Zombie: The body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less...
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I'm big about regularly shooing the zombies out of my life. You know, those dead things which used to be alive, but now only appear to be.
Like books I once loved, but now am all, "Eh. Who cares?" about. Go keeping every dead-to-you book (whose covers still appear bright as ever) and your house will someday become a hard-to-walk-around-in zombie book tomb.
And trinkets! That paper mache cat we excitedly bought in 1985 can represent who we were back then-- but now, in 2013--we can have morphed into someone different (hopefully better), and what we've got now is a 1985 zombie cat. The cat's still there, still cute, but--the life our desire gave him--drained away. He's pretty much sitting there, well, dead.
And if we don't regularly release those kinds of zombies--the trinkets, doodads and clothes, etc., which no longer belong--the death piles up and we find ourselves living inside a stopped-up, overflowing hoard of dusty, lifeless zombies.
Our zombie ministries to others which we keep trying to puff life into. The zombie tv shows we watch only because we always have. The zombie flowers we still grow in the yard even though they've made our skin crawl since 2007.
And sadly, we can have zombie friendships, also. Two old friends, but now only one gives, the other always takes--or does nothing at all.
Dead zombie friendships are hard to let go of--I know. I had one die back in 2010, though we've spoken a few times since and anyone looking probably thought our friendship appeared fine. But it was the zombie thing all over. Only an appearance of life, but no heartbeat.
Yet the death of that particular old friendship happened so oddly. Suddenly. And as I pondered its demise, the more I saw God's fingers all over it. I've not found Him to do slow, lingering relationship-deaths in my life, no, usually the sever is quick.
And in this case I'm assured of one thing--I would be in error to try to resuscitate what God, Himself, ended.
The refreshing thing? I blame no one, have no hard feelings toward my former friend and am not pining for that from which God released me. I'm just recalling the fun in the years we spent together, the lessons--and feeling grateful.
Oh, that we would always see God behind the scenes! That we'd remember for more than ten seconds that to everything there is a season, a time, a purpose under Heaven. A time to be born--and a time to die.
And oh, that we'd treasure aliveness and never welcome any zombie into our lives, our homes, for even one moment. Life just might change into something altogether different, alive, if all zombies were shooed quickly away.
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Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)
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Oh! Almost forgot. Tom and I watched a wonderful old movie last night from the instant films at Netflix. It's called The Scarf. Wow, great story (give it ten minutes, or so, at the beginning to grow on you) and the filming in spots was beautiful--made our tv feel like a huge movie screen and we felt as though we were there. I think many of you would love it.
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I'm big about regularly shooing the zombies out of my life. You know, those dead things which used to be alive, but now only appear to be.
Like books I once loved, but now am all, "Eh. Who cares?" about. Go keeping every dead-to-you book (whose covers still appear bright as ever) and your house will someday become a hard-to-walk-around-in zombie book tomb.
And trinkets! That paper mache cat we excitedly bought in 1985 can represent who we were back then-- but now, in 2013--we can have morphed into someone different (hopefully better), and what we've got now is a 1985 zombie cat. The cat's still there, still cute, but--the life our desire gave him--drained away. He's pretty much sitting there, well, dead.
And if we don't regularly release those kinds of zombies--the trinkets, doodads and clothes, etc., which no longer belong--the death piles up and we find ourselves living inside a stopped-up, overflowing hoard of dusty, lifeless zombies.
Our zombie ministries to others which we keep trying to puff life into. The zombie tv shows we watch only because we always have. The zombie flowers we still grow in the yard even though they've made our skin crawl since 2007.
And sadly, we can have zombie friendships, also. Two old friends, but now only one gives, the other always takes--or does nothing at all.
Dead zombie friendships are hard to let go of--I know. I had one die back in 2010, though we've spoken a few times since and anyone looking probably thought our friendship appeared fine. But it was the zombie thing all over. Only an appearance of life, but no heartbeat.
Yet the death of that particular old friendship happened so oddly. Suddenly. And as I pondered its demise, the more I saw God's fingers all over it. I've not found Him to do slow, lingering relationship-deaths in my life, no, usually the sever is quick.
And in this case I'm assured of one thing--I would be in error to try to resuscitate what God, Himself, ended.
The refreshing thing? I blame no one, have no hard feelings toward my former friend and am not pining for that from which God released me. I'm just recalling the fun in the years we spent together, the lessons--and feeling grateful.
