The Rich/The Poor

I'm thinking that I have considered myself "rich" at times and I have also been what I would define as "poor".  Literally and spiritually.

Proverbs is full of scriptures about the rich and the poor. To believe that God created both is a bit hard to comprehend. Why did He not make everyone socially equal? And how did I fall into the class that I am in? Which is probably neither rich nor poor.  Or, as I said, maybe both.

We live in an imperfect world. Many of the poor have an attitude of entitlement and the rich are arrogant, or believe it or not, the poor can be proud and the rich can feel insecure for who they are. They can quickly become enemies. For years, capitalism and socialism have been warring philosophies. How do we create a society that is equal? Well, ever since sin entered the world, there have been the rich and the poor.

The big question of all time is: who gives and who takes? What is the equalizer of the rich and the poor? It is, I believe, in the Proverbs scripture above. We must realize that  "The Lord is the maker of them all." It is found in the  reading of God's word. God gives instructions for all times on how society should work.

No matter where we are born or what class we are born into, we are not to be lazy, but industrious. Proverbs has lots of advice about the sluggard and also about the wise man. Yet, we all live at the hand of Providence which also dictates, to some degree, whether we are rich or poor. We can never live out of the reach of a God who can navigate or change circumstances.

If I live according to the word of God, I am encouraged to be generous and hard-working. I am instructed to give and to bless others. If we all practiced this, we would live in a perfect world.

I believe the Bible says laziness is a sin. So is selfishness. Greed is wrong. Pride is defined as something God hates. Yet, all these fleshly traits intertwined with living, warp our perception of how God equalizes society.

I have always wondered about the fairness of natural disasters in the world. I've never experienced horrible things that others have, at the hand of earthquakes and such. However I have been in communities where there were floods and tornadoes. What I saw was, that it was always a way of bringing community and the nation together. For a period of time, everyone worked together for the common good of all people involved. God uses disaster for that purpose. Yet, as always, there is a dark side. 

I recently read a very descriptive reading about the earthquake in Haiti several years ago. I was appalled at the emotions evoked in such dire circumstances! Chaos in the middle of helping hands. Hope, and distress all mixed together.

What I do believe in is "Theism".: a belief in the existence of God, as Creator of the universe, and that He intervenes in it, sustaining a personal relationship with His Creation. I wish all mankind would live by this philosophy. However, we all know that is not true. So, since the beginning of time, we have the rich; the poor. We have weakness; we have strength. We have good; we have evil. 

My concern is how do I live so enlightened that I can show the world around me that I honor this Proverb by the portrayal of God in my life. At whatever station in life I happen to be, I must live in contentment, because it's where the Providence of God has placed me. I cannot afford to be envious or proud.

The Lord made us all. He loves no one less or more.  We all were born. We all will die. He allows us to live, to succeed, to fail, to give out, to take in. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

My Tale

Proverbs 13:22 "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children."

Psalms 90:9 "We spend our years as a tale that is told." 90:12 "So teach us to number our days." 

I was so inspired by the recent biography of "Mabel" penned by her daughter, Charlotte Huskey. It is a wonderful book, particularly so, because I remember "Mabel" vaguely when I was a young girl. 

While reading the book, I was impressed by the fact that I don't remember this lady as being particularly vivacious or colorful. The book didn't say that. It was simply a story of her very difficult life and her faithfulness to God. By the time I finished the book, I knew she was one special woman. Her tale is now, so many years later, being told. The pages of her book were literally and illustriously numbered. It was a beautiful story.

I realize that I am writing my story and numbering my pages every day. My first chapters are already compiled. Each day I live records a new page. 

There are periods in my life that I feel are pretty uneventful. I am just doing the necessary, unexciting things I know I need to do. It doesn't seem to matter that  I cleaned my cabinets this week, or that I cooked umpteen meals. I made my bed seven times and crawled back into it the same seven times. I dutifully attended church services and I sent my husband out the door with a kiss every morning this week. I've smiled; I've cried; I've sent out some words of encouragement;  I've even received a few. I celebrated "love" several times with family and friends for Valentine's Day. I had several "good days; I had a restless one. 

