Back on March 20th, I shared a quick little post, and I have reshared it a time or two since then in some other posts. Guess what, I'm sharing it again. If you read my blog, I want these questions to be at the forefront of your mind.
This is it:
Thoughts for the day March 20th, 2020
2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?
3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?
These are just 3 things to think about in the days ahead. Think about these and come back here some time and share with me what your answer to these are.
In the days ahead, remember that God wants to be in right relationship with us and the only possible way for that to happen is for us to know His Son, Jesus Christ. Think about that too. Now is the time. This is the day of salvation, there may be no other day and no other chance. Today is the day we have. Remember God loves you and I do too. hugs, love, and blessings, patty
Exactly 4 months later, 1/3 of the year, and I'm still asking myself these questions. What's funny, is just about every day the answer to those questions change a little. One thing I know for sure, God is still in control and nothing, absolutely NOTHING happens without His knowledge. There is much comfort in knowing this.
The enemy is rampant!!! he is on the warpath of destruction because he knows his days are numbered and are swiftly slipping thru his grasp. Friends, we haven't seen anything yet!!! But........our hope is in the Lord!! He hasn't failed us yet and He won't ever fail us!!! That is something we can count on!!
But I want to look at the questions and answer those for myself and be able to see my response. And my answers will be all inclusive of ALL the events that has happened since March 20th. And it will be referring to the disease, rioting, murdering and what ever else I didn't just mention. I just won't be calling it by name, but it will be all inclusive.
1. What will be your greatest lesson learned from this ordeal?
Well, it's sad to say, but I think my greatest lesson from this ordeal is that people that I have known all my life and friends alike have really disappointed me in their re-action to all this. One of the saddest things is that the true nature of humanity has shown in a lot of people. Sin has a way of showing up. Again, it just emphasizes the fact that we should ONLY look to Jesus for anything!! When we look to and expect a certain behavior from others, we will be let down. Jesus never disappoints.
2. What will be your greatest sacrifice through this ordeal?
Let me preface my answer by saying that not many of us really know much about sacrifice. The generation of the Great Depression and the World War 2 generations knew a lot about sacrifice and lots of generations before them. The generations since have lived in abundance and haven't had to sacrifice much at all for anything, and that even goes for myself. I don't know what sacrifice is all about myself. I was reared by a father that worked to provide for his family and a momma that took care of the home front. I was reared by parents who was not afraid to discipline their children.
With all that in mind, to this point, my greatest sacrifice has been not getting to see my Momma as much as I want to. We have stayed away to try to prevent the spread of disease. We have actually seen her 4 or 5 times over the last couple months, but with the disease kicking back up, we have slacked off again. I know it has been hard on her!!! She loves her children and she loves seeing us and since February, she hasn't had access to her children, grand children and great grand children like she wants to have.
With all that said, if everyone, EVERYONE, would put a mask on, she could see her family. Nuff said on that.
3. What will be your biggest blessing on the other side of this ordeal?
My biggest blessing has been the same all along. That God is in control and that He goes before me setting my path for me to trod. He calms my heart, He brings peace when there is no external peace. He has given me clarity when the world is all about confusion. He helps me see things the way He sees it thru His gift of discernment. He collects my tears as He wipes them from my face. He is my fortress, my stronghold. Growing nearer to my Heavenly Father is a great thing.
The answers to 1. and 2. may change again and again, but I feel rest assured that the answers to 3. will remain the same. We've seen some pretty dark days in the recent past and those days are not done. We have seen the exercise of sin throughout the land. We have seen perversion at it's worst and it's just getting started. We've seen people acting out of their greatest perversions and we haven't seen anything yet.
Yes, I know there are a lot of people out there that thinks this whole thing is a hoax. There are also a lot of people out there that think believing in Jesus Christ is a hoax. But if I live my life believing in Jesus Christ as I do and at the end of my days, it was hoax, then nothing lost. I was kind to people and know that I tried to have a good heart that was respectful to everyone. If on the other hand, I live my life thinking He is a hoax, and He turns out to be the real deal, then I just sent myself to hell.
How can I relate this to wearing a mask? Well, let me preface this by saying that for all the health care workers having to wear these respirator masks for 8 to 12 and even more hours in a day, then God bless you all and I do pray for your protection and for your families protection. Be careful of the info floating around on the internet, a lot of it is to get you to let your guard down and get sick and possibly die. It's not for your benefit!!
