Friday, May 3, 2013

Faith in the Process-A Discipline (RJD May 2013)




Originally written 5/19/1997                 
                  

Frederich Buechner in, Now and Then, says “listen to your life.” Three days ago, this reading caught my heart. It did again this morning.
My life has good times: it has trying times. The good times are when I am in God’s house physically or in God’s house spiritually. By physically, I mean in physical attendance. I don’t like to miss. By spiritually, I mean when I am in tune with God, connected through devotional readings and those personal worship times.
The trying times are when I have to deal with those who seem at odds with all things they can’t control. They seem to think they are right no matter how much other circumstances point out they are not.
The best time for me is when I feel God’s presence in my surroundings. The most trying time for me is when I hear words, phrases, and tones of voice that I perceive as hurtful and have the ability to sting my soul.
My problem is that I have not learned how not to react to the hurtful words. I do desire to get beyond this stage of my problem.
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Update: I still don’t like to miss worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Even after 16 years, I sometimes struggle with knowing how to react to hurtful words. I am still learning how to deal with these issues; I believe I will always be in His classroom. This very week, I was able to be with brothers and sisters in Christ for times of worship and prayer through the week.

Had I written this today, I would cut out the wordiness.

14 comments:

  1. I think that's very difficult for almost everybody. I know it's a tough one for me, Cecelia. I like your "not react" thinking; that's part of the key, isn't it? To respond rather than react. A challenge for us all!

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    1. Rhonda: Thank you for visiting. I have to learn to respond with grace. Some people believe they are joking when they say things that actually hurt me.I have to learn to trust God with all those triggers.

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  2. We missed church two weeks in a row due to baseball tournaments, and I feel the tug to worship with my fellow faithful ones. I'm more than ready to get back this Sunday!

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    1. Jill: It is difficult to learn to balance our lives. When my son was in T-ball, the league played on Sunday afternoon. I didn't feel I could get up, go to church (across town,) come home and get him ready for the games grab something to eat,go to the game and enjoy them. Most of those two summers, I went on Wednesday night.

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  3. I love your sweet thoughts and shares, Cecelia. Connecting with Him in community and always is the goal...I hear Him better when I am alone sometimes because I remember the small injustices suffered instead of Him. But then I choose grace...and when I do...it is sweet connection to Him and through Him with others and alone.

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    1. Dawn: Thank you for stopping by. Grace is the answer and He has enough for all of His children. Psalm 138:8 says,"He will perfect that which concerns me." I have believed this since the late 1970's but every once in a while, I forget that. Then I get to return to His class. He is the best teacher.

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  4. I think we all need to be in his classroom regularly. I missed last week, and am going to miss this week due to some activities with my youngest daughter. Even with on-line sermons offered and worship music and scripture readings together as a family, it's not the same as being in worship.

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    1. Tyrean: Thank you for your visit. His classroom is wherever we are when we read His word, pray to Him, or meditate on His word. When I am by myself, I find His message to be sweet and very timely.

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  5. "I will always be in His classroom" So very true! It is an ongoing assignment isn't it? Thankfully He is a good and kind teacher!

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    1. Susie: I believe we graduate from His class when we are called home to be with Jesus. And we will be in his class as often as we realize we need His guidance, grace and love.

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  6. I love this, love Beuchner, have always felt a very strong connection to his words "Listen to your life." It's in the paying attention--even in hard attitudes--that you find out who you are. Right? You're really getting down to it here. And that's powerful. Thanks for it.

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    1. Jeskmom: Thank you for visiting. Yes, we usually do learn something about ourselves when we study our attitudes. Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

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  7. Wise words - thinking before we react, and resisting the temptation to react quickly. I'm a work in progress in this area. :)

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    1. Karen: Thank you for stopping in. I believe we are all 'works in progress' in at least one area of our faith. I trust you had a good visit with you dad.

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I would be honored to hear what you think about this.

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