In the eyes of most, I don't have much glamour in my life.  I don't feel like the heroine of a book. I'm just living.

My daughter in law sent a post out recently that impressed me. It had the picture of a little angel with a halo. It said something like: "When I remember I'm a daughter of the King, I straighten my crown!" It really made me stop and think. I mentioned in an earlier post that God and I are writing our own Fairy Tale.

I claim my place as a "Daughter of the King". I am a Princess. My tale will be told.  Some classic tales are sad. Some are happy. What will mine be?

As for now, I'm trying to just be faithful. A good book has tragedies and triumphs. Defeats and victories. Ups and downs. Beginnings and endings. That's the heart of the book. The pages in between. The living. 

So I live. I try to focus on being creative and inspirational in penning my life story. On days like today, I am reflective; searching for ways to improve on my book, turning the pages carefully back and rereading.  But when I remember who I am; that daughter of the King, I know there will be some kind of classic stamp on my tale.

Today, a new page of my life awaits to be numbered. Tonight I won't be able to erase or rewrite it. The challenge is: how is it going to be written? Its already got some tragic pages, some not so happy pages. But there are also some good chapters. What I really want is a happy ending. After all, it will be the inheritance passed down to the next generations. 

Am I Lovable?

Proverbs 10:12: "Love covereth all sins."

As Valentine's Day approaches, it's so easy to ask the question: "How much am I loved?" In reality, it isn't about how much I am loved, but, "Am I lovable?"

I am reading, this morning, the above scripture about love covering "all" things and also reading in I Corinthians 13:7 which tells us some of the attributes of love:  "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." What a challenge!

In relationships, it is so easy to focus on "MY" feelings. I am convinced that love is not about what I get but the experience I have when I am "all" encompassing my life with bearing, believing, hoping and enduring.

The word "all" embraces every circumstance in my life.  It is very difficult to not be selective in the things I choose to forbear or endure. It is much easier to hold grudges when I've been hurt or mistreated.  This evolves into unforgiveness and bitterness and I will be cautious and untrusting in my approach to relationships. I can't hope to give or feel love when I am not being obedient to Scripture.

The Love Chapter also says that "Love never faileth."  Whew!  It's hard to comprehend the "all" and the "never" approach isn't it?  So, if I am to understand "love", I am seeing that I have to be a very forgiving, open, believing and hopeful person.

In reading more Love verses, it looks like I have to put others first, always be kind, not be pleased when people get their due in life, not get provoked (upset), not think badly about people, and not think I'm better than others.  Me?  Can I pull out even a couple of these traits I am doing ALL of the time?

But, if I'm honest with myself, these are the traits I do expect in others if they really want me to love them! Isn't that enlightening? It's pretty hard to cover up the glaring bad traits of others! If I understand what these Bible verses on love are saying, I think I have some work to do!  I must concentrate on downplaying the faults of others and concentrate on eliminating those same traits in myself.

Isn't it so easy to start accusations with "You always" or "You never"?  My husband and I made some commitments a long time ago to try and not use those phrases in communicating. But what if I turn them around and use them positively in my own Love Makeover?

"All things."  Excuses come easily. And aren't there exclusions to everything? Maybe. Probably. However, my personal challenge this February is, yes,  to let Love cover "all" the faults in others. But goal #1 is to work on my "alls" and "nevers" in my own life. I realize I can't be perfect, but I know I've been made aware of some ways to be a good bit more lovable!

The Gift of Tears

Proverbs 2:3-5 "If thou criest after knowledge.... then shalt thou find the knowledge of God."

A very enlightened person once quoted:"Tears are a biological gift from God." Another gifted song writer penned"Tears are a language God understands."

