Sometimes I spend inordinate amounts of time thinking...there you have it, I am a thinker...
Last night I spent some time thinking about consequences, my pastor preached an amazing sermon about taking oaths and how sometimes we simply need to keep our mouths closed...the passage was from Matthew 5:33-37 and he broke it down. As he was preaching it I thought, "Lord, I have so much work to do on me!" Said the same to my man once we were in the car...I try to keep quiet about some things, but I fall short, especially when I am pushed, hard or when I see something that saddens me or angers me...and that will probably never change, because I will not watch anyone harmed and not say something...but that was not the context of the message anyway...basically the message is that in most cases a simple YES or NO will do, no need to embellish or pump up your answer...
Example:
Do you love me?
Answer:
YES
No need to say I promise on a stack of bibles I do...an honest yes will suffice.
Can you lend me $500.00
Answer:
NO
No need to say, heaven knows I would if I had it...no you wouldn't and you are probably wise not to...
But I digress...
There is this man that comes to our church, with his wife, sometimes he has on his cleric's collar, other times not...seems he is or was a preacher at some point...what is real clear is that he has suffered some challenges, been through some things...it shows all over him, radiates from his pores...it is also clear that he wants to belong...to fit in...he makes sure he is noticed...he sits in positions where he can stand out, he dresses flamboyantly...comes in a little late...breaks my heart...
Because I totally understand his desire to be part and parcel of something,
What is sad is that he really doesn't understand how it is done,
That all the things he is doing is counterproductive to his mission,
Because in spending a lot of time trying to be seen and heard, even when it works has it's CONSEQUENCES...
Because the risk is what do you become known for,
Is it your fervent desire to praise,
Or your flamboyance,
Is it your desire to serve,
Or your need to be noticed,
No one knows this except the person and God,
And that is enough,
The downside though is that by doing all those things,
Saying all those things what really matters is lost in the fray sometimes,
That is why, no matter what we do, how we do it,
What we say or how we say it,
There are always CONSEQUENCES...
Be PEACE,
angelia
http://www.angeliamenchan.com
