On TV a few months ago, I heard someone say "you need feedback from others to get in touch with your reality". Another way of saying that is, if you stay disconnected from others, you will not be in touch with reality. I know that's hard for some people to hear because they think they don't need anyone and they're doing just fine. It is a very dangerous place to be on so many levels.
It is in our connectedness with people where we are filled and healed (James 5:16). We need to PRACTICE connection. It's not always the natural thing to do, so we have to work at it. We have to do it “on purpose”. Because we’re gun-shy from all the disappointments in life and all the hurts we've encountered along the way, disconnection seems the best thing to do to prevent further disappointment. It's the wrong way to go. Disconnection hurts you in so many ways. You can't be the person you were meant to be from the foundations of this world. Without allowing others to invest in your life, you won't learn and grow as it was intended when you were formed in your mother's womb.
So, if you know someone who doesn’t “connect” with many people, they are very out of touch with reality. They have been wounded and don’t want to hear what anyone has to say. They don’t want to hurt anymore, so they disconnect. Disconnection is losing your lifeline. God put us on this earth for each other. We are created to be relational. Get connected to others and stay connected.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
THE POTTERY
One day I was sitting in my house, minding my own business, when I heard this horrible smash with multiple clanging sounds. My washer had been overloaded, and the spin cycle shook things up more than usual. Apparently it vibrated the refrigerator enough to cause a nice piece of glazed pottery to walk right off the top. That was only possible because the refrigerator wasn’t level.
As I was cleaning it up, I couldn’t believe how far pieces scattered and how much of it there was! In my mind, there was no way that piece of pottery could have taken that much material to make it! But, my mind knows that all the sum of the parts equal the whole. So, it all had to be from the same piece of pottery.
I was able to clean it up without help, but it took some time to find those small splintered chards. It didn't happen all in one day either. I kept finding little chards throughout the next few weeks. I was aware they were probably there and would see something glistening in the light. It was easy to spot them when the light reflected off them. It was very important to cover a large area to pick up the tiniest chard, because those are the ones that can hurt and go in so deeply to the bottom of your feet. Even worse, the chards may get into the feet of your friends. When your feet are in pain, you can't walk, you can't accomplish what you had intended to accomplish. That's a good reason to have someone else help you clean up the mess. Another pair of eyes is always better, because they can see things that we sometimes can't see. You really want to prevent those chards from imbedding in your feet or the feet of your friends.
This all brought to mind how we sometimes look at things in our lives. Many times things fall apart in our lives and look so big and seem to spread so far into other areas of our lives and the lives of others. It can be very painful if we don't clean it up properly. We can easily see the big pieces and take care of them, but those tiny chards....those small “foxes that spoil the vine” (Song of Solomon 2:15“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”) are sometimes hard to see without another pair of eyes. Because we weren't able to get all the chards, we step on a few here and there and cause ourselves or our friends some hurt. Then, we definitely need another pair of eyes to find that chard that is causing so much pain. When we expose things to the Light, it is easier to spot.
Things shatter because we're not level or balanced. The vibrations of life...the trials and adversities... are able to shake some things up in our lives to the point of causing us to crash. When we “crash”, it seems overwhelming. We have to reach out for help when we're hurting (“Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another's burdens...”)
When we can't seem to accomplish what we intended to accomplish, it's our pain that keeps us from walking where we need to walk. We are more focused on the “why” we can't get where we're going than to the “how” can we get where we're going. The “why” is because we're wounded and need healing to walk properly before God and man. The “how” is to reach out to our brothers and sisters to be healed so we can walk the narrow path as God has intended.
James 5:16 tells us that we need to
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
The healing comes with facing the situation and having prayer. As long as that chard stays buried and you don't tell anyone it's there, it will remain buried and fester, causing more pain and then infection. Sometimes it will works it's way out with the festering...do you want to have everyone see that festering. It's at that point you will HAVE to have antibiotics...some kind of care from someone else other than yourself. Why let it go that far?
You think you can walk this life alone? Not a chance. We desperately need each other.
As I was cleaning it up, I couldn’t believe how far pieces scattered and how much of it there was! In my mind, there was no way that piece of pottery could have taken that much material to make it! But, my mind knows that all the sum of the parts equal the whole. So, it all had to be from the same piece of pottery.
I was able to clean it up without help, but it took some time to find those small splintered chards. It didn't happen all in one day either. I kept finding little chards throughout the next few weeks. I was aware they were probably there and would see something glistening in the light. It was easy to spot them when the light reflected off them. It was very important to cover a large area to pick up the tiniest chard, because those are the ones that can hurt and go in so deeply to the bottom of your feet. Even worse, the chards may get into the feet of your friends. When your feet are in pain, you can't walk, you can't accomplish what you had intended to accomplish. That's a good reason to have someone else help you clean up the mess. Another pair of eyes is always better, because they can see things that we sometimes can't see. You really want to prevent those chards from imbedding in your feet or the feet of your friends.
This all brought to mind how we sometimes look at things in our lives. Many times things fall apart in our lives and look so big and seem to spread so far into other areas of our lives and the lives of others. It can be very painful if we don't clean it up properly. We can easily see the big pieces and take care of them, but those tiny chards....those small “foxes that spoil the vine” (Song of Solomon 2:15“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”) are sometimes hard to see without another pair of eyes. Because we weren't able to get all the chards, we step on a few here and there and cause ourselves or our friends some hurt. Then, we definitely need another pair of eyes to find that chard that is causing so much pain. When we expose things to the Light, it is easier to spot.
Things shatter because we're not level or balanced. The vibrations of life...the trials and adversities... are able to shake some things up in our lives to the point of causing us to crash. When we “crash”, it seems overwhelming. We have to reach out for help when we're hurting (“Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another's burdens...”)
When we can't seem to accomplish what we intended to accomplish, it's our pain that keeps us from walking where we need to walk. We are more focused on the “why” we can't get where we're going than to the “how” can we get where we're going. The “why” is because we're wounded and need healing to walk properly before God and man. The “how” is to reach out to our brothers and sisters to be healed so we can walk the narrow path as God has intended.
James 5:16 tells us that we need to
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
The healing comes with facing the situation and having prayer. As long as that chard stays buried and you don't tell anyone it's there, it will remain buried and fester, causing more pain and then infection. Sometimes it will works it's way out with the festering...do you want to have everyone see that festering. It's at that point you will HAVE to have antibiotics...some kind of care from someone else other than yourself. Why let it go that far?
You think you can walk this life alone? Not a chance. We desperately need each other.
A SUBTLE SIN
1 Samuel 12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
Sinning by ceasing to pray? …………………………………hmmmmmmm
THE LION OF JUDAH
I was watching a program about African animals the other day. Have you noticed how all the animals scatter when the lion comes around? Even if he is not hungry at the time. Maybe he’s just going to the watering hole. Doesn’t matter. All other animals scatter except, of course, those in his den.
The lion is the king of the jungle. It’s just something the other animals know. It was born in them to fear the king of the jungle.
Then I started thinking about The Lion of Judah. Judah means “praise”. Remember the lion causes anything in its way to scatter. So, doesn’t it bless you to know that our “Judah”,our “praises”, cause those things in our way to scatter and dissappear. He makes a path for our provision.
Psalm 68:1 Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
The lion is the king of the jungle. It’s just something the other animals know. It was born in them to fear the king of the jungle.
Then I started thinking about The Lion of Judah. Judah means “praise”. Remember the lion causes anything in its way to scatter. So, doesn’t it bless you to know that our “Judah”,our “praises”, cause those things in our way to scatter and dissappear. He makes a path for our provision.
Psalm 68:1 Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
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