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The Ugly Truth

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Have you ever known a truth, that you would rather not know? The Ugly Truth could be something personal, or something that is about a situation that that you would rather not know. The next question could be, “What do I do with this Ugly Truth?”

If your Heavenly Father tells you, “This is not for you to deal with. It’s somebody else’s problem.” Then listen to Him! Why stick your oar into a situation, that you are being told to keep out of?

But how do we deal with an Ugly Truth, that we are being to told, “You are part of the solution, to this problem.” ?

Seek Our Lord Almighty, and His thoughts and leading, is always going to be our best guide.

A picture, may help with the next bit. (Even though it’s not a pleasant one.)

How would we deal with an Ugly Truth, that could be something like a Boil?

Ignore it? Burst it? Drain it?

Ignore it? A valid option, if you are told to do so.

Burst it? A messy option. Possibly a painful option, even if it does bring a relief. But, probably, leaving a need to do some cleaning up afterwards. (Which may, or may not involve you.) There would also be a need to do it in the right way, so that a different problem doesn’t occur, such as an infection of some sort.

Drain it? Do you already have the right tools and experience needed? Or will you be provided with the tools and knowledge for what to do, as you step into the unknown, following the prompting of Our Lord God? The issue of doing it in the right way to avoid infection, also applies here.

Before you take any action, do you have permission to take any action? And whose permission do you have? Those involved? Our Lord God’s? Which permission matters more, and are you listening to the right one?

If you have been involved with dealing with the Ugly Truth, then has the source been dealt with?

Without removing the source, will something just keep coming back again and again?

Are we to play a small part in dealing with the Ugly Truth, or a larger part? Will we have the wisdom to know, the part we should play? Then will we be willing to play the part that we should, without overplaying it?

to be checked and pondered Over!

Our Lord God. If we have an Ugly Truth, that we are aware of, please help us to know what the right actions to take are. If You tell us to leave it alone, then help us to do just that. To place it at Your feet, and to leave it with You. If You want us to do something, then please lead and guide us, so that we can follow Your path, for how we should go forward. Help us to not add to any problems, but help us to be part of the solution, even if that means just bringing it to You, and leaving it with You. Our Lord God Almighty. Amen.

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Why Don’t You Just Get It!!??

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The original title was going to be, “I want to be Instructional, Not Judgemental”, but I do think that the above title, gets more to the point.

This post is probably going to cover how we have all felt, at some time or another. My hope is that this will end up being more Instructional, rather than Judgemental…???

I think that a picture would be a good place to start with.

There were two parties, who when they came together, they just got on each others nerves. When they left each other, both would have a need to let go of certain things, that just annoyed them.

Both parties thought that they were being the bigger party, by not letting the other one know, just what was really on their mind.

When both parties met, they would both bring what they thought was water, to their meetings. Unbeknown to both parties, they were actually bringing fuel for the fire, that was always present, whenever they met.

Both parties would try to quench the fire, with their “Water”, to always find that things would always just flare up, right in front of their faces. The more they would try to quench the fire, the worst it would get.

Both parties, sadly came to the point of, “Perhaps I shouldn’t engage in this anymore, as when I do, it just keeps on going wrong!”

End of picture setting.

We may be able to laugh at the above picture, but, it isn’t a laughing matter, if you are ever caught up in such situation. It’s quite the opposite, it can be very frustrating and painful. 😦

If we do find ourselves in such a situation, then how can we do any better?

In the above picture, there was no ill intent, but both parties were bringing fuel to the meeting instead of water.

Can we have a better understanding of what we are bringing with us, if things just always end up going wrong? Instead of just focusing on what the other party is doing wrong, could we ask, is there something that I could do better? (Better might be doing something in a correct way, or it could just be doing something in a different way?)

Could we gain an insight into the situation, that might help us to understand what is happening, which could possibly help us to go to the meeting with something else, other than the “Water” (fuel) that we may have been bringing?

Is there a something that we are doing, or even not doing, that is adding fuel to the situation, that we are just missing?

