Girlfriends!!!
Warm hearted greetings! I have been ill this week and am trying to get back on my feet...have missed our coffee room chats! Pull up a chair and read with me a most inspiring and challenging thought from the book of Acts.
When defending himself to the Governor before his accusers, Paul made quite a statement. In Acts 24, he begins by saying he is very happy to speak for himself and, in verse 16, he says, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." Wow!
I read that and had to ask myself, do I practice this..."to always have my conscience void of offense...?" No, I'm afraid I do not. There are times that I am shamefully aware that I have either caused or am carrying some offense around, in my conscience, toward God or man. I know I've said something that needs to be repented of or I have done something that hurt someone, even if at times it is only God who is having to bear my offense. The remedy for this is summed up in one simple word and one from which we shy away; humility. If I can only humble myself, at the beginning and end of each day, and ask God to shine the searchlight of his all knowing and all loving eye into my heart, he will be faithful to reveal to me any offense that resides in my heart...or in the heart of someone else, as it relates to my choices. Ideally, we will begin to ask God as we walk through our day, particularly when facing a difficult situation, to keep us from offense. Sometimes it isn't that I have initiated conflict or caused the initial rift but could it be in my reaction? The Bible says that, as a Christian, I am an ambassador for Christ, and, therefore, a representative who has a higher calling than an eye for an eye mentality...
Let's pray for an open and humble heart that desires to always be without offense, either on our part or in causing it in someone else's heart. Most often, offense comes by our tongue, as we are told in the book of James, but we know it isn't really about taming our tongue, but rather asking God to change our hearts. If God shows us an offense, let's pray for grace to humble ourselves, quickly, and remove it from our conscience. Peace is the sweet reward! And....it doesn't depend on the response of the other party (unless it's God :-)and he is ready and willing to forgive! We can do what we know is right and leave the results with him. The Bible instructs as, "As much as it lies within YOU, live at peace with all men."
Have a wonderful weekend and if you are facing overwhelming circumstances in your life, right now, ask the Lord to keep you extra close to him and to give you grace that you can keep a conscience void of offense. I know I need more awareness and humility in my heart!
Still Climbing,
Cher
Wednesday
Expelled - Part I
Names have been changed in the ensuing dialogue.....thanks to the passing of time and the natural inclination of the brain in very painful circumstances to block out the most difficult memories, the following should not be taken as an exact replica of the actual exchanges, but a very close recollection. Anything slightly misremembered in wordage shouldn't detract from the reality of a very similar conversation.
"Cherrie...Rick's voice was sad and he spoke slowly on the other end of the phone line, with the words I knew were to come ..."we have to address your decision at our member's meeting Tuesday night. It has become apparent, with your job at the lawyer's office and your public appearances around town, that you have left the church and we must proceed with church discipline. Do you want to be present to answer for yourself?"
I declined in a respectful manner, knowing very well, the procedure to follow and that I did not care to listen as the church brought my case before the members of the Mennonite church and voted to expel me from the fold, with hopes I would repent and return.
I understood the implications of working for the highest profile attorney in the tiny town of 5,000 where Mennonites were well revered, though the vast majority of town people had no desire to adopt their lifestyle.
Mennonites do not believe in litigation nor law-suits of any kind. Incidentally, this would include divorce. This is all related to their "non-resistance" stance and belief that God is the one who brings men and women into account for wrong-doing and therefore, will not go "to law" to handle a grievance. For me to have taken a job in such an environment was a public proclamation that I had left "the way" and must come under church discipline.
I frequently ran into Mennonites in town and, at times, they would walk up to me and begin to cry as they saw my new "worldly" look, complete with make-up, jewelry and fashionable clothing. I often stayed nights with my landlords down the road during this time. As soon as I made the decision to leave the church and had written a letter to inform the staff (2 ministers and 4 deacons), I went to visit them and tell them of my decision. I had to be sure they would continue to rent the little house out in the country to me. They had lost a daughter to cancer two years prior and took me in as their own. Hot baths, dinners out "re-introducing" me in town and just encouraging me. I had been the Health and Safety Coordinator at our Mennonite owned fish processing plant before being expelled (only single or divorced women usually work outside the home)and so I was a familiar face both to Mennonites and town people. I would also be approached by people in town, at times who would look at me...look again and say...."Don't I know you...?" Then it would be "Oh, you are that little ex-Mennonite girl from the fish plant!" Guess I was still recognizable without my black head covering and change of attire...
