Vulnerability Creates a Sharing Atmosphere

 

Vulnerable means to be susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. Many people are vulnerable due to their age, illness, disability or prior emotional or physical abuse. One might be vulnerable to being taken advantage of because of their mental capacity. Another might be vulnerable to serious illness because of another pre-existing condition such as pneumonia due to COPD or neuropathy due to diabetes. A veteran may be vulnerable to the sounds of gunfire, a car backfiring or hearing fireworks due to PTSD. Most people do not like the feeling of being vulnerable. It causes anxiety and stress. Most everyone has something about them that makes them feel vulnerable and most do their best to hide these things from others. 

Often times the things that make us vulnerable are things built up in our own minds. Things like past mistakes that still haunt us or fears about the future. We tend to not forgive ourselves for past mistakes and we tend to worry about things that may come to pass but usually don't. 

I want to talk about the powerful effect that can come from opening up and being vulnerable to others. We are often fearful to let people see us up close and personal. We don't want to allow them to see our heart. To show our inner most feelings, emotions, fears, or even dreams. We may not like it but it's one of the bravest things we can do. Remember, it's not brave if we're not scared. When we make ourselves vulnerable and open up our truest emotions, dreams and fears, we create an atmosphere for others to connect and relate to what we are feeling and in turn open up to us or others. Support groups are great examples of this process. It can work for couples in marriage and for friendships. If you think about it, often times even couples who have been married many years still hide some of their deepest thoughts, fears and dreams from one another. It shouldn't be so but we humans are that way. Feeling vulnerable is just too scary to open up even to those we love most. If one half of the couple would just open up and become vulnerable the other would most likely reciprocate. 

Is there someone you need to share a deep seeded emotion, fear, or dream with? Why not begin sharing today? We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Not ever are we guaranteed tomorrow. Life can change in a heartbeat of time. Don't let those you love not truly know who you are. 

Love Helps Those Who Cannot Help Themselves

 

I was scanning radio stations recently and caught an old country song by Paul Overstreet with the title of this blog post. I don't often listen to secular music but when the cd player is broke and the talk radio station won't come in any longer, you find something to break up the silence. I think this particular song is a good one and I hadn't heard it in many years. It got me thinking about a possible blog post. 

The title is such a true statement. Love is something that happens when a body reaches out to help another who is unable to help themselves in a particular moment of time. It may be as simple as giving a hand to help them up a flight of steps or as extensive as loaning or giving money during a crisis. Maybe it's giving a hug or holding during a time of fear or extreme sadness. 

All of these examples are biblical. We see time and again in the bible where we are to have compassion on the needy. 

1 John 3:17 - But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

Deut. 15:11 - For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. (I'd like to point out that this verse reminds us that we will always have poor and needy people. Try as we may, there will never be equality as some think they will force. Neither do any commandments in the bible give permission to the governmental system to take from some and decide to give to others. We as INDIVIDUALS are to decide how and when to disperse to others)

There is the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. This is when the Lord is explaining "Love thy neighbour as thyself". 

These verses and the song referred to are very convicting. Empathy tugs at our heart strings and our emotions but compassion puts empathy into action. I've said this before, a clenched fist cannot give. It takes an open hand and an open heart to have compassion on someone in need and act. 

Romans 13:10 - Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Let's remember to help those who cannot help themselves and show forth the love of Christ.

Choosing to Stay or Go

 

I want to look at the blessings of staying and also of choosing to go. First, I want to look at what is gained from choosing to stay. 

Choosing to stay in a relationship through the hard times takes forgiveness, strength, endurance and courage. Pretty much, it builds character. Choosing love when you could so easily choose anger and bitterness shows willingness to work on the problem as you forgive and learn to accept the other person where they are as you also are growing and changing. 

Choosing to stay in school and work towards a goal brings self-satisfaction along with a degree and usually a good job. It gives training and knowledge. This can also come from an apprenticeship work program. 

Choosing to stay disciplined in a financial budget will bring financial gain for the future as you eliminate debt. With this comes freedom from slavery to bills. It gives you freedom to help and be a blessing to others. 

