Shining Some Light On Today's Bad News

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible--and everything that is illuminated becomes a light."   ... Ephesians 5:11,12


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Generally, I don't blog about our Country's Bad News, mostly because of that rather strong "shameful to even mention it" part in the verse above. So you won't see a post or Facebook status about Bad News from me just to, la dee da, pass it along.

Uh,  no. But if I can use it to shine some light, to keep it from happening to someone else then, sometimes, I'll go ahead for light's sake.

So, going ahead... 

It's been eons since I soaked in The Bad News, but today I did. You know, sat and bathed in the reporting about the horrible, unfair deaths in Roanoke.

First of all, if you are one of those people who would ask me, "But what about all the thousands of deaths over in ______?", well, cool it. God did not whip up only one single batch of human cookie dough then press the same gingerbread man cutter into it. We're not all exactly alike.

Uh, no. He gave each of us different concerns (and callings and gifts) so that all needs would be covered, everywhere. (That is, when we're faithful to do our unique part.) Otherwise we'd all care only about one segment of humanity and what about all the rest?

Er hem. Moving on.

This morning's tragedy? Such a clear example of what can happen to blamers--people who believe all their problems stem from other folks, never themselves. Blamers never grow-up. They don't forgive. They don't change the world (for the good) and they don't accept responsibility for their mistakes nor do they move on from feeling like victims. They just fume, grow bitter, open all the dark doors of self-pity and count their hurts, rather than blessings, one by one. 

And eventually, they explode, implode--or both.

And that's also what makes me nervous when I read those little poems that touchy nice people share, the ones that end with, "And that's why I'm thankful I'm a sensitive person!"

Yes, God makes sensitive people--but--for a specific reason: so they'll be sensitive to the needs of others. So they'll know when others are hurting and need encouragement/a gift/someone to listen.

But God did not make sensitive people so they could always be offended and licking their wounds and crying on their couches about the friends/others who did not speak to them with just the perfect words in just the perfect way.

Yeah, ouch. But! This is the 'grow-up stuff' which has set me free and totally jerked me away from becoming an offended blamer who just wanted to become a hermit in a cabin when she grew up.

And oh, how marvelous to be set free.

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"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."   ... Matthew 24:10

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."   ... Ephesians 4:32

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Wondering how my visit with Sally went last Wednesday? We talked so much that we didn't actually watch The Price is Right.  :) She told me all about her granddaughter's wedding, showed me her bouquet and even gave me two of the reception favors. Oh, I do love clever reception favors, especially when they are cute, handy things like these:

They're filled with a chili mix of spices. Yum! I've been sprinkling bits into my crockpot. Misty and Cameron were married in the country inside a barn used exclusively for weddings and the reception was held in another building on the farm property. Nifty, right?

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Months ago Kristi recommended the series at Netflix called, Granite Flats and finally Tom and I watched the first episode yesterday.

Oh my! It's like The X-Files meets The Wonder Years. (Yeah, it's that quirky.)

We enjoyed it much and look forward to more.

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