Wounded spirits

Jeremiah said "My heart is broken within me." He was a wounded spirit at the time. I spend most of my professional life and quite a bit of my 'online life' dealing with wounded spirits. I saw a nice lady today who had been burned severely while an infant by a mother who did not want her. She still bears some physical scars and many emotional scars. My heart goes out to her ... literally.

If you're one of those who want to tell all these people 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps,' you won't want to continue reading. That is fine advice to those who have boots. The wounded spirit usually doesn't and can barely walk from day to day after years of crippling torment.

My firm conviction is that a wound to the spirit can be deadly, but it is 'treatable,' by man and by God. I cannot fathom going through life as a wounded spirit. I cannot imagine being so desperately hurt and afraid that there is nowhere to turn, no way out from the pain, the lonliness, the haunting thought of life being full of suffering forever. That's how many wounded spirits experience life. They see no end to the suffering and, indeed, for many there is no end to the suffering. These are the teased, the tormented, the abused. These are the crippled, the sickly. These are the ones who have nowhere to turn, no one to listen, no one to understand. They've been picked on and pushed aside, abandoned and forgotten, left to die or left to live wishing they were dead. In silence they suffer, and suffer and suffer. Reminds me of the old pop song... 'I've been cheated, been mistreated.... when will I be loved?'

Do we as Christians or even just good-intentioned people owe something to these people? Are we or are we not our brother's keeper? How much would it cost you to spare a few minutes a day writing someone like that or calling them on the phone. Would it hurt to be perhaps bored or tired of it or even not totally understanding but offering help anyway? If we don't do it, who will? Are they not deserving of some attention, even love? I think so. Doesn't God call the strong people (who might perhaps be the ones being mean at some point) to be the protector of the less strong?

My friend, Iva, allows me to use her life story in my sermons and writings. She has had an amazing life and, in my opinion, is the result of healing of God through people and literature. She is truly a miracle. Think about this though. In a house about the size of four rooms were two grandparents (he was the abuser), nine adult children and many many of their offspring, coming into and out of that house daily. I firmly believe someone knew what was going on. They either didn't give a damn or didn't want to get 'involved.' Maybe they didn't want to be the one getting Pappaw in trouble? But what of the betrayal and abandonment of Iva? Shame on them. What must Iva have felt like when summoned to the room where he torturned her, week after week? After a while, she ceased to say 'no,' ceased to 'beg,' ceased to even look at him. Why? Because.. what good did it do? No one heard who cared. Even then, she began to 'defend' the inner Iva, the one who would need to survive. 'The tough get going, eh?' What went through her mind when she had to do something with the bloody or torn clothes or be discovered? Remember... four years old. Did she think she was dying the first time it hurt so badly, and she saw blood? No one to turn to.. that's all I can think of when I think of it. I would absolutely die if I thought my kids had to endure anything close to that. Oh, my God. I believe Iva's ordeal was a conspiracy of sorts. Maybe Mammaw was tired of the marrige bed after nine kids and multiple cheating and betrayals and just was glad it wasn't her anymore. Maybe another child or cousin or grandchild had been 'done' and was glad their time was over for he lost interest when the child began to 'develop.' Whatever, no four year old, not even one as smart as Iva, could hide ten years worth of daily trysts in a house with that much traffice. I'm convinced of this. These people bear part of the guilt. Shame on them.

Ultimately, healing can only come through Jesus Christ - through Him, we can break this cycle of victimization and abuse. But, surprise, surpise, Jesus uses his children to help his children. We are his agents in healing, are we not? I cannot turn my back on them. No matter how tired I am or how long my day is, when one of them approaches me, I stop what I am doing, and I give my full attention. To do less is an insult. They know when they are being treated as an object of pity rather than a person who is cared for, approved of. And I follow up and stay involved. If they insult me, accuse me of not understanding, etc., I figure maybe I don't and should try harder.

