Peripatetics: The Art of Walking
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Say That Again?
I'd put a lot of time into the relationship.
I'd put a lot of emotion into the relationship.
We'd had a lot of laughs together.
We'd been there for each other through some difficult times, too.
When you think about it, we really grew up together.
And she hurt me as much as any person had ever hurt me.
She didn't mean to. Not at all. She was just becoming who she was created to be. If you asked either one of us, neither could explain exactly where things went wrong. The relationship just fell apart somehow. Someway. It had some ugly outward manifestations (that we both regretted later), but it had some inner cracks in the foundation somewhere. Over two years, somehow, someway, somewhere, we didn't do whatever it takes to make a great high school boyfriend/girlfriend thing turn into a "forever" kind of deal.
She actually did the breaking up. Cutting the yarn off the class ring...the whole deal.
All I know is that it hurt.
And, seriously, this is the advice I got: "Consider it all joy, bretheren, when you encounter various trials..." It's from James 1: 2.
See, I was involved with this small group of Christian guys. Our intent was to help sharpen each other and help each other grow in Christ...and here I am with a real life, hurt-to-the-core problem and they were throwing Bible verses out me. C'mon. Who did they think they were?
:)
See, I thought there was supposed to be some sort of Bible verse that made it clear that I could be angry and bitter and kick around and listen to awful music and say bad things about her (yes, yes, I see the irony of wanting to treat someone I loved in an unloving way...I'm just telling you how I felt at that time) and the whole nine yards.
That was the "natural" reaction.
But what this verse tells us is that we're supposed to live "supernaturally." That's topsy-turvey from the rest of the world. We're supposed to...
...CONSIDER.
Think. Ponder. Dwell. Use our noggins. This will keep us from letting our emotions control our thoughts instead of vice-versa (more on that later this week).
...IT ALL JOY...
In other words, we're supposed to find the silver lining in the dark cloud (and more on that later this week, too, especially as to "why" we're supposed to do that).
...WHEN...
Not "if." (see yesterday)
...WE ENCOUNTER VARIOUS TRIALS...
Basically, any temptation we have to avoid doing the will of God. These trials can come from within our selves or from outside circumstances. But we will encounter trials.
And when we do, we're supposed to be joyful. Of all things.
Supernatural living is the expectation, not the natural reaction.
So, for today, why do you think God would want us to live supernaturally (as I've used the phrase here) instead of naturally? How would that set us apart from the "world?"
Brent 3:37 AM
Comments:
Aaaaaand thanks for expounding on my favorite verse. Easy to read but tough to put into action I think...
Mark
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Mark
