IN DENIAL

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

A family is going through a season in their lives. An unfortunate event occurred a while back, and the residual effect is devastating to this couple. It is a serious situation; one that will no doubt affect them the rest of their lives.

They are both dealing with it in different ways. The husband is taking it very hard; he feels responsible for their situation. He, along with many others, lost his job when the factory closed down. He has no experience or training for any other type of work; he started at that job when he was 20 years old. Now, at 57, his age and several health issues are additional strikes against him. His chances of finding a job earning the amount of money he was making are right around zero. He is feeling totally and utterly hopeless, and is his thoughts are consumed with their financial situation. Their savings account is just about depleted and he cannot find a job anywhere, not even as a janitor. Her small salary as a part-time school cafeteria aide barely pays the utilities and the groceries. Soon, they will have to sell their house.

What irritates him the most is his wife. She acts as though nothing is wrong. He’s constantly telling her to get her head out of the clouds and face what’s going on in their lives. He’s angry with her because she does not express the same level of concern that he does. She is calm; he is a nervous wreck. Surely, she is in denial ("the refusal to acknowledge the existence or severity of unpleasant external realities or internal thoughts and feelings [HEALTHLINE.COM]"). She can’t cope with all of this so her mind is just shutting it all out. He’s convinced that’s what’s wrong with her.

She’s not in denial, though. She is very well aware of the state of their affairs. She is walking in faith. Instead of succumbing to the weapons the evil one is firing at them--fear, doubt, depression, anger, envy, jealousy, despair, etc.—she gave up her concerns to the Lord. She is facing life clad with the armor of God. She admits she is powerless and knows God has power over everything. She trusts that as long as she is walking in God’s will, He will cover her. She has peace while her husband is in turmoil. She feels God’s presence and protection; he feels deserted and defeated.

Let useless worry destroy you or be in peace trusting God? Which would you choose?

Scriptures:

Psalm 55:22 (NLT) “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”.

Say "Cheese"

Say “Cheese”

( 23 August 2008 )

Today was picture day at my Church. The member directory is updated every year or so and this year, photos are included. What a great way to associate names with faces. It will be a wonderful tool for folks who, like me, are new to the church family and for those who only attend either the early traditional or the later contemporary service.

I haven’t had my picture taken in a long time. The last portrait type of photo I sat for was probably my 10th grade school picture. I’ve been mentally preparing myself for this event for a few months. I went for a much needed hair cut a few days ago, and followed-up with a home dye job. The box made me believe my hair would be yellow. However, it turned out more of a red tone than the golden blonde I was expecting. I guess it’s okay, but it doesn’t quite match my (dark) blonde eyebrows. The cut, at least, is pretty good. I wore my black “going-out-to-dinner” dress and the pearl necklace my husband gave me for Christmas a few years ago. So on the outside, I looked about as good as I can make myself look. Still way to chubby, but a lot better than last year.

I’m just glad the camera didn’t capture what I feel like on the inside. I’ve been rather unpleasant of late, particularly to my husband. Probably because we’ve been spending a lot of time together at home, and life’s pressures are a bit on the high side right now. When pressures increase, so do tempers; courtesy and kindness are all but forgotten about. Bickering and nit-picking goes on so much that before you know it, that behavior becomes the norm.

I read an article on-line yesterday. The author writes that God may use arguments or similar situations to bring our inner issues up front and to our attention, so we can recognize them and then, humble ourselves, repent, and let Him remove them from us. I believe this to be so true. I have thoughts and feelings that I need to work out, and it is not fair to my husband that I treat him badly because of it. The same applies for him. We have no right to take our frustrations out on each other. We’re all we have.

The other day I said to my husband, all snippety-like, “Well, I can’t be nice to you when you’re not being nice to me!” As soon as I said it, God tapped on my heart and said, “Child, you are to be nice to him especially when he’s not being nice to you. Don’t you remember Jesus’ words, ‘one someone strikes your right cheek, turn and give him the other as well’?”

Things for me to do:

- Pray, asking for grace and love from the Holy Spirit along with a double-dose of patience.
- Forgive, so I can ask to be forgiven.
- Put forth more of an effort to be genuinely kind and considerate.
- Think more of my husband’s feelings than of just my own.

With our Father’s grace and guidance, and by practicing my own words, I know that soon our hearts will be smiling again.


Scriptures:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

1 Peter 3:9: “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.