"Whatever You want me to do, I'll do for you." (1 Samuel 20:4)
..........
1) when things go sour for you at times, and you really, really feel lousy, do you have a friend who you can call at ANY time of the day or night?
2) do you have a REALLY close friend who you can express ANY honest thought or opinion to, without fear of appearing dumb or maybe even more than a little narrow-minded or insecure?
3) do you have a friend who will let you talk through a problem WITHOUT giving you advise? Yes, do you have a sounding-board?
4) do you have a friend who will take the risk to tell you that your are sinning, or maybe just really not thinking very clearly at all? Do you?
5) do you have a soul mate whom you feel you are facing life together? Maybe a dear friend to talk over the struggles of daily life which seem unique just for you too often to count?
6) and do you have a friend you really trust, that if you share confidential stuff with, that it will STAY confidential?
.........
The point of this New Year's Day post is that the humankind, us humans, live with a looming paradox. We dearly, dearly want and dream of someone who they can be REALLY, REALLY close to, yet we fear letting someone get TOO close. We fear this because we feel that maybe "that certain person" won't like us, once we let them see THE REAL "us". And why is this? We humans surely are complex. We need approval, we need acceptance, yet we fear the opposite if we try to GET that approval and closeness. Isn't that just terrible? And THIS paradox is what seems to truly kill us inside at times. Few of us humans have REALLY close friends, let alone life-mates. Yes, the ones who REALLY know our inner person. And when we keep our distance from folk, on the surface, ONLY THEN, can we feel that we don't have the pressure of dealing with our weaknesses! Think about this. We are a mess.
And THAT'S the very crux of our problem, my Friends! We have a very, very dear price to pay. It's called, "personal vulnerability", and the mass majority of ALL human beings who we'll ever come into contact with, just don't have what it takes to allow themselves to be that vulnerable. You see, as you should well know, when we don't stiff-arm our close friends, this leaves the door open for them to expect us to be transparent with them. And if THAT happens, then we have only two choices: we either get real with them, or we get too busy to meet with them at all, right?
..........
The very best wisdom I have yet to find on this matter is from, "Mr.Wisdom, himself ........... King Solomon.
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 he spells it out for us: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"
..........
My wonderful wife has spent 12 years in the banking business and she has told me more than a few times that she has turned down many people whom she knows, when they have tried to get a loan where she worked, because they just didn't have the financial ability. A good bank just wouldn't take the risk because of the person's bad credit rating or loan-paying history. Most of us have been down that road, I am sure! It isn't very pretty, is it, having a professional institution, and maybe people you know, tell you that you are not being responsible for keeping your finances in order!
So, back to "the point" of this post; us humans seem to always get off on a tangent in our lives and faith-practices. You see, there's this second paradox I haven't yet mentioned and it's worse than the first one!!! Us humans have the innate capacity to rationalize ourselves into believing that our own theories about ourselves and the world are right on target all the time. We have a way of telling ourselves that our thoughts and ways are just A.O.K. just about ALL the darn time! And worst of all, we have virtually convinced ourselves that we're a mess and are so darned afraid to open up to anybody .............. ESPECIALLY GOD. So, we end up telling ourselves two things which are TOTALLY opposite one another. We think we're doing the right thing but then tell ourselves that we're really not so good. I just don't get it.
..........
The Bible tells us that, "Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what It says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
You see, being sincere to yourself is a necessity to being sincere with your Father God. They are the two ends of the yoke which bind you and Him together. Both sides have to work simultaneously together. Have you ever told yourself in the mirror, "I just need a friend to talk to right now." ?? And wouldn't it be just about the most-wonderful thing in the world that, when you called that "friend", they didn't say anything except "Hello." and "Goodbye". They just listened. Maybe they were there to help you out later but, at the time of the call, they only listened. Yes, they just let YOU be YOU.
.........
Dear God, I really need You to be my Friend. I don't know how soon, if ever, I will be able to follow any advise or warning that You give me, but, for now, I just need You to be there, to quietly give me all of Your attention. I'm just so messed up and scared and am miles and miles away from getting things straight, but I just need a Real Friend right now, OK?? Thank you, Father. Tommy.
.........
Have you ever been "stung" by someone you thought was your friend, or even a good sister or brother? Well, if you have, then you're in the very same boat that hundred of millions of other folk are also in, OK? Just remember that you have Jesus. He is your sounding board whenever you might need Him. I promise you that you will never, EVER be disappointed in Him, OK?