Choosing to stay in a close walk with the Lord brings peace, comfort and joy in this life. Choosing to take a stand on God's Word may not always be popular in this world but will always please God. Remember, we are as close with God as we choose to be at any given time.

Next, I want to look at what blessings can come from choosing to go. Sometimes, a relationship, job, or situation is completely toxic and we must remove ourselves from the situation. I have long said that life is too short to be miserable. It is also too short to compromise our physical or mental health. 

While change is often scary, it can also be exciting if we look at it like an opportunity to explore. Explore the best of ourselves or for ourselves. Learning what is best for us by making new choices which can include walking away from certain situations, can be liberating and bring blessings in the end. 

Choosing to eliminate harmful foods, habits, or addictions is another form of choosing to go. The blessings that come from this are obvious. Better physical and mental health! 

Your future lies before you like a shining path of snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show! Choose wisely and reap the blessing of each choice of staying or going. 

Being Knit Together in Love

 

The apostle Paul tells the Colossians that he wants their hearts to be comforted, being knit together in love. I want to look at how this happens. 

One of the main things that will knit people together is commonality. Having things in common draws people together. It's the whole point of social media groups. People create groups to share common interests, political views, religious views, or even tragedies. Support groups for common things people have gone through such as addictions or grieving a loss or parenthood of special needs children are all over social media sites. Just this week I joined 3 groups on MeWe for homesteading ideas, home decorating and cooking with cast iron. There are tons of ways to connect with folks of similar backgrounds and interests. Whatever your heart and soul is searching for, you can find a group to help you connect with someone seeking the same. 

Another thing that knits people together is tragedy. Families bond together over the loss of a loved one. Communities do the same thing as well as when a natural disaster hits or some other tragedy. When the shooting at Columbine happened or the Oklahoma City bombing or Hurricane Katrina or 9-11 or many other tragedies, the local communities, states and even the country as a whole mourned together and pitched in to help. For a time anyway, people were knit together in love and concern. 

A third way that knits people together is the bonding together against a common evil. This is what happened during the Revolutionary War. A group of states that, quite frankly, didn't necessarily care for one another individually bonded together to rise up against a tyrant nation. Police shows are common on TV and represent this thought perfectly. The partners on the police forces bond together against the "bad guy" criminals to stop them from further harm and try to bring justice to victims. 

In the case of Paul's letter, he was referring to the commonality of the saving grace and knowledge of Christ. He wanted them to take comfort in the knowledge that they shared the promises of God. Christians today can and are knit together in love because of our shared love of the Lord. Whatever differences we may have in theology, doctrine or ideals, we still share the fact that we have trusted Jesus as Savior and will share eternity with each other and God. 

Today you can probably think of someone with whom you will forever be knit together in love due to one of my reasons mentioned above. Smile when you think of them and maybe even reach out to them and let them know you thought of them. 

The Magnificent Stubborn Child

 

Dealing with stubborn children is down right frustrating at times. They test our limits as parents, grandparents, teachers and even siblings. Who hasn't wanted to haul off and hit our stubborn brother or sister while growing up?! They wanted everything their own way and wanted what was ours and to keep the peace, we were often told to just give it to them. Yeah, stubbornness is a difficult trait to deal with most of the time. 

I want to take time to point out the positives of a stubborn child. Yes! There are positives to look at and consider. 

One, they are adamant about what they think and want. Because of this, they are their own person and true to self. This makes them less likely to follow the crowd into trouble. They tend to be more of the leader type. Because they are adamant about their ideas and beliefs, they are very good debaters. They will argue their point until they are blue in the face! They will not be easily persuaded by friends, enemies, or parents to go against what they believe down deep. 

Two, stubborn also means determined. They will be less likely to give up on their goals. Studies show that the most stubborn children are often the most successful in life and business adventures. When their determination kicks in, they rarely give up on whatever they are pursuing. The greatest athletes were often stubborn children. Usually, parents of great athletes were able to redirect and steer their child's stubbornness in a positive direction. Their dedication to their goal brings the well paid professional athlete or Olympic medalist. 