Trying to spot the something that is missing, or that which we are just missing can be a very difficult thing to do, but if we could see it, could it then be the difference that we are looking for?

Would help from someone outside of the situation, be useful? If that help could come from an unbiased experienced source, then how much better, could that be?

I’m always going to point to Our Lord God Almighty as being the best source to go to, when we are struggling with anything.

As much as we would like to change the thoughts or actions of the other party, can we remember that the person that we have the greatest influence over is, ourselves?

If do have to bring fuel to a meeting, then could we do so knowingly, and then try to measure out as little as possible, at any given moment? Instead of just throwing it all onto the fire at once, could we try to feed it in, one drop at a time?

Even if we are going to be perceived as “Judgemental”, could we still try to be “Instructional” in our thoughts and actions, and hope that we can do this with Grace and Love, taking the lead, instead of letting pain and frustration, take a hold of the reins?

For a better path to take, it’s always going to be that much better for us, if we can take our difficulties to Our Lord God, and seek out His path, for how we should go forward with what we are facing.

Our Lord God, Please help all who are facing difficult situations. Please lead and guide us in the best actions that we can take, so that we can follow Your promptings, for where we should go, and for how we should act. Amen.

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Plugged in, But NOT Connected!

There was this one time when I was using my laptop to do some work, but the power was running low. I was more concerned, focused on the work, that needed to be done. But because I kept on noticing that the power was low, I plugged the power lead in and carried on working. As I carried on working, I noticed that the laptop was still not charging. So I changed the plug to a different socket, to try and give the laptop some power. But it made no difference to to the charge status. As I was more concerned about the work task to be done, I just concentrated on the work, hoping that that laptop wouldn’t give up on me altogether. Fortunately, I managed to complete the task. As I then went to pick up the charger I then found that the lead had come loose from power pack. Hence it was plugged in but not connected.

Power was available, as the plug was connected to a working power socket.

The laptop was ready to receive the power, the lead was also plugged in there. But in the middle, there was a loose connection, which meant that nothing was going to happen.

It made me think, can we sometimes get so many things right, but then make a simple error, that can then stop everything? Can we be plugged in, but not connected?

In the above case, I just had enough reserves of power, to finish the task, but I was stressed that much more by the low battery warning. How much better would it have been for me, if I could have just stopped, properly, and then checked all of the connections? Rather than just do the rushed, plug that charger in, then pay little attention to it?

If we are working on something, and we know that we are running low, then, can we seek out what the right course of action is, that we should take?

If our Lord God tells us to take a time out, to be fed, and recharged, then will we follow His prompting? When Elijah was told to eat and drink by the angel, that was sent to him, he took in the nourishment and rested, as he was instructed to do so. (1 King 19:4-9)

If Our Lord God tells us that we have enough, to complete the task that we are doing, will we carry on? Not letting distractions stop us from finishing the job, trusting that Our Lord God will supply what we need?

Whether we are told to rest or carry on, will we hear what Our Lord God is speaking to us, in our situation, then follow where He leads, for us to go?

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Philippians 4:19

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

John 10:27-28

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

___________________

When Sacrificially Giving, can we Sometimes Give Too Much?

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My Timing or Focus, was Off.

In order to keep this post, a readable length, I’m going to try to set the scene, by just giving some short bullet points. (Not sure if I want to write an entire book about it, and there would be probably less people who would want to read it. 🙂 )

A Revelation was given to me.

I got Excited!

I had a massive Desire to Share!

I did share, mostly not a problem.

But one occasion, I should have asked, “Father, what do You want for me to share, tonight?” But I didn’t. Instead, I just shared MY latest revelation, without asking the question of, “Father, what do You want for me to share, tonight?” 😦 Did my Heavenly Father want me to share, that revelation, at that time??? …

The results say, …. NO!!!!!

Instead of being carried along, I was carried away. 😦

End of scene setting.

I know that there is a need to keep in step with Our Lord God! I’ve written about it, in many different ways, some of which are listed below.

Don’t Get Carried Away, Instead, Get Carried Along

The Church on the Clifftop

Can you Hear the Beat of the Drums?