Oh, that we would always see God behind the scenes! That we'd remember for more than ten seconds that to everything there is a season, a time, a purpose under Heaven. A time to be born--and a time to die.
And oh, that we'd treasure aliveness and never welcome any zombie into our lives, our homes, for even one moment. Life just might change into something altogether different, alive, if all zombies were shooed quickly away.
*******
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
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Oh! Almost forgot. Tom and I watched a wonderful old movie last night from the instant films at Netflix. It's called The Scarf. Wow, great story (give it ten minutes, or so, at the beginning to grow on you) and the filming in spots was beautiful--made our tv feel like a huge movie screen and we felt as though we were there. I think many of you would love it.
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4 comments:
Oh how I love this post. A friend I had and loved like a sister for over 20 years and my daughter loved her like an aunt. Just up and wanted nothing to do with us. We have no idea why. We apologized for what we did not know. We asked what was wrong and was told nothing. So we just stood there looking on and wondering why. We missed her and her family. We sent cards, we tried to repair it. But got no where. One day we stopped. It still hurt but we had done all we could. Now, I see God's hand in it all. I wanted to buy her something the other day and then remember oh...we are no longer friends. It was something I remembered she had wanted. I was able to give that thought to God. Thank you for this post.
Excellent post Debra! I will forever look at things and relationships defferenly now. I also watched Hoarders last night and thought that there was no way Dolores would ever let go of her stuff. I was pleasantly supprised by how everything turned out. My first husband was a hoarder and it drove me up the wall. He hoarded useful things but also trash like Diana.
Tis true about friendships. We have also been trashed by kin in even more severe ways (but at least it was because they did not agree with our theology and nothing to do with what we DID!) But there is some pain. But most of the pain can go away, with time. Even when it happens from a child...or more exactly the spouse of the child causes it to be. It takes time...years, but eventually the desire to be with them, to even wonder much about their lives, goes away. I am not sure why these things happen but I so agree with what Joseph told his brothers: YOU meant it to me for EVIL, But GOD meant it to me for GOOD!!!" Perhaps one day in the Kingdom, it will become clear as to why things had to happen. But it may just not be important then too. Either way, twill be ok. IS ok. When I look at some situations in our lives, I am amazed at how happy we are able to be!! And grateful to our REAL FATHER!! We are living out not our planned journey, but another we did not plan. And it is still good.
Blessings, Elizabeth in VA
I so enjoyed Another Nudge to let things go. I need that. I have let go of things but a ways to go yet. Especially books. I have found it easier when I can find someone who can use the ones I have. That is not possible always though so just giving them to the library or thrift store has to be sadly. So many of my books are ones I seldom see any more in the used stores. Which is where I buy all my books. I know,... they are on Amazon.:) :) I had a neighbor who shut me out cold all of a sudden even though I begged her for weeks to say why. When she finally said why it was the stupidest reason. I had to have her repeat it twice to make sure I heard her right!! A little bit of nothing and it was not even something I had done. This was not the first odd happening between us. Now I realize I might have been best to just let this relationship drop. Neighbors who are still neighbors are a bit hard to stay away from though! :) We have backed off a bit by bit though. They are older and they know we are there if they need us but we don't visit as often like we once did. We have had other couples through the years that when groups of women are alone they bad mouth their husbands. Actually they belittle them some even to their faces when we are at their homes. This is terribly uncomfortable and we don't agree with this. I have tried to say so as sweetly as I can when they turn to me and want me to dish. This group of people too we felt we finally had to stop seeing socially. I thought we were to help build up others not tear down marriages. I do not want to know the details of others married life and it seems many women think it perfectly ok to say all. Not to me. Where is the loyalty to others? The love? I don't want to appear judgmental but it is so sad to me that manners and such are so shoved aside by so many. I am sure people who lived in 1900 thought the 1960s and later had changed so many things too but still pride in your families reputation and such hopefully was still there. At least I saw it. I first encountered this mentality in the middle 70s when I moved to different part of the country and almost felt like I landed on another planet! :-) Enough of this ramble. Best I concentrate on me and what I need to do God is telling me to do. I have enough to learn and do.
Thanks for the movie idea. The last one you mentioned I put on my Netflix Q and it said there was a long waiting list for it! :-) Maybe more people read your recommendations that even you know!!!!! :-) :-) Sarah
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