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A Morning Ramble
Admittedly, I have spent the last few days poking fun at the expected rapture, end of the world. I suspect many of us have no compartment in our brains for such a situation and we as humans tend to joke, make fun of the things we do not quite know what to think about something. My thinking feels pretty clear on the idea of Christs return, we don't know when its going to happen. We should always be prepared, since He may come in our lifetime, but He may not, but regardless, we are all going to die at some point and we never know when that is going to happen either, so be prepared at all times ! Although I have poked some fun at the situation, I never felt fully comfortable about it. Today I knew why. A friend of mine posted something on her facebook this morning that summed up to me, how we should be feeling. It made me feel a bit ashamed for all those jokes I have made in the past few days. She thanked God for these "beautiful people who are waiting in anticipation for you to come today in all your splendor and glory!" and prayed that "should they face disappointment", that they not loose sight of Him. I am so thankful that Dianne posted this, it is the right way to feel. It must be the way Jesus is feeling today. God works on our hearts every day in some way if we allow Him to. Last night, Emery and I went out for pizza and there was a large table surrounded by one large family. Parents, grown children, and grandchildren. They were laughing, having a wonderful time. The parents would turn to one another and smile, revealing that each one had just a few teeth, their clothes were dirty and torn. The adult children looked much the same, a few more teeth perhaps. They would tenderly pat one another on the shoulder from time to time after one of them spoke. The baby was happy, but dirty. I kept noticing them, thinking about how grubby they looked and how gray their complexions were, bad eating habits I am sure. I felt a bit snobbish at first, looking down on their torn clothing etc, but in an instant, that feeling melted into something much different. I noticed that they loved one another just as deeply as we love one another in my family. I knew that those parents held hoped and dreams for their children as do I. I knew that they all knew hurt and loss just as I did and they knew worry and fear just as I have. They knew the same joy I knew when that grandbaby was born. We were no different, except in material circumstances, and I knew that if Christ were to walk through the door of that pizza place, it would be with them that He would sit, just as in Matt 9;10 is says, "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples." Not saying that these folks were sinners, I have no idea, but I do know that tax collectors and such were considered the "low life" of the day and many would see these folks I am writing about in the same way. Folks that didn't seem to care one bit about cleanliness or order. Lots of crass talk coming from husky voices you knew came from too much smoking. When they left, I watched them all pile in a beat up, run down vehicle. No matter, I saw them only in one way at that point, children of God, worthy of the sacrifice made at the cross. The same gift of salvation available to them as it is to me. Christ loves them as much as me and although our circumstances appear to be much different, we all feel love, pain, loss, joy in the same way. Compassion sees past the externals and the Love of Christ, sees past externals and I want to have eyes that see that way, all the time, for all situations. I learned my lesson. Compassion removes judgement.
Admittedly, I have spent the last few days poking fun at the expected rapture, end of the world. I suspect many of us have no compartment in our brains for such a situation and we as humans tend to joke, make fun of the things we do not quite know what to think about something. My thinking feels pretty clear on the idea of Christs return, we don't know when its going to happen. We should always be prepared, since He may come in our lifetime, but He may not, but regardless, we are all going to die at some point and we never know when that is going to happen either, so be prepared at all times ! Although I have poked some fun at the situation, I never felt fully comfortable about it. Today I knew why. A friend of mine posted something on her facebook this morning that summed up to me, how we should be feeling. It made me feel a bit ashamed for all those jokes I have made in the past few days. She thanked God for these "beautiful people who are waiting in anticipation for you to come today in all your splendor and glory!" and prayed that "should they face disappointment", that they not loose sight of Him. I am so thankful that Dianne posted this, it is the right way to feel. It must be the way Jesus is feeling today. God works on our hearts every day in some way if we allow Him to. Last night, Emery and I went out for pizza and there was a large table surrounded by one large family. Parents, grown children, and grandchildren. They were laughing, having a wonderful time. The parents would turn to one another and smile, revealing that each one had just a few teeth, their clothes were dirty and torn. The adult children looked much the same, a few more teeth perhaps. They would tenderly pat one another on the shoulder from time to time after one of them spoke. The baby was happy, but dirty. I kept noticing them, thinking about how grubby they looked and how gray their complexions were, bad eating habits I am sure. I felt a bit snobbish at first, looking down on their torn clothing etc, but in an instant, that feeling melted into something much different. I noticed that they loved one another just as deeply as we love one another in my family. I knew that those parents held hoped and dreams for their children as do I. I knew that they all knew hurt and loss just as I did and they knew worry and fear just as I have. They knew the same joy I knew when that grandbaby was born. We were no different, except in material circumstances, and I knew that if Christ were to walk through the door of that pizza place, it would be with them that He would sit, just as in Matt 9;10 is says, "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples." Not saying that these folks were sinners, I have no idea, but I do know that tax collectors and such were considered the "low life" of the day and many would see these folks I am writing about in the same way. Folks that didn't seem to care one bit about cleanliness or order. Lots of crass talk coming from husky voices you knew came from too much smoking. When they left, I watched them all pile in a beat up, run down vehicle. No matter, I saw them only in one way at that point, children of God, worthy of the sacrifice made at the cross. The same gift of salvation available to them as it is to me. Christ loves them as much as me and although our circumstances appear to be much different, we all feel love, pain, loss, joy in the same way. Compassion sees past the externals and the Love of Christ, sees past externals and I want to have eyes that see that way, all the time, for all situations. I learned my lesson. Compassion removes judgement.
Comments
I know that I don't focus too much on the end times, instead I focus on today. I need to be ready within myself, my life, and when He comes, I did what He guided me to do.
Mrs. M.
Everyone knows ER nurses can become jaded, burned out. It was one of the reasons I needed to leave. I didn't want to become like that.
One of the older nurses in the department shared something with me one day that really hit the mark. She said not a single one of these people, at eight years old said 'I want to grow up to be a drunk/addict/homeless.' Every single one of them has a story. They had hopes and dreams too.
Thanks for sharing your post. It's an important lesson we all need a little reminding of now and then.