So, I know that it matters, and that to there is a need, to keep in step, with Our Lord God Almighty. So why is it that, the moment that I’m given a small revelation, that I then get distracted enough, by that revelation, so that I don’t even ask Our God, “Is it right to share this thought, in this setting?” Even when I’m asking everyone else, “Please bring a thought, that Our Father would like for you to share tonight.”

I was asking others to bring a thought that Our Heavenly Father had given to them to share, whilst I was thinking, “I already know what to bring!” …. ??? I should have asked myself the same question that I was asking everyone else to ask. But I didn’t. I thought that I already had my something to share…. But, was it Our Lord God’s thoughts, to be shared, on this occasion???

I had even shared a picture about a correct word, at the wrong time, can do great damage, with a friend, just recently. So, how is it that I can manage to get it so wrong, by bringing a good word, at the wrong time? All because I didn’t ask myself, (or more to the point, my Lord God), “What shall I share tonight?”

As I’m writing this, I’m kind of thinking, “Aren’t you being a bit harsh on yourself?” But I know that the answer to that one is a resounding, “No.” As I’m very much so, aware that I did get carried away, when I should have been keeping my focus on what, My Lord God, wanted me to keep focused on. Namely, His Thoughts and His Steps, instead of mine.

In a very recent post, I’ve even written…

Will we speak His Words, when they are given to us, or will we prefer our own words, thinking that we know what it is that we want to say? (His words will actually be better.)

It makes me smile, that I’m able to write about a better way to do things, but the question to myself, is, “Am I able to do the things that I write about?” I’m hoping that the answer to that one is a “Yes”, or at least that it will be.

For now, I’ll just have to say,”OK, ball dropped, now try to learn from it, and do better, next time.”

I feel the need to cry out, please help me to try, to not be like the army that kept wanting to keep going back and forth over the same ground, over and over again. But instead, help me to ask the questions of, is it right to share this here and now? Is there a something different that You would like for me to share? Is there a new something to take hold of, or step into? Ultimately, can I please hear Your words and thoughts for what I should be doing, so that I can then follow Your ways, that much better. My Lord God Almighty.

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Do I Have a Need, To Grieve???

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Grief is something that I don’t really know too much about.

I’ve mostly just got on with life. But our lives, for me and my wife, has known loss. (My wife is a stroke survivor.)

But by and large, we’ve just got on with things (by trying to focus on what we have, and not what we have lost). Which is why it took me by surprise when I suddenly had this short period of grief, or grieving, for the loss that we have experienced.

So that this doesn’t become a long rambling post, I’m just going to state that it happened, and that’s about as much as I’m going to say, as an introduction to this post, and not go into to many details.

As I write, … I wrote it out.

So, below is what was written at the time, as I was going through it. (A bit of a strange time, to my thinking???)

(If you are thinking that this is sounding like a lot of nonsense, please feel free to give it a miss, unless your Heavenly Father is telling you to keep on reading.)

______________

It took me some time, to just come up with the words, for the title of this post. The idea, has kind of been in me, but, of how to vocalise it, just seems to be, a little bit, more difficult.

No one has died. So I don’t have a need to grieve, because of a death.
But I am becoming, that much more aware, that I have suffered a loss, that I have, probably, just been ignoring.
It’s the loss of a life, that I expected to have.

My wife is disabled, and our lives have been very different, to what we expected them to be. We have both suffered the loss, from what our lives, should have been, and my eyes, are currently, being opened up to the idea, that I’ve never really, grieved, for that loss.
Mostly, I’ve not even been aware that, such a need could even exist. I’ve just been getting on with life. So, it’s a bit of a shock, and a confusing one at that, that I may even need to, grieve, for the life, that has been lost to us.

I don’t even know, if I really know, what it is, to grieve, for our, lost life, of what should have been?

Does my wife, also have a need to grieve, for this loss???
Or has she already gone through this process, in some way?

We have both, acknowledged that life just hurts, at times, in some way or another, in the past. But then that’s just confusing me, a little bit more.
If I’ve acknowledged the hurt, then isn’t that, some form of grief?
So, haven’t I done, this grief thing, already, in some form???

