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. 

Treading Water

 

When treading water you are doing what it takes to keep your head above water while not really moving forward. In other words, you're often doing what it takes to survive. Doing basic movements while gaining no ground in moving ahead. 

While treading water you can give your body a break from heavy physical exertion. However, you can only tread water so long before even this wears you out. At the worn out point a swimmer leans forward and floats (dead man's float) to give the legs and arms a break. 

Sometimes in life we can feel like we're treading water physically and mentally. We're just doing the basics to get through each day. This is ok but we must remember that while we're treading we are making no headway. We're only maintaining. 

I know very well what this is like. I felt like I had been treading water where my health is concerned for several years. A year ago I did something to move forward in correcting my health. Now I am on the mend and have knowledge to not be stuck treading water in my health anymore. 

I have also felt as though my husband and I have been treading water in life at home and at church for quite some time. Life has been a blur the past couple of years and we're tired. We have even had to do the dead man's float a few times. We finally took steps recently after a year of praying about what to do to make choices to move forward in a different direction. Now a lot of pressure and stress has been lifted. 

Sometimes treading water in life is absolutely necessary. Some days the bare essentials are all we can muster. With our minds consumed with the trials we're facing, our mental state is effected which in turn effects our physical state. So, it's ok during these times to tread or even float temporarily as we figure out what's next. 

Whose Lives Matter?

 

This post may upset some people but it's been weighing on my mind for some time now. In the past few months there has been a surge on Facebook of information and posts about pedophilia and sex and human trafficking. Awareness is always a good thing. Knowledge and truths will most definitely help save lives from abuse, destruction and death. I feel very strongly that every effort should be made to stop these dangerous practices.  

However, along with the posted information some have posted things such as "All lives matter except for pedophiles". When I read those, it made me cringe as I thought about what Jesus would say about that. See, I believe Jesus died for every person. Implying that a pedophile can't be saved is deciding which sins can and can't be forgiven and which people can and cannot be saved. I believe whosoever means anyone and each one who will accept the saving grace. Like I have stated before in a recent post, Jesus even died for those who will not accept Him. This is the all and the whosoever. I'd like to point out that God had to reach down just a far to save my wretched soul as he does the murderer, rapist, thief, and pedophile. When it comes to salvation from hell, liars, gossips, gluttons, and idolaters are equal sinners. God demands perfection and the only way to be perfect is to have the blood of Jesus covering you and applied to your sin debt. This is called imputed righteousness. It means that when you die, God will look at you and if you have accepted Jesus as your savior, He will see the righteousness of Christ and not your sin. 

So, to say that a pedophile's life doesn't matter is, in my opinion, wrong. Do I think they are sick? Yes. Do I think they should be punished for their wrong doing? Absolutely! They should be punished in a just and appropriate and fitting way. This may possibly include death for the heinous crime but it doesn't mean their life doesn't matter to God. Jesus in the gospels told us not to call anyone worthless. Sometimes in our humanness it's hard not to call someone that when we see a wasted life or one that causes harm. I've seen people who have turned their lives around and left drug or alcohol addictions behind. I've seen others mess up and do jail time but then straighten their life out and walk the right path from then on. Do their lives matter? Yes. No one has to stay what they once were or make the same mistakes they did in the past. I realize many do, but there are many who do not. Praise the Lord, I'm not what I once was! I am not what I hope to be but I can continue to strive towards my better self as long as I have breath left. Maybe the pedophile or so called worthless person you have a low opinion of just needs Jesus. Will you tell them about Him?