Do you know any wounded spirits? If so, are you helping them, even in the smallest way? If not, I implore you to care and take a chance. It is rewarding... it may take years, but I promise you it is. If you know some, and you refuse to help, shame on you. I know you have so many hours of the day... prioritize. Surely they are more important than chatting online, or an old movie after the kids are in bed, etc.

Ac 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come."

You will not be sorry. Mt 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

If you happen to be one of those doing the wounding, get help.. now. There is no excuse for your behavior, none.

Assertiveness

I received several emails regarding the 'joy stealers' post, asking about assertiveness. The test you will find at this addy is a pretty good indicator of where you stand. You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine. :)


Click here for Test

Are you a human doormat? Do you say "yes" when you mean "no"? Do you keep your opinions to yourself for fear of upsetting or confronting others? Find out if you stand up for yourself as much as you should with the Assertiveness Test.

Assertiveness is the ability to formulate and communicate one's own thoughts, opinions and wishes in a clear, direct, and non-aggressive way. This test determines whether a lack of assertiveness or weak communication skills may be keeping you from fulfilling your potential and reaching your goals.

Joy Stealers

My wife, bless her heart, has very tender feelings. She cares what people think, and I'm glad of this for one who does not care is a cold fish indeed. Sometimes, though, people hurt her feelings intentionally, and she suffers, and we have been discussing ways for her to deal with these folks. I call them 'joy stealers.' Have you ever had a wonderful day or something great happened and someone came along and rained on your parade, just for the hell of it? Sure you have. You met a joy stealer.

Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr. was a U.S. Supreme Court justice for 30 years. Because of his mind, wit and work, he was tagged with the unofficial title of "the greatest justice since John Marshall." At one point in his life, Justice Holmes was asked concerning how he came about his choice of a career, to which he replied:

"Well, I might have entered the ministry - if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers!"

Apparently he met some joy-stealing preachers. :)

Some people or things that will steal the joy right out of you are:

1) People! .. particularly jealous, mean-spirited, vindictive or just plain mean people. They are the easiest to defeat. If you cannot persuade them, after reasonable efforts to be more kindly, ignore them, run from them but pray for them. Do NOT stick around for their abuse. If you are not the assertive type, you may not be able to do 'tit for tat' and that's not always good anyway although I find it most difficult to refrain myself.

2) Legalism. I'm not talking just about religious legalism but anything or anyone that emphasizes and stresses ritual and form over spirituality and substance, cares more for things or even laws than God's children, people.

3) Having an unhealthy attachment to our past. If you're tied up with the 'bad old days' or even the 'good old days,' you are not using the present as you should and perhaps not planning your future well either. Some have had horrific pasts, abuse and accidents and illnesses, things that no one should have to suffer. Yet, we must let go to have a healthy life or deal with it constructively and sanely. My friend, Iva, had the more abusive childhood of anyone I ever met, and I've counseled many people. One of the things she does so well is write stories about it which puts it into perspective and allows emotional outlet of grief and sadness without poisoning her current life. She can tell a horrific tale because she lived it, but she is full of joy, fun and laughter in person, a delight to know.

What in your past do you need God to help you “burn and bury” so that it can be behind you, done with and settled in heaven and on earth, so you can experience joy today? Do you need to discuss it or pray with someone about it? If so, email me.

4) Self absorption. It puts us on the wrong side of the cross. It is not easy to have a Christ centered life, but it should be one of our main goals.

5) Unresolved interpersonal conflicts. Spouses, families, church bodies.. we all should get along (or get out, if we can't get along). When we don't, we allow our own joy to be depleted and certainly we may steal joy from others.

Disagreements and contention, hurts from ones we love, disappointments and broken promises, outright attacks, neglect, abuse, and unforgiveness (on your part and theirs)... these things cannot be allowed to 'fester.' If they do, the joy will be sucked out of you like air from a baloon, and you might then suck the joy out of the lives of those around you.

