After my father and I reconciled, I learned more about the disease he has (which will likely kill him). He had a heart attack in May of last year. Upon his release from the hospital he came to live here, with my husband and I and we began to plan what we thought might be his last birthday party. I just have not had the time to sit and write like I would like to. Other things have taken priority, and those things have been good things.
It has been a busy almost year for me. I have missed writing though.
My unfinished study calls to me, and while I have finished reading the book,I have not yet put pen to paper. Any of you who were following along may be frustrated, and I apologize for that, but life happens, and family is important, and I have learned to listen and prioritize. While I have not written out the remaining blogs for the corresponding chapters (there are just a couple) the information is there floating around my head and heart and it WILL come out.
My dad is doing well enough to be out on his own again, and while we are reconciled there remains much work to be done in our relationship.
Isn't that true of all human relationships though?
I, too, have had a few health scares, and ended up in the hospital with an NG tube up my nose, just before Thanksgiving.. If you've never experienced this I pray you never do. It was awful. Thankfully I am doing better, and with a few tweaks to my diet, will continue to do so.
Which brings me to the topic of this blog.
Ya'll may or may not know that I live in close proximity to the city of New Orleans, and I love it.
I love the food, I love the music, I love the people, I love the history, I just love everything about it, but Mardi Gras has to be my favorite. It is just a big fun party. It's family and food and fun. All of the things I love, rolled into one fun filled day where (bonus!) you get to dress up! Whats not to love about that?
I will grant that there are those who are extreme in their merry making, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about what ~I~ do with ~MY~ friends.
While out shopping with friends I passed a shop which had a shirt that I believe sums up our walk as believers. In Mardi Gras colors emblazoned across the front, words stacked neatly one on top of the other: Sin, Repent, Repeat.
I bought it.
I hesitated to wear it Mardi Gras day because I was concerned some of my more legalistic friends would think I was making a mockery where I was not, but I realized I have come too far in my journey as my daughter recently reminded me.
So I wore it.
Not that we seek to be sinners and blithely continue to sin knowing if we repent we can repeat the process...that's not what the message is. That's not how I took the shirt's "message". That wasn't my intention as I wore it and received many approving nods that day. My intention was to remind people that God remembers our frame and He knows we are dust. (Psalm 103:14) and to remind them and myself that when we sin (and IF I read correctly I will continue to do so until I am freed from this body). I need to repent of my sin,recognize my need for grace, and then approach the throne of GRACE boldly and LAY down my guilt, because it's already been taken care of. That debt was paid, my part is really pretty easy if I can just get out of my head. That word repeat is there to remind me that it WILL happen again...I AM a sinner, it IS my nature.
You know what else I thought about as I looked at those three words neatly stacked upon each other in my city's colors of purple, gold and green?
The refiner and His fire.
Those of you unfamiliar with how a silversmith purifies silver, let me tell you what my understanding is, it is that the smith would take the silver, crush it down to little bits and place it in a crucible. He would then take that crucible and place it in the very hottest part of the fire. After a bit He would remove it, look at it and pour off any impurities that had risen to the surface, then back into the fire it would go. Over and over he would repeat this process until at last when he looked into the crucible he saw his own reflection. Then he knew he was finished.
Sounds a lot like "He must increase I must decrease" (John 3:30)
That's exactly what happens in this life. For some of us it takes a long time. Whatever is going on in your life...live your life to the fullest, enjoy every day and remember, whatever you do, do it all in His name, and give thanks for it.
XOXO
6 comments:
Excellent! Thank you. <3
This is a little off topic of this post. But I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts on how a Christian parent should deal with a college age child who also professes to be a Christian, but has decided to "come out" as homosexual and has found a church and friend base who supports this lifestyle. How do you love the child (who by the way is still receiving some financial support in the area of health & auto insurance, cell phone and monthly bill, and a car that was given to them), yet stand your ground that what they are doing is contrary to God's word (which they do not believe what they are doing is sin)?
Hey Anonon~
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you...my husband and I have both been sick with the flu. No fun. :(
We did have a chance to discuss your question.
First off, if you have read through my blog you will find that I believe that a homosexual CAN be a Christian. The two terms are not in opposition to one another. Are you prideful?Are you a liar? A gossip? Have you spread division? See God tells us that these things too are repulsive (in the Amplified, in other versions an abomination) consider Proverbs 6:16-19
"These six things the Lord hates; Indeed seven are repulsive to Him: A proud look [ the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that creates wicked plans, feet that run swiftly to evil. a false witness who breathes out lies, and anyone who spreads discord [rumors] among brothers."
See, I am not an expert, but i do know this: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
My husband and I kept asking each other HOW does God treat us when we sin. The answer is always the same. He lovingly restores us.
