Today's Question

To be reflected on & answered later on....

Today's Question: What unexpected blessing has come out of the ashes of your pain?(https://twitter.com/SusieLarson/status/355379476152066048)

Ok, ok, it's later on already. Do I really have to do this? Blog about this? Answer this question? That's the trouble with these blogs. Once you know that someone else is at least ocassionally checking in and reading what you write, you have that irritating thing called "accountability" breathing down your neck, waiting for you to finish what you started. ugh. At least a paper journal you can just turn the page and nobody will ever know.

So my unexpected blessing, my beauty from ashes? Couldn't I save this for a sunny day, write about this after this rain and these ugly gloomy skies have passed? Alrighty then, Holy Spirit, you'd better juice me up here....I'm waiting...uh, hello up there???

Ok, seriously, let's just make this quick. Two things come to mind: 1. a more compassionate, non-judgemental attitude toward others..... and 2. a better understanding of God's Grace.

It used to be that I would sort of judge "those people" in these situations. I mean, doesn't the Bible say.... yeah, it does. But when you really are forced to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to live that same darkish nightmare, you get it. Suddenly you're that woman lying in a heap at Jesus' feet, her accusers holding stones, ready to stone her for her sin. You know it was wrong, but you also know what complicated junk and stuff that wasn't even your fault were mixed into your life that brought you to where you are. All you want is to be loved and accepted and given a second chance. I'm seeing that in other people now, as I see it in myself.

And that's where God's grace steps in. I used to think that, since I've known the Lord for so many years, and done this or that for Him, and even gave my testimony to groups of people in the past, blah, blah, blah, that somehow I wasn't allowed to get into messes like this and get away scot-free. (where does that expression come from anyway, and who the heck is scot???) ok then, I mean, to get away without condemnation? I mean, wouldn't I judge someone like that myself? Like a hypocritcal preacher who has to step down because he's caught in some horrible sin? Is there such thing as an unpardonable sin, especially if that person was previously known as such a good "church person"? ooh, ouch, now I sound just like those Pharisees and judgemental hypocrites of Jesus' day. God's grace is so great because of these very failures. I think He even allows these major life breakdowns to happen just to humble us, to show us what miserable wretches we are if we actually think that our years of serving the Lord would gain for us one speck of approval from the Almighty himself. Who are we to think such garbage????

ok, time to scrape myself off the floor. I'm humbled, Lord. Your grace is too good for me. Forgive me for ever thinking otherwise.

well there really is a third thing on my mind. It's more of a scary thing, than a beauty thing, but it's how real spiritual warfare is. Now of course Satan is but a pesky flea on the heel of our Lord Jesus Christ, but sometimes we get a glimpse of his sneaky evil schemes. Like.... I read recently of someone in a similar situation where they stopped going to church because they felt like everyone there was judging them. ooh, ouch. I know how they feel. But now, having read that from someone else's perspective, I realize what a bunch of you-know-what that is, that Satan is blinding them with. Sure, there will be people who judge, I admit, I was one of them, but most of it, I think, is exaggerated by the enemy to keep us out of fellowship, keep us from growing in our relationship with the Lord, and to keep us from damaging his kingdom by being a powerful witness to others about God's unexplainable grace.

So that's what I've learned so far. well, some of it anyway. I could go on...but I won't. less is more.

*sigh*. there. i did it. next question?? :-}

 

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