Maybe I'm the only one who has a breaking point. But I doubt it. In fact, I have a pretty high patience barrier. The problem with that is once I get to the edge of the barrier, well, let's just say - it's not pretty.
I've tried over the years to work on it - to do a better job of speaking my mind and letting people know waaaaaay before I get to the edge. In reading Exodus 32 I suddenly became aware of what may be missing from my equation. I need someone else who can see the wrath forming and talk me down off the ledge.
Even God, who desires to be merciful, has a breaking point and people - for whatever reason - keep taking him right to the point where he is ready to destroy everything and everyone. We get the earliest Biblical glimpse of this in Genesis 6:6-7:
"And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." (NKJV)
After that statement, He prepared Noah and his family to survive the wrath and then He brought the great flood and wiped the earth clean. God promised in Gen 8:21, " I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done."
Now - God promised not to destroy every living thing, but says nothing of some living things.
Another PTTE (Pushed to the Edge) moment comes in Gen 18 when God decides to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah. This time, though, God allows Abraham to filter the wrath.
Paraphrasing in TJae speak: But God, what if You can find 50 good folks? Will you let the city survive? How, bout 40, 30, 10? How bout JUST ONE really good person?
God, being God, took a few deep breaths and let Abraham go through this little negotiation ritual. Ultimately, God granted Abraham permission to save Lot and his family before wiping Sodom and Gomorrah from the face of the planet.
Between that point in Genesis and Exodus 32 there are some other places where God gets fed up and let's folk have it, but it was Exodus 32: 9-10 that really spoke to me that even God has His days and even God can want to renege on a promise when pushed too far and even God, sometimes, can use someone else to talk Him off the ledge.
"And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation." In verses 11-13, Moses (taking his own life in his hands) begins to plead with God to not go back on His word . . . to please spare the people. In verse 12 - he even tried to use 'you don't want folks to talk bad about you' as a reason for God to hold off His wrath.
Side note: Desperate times call for desperate measures - what made Moses think God cares what folks will say about Him?
Whatever the case - God, again, chose mercy over destruction and allowed Moses' wrath to replace the wrath of God.
Another side note: Sometimes we have to endure the laws/punishment of man to avoid the wrath of God.
I said aaaaaallllll that say this. The edge is real. Hopefully you have someone in your life who will intercede and talk you down off the ledge before you rain down destruction on everything and everyone around you. And hopefully, others will heed the warning. Soooo much better to go head to head with TJae than to upset God and have to deal with that.
I'm just sayin . . .
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Beautiful
Truth - I don't feel beautiful everyday. Despite being told so by my husband. Despite hearing it from sisterfriends. Despite people saying how beautiful my daughters are and how much they look like me.
Some days it does not ring true in my soul. Some days the reflection staring back at me from the mirror or glass-front building is a woman with miles and miles to go. It's not that I feel like I lack any particular attractiveness. I just don't feel beautiful.
Attractiveness is external. Beauty is deep. It's from the core of your being.
When someone doesn't feel beautiful (when I don't feel beautiful) it's difficult to act beautiful. It's difficult to smile or shine or be polite or let things roll off my back. It's difficult to breathe.
In order to be consistently beautiful, a person must see God in themself. Admittedly, there are many days when I look at the reflection and don't see God looking back at all. There's only me. There are many days when I have not wanted to see God looking back, for fear that He may be disappointed in what He sees.
Have you ever stood in a mirror and used the reflection to see someone behind you? Have you noticed that your reflected self can sometimes see beyond what you see yourself? At the very least, it has a different vantage point and can sometimes notice things you may have missed - like the person making rabbit ears behind your head or someone sneaking up to hug you. Suppose - the next time you're in a mirror - that the reflected self is the face of God. What would your reflection see in you? What would it see around you? Or behind you? Would your reflected self be pleased? Would your reflection be beautiful?
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."
My soul may know very well, but oftentimes, my flesh forgets. And when my flesh forgets - I will thank you to remind me. Tap me on my shoulder and remind me that I am beautiful because I look like my Father. And I will do the same for you.