Blessings! Jude 1:24 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy..."

False praise?

I thought this was an excellent article:


When Yelling is Worse than Spanking


Looking back over your own childhood, which hurt worse, any spanking you ever received or words spoken in anger. Were you ever told 'you're stupid' or worse?

Either way, it seems the 'self esteem' issue has received too much attention. For almost an entire generation, the concept of self esteem has been tortured into an ideology so steeped in political correctness as to drive people with common sense mad. Now, however, the pendulum may be swinging back the other way.

An article in Usa today (February 15, 2005) focused on the growing concern of more and more parents, psychologists, and educators who believe the self-esteem message needs to be balanced with a generous dose of reality. USA Today writer Sharon Jayson said no one is discounting the fact that a healthy self-esteem is beneficial to children. But Jayson said more adults are realizing that "empty praise -- the kind showered on many kids years ago in the name of self-esteem --
did more harm than good." Years of such "empty praise," she said, often result in young adults who cannot cope even with constructive criticism, have an inflated sense of self-importance, and have a great sense of personal entitlement -- often without having paid their dues.

Children know when praise is earned and when it is not; they know if they've delivered the goods or not. I believe any praise (or criticism) should be true and relevant to behavior. Else, we appear dishonest in the eyes of our children. And we then teach our children to be glib and false flatterers when they grow up, don't you think?

Lost but not forgotten...

My original 'template' was swallowed up by the great blog eater in the sky I guess. It is gone and so are my links, my visitor count and some other information. I have managed to restore my posts. Until I can remember all the links, be patient. I will put you back on soon, if you were on my blog and now 'gone' with the blog eater. :)

Blessings!

What are you living for?

Do you ever stop to think about what you're living for? If you looked back over your life, have you made a difference? Does it matter to you? It matters to me. I want to leave something behind besides money when I die.

I want to be remembered for certain things, and I try to live accordingly. When I am gone, I want my children to remember our prayers together, the teaching of God's Word, kindness and respect for each other and our 'neighbors.' I am the leader, the 'boss' so to speak, in my home but my children have seen me on my knees asking God for guidance. They have seen me on my knees many times in prayer. Sometimes they join me. I hope I have taught them to trust the living God for what they need. If so, they will never be alone even if I have to go before 'my time.'

I want my wife to know I am not some arrogant bully but someone who cares for her deeply and who prays for her and for 'us' every day of my life. I hope she realizes the depth of my love for her.

I want my church to remember me as a worker, one who was not stingy with his time or his money when it comes to things of the Kingdom. I want my friends to remember me as honest and worthy of trust and someone with a sense of humor, who was understanding. That's a lot of things to want, and it's not easy trying to live up to the life God wants me to lead. He has a plan for each of us, and each of us has something different, unique, to offer Him. It's a blessed thing to be used of the Lord. What we do for Him will live on after us; love that keeps on giving, for we cannot measure the influence we have upon others, especially our children.

Our lives are not our own, you know. We were created for good works to glorify God.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

1Pe 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

When all is said and done, isn't it true that only what was done for God is lasting? Good looks, charm, intelligence, money, fame, fortune all go to the grave. What is resurrected is the living soul that belongs to God, and He will be talking to us about how we used the life he gave us on this earth.

A frog is a frog...

One of my blog guests asked, relating to my post on the new pagan 'religion,' if I thought it was better to believe in that religion than nothing. This is my opinion.

"Iva , yes I do consider it worse than no religion at all for it masks the truth, gives the 'beleiver' a false sense of security. If one sincerely worships a frog, their god is still a frog at the end of the day. It is important WHO we serve, as much or more as how we serve. He does have a name, our God. He is not some faceless, unknown-ness made up by immature post-druggie adherents to know nothingness whom they look to when they have bad nightmares and need to call on a daddy. He has a name and has a plan for each of us and expects us to worship and serve Him. He also has a church and instructions on how to live. We just don't get to make it up in our imagination.