I have mixed emotions about tears. But one thing I have learned: they can feel good and they can feel terrible!   I also believe that there is much knowledge to be learned from the language of tears. I often  do not know how to deal with tears. They visit me at times I am not expecting them. Sometimes they freely flow. I even cry when I'm angry at circumstances. It's then, if I keep indulging them, they can turn negative. There are other times, it is needful to suppress them.  They fall anyway.  I have been known to be dry eyed when everyone around me is crying.
On those occasions, suppressed tears can cause me to feel hard-hearted. Tears are a mystery. I will never understand this emotion totally but I want to respect them as something given to me by God. I do not want to constantly be struggling with the right and wrong of my tears.

Ecclesiastes says there is a time for weeping.  Psalms tells us that after a long night of this emotion, joy will come.
Strong, fighting men, such as David, feeling like a loser in the battle, have wept and called on God and experienced victory.  The fearful disciples were riding out what they thought was a killer storm, and cried out for protection, resulting in the comforting presence of God. In the Lamentations of Jeremiah, he cried out that it was God's mercies that he and all others were not consumed. Even Jesus experienced tears of grief when his friend Lazarus died.  I am convinced that Jesus had to deal with a lot of Marthas and Marys in his short time on earth. Women are so good at expressing themselves with tears in their changing emotions. I'm a woman and I know.

I have experienced all of the above and more. I have been injured in battle and cried in pain. I have rode out storms, feeling like I was drowning, my tears seeming to blend with the lash of the sea.
At times I have lamented with tears: "God, this is it! Only your mercy can save me!"

I have been a Martha, and felt my load was too heavy. Angry emotions evoke a different kind of tears. Sometimes I will battle for days with tears when I have been treated unjustly or am observing unfair treatment in circumstances surrounding me.

Everyone expects tears of grief. Knowing Jesus wept gives me permission for this very natural outlet of grief. Grief is experienced in various ways. Sometimes the tears are relief or happiness when a loved one has suffered an extended time. Then there are tears of anguish when a death is unexpected. However, or what kind, tears of grief are very, very normal. I have experienced them many times.

I have also felt the emotion of "joy" with tears. Tears tend to identify with negativity. However, psychologists say that crying at happy times balances out our emotional equilibrium. I can understand that. I have Mary tears when I'm feeling close to God. I can dissolve in them but they feel so good. I am a pro at crying in weddings and other happy places. I don't even try to hide them anymore. They feel good.

So I'm dealing with all kinds of emotions that produce tears:  needy tears, angry tears, healing tears and happy tears. Needy tears feel alright. These happen at times when I feel unworthy, repentant, or just desperate. I know God wants me to be broken and will hold me when I feel this way. God likes anything that will drive me to Him.

Now, I don't feel as needy, initially, when I am experiencing what I call "righteous indignation" and not liking it; thus producing a different kind of tears.  I am questioning and in a defense mode. I am asking "Why?" and "How come?". It takes me awhile to deal with these tears because I am not feeling the need of rescue or comfort. I am not grieving or happy. I'm angry for what I think is a good cause. Here's where tears can be used in a negative way. But, mercifully, if I steer clear of the mires of self pity and bitterness, God will bring me around to confessing to my pride and independence. Then is when I really cry the right kind of tears.  Angry tears are a means of enlightenment of the soul. They are still okay if channeled through God. They can turn into needy tears.

Tears of joy are delightful. They are nothing to be ashamed of. I love to see people smiling through their tears. I like to experience it. Joy and tears are the perfect cry time. No guilt, no need, no anger; just a grateful and contented heart.

The danger of our emotions, though designed by God, is that they can be used to manipulate circumstances or other people. There's nothing wrong with tears, but they must be used in the proper perspective in order for God to teach us.

I like to look at tears in a positive way. They are, as mentioned previously, a gift from God. They help heal, cleanse and identify us as God's creation. He gifted them to us as an outlet of release for the mind and body.  If he gave me tears, He meant for them to glorify Him!  Lord help me not to abuse them!