REJOICE!



Unbidden.  In a stentorian or orator's voice and cadence:  "Rejoice in the Lord always.   And again, I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone."

"Pray, sir, tell me what I have been tasked to do, and why fetter me with "rejoice"?

Your last inhale and exhale.  The last breath you took before that one.  Your mind.  And as the church deacons testified, "Waking up clothed and in your right mind, with a reasonable portion of health and strength."

I don't feel like it.  And before you ask, I'll tell you.  Life's not fair! It's rigged.  I feel like "Mother to Son," without hope:

"Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair,
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpets on the floor---
Bare."

And you tell me to rejoice? I don't know what you've been smoking but I bet it has no brand name!

Be still.  Peace, be still.  I'll ask you like James Cleveland sang, "Where is your faith in God?"

Gone with the wind!

Come on, now.  Just listen: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  The evidence of things not seen.  Faith will keep when your way seems dark.  Faith,  faith, where is your faith in God? Faith can move mountains.  Faith can open the fountain. Oh, faith can help you succeed; oh, faith can supply your every need.  Where is your faith in God?"

If you're such a know-it-all, maybe you can tell me what happened to my faith?

You probably know where it went.  I guarantee you; faith's still somewhere within you.  "For by the grace given me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned"  Read it for yourself.  It's in Romans 12:3,.

Oh.

Tell me some more about the "losing hand" life's dealt you.

Let me think about it; we'll talk more soon.

 I look forward to hearing from you.  Soon.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Release Announcement

Image
  ANNOUNCING Amazon's release of the book that saved my life. If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one or a dream, go to Amazon to begin to heal your broken heart. Copy the link for a hard cover copy https://amzn.to/3AMppoS or Copy http://amzn.to/3LLf9TV for a soft cover copy!
Read more

Interactions

Image
  "Why in the world would she do that? How could he? I'd NEVER think to do what they did..."    Thus begins my ego-centered monologue about the efficacy of other people's decisions, choices, or boundaries.   Admittedly, I base my determinations solely on my belief system.  Truth be told, I rarely evaluate the quality of my conclusions.  Even as I ask, I reconcile a probable answer, whether as simple as "Why do I have brown eyes?" or "Why does an antiquated law remain enforceable?" It's one thing to wonder why people launch unprovoked attacks on others; it's quite another, however, when I attack myself as if I were distinct "Other."  Nevertheless, I'll ask.  Why do I accuse, then indict myself for a misstep or infraction; convene and conduct a trial in which I serve as prosecutor and jury; then declare myself guilty as charged? Not surprisingly, I expect and get the harshest punishment the law allows. Why? Even as I ask, I redu
Read more

Hush, hush. Somebody's calling my name

Image
Listen .  In order to hear anything, one has to learn how to listen (which may be problematic since "listening skills" rarely are taught in K-12 curriculum, whether in language arts, English, or speech classes).  I remember teachers reminding students, especially rambunctious ones, "You have two ears and one mouth for a reason!"  They rarely followed up with "listening skills development" techniques.  Adults admonished us to save our "outdoor voices" for the playground or basket ball courts.  Nowadays, noise bombards  us, so much so that its opposite typically brings pause.  What's wrong? It's too  quiet.  Put on some music; turn on the television; even, "whistle while you work!" We rarely implore students (or adults for that matter) to put on their "listening ears."  In truth, do we know who  or what or  when,   where,  or why  to listen? Especially, do we know how  to listen?  Probably not, for three of th
Read more