Even more dangerous to a greater number of people, each of these misguided 'believers' (may not be so benevolent as some do this on purpose - mislead others) passes on their 'version' of god to their friends, families, especially their children. Like the ripples from the stone thrown on the pond, where does it end and how many are lost because of the false teaching? There's an American sect based upon false teachings that now has millions of converts, here and abroad. Now, one generation carries the tales to another, and it believed as truth to many. Real Christians sit by and allow it under the guise of 'live and let live' or political correctness. Help us Lord Jesus.

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

There's a new religion on the horizon... a new pagan religion... moralistic therapeutic deism. It is a belief of the immature (many American teenagers ascribe to something like it) that goes as follows:

1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."

It, in effect, makes God the servant of the believer. If you're not happy, you call God up and order a fix. Otherwise, you don't need him. And you certainly don't have to worship or serve him, how convenient. No church service, no tithe, no call to serve, nothing, just keep him around in case you don't feel good some day. It makes God into a cosmic therapist for the dissatisfied.

According to 'Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Eyes of American Teenagers' by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist, most followers of the 'new' religion eiither do not really comprehend what their own religious traditions say they are supposed to believe, or they do understand it and simply do not care to believe it.

These people have a vast emptiness in their understanding. They just can't quite get it together about 'God and stuff.'

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is also "about providing therapeutic benefits to its adherents." As the researchers explained, "This is not a religion of repentance from sin, of keeping the Sabbath, of living as a servant of sovereign divinity, of steadfastly saying one's prayers, of faithfully observing high holy days, of building character through suffering, of basking in God's love and grace, of spending oneself in gratitude and love for the cause of social justice, et cetera. Rather, it is centrally about feeling good, happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well-being, being able to resolve problems, and getting along amiably with other people." In other words, it's a self-serving, not God-serving 'religion.'

Obviously, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is not an organized faith. This belief system has no denominational headquarters and no mailing address. Nevertheless, it has millions and millions of devotees across the United States and other advanced cultures, where subtle cultural shifts have produced a context in which belief in such an undemanding deity makes sense. Furthermore, this deity does not challenge the most basic self-centered assumptions of our postmodern age. Particularly when it comes to so-called "lifestyle" issues, this God is exceedingly tolerant and this religion is radically undemanding. Just the thing for those who are self centered and interested in nothing much but their own satisfaction in things.

This 'religion' replaces the sovereignty of God with the sovereignty of the self. Human problems are reduced to pathologies in need of a treatment plan. Sin is simply excluded from the picture, and doctrines as central as the wrath and justice of God are discarded as out of step with the times. There will be a rude awakening for these folks on judgement day! And for us, who failed to teach biblical Christianity in our churches, watered down the gospel, feared saying it 'like it is,' and not doing our jobs in spreading the real gospel.

Misery loves company?

It's true, some people are addicted to misery.

One of my patients joined Weight Watchers and lost 98 lbs. She looks fantastic, and this was quite an accomplishment. She should be very proud of herself. Instead, she complains that her body parts are not right now, 'ruined' she says. I suggest if she is unhappy still to get a tummy tuck or whatever it takes. 'Too expensive' she says and 'nothing will restore me to what I used to be' (a teenager?). She figures she might as well eat what she wants for she can't have the perfection she wants. This woman is sabotaging herself. She can't accept happiness and apparently wants to return to her former miserable state when she literally was hating herself to death.

There are signs of being addicted to misery or being one who sabotages one's self. Do you see yourself in any of these behaviors?

Do you ever know you should start on a project but don't?
Do you have projects that you have started but never finished?
Do you ever say the one wrong thing at the wrong time?
Have you ever had things going well in life only to have everything blow up in a day?
Have you tried to be so careful not to make a mistake that you were shocked when you made a truly costly one?
Have you ever promised yourself to stay out of trouble in some way only to find yourself in the same trouble or worse again?
Have you ever gone to a matchmaking service to find a relationship but lied about yourself.. your looks, age or abilities?
Do you get online and act in a totally different way than you really are, a 'fake' personna?


