Today was the first day of school for the children.
After a summer of much much rain, we have a stretch of gorgeous clear blue skies predicted for an entire week!
Hubby is unemployed and was home today. Its helpful for us to spend some down time together. Its rare, altogether rare…
I don’t have any posts stewing in my mind… but I do have a long “to do” list of organizational things I want to get behind me (just in case we have to move for a new job). My files really need weeding and better organization. And Joey’s clothes need weeding since he has been growing so much. And hubby is anxious to finish the work on the foreclosure house so we can rent it out and he doesn’t do spackle and paint, so he wants me to spend some time up there working with him.
Here is a post which I found deep and thought provoking:
The Not Quite Happy Ending
The Lord seems to keep placing various messages in my path about PAIN. My friend Chris read a passage out of a book she is reading. It was about how GOD gets our attention through PAIN, and she wondered about my handsome, weak husband whose had his cake and ate it too… if he is headed for a season of PAIN…
That doesn’t scare me.
But often I feel alone and overwhelmed, (like Grace of kingdom grace).
Alone humanly speaking anyway.
But I press in, and I feel HIS embrace…I remember one time telling God that if the only way to keep feeling HIM so close to me is PAIN, then bring it on because its worth it!
Another worthy blog to read is Mart DeHaan of Radio Bible Class. This quote from his most recent post struck me as ever so honest on Martin Luther’s part:
Luther admitted that until he discovered the forgiveness of God, he not only did not love God—but actually hated the One “who punishes sinners”.
Don’t worry about me if I am not posting much.
I’m OK, just busy.
yea yea,
the thing about pain is that one can have way, way too much,
and then, its not embrace one gets, its complete death [spirit] and desolation.
This is one thing I can’t Stand about American Christianity,
its the whole living in la la land. And no wonder, with teachings like that [which aren't scriptural btw] its no wonder, why EVIL is tolerated and justified,
oh, so what, men abuse, the pain does women good…and that philosophy has been rampant in this nation for eons, and its not just the tolerance to inflicting pain on women here, its carried over, to justifying all forms of evil done others, esp women over seas. This is why, we have missions today that will not speak out against FGMs, in Africa, big deal, so its women,
pain is good. Never mind that so many of those women are walking DEAD SPIRITS–CATATONIC,
no wonder there are girls as young as twelve torching themselves to death, by fire [immolation] having lived with that LIE that PAIN IS THE WAY TO GOD.
IF Pain was the absolute path to God, then our prisons would be filled with Christians,
rape victims everywhere would be filling up the pews of our churches, etc.
Children with dead eyes who have seen families butchered in war and who’ve been sold as sex slaves and slaves would be jumping up and down for glee…
I say, B.S.
Serious,
Yes, God can use pain, but Pain is evil, its not this good thing that just produces these awesome experiences, that is the teachings of the Catholic church–and teachings that have, much like teachings in Hindu, been used to be indifferent to the sufferings of millions in our world.
Jesus did not praise the merits of pain…hardly. No where in the Bible is Pain praised, not that Pain isn’t used, but in everywhere in the Bible pain is referred to, its referred to as affliction, and we have a whole book of Psalms that prays the depressed soul’s cry in the grips of Pain.
The thing that irks me to no end about the references to the glory of pain is that its illusion, so much of it is just illusion,
a denial, sure, God can comfort us in our pain..but the Truth of the matter is, too much pain,
causes death. IT causes death to the point of NO RETURN,
and I know, so many, especially women, who are at that point…and they are walking dead,
not of any fault of their own [as far as actions are concerned] but because, for far too long, we have tolerated this notion that pain is this good thing and therefore if there are those afflicted, why, its good because they’ll feel the hugs of God,
gee, how convenient, if that be the case, then there is no reason for us to Weep for those who Weep or Relieve the afflicted which, btw, IS WHAT WE ARE COMMANDED TO DO,
but we don’t because we have bought into the LIES of the enemy, that pain is a gift of God therefore, indifference to suffering is normalized, after all, no need to relieve anyone, because why,
God will hug them and embrace them.
Meanwhile, we have a world of suffering, of walking dead [Christians included, such as the Christian women of North Korea who are catatonic from years of being trafficked and raped repeatedly for the Gospel–they are psychologically DAMAGED people, that is what the report from Open Doors says..they ain’t no joy or embracing for them, they ARE DAMAGED, and many to the point of no return,
and Why is that important? Because WE HAVE A DUTY to LOVE in action, that includes prayer, that includes Suffering with those who Suffer…
but no, we have a false doctrine in this Western Christianity that says, oh pain is good, blah blah blah…
and oh how Satan just loves it.
Meanwhile, people are crushed under the foot of the enemy.
I think, its time we STOP praising pain in some warped psychological ‘martyr’ type of way, and just start saying it as it is,
Pain HURTS, and Pain can destroy, Therefore,
because of this, lets LOVE in action, when we see those in Pain, lets not just say, oh, its just so good God will comfort, while we walk away,
no, lets be the Body that we are supposed to be, and Hug them ourselves, STAY with them, Grieve with them, Relieve their suffering.
THAT is why, I believe, there is Pain…
not just to teach us something or to lure us to God, oh no,
to teach us, to GET OUT OF OURSELVES AND RELIEVE OTHERS…
but we’re too busy talking about how good and glorious and holy pain is, rather than,
relieving, the MILLIONS, afflicted, who are not seeing the results of this false glory of pain, that we so declare here, and instead, many are so crushed in spirit, that they are despondent and desolate.
And who is to blame for that?
WE are…
the whole glorifying pain, to the result of leading to this warped indifference, is just like, the martyrdom of Islam, or the indifference to suffering in Buddhism or Hinduism, that self-denial for some type of false holiness or the ‘oh its mind over matter’ b.s.
And its because of those LIES, that evil prospers, that evil crushes, and evil destroys.
Jane
note: regardless of the triumph of evil [esp oppressing women], we should not be bitter,
eventually, you get to the point, of just complete resignation and acceptance and learning to live in your inner world, thank God, He gave us imagination,
LOL, you can create your own world…
once you get to the point of absolute despondency, you can then, go on with life–obedience,
and just go, la di da, la di da,
and learn, to laugh,
at the absolute, absurdity, of it all.
Peace,
Jane
What I am driving at is different that a self destructive martyrdom or “glorifying pain”. Its pain that is there, much of it buried under years of denial. (see this new post for more explanation) For me, expelling it has been a process. One phase was anger. I always heard that anger was a secondary emotion, that anger is a “safe” way of expressing sadness and hurt At the recent point of “therapeutic rejection”, I broke through the anger so that I can feel the sadness and hurt.
i found this site today while looking for a book about help meet my ss teacher talked about.i have to say that this site is so helpful and refreshing an to know that im not crazy because others feel the same way or going thru the same things.i am a 28 year old mother of 5 and 1 step son.sometimes i feel very unhappy in my marriage.i feel lonely,unappreciated,misunderstood,and sadly sometimes unwanted.ive tried suggesting therapy but his excuse was money,i looked at some sites online for free and he paid more attention to his playstation.he doesnt think anything is wrong and is fine because his needs in our marriage are being met. im a christian and he states he was saved 4 or 5 times so i guess hes backslidden to say the lease.he refuses to talk religion so he calls it so we are unevenly yoked.the only time we both happy is when he happy because when im joyous and he sours the mood quickly.i love him and want a happy marriage for us both but its hard when one person is the only team player.any advice?