So things have flowed good so far at this new place, in fact I can’t remember hitting it off like this with other people in quite some time. Yet at the other we have some friends that we have a shared history with, and a few I would say we are pretty close with, and the potential is there to get close to more. Of course it will cost, either way it will cost. I think of my kids though, I would like it to be my one sons time. He has a bunch of old friends from there, that when we go back to visit they still connect/relate. I think he could be a good influence on them, plus he really does like to have relationships/friendships (but is a lot like me) and close ones too (even more so than my other son) it just takes awhile for him to get to know people, and usually they have to reach out to him (or they’ll be waiting forever).
This new place doesn’t have many kids or young people (like any new, small church). My older son is friends with some of the youth there (at the old place) I think it would be good for him, so that he could keep getting used to a different group/type of people and hopefully learn not to be prejudiced and prejudge and all…he has already found things aren’t as he thought. Like our friends daughter though a “hip hop” type (whatever) is very smart, getting straight A’s in a private school and wants to go to college to be a lawyer… and so on.
Of course I don’t think him being around people who are wealthy is very good for him (can bring out the worst in him). I so desire they learn how consider others needs and what is really important in life, like helping others. Being in/around “bubble land” (my word for it) isn’t going to help that.
He needs to be reminded that’s not how most of the world is- even if it were, one can always find someone to help.
Brings me to another important consideration- the one church is right in the middle of Bubbleland/plastic land. Once I thought maybe it’s just my own surmising and assumptions of life out there in such places, then my dark thoughts were confirmed because of my spouse working and dealing with the kids from those places (and dealing with there parents). He has told me stories about how they live, things they say, and how they view things. Just recently I was helping fix a computer of a coworker of my husbands and I over heard them talking in the background about how one of these rich kids parents were mad and telling off office administration because they wanted the driving instructor to go waay out somewhere to drop their kid off, it wasn’t part of the agreement but people like that have some sense of entitlement (just because they are wealthy). I could see if it was part of the program, but no it was just somehow expected that the (lowly scum) workers would bow and kiss their feet and do what ever they want, no matter how unreasonable…
I’m not jealous or bitter of their money/power/status. I have a problem in general with people who think they are better than others, for whatever reason. Everyone has their own gifts talents & favor- but that doesn’t make anyone better or worthy of better treatment because of those things…
The superficiality of greed and plasticness really bugs me as well. When people place more value on money, what you have and appearances rather than on substance and things that matter more- like the spiritual, people and wisdom- ug (sure is ugly).
Then the whole suburban thing/ life bugs me as well. If people think they can go somewhere to get away from real life and real people…they want to live in some kind of bubble, fake utopia, far away from the non perfect. A real “Pleasant Valley Sunday”. Even when they know it’s not real they gotta keep up that appearance. These are the kind of places where they call the police on kids playing on their own front lawn and tell them to go play in a park (don’t they mean country club?)… where they stop people who drive the “wrong” car, arrest homeless people etc….unreal thinking. They are in some different world (can create one) than the rest of the planet?…But life hits everyone, and money can’t heal the spirit.
I may have to tone down my feelings (do something with them, pray). It hit the other week when someone (whom I am getting along good with) asked me if I wanted to go with some people to evangelize. I was surprised, taken back, off guard. I was like, what do you mean, where? (like meaning around here?). They were like around the community, talking/visiting with people- something like that. I don’t remember the exact words because I kind of lost consciousness (jk).
God knows I’ve really been wrestling with this. To say this is tearing at me, doesn’t say enough.
Like we visited this one ministry and it was soo cool that the couple there were a lot like us. Meaning, they had been on a journey very similar to ours because of a similar calling/ giftings etc.. We hit it off right away. The guy began sharing with me all these stories of stuff they ha been through with people, while trying to help them out. I think he felt free to be so open because he could tell we have been there and understand. Like they say, “you had to have been there”… It’s one thing to understand about the desire to help others, and then another step to have shared the experience of being betrayed, taken advantage of, tricked, deceived, disappointed, discouraged, have your hopes for the people smashed, drained, feelings of futility & frustration… I was trying to get across to him the point that I felt the Holy Spirit was saying was… it is hard, it’s painful (for like one of the few times I saw my own pain and feelings in someone else, and thought wow this is bigger than me and my personality and petty feelings)… I saw it simply as I guess this is what comes with the territory (calling) with every job comes a job description, and so it is. I guess with this would be “very rewarding” high highs, make many & intense connections, earn influence. Costs include low lows, drama, it will cost you your time money & attention, expect to be stabbed in the back frequently, misunderstood, taken advantage of, lied about…lot’s of joy and lots of tears…maybe you see the fruit of your labors- but never right away.
