Monday, September 8, 2008

redirected

I have been spending entirely too much time on my local newspaper's forums. The same posters are there day after day. Their opinions are well known, as are my own. Debating has turned into snide comments and sometimes blatant insulting each other. Some even resort to name calling and harassment of other's opinions that are opposite of their own.
I myself have sank to some moments I do not wish to recall. I loathe being baited. I have an adversary that tries his darnedest to intentionally solicit negative attention from me. Sometimes he succeeds. I try to carefully choose my words. My basic instinct is to tell him where to shove his opinion, but my manners win almost every time. I imagine I make him feel the same way, except he has no problems letting me have it. I have received insults and an occasional cuss word or two.
Politics, religion, taxes and the Constitution are frequent topics. All the tabues are present. I am a "conservative' the other side of fifty. I wasn't always. In fact, in my younger days I voted straight Democrat and considered myself a "flower child". I admired the hippies and ran with the crowd known for having relatives in the Hell's Angels and for trying to get away with anything they could. I also was aware that some of them said things like, "Smile, God loves you."
Fast forward, and today I was reminded ONCE AGAIN, by a chance encounter in a WalMart store, that God loves ME. Tonight I met a woman, JoAnn, who has a "market place ministery". She is obedient and when the Lord puts it on her heart to speak to someone, she does. I just spent two hours in the household chemical aisle listening to God through her words. I now have a clear vision of what I am to do about a personal problem I have. I am depending on God to handle the problems, but I am just going to stick to doing the right thing and not worry.

Some of you might question her sanity and mine. I know the voice of my Lord. He said in John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

It is true. She told me what I literally needed to hear. God loves me and knows ME. She also reminded me of the verses about love.

The Greatest Commandment
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[f] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[g]There is no commandment greater than these."

32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=12&version=31



As I go to sleep tonight, I will pray that God blesses JoAnn, and I will think on these verses. I will have to rethink this forum thing. Perhaps I am not loving my neighbor as well as I think.

Thank you Jesus. Good night



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