But for those of us who just want to get groceries, get out of the house and get a fast food fix, or go into the bank or the drug store, or just do some fun shopping, we can do some of things that can potentially expose others to the virus, by not wearing a mask, and you are living as if this is a hoax. What if your behavior, and your behavior alone, killed your Momma, killed your children, killed your grand children????? We don't have to wear a mask long enough to cause some of the problems that people are claiming. Yeah, you may asthma, but if it was something you REALLY wanted to do and if it's something to keep YOU safe, that's a different story!! We are hearing a LOT of excuses!!!! That's all it is, excuses backed by the enemy himself. Poor souls don't even know they are being used. What we are seeing is ugly, sin stained hearts coming to the surface. They can be hidden only so long. You can talk about Jesus all day long on face book, but your actions speak louder than words. You can go to church every sunday of the world and still be as lost as the needle in the haystack. Like they say, standing in a garage doesn't make you a car either. It boils down to sin.
There are a lot of people who want to say that those who do wear a mask are sheep. Well, my friends, look in scripture and see what the word of God says about sheep. Call me sheep any day, I will count it as one of the highest compliments anyone could ever gave me!!!!!! The Shepherd knows His sheep!!!! So, baa baa baa!!! Yes, I'm a sheep and proud of it.
As for all the recent events being foreshadowing of things to come, like I said earlier, God knows what's happening. I don't think He needs any of us fighting against what the back of the BOOK says is going to happen. It will happen in His time and He tells us "to be ready for it!!! He doesn't tell us to be out in the streets beating our chests like some kind of war drums and shaking a fist, like it really means anything anyway. And burning our cities and other people livelihoods and creating confusion. We already discussed where confusion fits in and it's of the enemy. But what it does tell us is to live our lives as peaceably as we can, when it depends on us. Standing out, shaking my fists, calling names, and cursing is not what God has called me to do. If that's His calling on your life, then I suggest you ask Him for more discernment. I suggest you channel whatever is causing your behavior to more constructive things. Mow a neighbors yard, shop for groceries for an elderly friend, tend to a neighbors garden, go plant a small garden for a neighbor and help take care of it for them. Do something constructive. Tell someone they look beautiful. Make someones day by opening a door. Do all these good things for others while wearing a mask.
The simple fact of the matter is this, if you claim to be a a Christ Follower, then your life should show it. His kingdom was never about ruling planet earth. His kingdom was all about living in the lives of those us who love Him and being with Him in His true domain. Remember, in the Garden, when Peter pulled a sword and cut Malcus' ear off? Jesus told Peter to put away the sword. And........He healed that ear of Malcus!!!!! I'll just imagine that Malcus remembered that the rest of his days!!! Truth be known, he may have even bragged about it a little. He had a testimony, whether he knew it or not.
Thing of it is, we all have a testimony. We don't look at lives, most of the time, as testimony, but if we love Jesus, then we are a walking testimony to the goodness of God in our lives. The only reason Jesus hasn't already come back is because God is waiting for that one more soul to come to know Him. Just one more, just one more, just one more......................... You see, our God is a God of many opportunities, but those opportunities will be coming to an end some day. I have no idea how soon it will be, but it will happen. I just pray that just one more, and just one more, and just one more will keep on coming to know Him as Lord and Savior.
My testimony is that Jesus saved such a wretched sinner as I, knowing that I don't, didn't and will ever deserve it on my own. The thing of it is, it's not based on how wretched I am, it's based on how wonderful, amazing, awesome and loving and trustworthy He is!!! My Savior is the epitome of sacrifice!!!!! He died in my place, all those years ago. What is so sweet, is the fact that if I had been the only one to ever need His sacrifice, He would have done it just for me. That is my testimony, He sacrificed Himself just for me. He done the same thing for you!!! It's only when we make it real for us that it becomes our testimony. So, call me "sheep" and I will take that as an ultimate compliment. I know my Shepherds voice and He knows mine. Can you say the same? I hope so.
So, this is my 4 month summary of the questions I asked myself back on March 20th, 2020. Some of the answers may change over the next 4 months, I don't know. But I will try to remember to revisit the questions again and see what has changed. Until then, be the change that you want to see in the world. One person can make a difference in your own world. I pray that I am making a difference in my world. I certainly try to.
That's all I have for now. Blessings on you and those you love. Do what you can to help others and protect others. Be a light in an otherwise dark world. Love those around you. Show kindness to all people. Let your heart, your beautiful heart that loves Jesus, be what others see in you. Remember that God loves you and I do too. Have a wonderful rest of the day and thank God for it. hugs, love and blessings, patty
