One foot in front of the other.... one foot.... in front.... of .... the .... other. Ever wish there was someone directing you in the the day to day aspects of life? Ever said "just tell me what you want me to do!" and thought you meant it? I am absolutely miserable right now. I am angry, I am resentful, I am annoyed and I am fooling myself by thinking if God would just tell me what to do to get out of this funk, I would do it. How do I know I am delusional? Because He has and I haven't.
I have a niece who has the wonderful ability to accidentally use the wrong word in precisely the right way. Two of my favorites have been "obstacle illusion" (optical illusion) and "everything is Hokey Poky" (hunky dory). You'll have to trust me that the situations in which she almost used the well known idioms were enriched exponentially by her using the slightly altered version. We all knew what she meant when she said what she did and we all had a good laugh at the way she (almost) said it. Today I woke up asking God to Hokey Poky me. I really thought I was asking Him to give me step by step instructions out of the hell hole I am in. What I was really asking Him for was a good dose of Hunky Dory.
I don't think it's necessarily wrong of us to want some hunky dory in our lives. In fact, I think it's completely normal to desire it. The problem comes when we are willing to sin to get it or if we sin when we don't. Am I the only one who is willing to cop to having a bad (read sinful) attitude when I don't get the hunky dory I think I need and deserve? Nah. But I am self-focused and prideful enough to think that I am more honest about my shortcomings than most.
This morning I thought I would be a good little Christian and read something from one of my Biblical Counseling journals. The one I picked up had an article on hope. Since I have given seminars on the topic I thought there would be little to challenge me and I could skate by with just receiving my gold star for having read and not have to suffer any conviction. Lord knows when I am ticked at Him I don't really want Him to convict me. That might make have to admit that I am very often the author of my own misery. God- being vastly more clever than I- had other plans. I picked up the article thinking I was going to criticize the writer and wham! I was laid bare with all that ugly in my heart exposed for what it is. Yeeouch! If you've ever had some medical tape and bandage covering a wound for a few days, short enough for the tape to still have its tackiness but long enough to have the glue surround your growing hair follicles and your healing skin try to heal into the bandage, you'll know what sort of feeling I had about having my sin exposed. I know it's good for me and must be done, but dang!
The God of all comfort, temporal and eternal, did a little a little surgery on me this morning. I wouldn't say that I am healed. I would say I have a gaping hole and I am in still in recovery. Did you know we get the word 'comfort' from the Latin term 'con fortis' which means 'with strength?'
God's strength and mercying grace have imposed a little hope and healing. I am fragile, grumpy and sore but I am in our Father's ICU and everything here is hokey poky! Well it will be if I can get over my obstacle illusions.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed {be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are {sharers} of our comfort.
Romans 15:5-6
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus;
6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 86:5-8
5 For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me.
8 There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine.
(NAS)
I have a niece who has the wonderful ability to accidentally use the wrong word in precisely the right way. Two of my favorites have been "obstacle illusion" (optical illusion) and "everything is Hokey Poky" (hunky dory). You'll have to trust me that the situations in which she almost used the well known idioms were enriched exponentially by her using the slightly altered version. We all knew what she meant when she said what she did and we all had a good laugh at the way she (almost) said it. Today I woke up asking God to Hokey Poky me. I really thought I was asking Him to give me step by step instructions out of the hell hole I am in. What I was really asking Him for was a good dose of Hunky Dory.
I don't think it's necessarily wrong of us to want some hunky dory in our lives. In fact, I think it's completely normal to desire it. The problem comes when we are willing to sin to get it or if we sin when we don't. Am I the only one who is willing to cop to having a bad (read sinful) attitude when I don't get the hunky dory I think I need and deserve? Nah. But I am self-focused and prideful enough to think that I am more honest about my shortcomings than most.
This morning I thought I would be a good little Christian and read something from one of my Biblical Counseling journals. The one I picked up had an article on hope. Since I have given seminars on the topic I thought there would be little to challenge me and I could skate by with just receiving my gold star for having read and not have to suffer any conviction. Lord knows when I am ticked at Him I don't really want Him to convict me. That might make have to admit that I am very often the author of my own misery. God- being vastly more clever than I- had other plans. I picked up the article thinking I was going to criticize the writer and wham! I was laid bare with all that ugly in my heart exposed for what it is. Yeeouch! If you've ever had some medical tape and bandage covering a wound for a few days, short enough for the tape to still have its tackiness but long enough to have the glue surround your growing hair follicles and your healing skin try to heal into the bandage, you'll know what sort of feeling I had about having my sin exposed. I know it's good for me and must be done, but dang!
The God of all comfort, temporal and eternal, did a little a little surgery on me this morning. I wouldn't say that I am healed. I would say I have a gaping hole and I am in still in recovery. Did you know we get the word 'comfort' from the Latin term 'con fortis' which means 'with strength?'
God's strength and mercying grace have imposed a little hope and healing. I am fragile, grumpy and sore but I am in our Father's ICU and everything here is hokey poky! Well it will be if I can get over my obstacle illusions.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed {be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are {sharers} of our comfort.
Romans 15:5-6
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus;
6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 86:5-8
5 For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me.
8 There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine.
(NAS)
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