Are you 'guilty' of...
taking on too much
finding it hard to say no
procrastination
perfectionism
seeking approval from others
finding it hard to make decisions
needing to control everything
needlessly apologising

If you have too many of those in your pocket, you are in trouble. What to do?

First, be honest with yourself. Take a good, hard look at your life, what is right, what is wrong and what you'd like to fix. Second, find someone else and be honest with them. Tell them exactly how it is, don't hedge, be totally honest and ask for help. It doesn't have to be a professional, but it wouldn't hurt either. Then take the steps to claim some happiness. The first step might be to determine why you fear happiness. Do you feel you have to have a jinx? That if you have too much happiness, something just awful will happen to you. Are you one to laugh at yourself first even though you feel like crying?

You don't have to be miserable you know. It's not a genetic mental illness; it's a life style, and life styles can be changed.

Traditional Christian Beliefs

I have really changed my views since I became a Christian (last ten years) but was somewhat surprised just how much based on the results below. If you wish to see where you stand on Christian tradition beliefs, go here:

http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=denomtradition

Your results for Christian Traditions Selector

Rank Item Percent

1: Lutheran (100%)
2: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England (89%)
3: Roman Catholic (86%)
4: Eastern Orthodox (78%)
5: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God (63%)
6: Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist (57%)
7: Congregational/United Church of Christ (52%)
8: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene (49%)
9: Presbyterian/Reformed (49%)
10: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.) (47%)
11: Church of Christ/Campbellite (43%)
12: Seventh-Day Adventist (43%)
13: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic) (36%)

The Rod of Aaron

My mind is still on finding favor, or not, with God and why (brought on by thoughts about the Pope's death). This morning, I thought of Aaron. He was favored of God but not as favored as Moses apparently. Of the two, Moses remains the 'better known.' I wonder why that is so. Did he make one more mistake, have one more failure? Or was the incident with the 'golden calf' so terrible in God's eyes?

"When the time of the Exodus came, God sent Aaron (Exodus 4:14, 27-30) out to meet the returning Moses (who had just spent 40 years out in the Sinai with Jethro), to join with him in their assigned task. Aaron was to be the spokesman for Moses, who was unable to speak well, perhaps from stuttering (Exodus 6:30; 7:1-2,9-10,19). Although Moses was the leader, it was Aaron who did the actual speaking to Pharaoh through the events leading to the Exodus, and the crossing of the Red Sea.

Aaron was a faultless servant with his brother, at least at first. At Rephidim, when Moses overlooked the battle with the Amalekites from a nearby hill with the rod of God in his outstretched hand, it was Aaron and Hur (his brother-in-law, Miriam's husband), who held up Moses' tired arms until Israel's forces under Joshua won the battle (Exodus 17:8-13).

Aaron's greatest lapse in judgment occurred while Moses was away on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. For whatever reason, Aaron gave in to the people's demands, and made that now-infamous golden calf for the people to worship (Exodus 32:4). When Moses returned, Aaron was sternly rebuked, but was forgiven by God after Moses prayed for him. Aaron came very close to being killed for that incident (Deuteronomy 9:20)

Aaron's career seemed to blow hot and cold. He certainly had his low points (i.e. the golden calf), but overall he remained a steadfast ally of his brother. During the Korah rebellion, Aaron stood courageously with Moses (Numbers 16:1-50). Not long after that, the miraculous sprouting of his staff was used to demonstrate that he was indeed the high priest to those who were questioning his authority (Numbers 17:1-13). That staff was afterwards preserved in the Tabernacle (Hebrews 9:4)

Neither Moses nor Aaron were permitted to enter the Promised Land (See Heartbreak Mountain). Aaron was involved in the water-from-the-rock incident at Meribah (Numbers 20:8-13), and for that presumptuous disobedience to God's instructions both were not permitted to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:24).

