When we subject ourselves to pain, and I'm not speaking of the physical pain which comes from, say, a splinter or paper cut, but the hurt which makes your heart ache and perhaps keeps your mind captured until something better comes along, that type of pain, I find that it isn't so much that we've fallen in the wrong place or the wrong time, but that we've somehow facilitated someone's frustrations to be firmly imbedded right where they mean for them to be; in us. They don't say things or do things to ventilate their thoughts or opinions, they do so to make a point. And they usually do.
This doesn't remove me from the responsibility of pursuing a Christlike attitude toward them though, no matter how much it seems that I am now owed some sort of retribution. I'm not. I am not owed anything. In fact the only thing I can do to make any good come of a situation is to not allow my heart to ache or my mind to be captured by ensuing bitterness.
Even though it hurts.
Tonight is the New Years celebration at my church. This is, by far, my favorite night of church functions throughout the year. It is the night where vision is imparted, captured and pursued anew and the joy which comes from that is evident through the whole of the following year. We gather and sit on hard metal chairs and everyone waits for the 'slideshow', which aren't slides at all, but a hundred captured moments put once again to life. We will watch Derek in Africa and Josh's animated preaching face. We will see Briana's perfect steps caught on film and grin at the number of babies which somehow find their way in our hearts. There will be groups and singles, perfectly coifed and made up next to bad hair days and tongues sticking out. We will remember the excitement which surrounds the presbytery meetings and we will remember the sadness that surrounds the aftermath of Sept. 11.We will laugh and last year some cried. I don't know what we'll see this year, but it promises to be good. It promises to be good because it is the people we love doing the things they love for the One they love.
A perfect rainbow of symphonies.
This doesn't remove me from the responsibility of pursuing a Christlike attitude toward them though, no matter how much it seems that I am now owed some sort of retribution. I'm not. I am not owed anything. In fact the only thing I can do to make any good come of a situation is to not allow my heart to ache or my mind to be captured by ensuing bitterness.
Even though it hurts.
Tonight is the New Years celebration at my church. This is, by far, my favorite night of church functions throughout the year. It is the night where vision is imparted, captured and pursued anew and the joy which comes from that is evident through the whole of the following year. We gather and sit on hard metal chairs and everyone waits for the 'slideshow', which aren't slides at all, but a hundred captured moments put once again to life. We will watch Derek in Africa and Josh's animated preaching face. We will see Briana's perfect steps caught on film and grin at the number of babies which somehow find their way in our hearts. There will be groups and singles, perfectly coifed and made up next to bad hair days and tongues sticking out. We will remember the excitement which surrounds the presbytery meetings and we will remember the sadness that surrounds the aftermath of Sept. 11.We will laugh and last year some cried. I don't know what we'll see this year, but it promises to be good. It promises to be good because it is the people we love doing the things they love for the One they love.
A perfect rainbow of symphonies.
posted by Lore at 31.12.02
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