this past week's theme
I mentioned this subject to the guys at my Thursday afternoon Bible study. It's about a verse in Romans 12 that reminds us that God chastises those He loves as children. It's been a recurring theme and I heard it as recently as today at about 12:40 p.m.
When I hear things more than once, I listen closer. Closer is going to play into this story in a different light at the end and it's building on another recurring theme. Anyway, back to being disciplined.
There are things I don't understand but I don't believe in coincidences. I'll tell you why:
Last night, I was watching a KC-135 bank right after taking off. I've seen that sight hundreds of times and it still brings out the little kid in me. I was part of making that happen for so many years and last night it was with a touch of sadness because that part of my life is over. I loved my job with the Guard and I miss my friends. But that's kind of looking backward. Two things would happen today that remind me that where God has placed me is a better place for me. One was a telephone call from a friend and another was a not so coincidental meeting of a former ANG co-worker at the Wal-mart I never shop at.
I'm where I belong. Kind of. More about that later. Anyway, the whole crux of this side track into the past is that the place I loved is not the place it used to be and I don't think I would thrive in that environment. The place I spent my whole adult life until three years ago has become a great place to be from, from my point of view. Sadly, when I meet folks I've known for years, the opinion seems to be shared.
So what does that have to do with God's discipline? Not much. God opened the doors for me to be where I'm at and I'm grateful for that. I mean that. I'm very blessed to have the job I do and I'm starting to get better at it. I get a lot of divine help. One of the hardest jobs for me to do on the airplane went surprisingly well tonight. I didn't want to do it and got stuck doing it anyway and it went well. That does play into God's discipline because it's the second time it's happened to me in a week. Last time, I got to see the doctor and have her glue a gash shut.
It's a job I don't like to do and seem to get stuck doing. I'm not complaining, either, by the way. Just telling a story and how even little things play into our lives. Doing things we don't like to do helps us deal with difficult situations and that does play into God's discipline.
I mentioned a while back that my friend was getting married. I don't have all the details but I'm very happy for her. Our story has a lot to do with God's discipline in each of our lives. The thing is that we're both God's children and there will be a day down the road when we will see each other again in God's Kingdom and we'll know each other for eternity. We just won't know each other down here because God said NO! But in that time, He used those experiences we shared to teach us both some things. And when the time was right, and I think I wrote a blog about this, He let me know that part of that NO! was to keep me where I was to deal with the things God either allowed or caused to come my way.
I also came to a realization the other night of what a huge blessing that is. God took the mess of my life and through the things that have come my way, I got to not only listen to Jesus' teachings, but in God's wisdom, I got to live a lot of them out. That narrow path is hard sometimes because sometimes the things God has for me are not things I would have picked for myself.
A letter came in the mail today that reminded me of that. And it made me mad as a hornet.
But then I was reminded about God's discipline. For reasons I will never understand, where I'm at is where God wants me. And part of what I'm going through is just chastisement. My sins are forgiven me; that does not mean there are not consequences for them.
And with those consequences I get to live out some of the things Christ says we ought to do. That's a blessing and I get to be a blessing to someone who doesn't really like me. I seem to remember reading something about those things someplace....
Anyway, the theme of the week is chastisement. And it's one of the many ways I know God loves me because when chastisement comes, blessings follow!
OK, back to the story promised earlier... my neighborhood is small. We're bordered by a university and I live on a circle. I live two blocks away from a busy street. It's a small neighborhood so unusual things stand out, like a black car with Oregon plates parked in the driveway four doors down. And the other one, five houses around the corner. And the third one headed west on 36th street and waiting for the light at Harrison Blvd. Or following the truck with the Oregon Ducks logo on it for a few blocks on the way to work.
Like I said, it's been a weird week.
When I hear things more than once, I listen closer. Closer is going to play into this story in a different light at the end and it's building on another recurring theme. Anyway, back to being disciplined.
There are things I don't understand but I don't believe in coincidences. I'll tell you why:
Last night, I was watching a KC-135 bank right after taking off. I've seen that sight hundreds of times and it still brings out the little kid in me. I was part of making that happen for so many years and last night it was with a touch of sadness because that part of my life is over. I loved my job with the Guard and I miss my friends. But that's kind of looking backward. Two things would happen today that remind me that where God has placed me is a better place for me. One was a telephone call from a friend and another was a not so coincidental meeting of a former ANG co-worker at the Wal-mart I never shop at.
I'm where I belong. Kind of. More about that later. Anyway, the whole crux of this side track into the past is that the place I loved is not the place it used to be and I don't think I would thrive in that environment. The place I spent my whole adult life until three years ago has become a great place to be from, from my point of view. Sadly, when I meet folks I've known for years, the opinion seems to be shared.
So what does that have to do with God's discipline? Not much. God opened the doors for me to be where I'm at and I'm grateful for that. I mean that. I'm very blessed to have the job I do and I'm starting to get better at it. I get a lot of divine help. One of the hardest jobs for me to do on the airplane went surprisingly well tonight. I didn't want to do it and got stuck doing it anyway and it went well. That does play into God's discipline because it's the second time it's happened to me in a week. Last time, I got to see the doctor and have her glue a gash shut.
It's a job I don't like to do and seem to get stuck doing. I'm not complaining, either, by the way. Just telling a story and how even little things play into our lives. Doing things we don't like to do helps us deal with difficult situations and that does play into God's discipline.
I mentioned a while back that my friend was getting married. I don't have all the details but I'm very happy for her. Our story has a lot to do with God's discipline in each of our lives. The thing is that we're both God's children and there will be a day down the road when we will see each other again in God's Kingdom and we'll know each other for eternity. We just won't know each other down here because God said NO! But in that time, He used those experiences we shared to teach us both some things. And when the time was right, and I think I wrote a blog about this, He let me know that part of that NO! was to keep me where I was to deal with the things God either allowed or caused to come my way.
I also came to a realization the other night of what a huge blessing that is. God took the mess of my life and through the things that have come my way, I got to not only listen to Jesus' teachings, but in God's wisdom, I got to live a lot of them out. That narrow path is hard sometimes because sometimes the things God has for me are not things I would have picked for myself.
A letter came in the mail today that reminded me of that. And it made me mad as a hornet.
But then I was reminded about God's discipline. For reasons I will never understand, where I'm at is where God wants me. And part of what I'm going through is just chastisement. My sins are forgiven me; that does not mean there are not consequences for them.
And with those consequences I get to live out some of the things Christ says we ought to do. That's a blessing and I get to be a blessing to someone who doesn't really like me. I seem to remember reading something about those things someplace....
Anyway, the theme of the week is chastisement. And it's one of the many ways I know God loves me because when chastisement comes, blessings follow!
OK, back to the story promised earlier... my neighborhood is small. We're bordered by a university and I live on a circle. I live two blocks away from a busy street. It's a small neighborhood so unusual things stand out, like a black car with Oregon plates parked in the driveway four doors down. And the other one, five houses around the corner. And the third one headed west on 36th street and waiting for the light at Harrison Blvd. Or following the truck with the Oregon Ducks logo on it for a few blocks on the way to work.
Like I said, it's been a weird week.
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