- Not The Only One!
- Post #165
- 04 Dec 24
-
- ” I’m Standing Right Here”
- Howdy,
- As always I’m so thankful and grateful for you guys being there. I’m going to apologize from the onset because I know that I’m going to step on toes and offend some today. It is not my intentions to be offensive or to inflict pain or discomfort or anything along those lines. We all have a story to tell and I think that often without trying we can see ourselves in someone’s else’s story at some point. We may be at the beginning of their story as in that was a close call, and man am I blessed not to have gone down that road ☺️☺️
- Perhaps some where in the middle of their story things become a little bit familiar as it’s something that you have observed in someone’s else’s life who is close to you. Maybe, just maybe it gave you a fresh perspective into some situation that you could never see yourself in , because you just view it as a poor choice or something that a normal rational person would never do, such as getting involved with a married person and being deeply involved in an affair, that You just never saw coming. The funny thing about affairs, is that very few people just wake up and decide that is the path that they wish to pursue, but it’s a slow and gradual process, really small steps and usually very innocent in the beginning. I think of it as being a crab in a pot of water. At first everything is fine and comfortable somewhat, and then a little warmth feels really nice because it’s something different or something that you haven’t experienced in recent memory, and then you find yourself in a boiling hot mess that you can’t * Excavate yourself from ☺️☺️
- There are those who can connect with the end of the story, as maybe it’s some place that they have been before and wish to just never return to ,even if it means that I have to murder someone, because it was just that painful 🫤😕. I don’t know maybe you are that person who gets the award for best supporting role, because you just walked with them through it all and gave them the best council that you knew how and still wasn’t sure that it was the best plan of action to take. It’s a little bit, just slightly amusing I guess that we give council for things that we have no frame of reference for except our own sinful , selfish , and ” if I was you” mindset ☺️☺️. I shouldn’t be chuckling it up , but I’m just amazed at how many times that Christians seek wisdom and council so far outside of the will, wisdom and word of God😚😚. It’s really not a haha thing, but actually more of an indictment on our walk with God and honestly I’m in no position to be pointing this one out☺️☺️, guilty as charged!
- Sometimes we are the hook, line and sinker person ,as if it’s an exact duplicate of the road that we have walked and almost a line for line reenactment, and we wonder if we should be checking the mail for one of those royalty checks that we hear so much about ☺️☺️. Don’t hold your breath, the check is not in the mail☺️☺️. We live in the era of the wire transfer, but nope!, not there either ☺️☺️. When our world around us is just collapsing and we aren’t sure of up from down or what is true, we often think that we are the only person in the world that this* tragedy has befallen on. We know that it’s not true, but at this particular time, that’s what it feels like and somehow , and for some reason we just want to embrace it as our own personal failure in life, oh wait !, let’s just call it what it is, a pity party☺️☺️
- So we all have different stories, and sometimes there is a connection there or just something that we can strongly relate to. I really shouldn’t make jokes about infidelity, because I know that it’s just a sore spot for so many, but I don’t know if it’s a meme or a skit or what to exactly call it , but it’s really humorous when a partner will punish their companion in life for infidelity that they experience in a dream☺️☺️. I think that there is quite a bit of psychology playing out there and maybe rooted in past experiences or perhaps just insecurities, not today, but definitely in the future we will dive into that one☺️☺️.
- Ok, so let’s just get to it. This comes from , let’s just say a friend. Frame of reference, he served for twenty-five years as a navy chaplain, not an easy assignment, when you consider all of the different points of origin of things that fall under the umbrella of religion for the military now days. I guess in my day we were just less inclusive, because it kind of fail to catholic, protestant, or Jewish . Yeah I don’t remember services for Muslims, but I’m dating myself back some forty years. I just still can’t believe that I’m saying that, or that it’s been that long☺️☺️. No worries, now we have the Wiccans and other tree hugger type acknowledgements in the military. I’m not a racist or bigot just calling as it is ☺️☺️.