So while the stubborn child is testing your patience daily, take a deep breath and try to remember that someday they may be the president of a company or the country, leader of an army, or a great inventor or entrepreneur.  

Relativity Paints Perspective

 

I think I may have touched on this subject a few years ago but feel compelled to blog about it. It's interesting to me how the things that are relative to our lives paint our point of view. 

Until cancer hits close to home with invading someone we hold dear, we don't necessarily jump on the band wagon of fundraising events or donating to the causes of cancer prevention or treatment. Physical, mental, and sexual abuse or human trafficking get little attention until it happens to someone we know. 

Alzheimer's disease and dementia and dealing with parents or grandparents with those diseases gets little sympathy or empathy until it happens in your own life or a close friend's life. 

I can go on and on with different things that happen in lives of people around the globe, but I think you get the jest of what I'm driving at. Once you experience something in your own life or at least see it up close and personal you begin searching online to learn more about it. You may even join a support group in person or online to help in understanding and to find support from someone in the same boat. That's how it was for me with Hashimoto's. I had never even heard of it before my diagnosis. Before I started doing ABA therapy with a little boy with autism, I knew a little but I educated myself on autism when I had to deal with it closely. Now, I recognize the typical symptoms in people, even adults because of my experiences and personal research on the subject. 

After getting saved and deciding to live my life for the Lord, my perspective was and is drastically painted by the Word of God. The Christian life, the teachings of the Bible and church life is relative in my life. It's so relative that I can quickly see in others when it's not relative to them. They don't care what the Bible says or think God is ok with them ignoring it. 

The US Constitution is relative to me, also. It's the very fiber of what our country is made of. Freedoms are constantly being taken from the average citizen and quite frankly makes me infuriated. For those who don't know and understand the Constitution, there's very little bearing on their lives. If the freedoms spelled out in our Constitution are not upheld, some people care not at all. I don't get it but I realize that relativity paints perspective. 

While God Is In Control

 

Since the election and while we're still waiting on conclusive results, people have been all over Facebook telling people not to fret because God is the one in control. Well, I want to talk about that topic for just a bit. While yes, His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are past finding out, I do think that there is some cause for apprehension. I fully believe that everything that happens in life is either ordained by God (He made it happen) or allowed by God (He allows us to reap the consequences of our choices). 

Just because God is in control doesn't mean that Christians will be spared all trials and consequences of a nation that has ultimately turned from Him as a whole. Let's look at history. God was in control when He allowed the Israelites (His CHOSEN people) to be in bondage for 400 years. He was in control when He made them wander in the desert for 40 years because of unbelief and trust in Him until all those who had not trusted died off the scene with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. In other words, even the innocent were allowed to go through these things. 

Skip forward to New Testament times. Tell John the Baptist that God was in control when he had his head cut off. Tell Stephen who was stoned to death as Saul held the coats of them that murdered him. Tell the apostle Paul who was imprisoned, beaten and left for dead, shipwrecked, and ultimately martyred for the cause of Christ. Tell the apostle John who was dipped in boiling oil and exiled to the island of Patmos. Tell David Livingston, Jim Elliot, Ronni Bowers, and William Borden. 

Telling me to be calm because God is in control doesn't truly help the situation. I trust God's Will but fully understand that I am not exempt from all harm because of that trust. My prayer for years almost daily has been for God to not punish the righteous with the wicked. Some think that what is happening in our political world and all across the country will just usher in the rapture. Maybe so and I do believe that before the true tribulation period starts, I will be out of here. But, as I have expressed on this blog before, I am living proof of what a person can live through! Again, ask Paul and John! I fully believe that if socialism is ushered in to this country, it will be solely because the country as a whole has turned from God and His Word. I will also blame Christians who couldn't bring themselves to vote for a man with what they believe is low character. Yet, they chose a career politician who takes a stand straight against God's Word and who chose a communist running mate solely based on gender and skin color! At their first complaint when it gets bad, if I'm still here, I will laugh and say, "you made your own mess". 

Yes, God is in control always! But He allows free will and consequences to those free choices.