There are a few things that I have learned since my last post.
First, fences can be mended. Even if something blows up in the pasture, the fence can be fixed. The only way this is possible is through changing my perspective and my actions. I cannot expect other people to meet my expectations if I am unmoving in my attitude. Therefore, I changed my actions and attitude and it created a much better report with the other person. Yay for lessons learned.
Second, never trust a situation in the heat of stress and turmoil. We had a glimpse of parenting possibility again only to see it squashed in an instant. I learned that my words said, "God's will be done", but my heart cried, "Please give me my heart's desire". That is a hard pill to admit I had to swallow.
Third, a person's faith is like a wrap/shawl/covering. We wear it in a way that fits for whatever the occasion may call. At church it is a head-to-toe smock. Everyone sees it and knows that you are "God's Child". Around other Christians, depending how close the relationship might be, the smock is traded for a knee length wrap; sometimes it is merely a shoulder shrug. At work and in the world, how often do we forget to even put it in the car, let alone take it in with us.
I say this because so often, we are our own worst enemy. We are advertising the wrong things to the wrong crowds. In church and around other Christians, we should be at our most vulnerable. This is the crowd that needs to see us warts and all. We needs to be comfortable enough to say, "Hey, I am struggling and needs some support, can you pray for me," without judgement and criticism. Instead, we turn on each other like wild animals, pointing out flaws, weaknesses and downfalls. Kicking our fellows believers while they are down is not what God commands. He commands to love each other at all times and he with no sin to cast the first stone. How often are we standing in the wings with a pocket full of rocks?
We go out of our way to show others that Christians are "sinners saved by Grace", that we end up being sucked into Christ-less situations. When we are in the world we should be at our most guarded; putting on faith like the Apostle Paul suggests, as armour. Be honest without displaying worldly manners and speech. We should make our faith cover us head to toe, even in the Valley.
If I have a heart problem, I am going to go to a cardiologist not a podiatrist. The same should be true with our spiritual life. God is our MD and fellow Christians should be the support staff. They should be there to help us when we are feeling "off". We needs to stop going to patients, or Google, to solve our spiritual illnesses. Frankly, more often than not, we get better treatment from non-Christians than our own church family.
Finally, it maybe hard to be Jesus to everyone but just the effort can change a lot of attitudes and make life a whole lot more pleasant. It can even make the Grinch's heart grow three times its normal size. :)
