One thing that seems obvious as we are now being required to live together with our families, is that we’re discovering how absolutely intolerable the other members of our clans can be at times. Only the most mature of us can step away and focus upon how intolerable we are, but we can have 20/20 vision on how deplorable the others can be!
And in dealing with those that aggravate me, I all have a tendency to want to walk away from challenges or stop short of “wresting the problem to the ground” in terms of conflict. This virus seems to really cause folks to reconsider their vows and promises! Some of us are having second thoughts about orphanages, divorces and pet cemeteries!
A summer camp tends to exposes who you really—like being in the army or a fox hole. At camp you live with the same folks 24/7, and people get to really know you, and like you, or really get sick and tired of your bad habits and hypocrisy. You live in a glass house! But, I have seen many folk fall in love at camp, get married and establish a Christ-centered family because of that transparency at camp. The truth about who we really are can actually be attractive to some.
But what about the problems we encounter at camp or in our homes? We can get rid of our “problems” (i.e. spouses, kids, annoying people, aggravating pets) by simply severing those relationships (as many parents, spoused and friends do every day), or by putting them to “sleep”, or by learning to tolerate them, or by finding a way to fall in love with them in such a way that we carry them within our heart and don’t care about their shortfallings. I understand that sometimes it’s best to pet a “down” or send a child to a special clinic, or even get divorced. But these things are not what God originally intended—I need to be more focused on God’s intentions.
There is something about the fight and struggle of not giving up on that marriage, or not putting that child in a special home, or not giving up on that pet that speaks about our understanding of how we have become connected to His love, compassion, patience and determination to see us through our bad times.
Thanks be to God that He has not talked to me like I’ve talked to my sons lately! Praise God that Christ does not divorce His bride, the church (of which I am a part!)— God knows that Jesus has every reason to divorce us! I am encouraged with the good news that God is not going to send me to a “special hospital” for Christians that aren’t living the way a true son should be living! And hallelujah, God is not going to put me to sleep because I am no longer the active, attractive, energetic “pet” I once was! I am so glad that God is not like me, and that He does not listen to the therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists that would counsel me to give up on my child or relationship. (In writing this I am about to lose some donations I suppose). There are good professionals out there that want to help, not hurt, the family and the Kingdom of God—-I know that. But I fear that too often we focus on looking for professionals that will help us be comfortable and at ease, and that we want to eliminate the very things that God has purposed in our lives to push us closer to Him. The Christian was regenerated to serve, not be served.
Is He our “All in All”, or is it a song we sing but don’t believe?
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