Monday, February 24, 2014

Oh, The Consequences!


"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."   ...  Galations 6:8


*****

Remember the old show Bob Barker hosted, the one called Truth or Consequences?

I'd watch at 6-years-old, laying in front of the tv, my elbows upon a pillow and enjoy the shenanigans, but when they'd show reunions between wives and their servicemen husbands or family members separated by time and distance? I'd lower my face to my pillow to hide my tears from all the non-criers in the room.Those reunions! They'd catch in my throat, hurt and bring tears, but oh. They were my favorite part.

Yes, me in the 1st grade. Goofy, I know.

Well, now there's a show on TNT all about reunions and early each Saturday morning from The Red Couch I watch with my mandatory kleenex and feel like that 6-year-old all over again. This one's called APB and stars Troy Dunn whose passion/calling is to reunite families and friends.

I. Love. This. Show.

For the reunion portions? Well, yes, of course, but also because we're shown every week the (scary!) power and consequences of our choices. How they can mightily be rippling decades later, still hurting or helping long after we made them.

Like the choices to engage in premarital sex or affairs while married ... and babies which resulted and were given away sometimes to good families, other times to bad ... 

... and then children wondering why they were cast away, feeling incomplete, inadequate, tempted to childishly imagine "Life As It Could Have Been," rather than accepting "Life As It Is" and determining to make Life better today.

Or children snatched away because parents chose to dabble in drugs or liquor, which swept them down river, causing them to waste all money and to neglect their kids inside horrible homes and circumstances. Young siblings torn apart emotionally and then physically into separate homes, missing out on what God planned--childhoods spent together amongst stable parents.

And then these grown-up children spending years and money searching for the sisters and brothers they lost, sometimes finding them in time, sometimes not.

And other cases where rashly-chosen words caused loved ones to flee for decades, choosing to accept what happened, but hurting, still. Some choosing to move on and love another, some choosing walls, instead, and living alone.

Human nature. It fascinates me.

I remember one girl on APB with the world's weight etched into her face who'd come to reunite with her older sister (a lovely woman who'd healed and was a true light), but twice she said, "I can't do this," and nearly walked out before the reunion. I almost heard the lies taunting her, urging her to run rather than stay for help, the help her sister promised. Satan loves to see us run back to our pits and avoid the teachers who can help set us free.

Anyway. I love shows which God uses to teach me lessons about people and myself and I want to continue learning forever, veering from possible mistakes. I desire more wisdom. More light. And then to show more love from those lessons taught me upon the screen or anyplace where God points me.





**********

 "Do not forsake Wisdom, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you."   ... Proverbs 4:6

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many."   ... Matthew 7:13


*****


Tom arrived home safely on Saturday..... yay! We shared a wonderful reunion weekend together and we thank you for your prayers for Tom's safe travel!


*****

Did you miss those two weeks of Olympic action like I did? Never fear. You can get caught up on it all in just two minutes here

Ha! Now, that's my idea of saving time!  :)




2 comments:

Terra said...

Those stories of reunions are powerful. I don't watch that show but know what you mean. Today a friend of mine on Facebook found her long lost sister, on Facebook, and they are going to meet. How neat is that!

Bonnie said...

Welcome home, Tom! I can just see you two cuddling on your sofa, snow falling outside. : ) I've seen the guy who reunites people...maybe on Dr. Phil or some other show. I'll have to see if I get his show on our DISH network.