Yea, anyway so it was cool this family had this nice big home/property that they were using as a food pantry and place to store stuff to collect and give away to those in need..They had done a bunch of stuff over time like we had (with I guess even less time spent in “official” positions, than us-I wonder why, maybe because suburbia doesn‘t need an outreach ministry/position?). They had taken in some kids who were about to be taken away from their mother and spilt up because of neglect. Praise God they helped raise them for a time and got them help and discipleship and not the teens/college age kids seem to be doing fine and on the right path. They’ve taken in different people etc. and tried to help them and get them more help. I mentioned to the wife something like they have a lot to be thankful for- what a resource their property and home (which is really like two separate homes joined together by this one big hall or room. They are far out in what I would consider a rural type area, but they yet have the connections and God finds a way to bring people to them. They were saying a lot of people do come to use the food pantry and even more so since the country’s economic troubles.
The guy I think had always been in full time ministry, it seems the wife did stocks & investments on the side, that’s how they were able to get the place. Then like many I’ve heard of, she lost practically everything at some turn of the markets, just like that.
So I pray for them, not to be discouraged , to lose focus and then to start worrying only about taking care of their own family. I could tell the guy was in a total discouragement about the ministry. I tried to get across too, the point, like Paul and Peter- woe unto us if we do not preach this gospel….that it constrained them…It’s the same even when you go through all this and you are so drained or sorrowful yet the desire is still there. It’s like something inborn, you can’t get away from it- though you know all these other things. You have to fight against yourself (and be like Jonah) in order to deny it.
I think the best we can do is ask for mercy, ask God to fill us again, pick yourself up get off the floor and do it all over. It may sound depressing to an outsider but there are incredible highs and rewards- just it, like everything else (nothing in life is free) has it’s costs as well.
So spending time with them, seeing & hearing what they do, trading stories etc. reminded me- God has called others to this as well, and that I can’t run or try to give it up- it would be like cutting off your own legs.
This new place doesn’t have many kids or young people (like any new, small church). My older son is friends with some of the youth there (at the old place) I think it would be good for him, so that he could keep getting used to a different group/type of people and hopefully learn not to be prejudiced and prejudge and all…he has already found things aren’t as he thought. Like our friends daughter though a “hip hop” type (whatever) is very smart, getting straight A’s in a private school and wants to go to college to be a lawyer… and so on.
Of course I don’t think him being around people who are wealthy is very good for him (can bring out the worst in him). I so desire they learn how consider others needs and what is really important in life, like helping others. Being in/around “bubble land” (my word for it) isn’t going to help that.
He needs to be reminded that’s not how most of the world is- even if it were, one can always find someone to help.
Brings me to another important consideration- the one church is right in the middle of Bubbleland/plastic land. Once I thought maybe it’s just my own surmising and assumptions of life out there in such places, then my dark thoughts were confirmed because of my spouse working and dealing with the kids from those places (and dealing with there parents). He has told me stories about how they live, things they say, and how they view things. Just recently I was helping fix a computer of a coworker of my husbands and I over heard them talking in the background about how one of these rich kids parents were mad and telling off office administration because they wanted the driving instructor to go waay out somewhere to drop their kid off, it wasn’t part of the agreement but people like that have some sense of entitlement (just because they are wealthy). I could see if it was part of the program, but no it was just somehow expected that the (lowly scum) workers would bow and kiss their feet and do what ever they want, no matter how unreasonable…
I’m not jealous or bitter of their money/power/status. I have a problem in general with people who think they are better than others, for whatever reason. Everyone has their own gifts talents & favor- but that doesn’t make anyone better or worthy of better treatment because of those things…
The superficiality of greed and plasticness really bugs me as well. When people place more value on money, what you have and appearances rather than on substance and things that matter more- like the spiritual, people and wisdom- ug (sure is ugly).