The brother of Moses and Miriam, Aaron was both a prophet and the first High Priest. Along side Moses he performed various miraculous deeds and signs before Pharaoh and his court. Aaron transformed his rod into a serpent, which consumed the serpents created by Egyptian magicians (Ex. 7). The first three of the ten plagues (blood, frogs and lice) were initiated by Aaron at God's command (Ex. 7-8).

Rabbinic literature describes miraculous events surrounding the death of Aaron. God placed one mountain on top of another to mark where Aaron would be buried, which is why the Bible calls his burial place Hor ha-Har ("Mount of the Mountain"). Aaron was laid to rest on a couch in a luminous cave on Mount Hor by angels. He was enveloped by a Cloud of Glory and he died by the Kiss of God."

AARON’S FAILURE:

Even though Aaron is recognized as an important historical figure in Israeli history, he made some serious mistakes. There are three significant events that reveal a tendency in Aaron that is common to today’s society.

a. The gold calf incident (Ex 3:21-32) – The mistake of following the majority. When Moses ascended Sinai to receive the Law, he had placed Aaron and Hur in charge (Ex 24:13-14). After Moses had been gone forty days, the Israelis were ready to appoint another leader. They demanded that Aaron make a god to lead them (32:1). Aaron quickly capitulated to the mob’s demands showing very little leadership and commitment to God. He constructed an image according to the mob’s specifications. When confronted by the angry Moses, Aaron tried to rationalize his wrong by two absurd excuses: he said the mob forced him to do it and he claimed he just threw the gold into the fire and the calf just “happened” to result (Ex 32:21-24).
b. The derision of Moses’ wife (Nu 12:1-15) – The mistake of pride. Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses’ marriage to the Cushite woman (an African woman from Ethiopia). Their complaint was a cover-up of their real problem – they were jealous because Moses had been given the greater role of leadership (12:2-8). Their act of jealousy enraged God and God caused leprosy to defile Miriam (12:9-10). It may be that Miriam was the one struck with the disease because she was the leader and Aaron merely followed. Once again his weak character allowed him to make a tragic mistake.
c. The waters at Meribah (Nu 20:2-13) – The mistake of anger! The forty years wandering was almost concluded. The Israelis were facing a water shortage. The people grew impatient and began murmuring. Moses and Aaron became the targets of their harsh words. Together the brothers disobeyed God’s instructions and took glory upon themselves striking the rock instead of speaking to it (20:10-11). This demonstration of anger prevented both from entering into Canaan.

NOTE: These three incidents reveal that Aaron struggled with a major weakness. All of these events share in common one factor – Aaron allowed himself to be persuaded to replace God’s will with his personal will! This is seen in the pressure to create the mob’s idol, in the jealousy that prodded the criticism of Moses, and the angry outburst toward the murmuring Israelis.

I guess the greatest of human skills cannot help a man stand in the face of great temptations or fierce opposition. It seems to me, however, that his role was as great, if not greater than Moses' role yet, clearly, Moses was more favored, at least by history, than Aaron.

Rambling

It was suggested in a comment on my last post that ministers/pastors do not get respect anymore and are actually scorned. That is true but not universal. Protestant ministers or men of the 'cloth' were very respected in American society until the early part of the last century when what is called 'human secularism' began to take hold. Until then, what the Bible had to say was more important than what 'society' had to say. Now, ministers are respected within the 'fold' but perhaps not out of the fold. Media scrutiny and the likes of Baaker, Swaggart, et. al. didn't help either. Errant ministers, unlike Catholic priests, are not protected by their denomination. In fact, just the reverse is true. They are thrown to the wolves with glee.

