Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. Author unknown
In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me.
The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Yes the LORD is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.
PSALM 118:5-8 NLT
I spent the first forty years of my life living in large metropolitan cities. The last twenty years I have spend living in the country. It took me some time to adjust to the social differences between the two. In the city I was constantly meeting new people. It was a daily occurrence to see and possibly talk to someone I had never seen before. In the country, when I go to town I see the same people I have seen for years. There are new people that move into the community, but by far the greater majority are those that have lived here most of their lives. In the city a persons reputation didnt account for much because most people dont know anything about you. In the city we seem to bump into each other and as we part, it is very possible that we may never meet again. When I first moved to the country I brought with me many city attitudes that as the years went by I had to adjust. An example was my city driving habits. City drivers drive totally different than country folk. City drivers are always in a hurry and if by some chance you get in their way, they will honk, yell at you, and jester you with their hands. In the city when that happens on the freeway, most times the people never meet again, and if they do the memory is vague. City folk seem to let little irritations that happen fade quickly, possibly because they are replaced quickly by some other irritation. As a million people go about daily bumping into each other, many directions will cross, and not all are pleasant. In the country I found that if I became irritated by someones driving, or just general slowness, if I say anything and jester in any way, they might remember it the rest of their lives. I moved to the country in the grips of a drug addiction, and alcoholism that was running rampant. As I blundered through the people in the community where I live I left a bad taste in the minds of many. In September of 1998, my destructive behavior had taken me to the lowest low in my life. The pain of pleasure had exceeded the pain that it would take to change. I called out to God and God heard my cry. Daily my relationship with God has improved. God treated me like a new baby, helping me crawl just a little at a time, being patient with me as I tired in my new growth. As I began to walk God helped me with baby steps, when I fell God was once more patient with me as I took time to stand again. Today I walk and sometimes I stumble, but God helps ease my pain by sending others who have also stumbled, and together we lean on each other as we hold Gods hand and walk. I burned many bridges behind me as my urban aggressive attitude flared up from time to time. These were bridges that no man could rebuild. Over the past seven years and nine months of living a clean and sober life, fueled by Gods grace, many bridges have been rebuilt, not by reputation, but by character. I dont want to sound as if I am bragging on my self, because the truth is that God did for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83-84)
In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me.
The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Yes the LORD is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.
PSALM 118:5-8 NLT
I spent the first forty years of my life living in large metropolitan cities. The last twenty years I have spend living in the country. It took me some time to adjust to the social differences between the two. In the city I was constantly meeting new people. It was a daily occurrence to see and possibly talk to someone I had never seen before. In the country, when I go to town I see the same people I have seen for years. There are new people that move into the community, but by far the greater majority are those that have lived here most of their lives. In the city a persons reputation didnt account for much because most people dont know anything about you. In the city we seem to bump into each other and as we part, it is very possible that we may never meet again. When I first moved to the country I brought with me many city attitudes that as the years went by I had to adjust. An example was my city driving habits. City drivers drive totally different than country folk. City drivers are always in a hurry and if by some chance you get in their way, they will honk, yell at you, and jester you with their hands. In the city when that happens on the freeway, most times the people never meet again, and if they do the memory is vague. City folk seem to let little irritations that happen fade quickly, possibly because they are replaced quickly by some other irritation. As a million people go about daily bumping into each other, many directions will cross, and not all are pleasant. In the country I found that if I became irritated by someones driving, or just general slowness, if I say anything and jester in any way, they might remember it the rest of their lives. I moved to the country in the grips of a drug addiction, and alcoholism that was running rampant. As I blundered through the people in the community where I live I left a bad taste in the minds of many. In September of 1998, my destructive behavior had taken me to the lowest low in my life. The pain of pleasure had exceeded the pain that it would take to change. I called out to God and God heard my cry. Daily my relationship with God has improved. God treated me like a new baby, helping me crawl just a little at a time, being patient with me as I tired in my new growth. As I began to walk God helped me with baby steps, when I fell God was once more patient with me as I took time to stand again. Today I walk and sometimes I stumble, but God helps ease my pain by sending others who have also stumbled, and together we lean on each other as we hold Gods hand and walk. I burned many bridges behind me as my urban aggressive attitude flared up from time to time. These were bridges that no man could rebuild. Over the past seven years and nine months of living a clean and sober life, fueled by Gods grace, many bridges have been rebuilt, not by reputation, but by character. I dont want to sound as if I am bragging on my self, because the truth is that God did for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83-84)
