"What I've felt..."

"What I've known,
Never shined through in what I've shown.
Never free,
Never me,
So I dub thee UNFORGIVEN..." - Metallica, "Unforgiven"

"It is not the quantity of people you know; it is the quality of the connections with them." - Rabbi Daniel Lapin

I was thinking about this situation Bren and I had dealt with fairly recently. For the longest time we had struggled with the thought that we didn't try hard enough or give the situation enough time to see results. We felt like failures in a sense, as if there was something wrong with us. But oddly enough, we found solace in talking to others that had experienced what we had. Their stories of trying for even longer than us and (as strangely as this sounds) their own story of failing in the same situation comforted us. It helped us to realize that although there were some things we could have done a little differently, by and large it probably wouldn't have given us what we were looking for.

Rabbi Lapin had the above nugget in his weekly newsletter that I subscribe to. The whole newsletter spoke about loneliness & how man was not created to be alone. He brought up an interesting point, in the old testament when cherubs are mentioned - there are always 2 , not one. After Adam & Eve were banished from Eden, 2 cherubs were sent to protect the entrance. On the ark of the covenant, 2 cherubs are located on the cover. 2 of each animal ended up on the ark of Noah. Paul in the new testament speaks often about lifting eachother up and encouraging one another. Connecting with others to not only share the love of Christ, but also to share in eachother's experiences & troubles.

It's important that we connect with eachother. Paul explains that although we are one body in Christ, we are all different parts of that body. Because we are different doesn't mean that one is more superior than the other, it means that we are ALL important whether we are a "hand", a "foot", or an "eye". By making connections with others, we can enrich our own lives and expand our knowledge by enjoying eachothers unique qualities & gifts.

Yesterday I sent an email to someone about setting up a small group in our home. I've facilitated FPU classes, helped teach classes, & we've hosted the occasional prayer group. Bren & I felt led to send out this request in order to make some real, genuine, & solid connections with fellow believers in Christ. We pray that this is where God is leading us...

How are your connections? Are they strong or in need of some repair?

"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”" - Gen 2:18, NLT

"Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!" Romans 12:16, NLT

MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Rotten From The Inside...

The road I travel to work in the morning is a magnet for animal traffic as well. I've witnessed all sorts of animals cross the road, from birds to rabbits to even deer (had a close-encounter with a deer close to a month ago). Unfortunately many animals don't make it and it takes a while for the highway department to clean up the massacre. I've been noticing a raccoon carcass off to the side of the road the past few weeks. Everyday I've been able to notice the subtle changes to it. Witnessing nature's recycling, seeing it change from a carcass to just fur & bones. Gross, I know, but I think about that and how it applies to our own lives.

Seeing that animal reminds me of the story of Dorian Gray, a horror story written by Oscar Wilde. The tale told of the story of Dorian Gray and his fascination with a painting someone had painted of him. Lamenting that the beauty of his visage found in that painting would be lost in himself as he aged, he made a deal to sell his soul in return that the painting would age and he would retain his youthful good looks. Becoming a depraved individual, Dorian fell into gross debauchery with no regard to the consequences. 18 years had past, Dorian still looking his youthful self, locked in an attic for years he revealed the painting to the painter - a sickening sight. The painting had aged and acquired the signs, scars, & effects of every debauched act that Dorian committed. Eventually Dorian had enough and tried to destroy the painting, killing himself in the process.

So what's that got to do with anything? I suppose the analogy would be that any thing that we "try" to hide will eventually be found out - no matter how "good" we are at hiding it. Corporations have crumbled due to "cooking their books" to look profitable on paper but reality catches up. People have been caught in their own web of lies, I think of stories like Vanilla Ice (lied about being from "da hood"), James Frey (his book, "A Million Little Pieces" ended up on Oprah's reading list and he gained fame & fortune, but was found to be a fraud and his "real life" book fictional), or a Vietnam vet I read about recently that had many honors given to him by local and national foundations over the years only to find out that his service was questionable & the medals he claimed he received were purchased from surplus stores.

We may put on a good "front" that we want the world to see, a "front" of success/wealth/happiness. But like a house of cards, it's only a matter of time before the whole thing collapses and the truth comes to light...

"Truthful words stand the test of time,but lies are soon exposed." - Prov 12:19, NLT


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com