Back to the issue, used to be, when someone committed a crime, he was held accountable no matter what ghetto he was born in, whether he was born addicted to drugs, had a crack whore for a mother and a rapist for a father. An 'eye for an eye' was the standard. To 'fundamentalists,' it still is. To those who are considered to be 'far right' religiously, it still is the standard or is the standard they wish things returned to eventually. There doesn't seem to be middle ground anymore, that is, concern for the 'truth' but also for the social conditions. It seems to be 'either or.'

When social change or 'diversity' or political correctness became more important than scripture in the government's view, changes began in religious circles too. People began to take 'sides' or make choices about who and how they worshipped, and the dust hasn't settled yet.

Today, we have fundamentalists who believe every word literally in the Bible. On the other end of the spectrum we have the 'what I want is what is right' crowd. Anything goes and no one wants their sins pointed out or judgements made. Hell? What hell, they say.

In the great divide that is the middle, we have the 'I'll make it up as I go along' group. This is the most 'dangerous' of the three. In this group, they choose the scripture they will obey. They might ignore all those which say how husbands and wives should behave toward each other but 'obey' those on parenting. They may go to church once in a while or not at all or make their own church or worship a rock, a frog or an idea. They may or may not do good works when it pleases or does not please them. They might drink and take drugs in the dark but tell their children this is wrong. They either worship 'a' god or 'the' god' or a 'creator' or a 'higher power' or a combination of them or a combination of them and pagan or magical creatures, and it's all supposed to be OK.

One of the reasons 'real' ministers and men like the Pope were popular was because of sticking to the 'truth' as the good book told it. Not many believe in absolute truth anymore. A long time ago it seems, Menninger wrote a book called 'Whatever happened to sin?' Whatever did happen to sin?

As for respect, I think ministers are now viewed just like any 'occupation,' not a 'calling,' at least in the secular world. I don't mind that. It's not the world's approval I seek anyway. I just want to hear at judgement, 'well done, faithful servant' from the Lord. That will be enough for me.

The Divine Call

Pope John Paul II has died. What a man he was, called by God to serve in a most tremendous way. He was obviously a brilliant man, could speak 8 languages, could separate the wheat from the tares.

I can't help but wonder why some men become great while others, just as intelligent, do not. Does everyone receive the Divine Call? Scriptures tell us that we are all called to service. But some do not heed the call... why?

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen ."

Do all receive the Divine Call but only a few the Divine Touch? What makes one man or woman say 'yes God' while another, equally as talented, say 'no?' Even when we say 'yes,' is there some quality that God seeks that we cannot know about, that we either have or don't have based on some factor(s) out of our control. Are there some God loves more in the womb than others?

I wonder how my own life would be different had I not said 'yes' on that hot, humid night in a little church in Virginia? No one, including me, had any inkling that I would do such a thing. I was a nonbeliever of atheist parents. I had never been in a church except for two funerals. I wanted to be handsome and rich and get the girls and hoped to be that way without a lot of effort. I wasn't doing too bad in the lack of effort department. Except for going to college which was paid for in full by my father and practicing piano, I did not exert myself much. Yet, when I heard the call, and I did hear it... He said in my mind 'I am yours, and you are mine, I realized... 'how can I say no?' So, I said yes.

I am glad I accepted the 'call.' I believe I have served the Lord to the best of my abilities, have helped people, have desired the 'good service.' Eph. 6:7 "With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." Even so, I am no John Paul II, not even close. What makes the superior servant? .. more humility, more mysticism, what?

Is part of it timing? Can a mere man become great in times with no challenge? The Pope was born in a communist society, saw the rise of Hitler, survived it, made difficult choices. Is that the difference?

Our deepest problem seems to be to find the strength to do the right thing as we see it. If our hearts are right, our minds will be less confused. Yet, there are choices in life that make all the difference. Perhaps one wrong step, one wrong choice forever precludes the Divine Touch. I do not know.

I do know that Pope John Paul II was a man who achieved unbelieving and astonishing things, because he believed and because He lives. I know his soul rests lightly with the Lord today, and aren't we the lucky ones, to have known such a man who received the call and received the touch.