So, why am I now having to face up to the idea, that I have a need to grieve, for the life, that we should have had???

Is there a need to pay no attention to the thoughts that this is daft and silly, and that there’s no need to look into this, here and now?

As confusing and silly, as this all seems to be, there’s a small, half thought, of, don’t just try to hide and bury this away, somewhere, where it doesn’t even need to be looked at.

Writing this post, is part of my process, of trying to not, just bury the issue.

But, what is the process, to grieve for a loss, of anything?

To actually, acknowledge, that a loss, has occurred, which is painful and, or upsetting, in some ways?
Is what I’ve just written, the starting point?
To acknowledge that something, (that was of value), has been lost, and it’s actually upsetting, and hurts, in some way?

….

Have I worked my grief out, by writing this, or is there more, or something else, to be done?

…

Then, there’s even the thought of, am, “I even allowed, the space or time to grieve for this loss?” As I am a carer, for my wife.
Am I allowed, or will I even have the space, to fall apart, and just grieve, for this loss, that we’ve, just been living with???

It’s not nice, to face up to any of these things, but, is there a need, to actually do it?
To go through a grieving process, for that, which was lost?

…

Writing this, has been, a bit on the emotional side, so, does that mean, that it’s now job done?
Box ticked, and I can now move on, without the loss, hiding somewhere in the background?
Or is there still, something else to be done?
A further process, or something, to be done?

Would I benefit, from trying to apply the three little words of, “Accept, Repent and Forgive“, to the loss, that, me and my wife, has suffered?
Or, will there be a something else, to be done, on another day?

For today, in the here and now, I’ll just try to seek my Lord God’s face, and ask, “What do I do with this? How do I go forward with this? Do I even, ever dare to publish, what I’ve just written here?”
(There are some things, that can be written, then never shared.)

__________________

It’s been about a week, since I wrote the above. My hope that it might be, “box ticked, job done”, appears to be, not the case.
I don’t think that I can write up the full account, as it could end up being a book. So, the short version is, it’s been shown to me, that I’m a bit (more than I’d like) annoyed and angry with… I don’t know what???

My eyes have been opened to, my being, over the top annoyed, by the silliest of things???
They are only little micro outbursts, but, I don’t like them.
If I put this together, with the possible idea, that I may have a need to grieve, well, it seems that it’s not “job done”, just yet.

Now that I have come to this point, what do I do next?

There is the option to not even think about it. For some, this might even be the right choice, for a time.
But seeing as I’m currently wrestling with this, I’m thinking that it’s probably, not the right choice for me, at this point in time.

The best option that I’d always council to be anyone’s first choice is…
Take it to The Lord, in prayer.
I’ve been kind of doing this, but it still seems that I’m constantly asking, “What’s next, where do I go with this?”
This is where we have a need to have open ears, that are willing to hear, what it is, that Our Lord God, is speaking to us.

There is a small thought, that seems to be lingering around.
“Send what I’ve written here, as an email, to the pastor of my church.”

There are many voices saying many things that go against this thought. They include…
You want to bother someone else, with something, that you don’t understand yourself, really?
You’re going to look very silly!
He’s so busy, he won’t have any time for this.
He won’t even be interested in any of this nonsense.
This is all nonsense, that’s just going round your head, there’s no need to bother anyone else with this.

I can sum all of these thoughts up as,
“Thoughts from the enemy, who wants to stop me from entering into a greater freedom.”
As such, I know that they should All be ignored, and the small quiet voice, should be sought out, listened to, and more importantly, followed.

For me, I guess that at this point, all that I’ve written here this far, will be making its way to my pastor… ???
Then it’s over to You, Lord God, for where we go to next.

______________

The above is what was written at the time.

To me, it still seems like a bit of nonsense, even though it was very much so real at the time. I do find it a bit ironic that a short time before I wrote the above, I wrote something that included a thought about, it’s possible to go through something, and to not be negatively affected by it. The thought that I’m getting as I write this is, “Grief can be something that you can have a need to work through, in order to get to the end of it.” (My disclaimer again, I’m no expert, when it comes to this.)

