become so callous that if someone fainted off the side of the road on a busy sidewalk, bystanders would walk over the person thinking that their agenda was more important and someone else will call 911. I reconciled myself by thinking that because of the Holy Spirit, it would never get that way. Then my baby sister decided to do a social experiment in college (before it became popular to do). She dressed up as a homeless person just to see who would help her if she really needed it. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be though it was bad. She received an A. 10 years later my son contemplated giving a homeless man any money when asked. He gave, but couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the homeless man from somewhere before. He watched the man for a time and when people weren't giving as much and he got tired; my son watched this man walk a distance, get into his car, and drive to his home not just a few blocks away. The next day the man was at the same place asking for money and every day afterwards.
God said that He was going to gather His treasure which would be a peculiar people that have been set apart from everyone. As you can see from this synopsis, who else could judge which is more peculiar than the other (Titus 2:14 KJV)? What use to be normal is now considered strange. Divorce, foreigners, and a single mother use to be strange. Begging for money in a public place and looking homeless use to be strange. Pretending to be homeless whether for a grade or to get some fast cash use to be strange. Stepping over someone in need was considered very strange... actually unheard of. What will the bride be made of? Which of God's people is considered peculiar. Who will be apart of that nation? Is it you who is strange or peculiar?
In all of the travel we were a sheltered bunch. My father put himself out there as the provider and took all of the pressure that was sent our way. We, the children, didn't feel anything. Then when the split of my parents occured we could see it in my mother's face what my father seemed to take with ease. She still did her part in sheltering us from the harsh cruel world though Dad did it with such finese. By the time we were independent enough to stand on our own, not only did we have to recuperate from culture shock, never being in the same residence with our own ethnicity, but how our own ethnicity treated each other in general. Societal norms were nothing what we thought they were.
Once we became stable for more than three years for the first time in our lives, we realized that we could develop friendships. We didn't know how hard that would be until we actually tried to do it. When getting some advice from Mom, she had her own issues to deal with having to provide for a family of five for the first time. Her answer was to be happy that we have siblings close to our age and we could be friends to each other. Great, a means to be even weirder. But to Mom it was a means to keep each other safe while she was at work.
Looking at our situation now as a grown woman with grown children of my own, I can see that wolves were everywhere. Mom had three young daughters and seemed to be scared all of the time. Men were constantly coming around pretending to be interested when the prospects were more than a middle aged woman and a son didn't seem to be much of a threat. Mom would come home at night using public transportation. She was mugged twice but never physically harmed. My brother tried to help make ends meet with a paper route and was mugged twice as well but not physically harmed. Though it seemed to be rough, I know now other people had it much worse.
It took awhile for us to realize that Mayberry was a ficticiuos place that some writer made up. The village that it took to raise a child was somewhere that most people don't know about. Villages these days had wrought ironed window sills with hiddened loaded weapons and hints of road rage against pedestrians much less caring about the welfare of some wayward child.
About 20 years ago I recalled trying to hold back tears thinking that some day people would become so callous that if someone fainted off the side of the road on a busy sidewalk, bystanders would walk over the person thinking that their agenda was more important and someone else will call 911. I reconciled myself by thinking that because of the Holy Spirit, it would never get that way. Then my baby sister decided to do a social experiment in college (before it became popular to do). She dressed up as a homeless person just to see who would help her if she really needed it. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be though it was bad. She received an A. 10 years later my son contemplated giving a homeless man any money when asked. He gave, but couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the homeless man from somewhere before. He watched the man for a time and when people weren't giving as much and he got tired; my son watched this man walk a distance, get into his car, and drive to his home not just a few blocks away. The next day the man was at the same place asking for money and every day afterwards.
God said that He was going to gather His treasure which would be a peculiar people that have been set apart from everyone. As you can see from this synopsis, who else could judge which is more peculiar than the other (Titus 2:14 KJV)? What use to be normal is now considered strange. Divorce, foreigners, and a single mother use to be strange. Begging for money in a public place and looking homeless use to be strange. Pretending to be homeless whether for a grade or to get some fast cash use to be strange. Stepping over someone in need was considered very strange... actually unheard of. What will the bride be made of? Which of God's people is considered peculiar. Who will be apart of that nation? Is it you who is strange or peculiar?
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