Some days it does not ring true in my soul. Some days the reflection staring back at me from the mirror or glass-front building is a woman with miles and miles to go. It's not that I feel like I lack any particular attractiveness. I just don't feel beautiful.
Attractiveness is external. Beauty is deep. It's from the core of your being.
When someone doesn't feel beautiful (when I don't feel beautiful) it's difficult to act beautiful. It's difficult to smile or shine or be polite or let things roll off my back. It's difficult to breathe.
In order to be consistently beautiful, a person must see God in themself. Admittedly, there are many days when I look at the reflection and don't see God looking back at all. There's only me. There are many days when I have not wanted to see God looking back, for fear that He may be disappointed in what He sees.
Have you ever stood in a mirror and used the reflection to see someone behind you? Have you noticed that your reflected self can sometimes see beyond what you see yourself? At the very least, it has a different vantage point and can sometimes notice things you may have missed - like the person making rabbit ears behind your head or someone sneaking up to hug you. Suppose - the next time you're in a mirror - that the reflected self is the face of God. What would your reflection see in you? What would it see around you? Or behind you? Would your reflected self be pleased? Would your reflection be beautiful?
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."
My soul may know very well, but oftentimes, my flesh forgets. And when my flesh forgets - I will thank you to remind me. Tap me on my shoulder and remind me that I am beautiful because I look like my Father. And I will do the same for you.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
UFO Abduction
In our universe as we travel around the Son, occassionally we are visited by UFOs. While I do believe that there is likely life on other planet (vanity tells us otherwise), the UFOs to which I refer are not Unidentified Flying Objects. The UFOs that I see regularly and clearly are Unwanted Faith Obstacles.
They light up the sky. They distract us from what we know to be reality. They cause us to doubt our place on the planet.
These UFOs are present and lurking just behind every cloud. In places where we should see silver linings, instead we see UFOs. Perhaps, like me, you have had days where the whole world seems to be in order that are followed by days that seem to come for the sole purpose to steal the joy of the day before. This is a UFO - Unwanted Faith Obstacle - abduction.
We have a choice. We can go willingly with the adbuctor, participate in the experiment and be returned to our families a shell of who we were. We could take the "Close Encounters" approach and fight off the aliens. Either way - it seems there will be some battle wounds. It's hard to come in contact (brief or extended) with a UFO and walk away unchanged.
Perhaps we should take the astronomer's approach and watch for them, study them & learn how to interact with them in a peaceful way. We should remember our last encounter and figure out what we could have done differently in the last battle.
If they land successfully on your planet, they will call their friends. What happens next is up to us. We can try to take them on by ourselves, or we can take them to our leader.
As for me, I'm in Will Smith "Independence Day" mode. I'm taking the fight to them. The UFOs that come for me, will not find the planet friendly. They can come. I know they will. They always do. But when they come, they should know that I am prepared to fight and I am backed by the Most High God.
They light up the sky. They distract us from what we know to be reality. They cause us to doubt our place on the planet.
These UFOs are present and lurking just behind every cloud. In places where we should see silver linings, instead we see UFOs. Perhaps, like me, you have had days where the whole world seems to be in order that are followed by days that seem to come for the sole purpose to steal the joy of the day before. This is a UFO - Unwanted Faith Obstacle - abduction.
We have a choice. We can go willingly with the adbuctor, participate in the experiment and be returned to our families a shell of who we were. We could take the "Close Encounters" approach and fight off the aliens. Either way - it seems there will be some battle wounds. It's hard to come in contact (brief or extended) with a UFO and walk away unchanged.
Perhaps we should take the astronomer's approach and watch for them, study them & learn how to interact with them in a peaceful way. We should remember our last encounter and figure out what we could have done differently in the last battle.
If they land successfully on your planet, they will call their friends. What happens next is up to us. We can try to take them on by ourselves, or we can take them to our leader.
As for me, I'm in Will Smith "Independence Day" mode. I'm taking the fight to them. The UFOs that come for me, will not find the planet friendly. They can come. I know they will. They always do. But when they come, they should know that I am prepared to fight and I am backed by the Most High God.
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