I do feel that a finishing note, or something is still needed here, so I’ll try to write something, and see where it goes to???

I did meet with my pastor, and it was a good time.

We did speak about what was written above, but there wasn’t any need, or direction/prompting to do any real kind of deep dive into the subject.

It was just more of a friendly chat, which worked out well for me.

One bit of advice that I was given, was to pray in tongues about it, (after my pastor had confirmed that I do speak in tongues), which I have done a little bit. The thought process was, if you don’t know how to vocalise what’s going on, use a spiritual language, which can try to work through that, which you are struggling with.

As I said, I did a bit of this.

I’d love to be able to say that it’s now job done, and I can just carry on as I was before this all occurred. I’m not experiencing any real grief at present, and what needed to be done, may actually now be done??? I know that we are all different, and as such, it may be a different experience for all who have to go through the road of grief/grieving.

As I’m no expert on this subject matter, the only closing remark that I feel I can make, for any who are affected by what is written here, is to seek out your Heavenly Father and to ask/present your need/concerns before Him. Then try to hear what His advice is, and then, most importantly, to follow where He leads you to go.

Heavenly Father,

I thank you, that You are with us at all times.

Please do lead and guide us, in the ways that we should go.

Help us when we are struggling.

Thank you that You are for us and that You are there to help us.

Our Lord God and Loving Heavenly Father.

Amen

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What Did I Just DO!!???

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This is something that was written sometime ago now. I think that I can just about remember what the life mistake, that I thought I made, was, still now. The error didn’t have any real lasting effects. I can remember making an apology for where I’d thought that I’d gone wrong, to then be told, that there wasn’t even a need for an apology, which I’m a little bit doubtful about. I’m still thinking that my delivery service, could have been a bit better, than it was? Still, we live and learn.

For those who would like to have some idea of what my supposed mistake was, well … I brought a word/thought about a someone, to the someone, along with another being present, as I thought that I was being led to. For it to then seem to be, not as I thought. Which led me to think, … “What did I just DO!!???” (This is as much as I’m going to share about the details of the … Whatever it was???)

Below is what was written, at the time.

_____________

Making mistakes, can sometimes be a bit on the painful as side. We may even feel that we end up taking the place of the fool. So could we try to, not make mistakes. It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately for me, in my chess playing/learning, I keep seeing the mistake, just as it happens, or just afterwards. 😦 it would be nice to see it, before it happens.

I can currently find myself in the position of knowing enough to see when it has gone wrong, but just can’t seem to see it before it goes wrong. If I’m not careful, then could this lead me to the thought of, “I just can’t seem to get this! Why do I keep trying? Shouldn’t I just give up, and stop playing altogether?”

That is an option to take. But it is the option that says, “I won’t engage in this anymore!”

For some people, choosing to not engage in a particular action or direction can be the right choice to make, as going the wrong way, can cause a whole world of pain. But for other people, giving up too early, can just mean not reaching your full potential. We can all reach a point, where we have to ask ourselves, “Is this worth it?”

Our Lord God, is The One who has the best answers to that question, if we can just hear His thoughts.

Just because I’ve made a mistake, shouldn’t be reason enough for me to give up. So many times, that can be the enemies thought, trying to get us to the point of disengaging, stopping, of not even trying anymore.

Will we bring our defeats to Our Lord God’s feet, and ask for His council, for what we should do next? Will we then listen for His answers, and then try to act upon them?

In one mistake I made recently, (a life mistake) I was left with the thought of, “I made a right mess of that, just what was I thinking?”

I was kind of, at the point of all the above, wondering, “Why did I try to do this?” The hardest part of it all, was that I was trying to follow, where I thought that my God was leading me to go. And then, I feel as if I’ve just fallen, flat on my face! Gone and put my foot, firmly into my mouth.

So now what? Do I stop following where I think my God is leading me to go, because I feel that I got it wrong?

Absolutely Not! No, instead I have a need to sit at His feet, and then seek His thoughts, on what happened, and more importantly, what to do next.

