Trials and Tribute

"It's interesting how--I can remember not long ago--thinking I'm just so tired of all this stuff I have to clean around. My stuff, his stuff, kids stuff...clothes, shoes, and stuff that needs picked up,I just wished it would all disappear. Then we had the fire...and...it did. All of it disappeared indiscriminately. The stuff I didn't want, and the stuff I wanted, it was all gone."

Ironic. That's the word they use...sometimes we may say, "That's funny," but we mean ironic. Some times we wish for things, even pray for things, but...

"Oh, my! I was so sick! I've wanted to lose ten pounds, but...that wasn't the way I wanted to lose it!"

We have in mind things that we want, and when we get them they just aren't at all what we thought.

I prayed for wisdom--I got married. I prayed for wisdom and patience. The two children we were going to have stretched into seven children.

Ironic--as parents often what we are teaching our children is not exactly what we think we are teaching. What we want to teach them is to be loving, responsible adults. What we do is just survive--. You know, make it through their childhood, and teenage years, hoping they will absorb the things we want them to absorb, till they can 'move out' and be responsible for themselves.

There is a real need to slow down and evaluate what we are doing, to stop just coping with each day as if it isn't related to any other day.

Psalms 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death.

Ironic how abused children often cling desperately to their abusive parents, and loved children reject loving parents. How do you teach love? How do you teach 'natural affection'? Some things should be obvious, but what happens when it isn't? We should love God, because he first loved us.

Honestly is the best policy. If we aren't honest with God we won't be honest anywhere else. An honest understanding that God is, and He is our creator, that we didn't crawl out of slime somewhere...that elevates us and gives us dignity. An honest understanding that we are sinners, that God loves us (Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.)...that gives us humility.

We received one of those 'blanket' emails some time ago on loving and giving love. It stated partially "just because you have given someone all of your love--don't expect love in return. Just wait for it to grow in their heart. If it does.... and if it doesn't be thankful it grew in your heart."

There is some wisdom in that idea--if it (love) doesn't grow in their heart--be thankful it grew in yours. People are better when they learn to (properly) 'love' others. "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." We can't force others to 'love' us, but there are some things that are right...and we should expect to receive.

Romans 13:7-8 Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8) Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.

Psalms 130:5&6 I wait for Jehovah, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope. 6) My soul waiteth for the Lord More than watchmen wait for the morning; Yea, more than watchmen for the morning.