"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." ... Hebrews 12:11
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Remember how I mentioned searching for new blogs? Well, yesterday I googled 'quirky Christian blogs' and found a quirky one, indeed, one by John Acuff. (A Christian with an actual sense of humor. Wow. How rare, how marvelous.)
One of his posts was titled, Why Are Christians Such Jerks? Given my own 'tests' lately, I found that post refreshing. heh.
One thing I've seen God do for me? He sometimes uses a God Vacuum to suck people out of my life. They just mysteriously fade away! I look back now and remember how offended I became when certain friends disappeared, but later on? Oh, later on came and I saw only God's kindness in removing them, in keeping me from being held back. Or under.
Then this morning I realized a certain relative unfriended me at Facebook (moi?)--a relative who'd been pecking at my head like a deranged seagull. At first I was offended--noticed this person hadn't unfriended our other relatives....harumph. But oh, later on... Later on I thanked God for that bit of divine favor.
I mean, do I really neeeed deranged seagulls pecking at my head, even if they are relatives? Uh, I'm thinkin,' no. God's got me too busy helping others for me to be taking 'personal days' off to recover from wounds, the kind blood relatives, especially, can inflict.
Friends walking away. Relatives unfriending you at Facebook. Learn to squint your eyes and peer closely through the fog of offense and you just might see God's very fingers picking-up those people from the nape of the neck and whisking them away as a favor to you.
Divine favor: It doesn't always flutter down from Heaven like an angel parting the sea so to make your day sweeter. Instead, sometimes it appears more like fingers jerking off a band-aid zip! rather than pulling it back slowly, extending the pain.
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"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." ... Isaiah 55:8
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Sigh.
Last Halloween Tom and I handed out candy to probably 20 trick-or-treaters and enjoyed the whole process and those cute, excited faces. This year Tom had to work that night so I planned on giving out candy alone, but I forgot to buy any that morning so I thought, oh well. Must not have been meant to be.
Oh dear. On Halloween night from a very dark Hobbit Cottage, I stood at the windows and watched adorable trick-or-treaters climbing up steps to the houses all around us while their parents stood in the background probably thinking the same happy sorts of thoughts I did while taking Naomi trick-or-treating decades ago.
I so regretted missing an opportunity to be kind. Gah. Tom and I have already decided next year we're handing out candy for sure.
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Sigh.
Last Halloween Tom and I handed out candy to probably 20 trick-or-treaters and enjoyed the whole process and those cute, excited faces. This year Tom had to work that night so I planned on giving out candy alone, but I forgot to buy any that morning so I thought, oh well. Must not have been meant to be.
Oh dear. On Halloween night from a very dark Hobbit Cottage, I stood at the windows and watched adorable trick-or-treaters climbing up steps to the houses all around us while their parents stood in the background probably thinking the same happy sorts of thoughts I did while taking Naomi trick-or-treating decades ago.
I so regretted missing an opportunity to be kind. Gah. Tom and I have already decided next year we're handing out candy for sure.
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5 comments:
Deranged seagulls.., I get that.
Heh, had to laugh, deranged seagulls. Well, you are not alone in having that kind of kin. Interesting...hubby and I were talking as we drove along yesterday about the people in our early married life, who had been so close to us, but in the next 5 years or so after we moved to other locations (military life does that)...no hear no more. Nice folks. People we got along with well. But seems they were of the type: "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you are with" (maybe you remember that old song too). And now? Had we remained close to them, no doubt we would have missed this faith path now we are on that has brought us such blessing. So we guess they had to go, cause THIS, today, was coming. It is interesting...sometimes it is the really nice folk that go (when we wish it was more of the deranged seagulls!!) Ha...
Elizabeth of VA
I guess we all have had a few deranged seagulls in our lives!! ..that is a perfect description!!! :) I guess I don't like it when someone gets to disliking me. I wonder what I did wrong etc. How did I hurt them etc. I forget all the times their pecking at me and their ways hurt me or caused me sleepless nights. When their ways were no longer my ways any more but since I had known them 'forever' I just thought I always would.
We get candy every year but for the last at least 5 years at least we have not had one child come to our door. We leave the door open and the lights on and even walk to the sidewalk hoping to see some but they don't come down our street any more. Most of the people here have high fences and dogs any more so I really don't blame them for not wanting to walking the extra long block to just have a few houses accessible to the kids. There are only a few neighborhood kids and we like to give them a special bag of candy and things and take it to their homes earlier in the day. These kids have not even ever come trick or treating on this street. Sarah
I've had God remove some people from my life but I'm not understanding the good in it yet. Oh well. Of facebook, I haven't noticed anyone unfriending me, but I've often wondered if any one has, since you hear about it. lol.
Halloween is one of those times that make me sad about being an empty-nester! But....we gave out lots of candy and enjoyed the little ones.
....almost forgot....thanks for the link to the christian blog. I've bookmarked it so I can peruse it later. : )
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