To be continued.....
"Cherrie...Rick's voice was sad and he spoke slowly on the other end of the phone line, with the words I knew were to come ..."we have to address your decision at our member's meeting Tuesday night. It has become apparent, with your job at the lawyer's office and your public appearances around town, that you have left the church and we must proceed with church discipline. Do you want to be present to answer for yourself?"
I declined in a respectful manner, knowing very well, the procedure to follow and that I did not care to listen as the church brought my case before the members of the Mennonite church and voted to expel me from the fold, with hopes I would repent and return.
I understood the implications of working for the highest profile attorney in the tiny town of 5,000 where Mennonites were well revered, though the vast majority of town people had no desire to adopt their lifestyle.
Mennonites do not believe in litigation nor law-suits of any kind. Incidentally, this would include divorce. This is all related to their "non-resistance" stance and belief that God is the one who brings men and women into account for wrong-doing and therefore, will not go "to law" to handle a grievance. For me to have taken a job in such an environment was a public proclamation that I had left "the way" and must come under church discipline.
I frequently ran into Mennonites in town and, at times, they would walk up to me and begin to cry as they saw my new "worldly" look, complete with make-up, jewelry and fashionable clothing. I often stayed nights with my landlords down the road during this time. As soon as I made the decision to leave the church and had written a letter to inform the staff (2 ministers and 4 deacons), I went to visit them and tell them of my decision. I had to be sure they would continue to rent the little house out in the country to me. They had lost a daughter to cancer two years prior and took me in as their own. Hot baths, dinners out "re-introducing" me in town and just encouraging me. I had been the Health and Safety Coordinator at our Mennonite owned fish processing plant before being expelled (only single or divorced women usually work outside the home)and so I was a familiar face both to Mennonites and town people. I would also be approached by people in town, at times who would look at me...look again and say...."Don't I know you...?" Then it would be "Oh, you are that little ex-Mennonite girl from the fish plant!" Guess I was still recognizable without my black head covering and change of attire...
To be continued.....
Monday
Have an "Excellent" Day!
Girlfriends!! Happy Monday! Never say "O no, it's Monday!" When you take that approach, you invite a less than excellent day and lose 24 hours from your week! Monday ROCKS! :)
Excellence = Distinction. It denotes doing, going and being above average. I don't know about you but I don't like words like normal, average, typical...I believe God gives to each of us special talents, gifts, and abilities so that we will utilize them in an excellent way. Don't confuse excellence with perfection, which only brings disappointment and frustration. As leading fitness expert Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"
Whatever our hands find to do, today, let's do it with excellence. Go the second mile. Do more than is expected and that doesn't necessarily mean working harder - it means to pay attention to the need at hand and think outside the box for the best results - it could mean taking more time for some-ONE today rather than some THING or slowing down to do a few things well rather than trying to cram in 1,000 things with mediocre results...as we journey along, let's take along a small bag with a great can-do-think-the-best-of-others attitude, a willingness to give up some personal comfort and time to encourage someone else and a prayer on our lips to recognize the opportunities we encounter to affect the world around us in word and deed!
May God be honored as we seek to practice excellence in his name, today.
Still Climbing,
Cher
Excellence = Distinction. It denotes doing, going and being above average. I don't know about you but I don't like words like normal, average, typical...I believe God gives to each of us special talents, gifts, and abilities so that we will utilize them in an excellent way. Don't confuse excellence with perfection, which only brings disappointment and frustration. As leading fitness expert Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"
Whatever our hands find to do, today, let's do it with excellence. Go the second mile. Do more than is expected and that doesn't necessarily mean working harder - it means to pay attention to the need at hand and think outside the box for the best results - it could mean taking more time for some-ONE today rather than some THING or slowing down to do a few things well rather than trying to cram in 1,000 things with mediocre results...as we journey along, let's take along a small bag with a great can-do-think-the-best-of-others attitude, a willingness to give up some personal comfort and time to encourage someone else and a prayer on our lips to recognize the opportunities we encounter to affect the world around us in word and deed!
May God be honored as we seek to practice excellence in his name, today.
Still Climbing,
Cher
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)