Then the whole suburban thing/ life bugs me as well. If people think they can go somewhere to get away from real life and real people…they want to live in some kind of bubble, fake utopia, far away from the non perfect. A real “Pleasant Valley Sunday”. Even when they know it’s not real they gotta keep up that appearance. These are the kind of places where they call the police on kids playing on their own front lawn and tell them to go play in a park (don’t they mean country club?)… where they stop people who drive the “wrong” car, arrest homeless people etc….unreal thinking. They are in some different world (can create one) than the rest of the planet?…But life hits everyone, and money can’t heal the spirit.
I may have to tone down my feelings (do something with them, pray). It hit the other week when someone (whom I am getting along good with) asked me if I wanted to go with some people to evangelize. I was surprised, taken back, off guard. I was like, what do you mean, where? (like meaning around here?). They were like around the community, talking/visiting with people- something like that. I don’t remember the exact words because I kind of lost consciousness (jk).
God knows I’ve really been wrestling with this. To say this is tearing at me, doesn’t say enough.
Like we visited this one ministry and it was soo cool that the couple there were a lot like us. Meaning, they had been on a journey very similar to ours because of a similar calling/ giftings etc.. We hit it off right away. The guy began sharing with me all these stories of stuff they ha been through with people, while trying to help them out. I think he felt free to be so open because he could tell we have been there and understand. Like they say, “you had to have been there”… It’s one thing to understand about the desire to help others, and then another step to have shared the experience of being betrayed, taken advantage of, tricked, deceived, disappointed, discouraged, have your hopes for the people smashed, drained, feelings of futility & frustration… I was trying to get across to him the point that I felt the Holy Spirit was saying was… it is hard, it’s painful (for like one of the few times I saw my own pain and feelings in someone else, and thought wow this is bigger than me and my personality and petty feelings)… I saw it simply as I guess this is what comes with the territory (calling) with every job comes a job description, and so it is. I guess with this would be “very rewarding” high highs, make many & intense connections, earn influence. Costs include low lows, drama, it will cost you your time money & attention, expect to be stabbed in the back frequently, misunderstood, taken advantage of, lied about…lot’s of joy and lots of tears…maybe you see the fruit of your labors- but never right away.
Yea, anyway so it was cool this family had this nice big home/property that they were using as a food pantry and place to store stuff to collect and give away to those in need..They had done a bunch of stuff over time like we had (with I guess even less time spent in “official” positions, than us-I wonder why, maybe because suburbia doesn‘t need an outreach ministry/position?). They had taken in some kids who were about to be taken away from their mother and spilt up because of neglect. Praise God they helped raise them for a time and got them help and discipleship and not the teens/college age kids seem to be doing fine and on the right path. They’ve taken in different people etc. and tried to help them and get them more help. I mentioned to the wife something like they have a lot to be thankful for- what a resource their property and home (which is really like two separate homes joined together by this one big hall or room. They are far out in what I would consider a rural type area, but they yet have the connections and God finds a way to bring people to them. They were saying a lot of people do come to use the food pantry and even more so since the country’s economic troubles.
The guy I think had always been in full time ministry, it seems the wife did stocks & investments on the side, that’s how they were able to get the place. Then like many I’ve heard of, she lost practically everything at some turn of the markets, just like that.
So I pray for them, not to be discouraged , to lose focus and then to start worrying only about taking care of their own family. I could tell the guy was in a total discouragement about the ministry. I tried to get across too, the point, like Paul and Peter- woe unto us if we do not preach this gospel….that it constrained them…It’s the same even when you go through all this and you are so drained or sorrowful yet the desire is still there. It’s like something inborn, you can’t get away from it- though you know all these other things. You have to fight against yourself (and be like Jonah) in order to deny it.
I think the best we can do is ask for mercy, ask God to fill us again, pick yourself up get off the floor and do it all over. It may sound depressing to an outsider but there are incredible highs and rewards- just it, like everything else (nothing in life is free) has it’s costs as well.
So spending time with them, seeing & hearing what they do, trading stories etc. reminded me- God has called others to this as well, and that I can’t run or try to give it up- it would be like cutting off your own legs.