The first major restoring part for me, was when I realised that I needed to forgive myself, for getting wrong, the parts that I thought, I’d got wrong. (Our Lord God is the only One who can actually judge correctly.)

Once I had forgiven myself, for getting it wrong, then the raging storm in my head, was settled or at least subdued enough, so that I could then start thinking, a little bit more rationally again. I was even able to perceive some of my Heavenly Father’s thoughts again, and then do some things that almost certainly, needed to be done.

I’m still currently in the position of, “Lord, this is in Your hands, and I’ll endeavour to leave it in Your hands.” If there are things that I need to do, then I need to do them. Equally, if there are things that I need to leave alone, then I need to leave them alone.

If there is a lesson or two to learn, then hopefully, I can learn it quickly, but I don’t need to be on a constant replay, thinking, “If only this or that could have occurred.”

I need to learn any lessons that I can, but also to cut away the veil of “What if’s.”

I also need to try to remember that “Everybody Blunders”, and try to not be so hard on myself.

Another thought that’s kind of keeps coming back to me, goes along the lines of, “failure in my eyes, isn’t necessarily failure in Your eyes.” I don’t get to see the full picture. So, even though it looked like a mess in my eyes, are You doing something, that’s unseen to me???

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Fear Should be Kicked Out

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If we allow Fear to take control of the driving seat, then can we possibly start to make some bad decisions, such as “I can’t do this, because of …” or even, “I should be doing … because of …”

(There has been times, when I have observed people (myself included) do, or not do something (both large and small), for the… strangest of fearful reasons. 😦 )

If fear stops us from doing, that which is necessary, or pushes us into doing something that we shouldn’t be doing, then how helpful, is that fear?

A healthy fear can protect us, such as a fear of falling over the edge of a cliff, which stops us from going too close to the edge.
But, if fear stops us from walking along the cliffside path, then we’ve completely missed out on the cliffside path walk.

So, a fear is needed, but only a fear, that is kept in it’s proper place and proportion.

_________________

I do feel that this post is kind of finished, but I would like to point out that Love, can prove to be a powerful antidote to fear. I’m thinking that some of the best writing about Love, can be found in the Bible, such as below.

1 Corinthians 13

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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Humour, can be a bit of a Funny Thing.

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I was reminded about a conversation that I had, a while back now.

It was a hot day, and I was wearing shorts. Nothing unusual there then really. But, for a long time, I just didn’t wear shorts, regardless of how warm it was. (No, I’m not going into the reasons of why, other than self consciousness.)

The person I was with, mostly, didn’t wear shorts either, and noticed that I was wearing shorts. The said person, then went on to make a joke about my short wearing.

I was a bit irked by this, but endeavoured, to not show this. Instead, I may have tried to make light of the situation, by using humour, myself, in some way.

But inside, I was kind of thinking, “I’m trying to step into the freedom of wearing shorts, and all you want to do, is to make fun of me, whilst I’m actually, still a little bit apprehensive about the freedom, that I’m trying to take hold of! Why do you have to do that???”

I could probably write a whole separate post on trying to answer that question fully. Instead of trying to do that, I’ll just point you to the title of this post, and point out, that…

Humour, can be a bit of a Funny Thing.

Sometimes, humour can be just the thing to diffuse a tense situation, but it can also cause a tense situation, if used in the wrong way.

Do we use humour in the right way? Or can we get caught out, by using humour in the wrong way? Do we sometimes, unwittingly cause a level of upset, because of our bad use of humour? Or, could it even be, that we are hurting on the inside, but we have no way of how to deal with the hurt, so we try to make light of the situation, by making a joke? (Which might be received well, or could possibly cause offence to be taken??)

As I said, Humour, can be a bit of a funny thing.

If Our Lord God, tries to prompt us, to not make a joke (or speak anything) then can we hear Him, and follow His prompting?

What would we rather have, a laugh being had, at the expense of someone, or a possible laugh being missed, but, no one paying a price, for the laugh. (That may not even have been that funny in the first place?)

I’m not trying to say that we should never try to be funny ever again, as sometimes, it can be just what’s needed. But can we try to have a bit more wisdom, as to when it’s the right time, for humour?