- My chaplain buddy was raised in one of those neighborhoods where most of the people were from the same racial make up and most of them knew each other’s families and the family roots could be traced back generations. Well he was raised in a catholic home and came from a very catholic background, but not the usual maybe Irish catholic, that our brains may run to.☺️☺️. He made mention that it was customary to be appointed god parents when you were a young kid. I was familiar with this concept in my own culture as well. Those of you who may be unfamiliar with it, it’s when your biological parents ask someone close to them and that they think is capable of raising you, if some harm befell your natural parents, let say like if they were both killed in a car accident or something, hopefully not a mob hit☺️☺️. Before joining the navy, he was a teacher at a small Christian school, which he said doesn’t exist anymore because it had a run in with hurricane Katrina and the school lost☺️☺️. I either wasn’t paying close attention or he didn’t disclose when he jumped ship and left the Catholic church.
- He fast forwarded to some years in the future, when his grandmother was sick and on her death bed. He came home and was in the hospital room with his grandmother hoping to share something life changing and life giving. I don’t know if he felt led or if it was a plan, it’s always the hardest with family and those who we are close to. His visit was abruptly interrupted by the person who he hadn’t seen in years, who was the person that his parents had entrusted as a god father. He immediately began to apologize to his grandmother for her grandson leaving the Catholic church. I don’t know maybe my friend has some super power that he was unaware of that makes him invisible☺️☺️, because they carried on a very heated conversation about him as if he wasn’t standing right there in the room. Only if I had been a better example for him, a better god father and this kind of thing would have never happened. Those teenage years of his, I should have been taking him by the hand☺️☺️. Are you kidding me, really, really, I I’M STANDING RIGHT HERE!! My friend said that he thought the role of a god parent was for him to get an extra Christmas present under the tree☺️☺️. He really felt put upon an Ostracize. After clearing his throat so many times to try and redirect the conversation, it was to no avail, and he had no idea that the Catholic church had a truancy policy ☺️☺️. I make light of it but it was something that carried a great heart pain for him at the time. Years later it’s become one of those sad but funny stories.
- Many years ago, when I was still married to my kids mom, we had a couple over for dinner. We use to live out in the sticks☺️☺️. Quiet country living, nothing like it in the world. As our company was leaving, the couple next door to us had been out taking a walk, and they stopped to say hello. We all had a military background, my ex had been in the navy. The couple visiting were navy people and my neighbor a Coastie. I don’t know what we were talking about, but somehow my neighbor worked In how they thought that it was so sad when people marry outside of their race. My wife and I looked at one another as if to say, did they just say what I thought they said? Talk about not knowing your target audience and not reading the room. ☺️☺️. That’s probably the closest that I’ve ever come to someone talking as if I wasn’t standing right there. That’s not a Freudian slip, it’s just rude stupidity. Now, I know that No one wants to put their grandmother in the stupidity category, but probably definitely for the want to be god father. ☺️
- This is not a pick on Catholics thing, honest, his whole point in telling this story was to point out how we are sometimes born into messed up situation and that outside of Jesus, no one gets to pick out their own parents ☺️☺️. He went on to say that the church is another messed up place, and we do actually get to choose that one ☺️☺️. Hope that didn’t come as a surprise to you that churches are messed up places. ☺️The church is a place full of absolutely perfectly flawed people. In fact the church is supposed to be a hospital for the spiritually wounded. Again hope that didn’t surprise you and ,it’s a place where we should all feel at home, because we are all spiritually wounded. If you don’t think so, then you really need to get some Windex for that mirror☺️☺️.