That doesn't mean you keep quiet about what the Scriptures say regarding homosexuality, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that homosexuality is a "worse" sin than any other. Once your loved one realizes you believe you are equally as sinful as they are you'll have a way to speak to them.
C.S. Lewis said, "Friendship is born at the moment when one man looks at another and says,"What, you too?"
I led a bible study on this blog called Respectable Sins and it is quite helpful if you'd like to check it out. It was a few years back. I hope my answer helps, and I will certainly be praying for your family.
XOXO
Thank you so much. I appreciate your words and find them encouraging. This is such a difficult time. Not to be overly dramatic, but my husband and I feel like we are grieving the death of our child (or the person that we thought they were). It is so hard to know the right way to respond. We have of course continued to love this child and pray for this child, but they seem to be becoming more and more militant about their identity as a homosexual and have gotten more and more critical about our belief in that regard. And the fact that we have not welcomed their same sex friend into our home has caused even more friction in the relationship. I struggle with the fact that of course in my lifetime I have told my share of lies, I have gossiped, and have been prideful. I am a sinner saved by grace, but what I am not - is proud of my sins. I am repentant of my sins and I do not want to continue in my sinful ways. I do not want to be defined by my sins. My child is unrepentant of the sin of homosexuality because they do not think that it is a sin! Our only hope is that they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit. But I selfishly want that to happen in my timing, not God's timing. Meanwhile my heart breaks. Thank you again for your wise words. And the flu, in the summer? Hope you are feeling better.
Dear Anonymous,
I am glad my words encouraged you. I know this is a difficult time. My sister struggled with homosexuality. A dear friend of mine as well. She was a guest blogger on the blog a while back. (The series was called Tangled:http://gmom4.blogspot.com/2014/05/tangled-interview-with-sinner-part-1.html )
The knee jerk response is to shun and reject the person who is rolling around in their sin. But let me ask you this. What did the Pharisees accuse Jesus of doing?
In Matthew 9 the Pharisees asked the disciples why Jesus would eat with the sinners (verses 10-13) and Jesus when He heard this said, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. Go and learn what this [Scripture] means:'I desire compassion [for those in distress] and not [animal] sacrifice.' For I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness."
In the midst of lying, or gossip or pride are you also actively seeking forgiveness? Or are you pretty set in your sin and maybe not even realizing that that IS sin in THAT moment.
How did you raise this child? if this child was raised in a Christian home and at some point professed Christ and knows the truth then you can be sure that this child knows this is sin no matter what they now say with their lips.
My sister struggled most of her adult life with homosexuality. There were times she seemed to love it, and times she hated it. Times I rejected her, and times I loved her. In the end though, I embraced her and stood with her and prayed her as she succumbed to a terminal illness. The woman she was involved with has since accepted Christ.
I say all of that to say this: your child is not dead. The hopes and dreams and plans YOU had for them are. Sin has a way of doing that. It is destructive.
BUT GOD
Two of my favorite words in all of Scripture ;)
He knew before the foundation of the World what sins your precious child would commit, and paid for them at the cross...love your child, love their friend...mend the relationship...pray for BOTH of them and as uncomfortable as it is have them over. Ask them to be respectful of your position i.e. no public displays of affection. Explain that you love them, explain that you STILL believe it is sin, you raised them to believe it is sin, you do NOT condone the relationship but you love your child...I promise you God will work through it.
If you want to continue discussing things here that's fine, or my email is on the blog...praying for your family~
XOXO
Appreciate it a whole lot. When i get pleasure from ones text and find these individuals telling. It is a really complicated time period. Not to ever possibly be very stunning, although my husband and i sense that i am grieving this demise your baby (or those that any of us idea many people were). It truly is and so tricky to recognise how to act in response. We have now certainly extended to help appreciate that baby in addition to hope due to this baby, they look like becoming a lot more militant in relation to the individuality to be a gay and have absolutely got an increasing number of vital in relation to your idea as value. In addition to the point that we have now definitely not welcomed the similar sexual pal in your property possesses brought about all the more friction from the marriage. When i have trouble with the point that certainly around my life-time I've got explained to the write about connected with sits, I've got gossiped, and have absolutely also been prideful. My business is some sort of sinner ended up saving by means of acceptance, although what exactly My business is definitely not -- is usually like to show off the sins. My business is repentant connected with the sins in addition to I not need to stay around my sinful means. I definitely not strive to be explained by means of the sins. The baby is usually unrepentant on the sin connected with homosexuality mainly because they can't imagine it's some sort of sin! Your solely trust is usually that they're going to possibly be convicted because of the Holy Soul. Although When i selfishly wish of which to occur around my timing, definitely not God's timing.
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