Log Jam

Day 18 of 40 days of Lenten Posts
You can see the speck in your friend’s eye.

But you don’t notice the log in your own eye.

How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye, “when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You show-offs! First, get the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye. Luke 6:41-42 CEV

At times we can be quick to point out sin in a friend’s life when it is outwardly visible to the world. But what about our own sins, the ones done behind closed doors, the ones no one sees or knows about.

Until we deal with the sin in our life, do we have the right to point out another’s sin?

When we try to remove the speck from our friend’s eye, while harboring a log in our eye, we become the Pharisee in the parable that Jesus told in Luke 18:10-14.

Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other was a cheating tax collector. The proud Pharisee ‘prayed’ this prayer: ‘Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t commit adultery, I go without food twice a week, and I give to God a tenth of everything I earn.
But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven! For the proud shall be humbled, but the humble shall be honored.”

When the sin in our life has been dealt with, then when we go to our brother to help him recognize the sin he has in his life, it will be done with humility. We will stand with that brother, holding him up, encouraging him and keeping him accountable to walking in righteousness.

May we pray as David did.
Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don’t let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true. Ps. 139:23-24 CEV

Adieu for November

Hello friends,
Today is the second day of NaNoWriMo. I did well on my writing yesterday 4,500 words. I had a great day with the Colorado Springs NaNo group. But here it is, after 1pm, and I have not touched my story. What have I been doing? Laundry, reading emails, and blogs that I follow. Since I have to leave my house a little after three to pick up my granddaughter and play with her until her mom or dad get home around 5:30 I have lost the best part of my writing day. It will be a late night tonight.

I love reading the blogs of those I am following and others that I stumble across, you all have such wonderful things to share and I feel I am friends with you. Friends don't ignore friends but for the month of November I will have to cut down, or out, my time spent reading your blogs and use that time for my writing. Don't think that I no longer care, I do.

I pray for each of you who read and follow my blog that whatever you are facing right now in your lives you will have the strength to go through and be victorious.

I will enjoy reconnecting in December.

Diane

Trash Talk

"I am so angry that he said that to me!" I seethed.

Going to my room I stop just short of slamming the door. Tears spurt from my eyes, and my nose is running.

I reach for the phone to call a friend, but before I can lift the receiver I hear:

"Counsel with Me, and look to Me alone for your direction and your encouragement."

"God, can't I call someone?"

"No, talk to me."

"But I need someone with skin on to talk to."

"No, I said, talk to me."

"I don't want to listen to you right now."

This is a frequent conversation between God and me. From the time I became His child this is how He and I have worked things out, together.

If I pour out my anger and anguish to Him, seeking His direction and encouragement, I never have any regrets.

However, when I have gone to others, when God has said "no," there are always regrets; I wish that I could take back the spoken words.

The phone call, or the visit made to someone with skin on, in the guise of seeking advice, is really me seeking someone to dump my garbage on.

When I am honest with myself I admit I want someone else to know the "hardships I am enduring," and to hear them say to me, "you poor thing." I want to have a Pity Party and I want to invite others. The problem with a Pity Party is you aren't serving chocolates, and we all know that any successful party must have chocolates; what you are serving is stinky, smelly, rotting garbage. So now instead of one person carrying the foul odor you have two or more.

When I take my heartaches to God he takes the stink I offer Him, accompanied by my rants, raves, and tears and He dries my face, washes away the stink and covers me in the fragrance of His grace, mercy and unconditional love.

He doesn't always give me answers, I usually already know the answer, but He listens, attentively, no matter how much I rant and rave, and that is what I am most in need of, a listening ear that will not be made stinky by my waste products from a bitter and unforgiving heart.

How do I feel after my time with Him? Sometimes refreshed, sometimes convicted, but always, always loved.

Photo: Dreamstime.com

Amazing People

“Hi, how are you?”

Who doesn’t say that dozens of times in a day. It is said to strangers and to people we see frequently. I want to talk about the ones we see frequently. What do we know about them?

I was at church last night and was talking with a man I have known on a casual greeting basis for over five years. He was talking with several of us and told us how God has used him because he reads and studies his bible and knows the Word of God. I confess that I didn’t see him he as the “type” of person who would be used in the way God has used him. I was especially surprised when he said that he was asked to teach a youth group for a period of time, and if he hadn’t moved, would probably have been put in leadership over that ministry. I believe he was speaking the truth because he is a man of integrity, but I just could not picture him in that role. There is more to this man than meets the eye.

What is really sad is when we have become friends with a person and we think we know them. We talk on the phone with them, eat lunch with them and then find out at their memorial service that we knew nothing about them but very superficial things.

Do we know the people we labor alongside, at work, at church, in ministry? I know we really do care about getting to know people but it takes time, and how many of us are willing to take the time to ask and listen?

Maybe a better question when we greet people should be, “Hi, Who are you?”