- It’s been several years now, but I dated a lady who told me that she was catholic. She went on a little bit of a spiritual journey with me, but just couldn’t get over the hump. ☺️ Its really, really hard to abandon a faith that you have known the majority of your life , even if its not working for you. After all we have to have that answer ready, just in case it ever comes up, when something spiritual arises. You are armed with ” I’m catholic, or whatever your particular weapon of choice may be☺️☺️. I’m just a little bit amazed when people tell me that they are Catholic or Jewish, or even Christian, but can’t tell you what that means to them or how it impacts their lives, and it’s not just a cat got your tongue kind of thing☺️ . After all faith is a deep and personal experience, but its not meant to be kept private . This one lady had issues with the church over money or the *tithing thing. Its a realization, that everything that we possess or own is given to us by God. Some just don’t have that understanding. Its a particular challenge for those who are well off. They make a declaration as to what they identify as spiritually, but somehow it comes across as a birth right, or something like a * surname. I’m no expert, but I don’t really see how that works out. They can tell you that they are this or that, but they are none participating of some unknown , ill relevant religion and an anonymous deity. If they go to a service, they take nothing from it. Maybe it’s just tradition but it’s a real head scratcher for me , when they get nothing out of it, but they encourage the next generation to follow suit on all of the ritual ceremonies, such as confirmation class, as if it’s some kind of birth right before you decide to not show up for decades until it’s time to indoctrinate another niece , nephew or grandchild. Well, there is always that whole thing about misery loving company ☺️☺️
- Now! Hear my heart this is not a catholic bashing thing. I have met several born again believing Catholics and it’s almost like they somehow had a pair of binoculars to see what most never do, and have a real and genuine connection with God. This isn’t exclusive to any one denomination, or religion. It just seems that it’s across the board of people checking boxes as if it will somehow usher them into a sweet after life, good luck with that☺️☺️. There is no verbalization and seems to be little understanding of faith , other than it’s what we do , or is expected of us. Wouldn’t you just think that If asked about one’s faith, that they would be able to articulate it on some level.?
- I’m standing right here is offense to most people. People conversing about you in front of your face and to carry on as if you aren’t there is probably one of the highest level of disrespect that one can encounter. Its dismissive and carries with it a level of condescension and maybe flash backs to being a child ☺️☺️ Respect now days is a big deal, because it goes to reputation or how other people see us. I’m not sure if anyone wants to be seen as weak or* incompetent . History tells us that if we become a doormat, that everyone will just take a turn at wiping their feet on us, after all, it just goes back to respect. If you don’t respect yourself, your marriage, or your reputation, then why would anyone else? In this day and age it’s so easy for people to become offended, and frankly some of it is just over the top. Way to many examples to just single out just one offensive thing that has no merit to it . I can’t tell you that I’m always a person of balance because that would be a straight up lie☺️☺️.
- However, God’s word calls for us to make allowances for one another’s flaws and short comings. I don’t know what to call it when we are being insensitive to other people and even when it’s to their face. It’s rather hard to believe that some people are clueless when it comes to offensive behavior and words, but those people do exist. I think on some level it has just become so easy not to care about how we inflict wrath upon others. Just one month past some of the most UGLY things that I’ve ever seen posted online. We have talked before about ” OH BLESS YOUR HEART” , and we are fully aware that is not a compliment on any level ☺️☺️
- Ok, here’s the deal , we are called to a higher standard, and this is absolutely not the time or place to feel superior, because God has given you an understanding that others just haven’t been blessed with. We say blessed and we wonder why some have and some don’t, and honestly, for me I think it’s about maturity and openness. If we think that the world evolves around us, and that what we have to say or do, is more important than other people, than one we are just WRONG!, and maybe the bigger crime, is to just be unaware. When you are out in traffic today, you will encounter some of those individuals ☺️☺️. Everyone wants to get up on a soap box and scream about their rights. I have the right to say this or do that. This posture is so easy for things to get ramped up and out of hand. Again, God’s word say a soft and gentle approach defuses arguments, only if we were willing to give it a try☺️.
- I think about our King and all that He endured for us on our behalf , on His way to the cross , He gave up reputation for our sake, and we can’t have and demonstrate a little patience with those who may be just a little less spiritually mature than ourself. We forget that we all come from the same place, when it comes to God, not one of us is righteous on our own, and if we are , then that’s a problem and we need to retrace our steps to see where we just got it so incredibly wrong. If we belong to Christ, then it’s time to put on our big boy and big girl pants on and follow, not act like it, but to actually follow!
- Till Next Time ✌️ Peace!
- Sandy The Southerner
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