If a joke is heading towards the belittling direction, could we try to, not go that way? Could we instead, just keep quiet, or look for something more positive to say?

If we have been on the wrong side of a bad joke, can we be quick to forgive, so that it won’t become anything greater than a bad joke, that gives us the opportunity to put into practice, the good practice, of forgiving?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

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Proof Can Come, From Doing

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Psalm 34:8

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

I cycle to work, it’s my preferred way to get to work. When I’m on the bike, my preference is to be wearing shorts. But, when the cold weather comes, it demands that long trousers are used. It would be beyond crazy to be wearing shorts, when it’s too cold to do so.
When the weather changes, for the better, it can then be the time to start thinking about my preferred attire. But the question I can then face is, when is it OK for shorts?

If I used the temperature reading at the time I started to use long trousers as a guide, I’d probably be in shorts that much sooner. At the end of the season, I’m reluctant to change to long trousers, with the thinking of, “It’s not so bad, I can still do this.”

After I’ve spent the cold season, benefitting from the warmth of the long trousers, I can take some persuading, to change back to my preferred shorts. … ??? I can find myself in the position of, “Can I really wear shorts, now???”

I can see what the temperature is, and I can know that I could wear shorts, but my current experience, kind of speaks to me, “You’re all good in the long trousers, why do you want to change? You’ll only be cold, if you do change.”

I do actually prefer the shorts, and I am just actively waiting for the right time to make the switch, but it can end up being a fight against, what I’m currently doing, that’s working, which can leave me in a little bit of confused state.

I can check the temperature, and I can know, that it’s ok to make the switch to shorts. But, it’s one of those things, where, I can only really know that it’s ok to make the switch, when I actually wear the shorts!

Checking the temperature let’s me know that it should be ok, but it’s the experience of doing it, that truly confirms that it’s all good to make the switch.

There is a reason for me, writing about this here, which I’ll now share.

When it came to my choosing to follow Jesus, I did so, because I knew that it made sense to do so. I didn’t blindly follow, but I looked at the information, and just knew that it added up, and made sense. But as I have walked the path of being a Christian, I’ve now also gained experience that confirms that it’s all true. It’s one of those things, where doing, also gives extra proofs, that it’s good.

Psalm 34:8

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

If you also reach a point where you can see that it adds up, then why not make the choice to follow? If you do, then you too can expect to gain experience, that confirms that it’s good and a worth while decision to make.

For those if us who are already following, the same theme can apply to new lessons, leadings or prompting’s from God.
We can hear about something, but as we do, then we can begin to know, on a greater level, that it’s the right thing to be doing.

So, if we are being challenged by Our Lord God, and we know it’s Him who is doing the challenging, then will we follow Him, and step into or onto the path that He is placing before us?

John 10:27

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

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Take You’re Time with it.

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I loaned a chess book to a friend. When I saw the friend a week later, they asked, “I’ve got the book with me, do you want it back?” The book had not been fully read, at that point.

My thoughts went to, “You need to take your time with reading that book to get the most from it. Keep it for as long as you need it, to get the best, from it.”

When I read the book, I was able to speed read the first couple of chapters, as my ability was beyond chapter 1 to whatever point to I got to, when I needed to take a bit of time to take in, the lesson being taught. So I was surprised at being asked if I wanted it back already, after just one week. In my mind, the book would be on loan, for at least a couple of months.

My response to the question was something like, “Keep the book for as long as you need it, to get the most from it. As you get further into the book, you’re going to need to take your time with it, to get the most from it. Yes, I do want the book back at some point. But, it’s yours, until you’ve worked your way through it, properly.”

For me, the book was just sitting on the side, not being used. I do want it back, to take it’s place in my very small library, but only when it is finished with, by my friend.

It lead me to the thought of, can we sometimes be in too much of a hurry? To try to rush through things, because we think that there is a time restraint, that actually doesn’t exist?

Do we sometimes, just need to slow down a bit, with the …. , that we are working through/with, in order to get the Best or the Most, from it?