God Bless. tommy two feathers
..........
1) when things go sour for you at times, and you really, really feel lousy, do you have a friend who you can call at ANY time of the day or night?
2) do you have a REALLY close friend who you can express ANY honest thought or opinion to, without fear of appearing dumb or maybe even more than a little narrow-minded or insecure?
3) do you have a friend who will let you talk through a problem WITHOUT giving you advise? Yes, do you have a sounding-board?
4) do you have a friend who will take the risk to tell you that your are sinning, or maybe just really not thinking very clearly at all? Do you?
5) do you have a soul mate whom you feel you are facing life together? Maybe a dear friend to talk over the struggles of daily life which seem unique just for you too often to count?
6) and do you have a friend you really trust, that if you share confidential stuff with, that it will STAY confidential?
.........
The point of this New Year's Day post is that the humankind, us humans, live with a looming paradox. We dearly, dearly want and dream of someone who they can be REALLY, REALLY close to, yet we fear letting someone get TOO close. We fear this because we feel that maybe "that certain person" won't like us, once we let them see THE REAL "us". And why is this? We humans surely are complex. We need approval, we need acceptance, yet we fear the opposite if we try to GET that approval and closeness. Isn't that just terrible? And THIS paradox is what seems to truly kill us inside at times. Few of us humans have REALLY close friends, let alone life-mates. Yes, the ones who REALLY know our inner person. And when we keep our distance from folk, on the surface, ONLY THEN, can we feel that we don't have the pressure of dealing with our weaknesses! Think about this. We are a mess.
And THAT'S the very crux of our problem, my Friends! We have a very, very dear price to pay. It's called, "personal vulnerability", and the mass majority of ALL human beings who we'll ever come into contact with, just don't have what it takes to allow themselves to be that vulnerable. You see, as you should well know, when we don't stiff-arm our close friends, this leaves the door open for them to expect us to be transparent with them. And if THAT happens, then we have only two choices: we either get real with them, or we get too busy to meet with them at all, right?
..........
The very best wisdom I have yet to find on this matter is from, "Mr.Wisdom, himself ........... King Solomon.
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 he spells it out for us: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"..........
My wonderful wife has spent 12 years in the banking business and she has told me more than a few times that she has turned down many people whom she knows, when they have tried to get a loan where she worked, because they just didn't have the financial ability. A good bank just wouldn't take the risk because of the person's bad credit rating or loan-paying history. Most of us have been down that road, I am sure! It isn't very pretty, is it, having a professional institution, and maybe people you know, tell you that you are not being responsible for keeping your finances in order!
So, back to "the point" of this post; us humans seem to always get off on a tangent in our lives and faith-practices. You see, there's this second paradox I haven't yet mentioned and it's worse than the first one!!! Us humans have the innate capacity to rationalize ourselves into believing that our own theories about ourselves and the world are right on target all the time. We have a way of telling ourselves that our thoughts and ways are just A.O.K. just about ALL the darn time! And worst of all, we have virtually convinced ourselves that we're a mess and are so darned afraid to open up to anybody .............. ESPECIALLY GOD. So, we end up telling ourselves two things which are TOTALLY opposite one another. We think we're doing the right thing but then tell ourselves that we're really not so good. I just don't get it.
..........
The Bible tells us that, "Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what It says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
You see, being sincere to yourself is a necessity to being sincere with your Father God. They are the two ends of the yoke which bind you and Him together. Both sides have to work simultaneously together. Have you ever told yourself in the mirror, "I just need a friend to talk to right now." ?? And wouldn't it be just about the most-wonderful thing in the world that, when you called that "friend", they didn't say anything except "Hello." and "Goodbye". They just listened. Maybe they were there to help you out later but, at the time of the call, they only listened. Yes, they just let YOU be YOU.
.........
Dear God, I really need You to be my Friend. I don't know how soon, if ever, I will be able to follow any advise or warning that You give me, but, for now, I just need You to be there, to quietly give me all of Your attention. I'm just so messed up and scared and am miles and miles away from getting things straight, but I just need a Real Friend right now, OK?? Thank you, Father. Tommy.
.........
Have you ever been "stung" by someone you thought was your friend, or even a good sister or brother? Well, if you have, then you're in the very same boat that hundred of millions of other folk are also in, OK? Just remember that you have Jesus. He is your sounding board whenever you might need Him. I promise you that you will never, EVER be disappointed in Him, OK?
God Bless. tommy two feathers
