“A lot of my life happened in great, wonderful bursts of good fortune, and then I would race to be worthy of it.” Julie Andrews“Libby, you got the highest grade so you’re first.” My eighth grade English teacher used to rearrange the seating chart after each exam and seat us in order of who got the best score. After the exam on diagramming sentences I was seated—for the one and only time—in the first seat in the front row. Other classes had the back seats fill up first, but in English it was a reward to sit in front and all the students tried to be first. It worked for our class in those days, everyone learned grammar and composition and (speaking for myself) I was able to skip bone-head English when I got to college. Even at work at a high-tech firm in the Silicon Valley, I used to get recognition for reports, proposals and executive summaries, partially as a result of what I learned in eighth grade.
I spent the first few years as a Christian trying to pay God back for blessing like all green lights when I was running late, or recognition for things I felt were just common courtesy. When I finally recognized that God does not wait for me to do something good before He blesses me, I was able to stop feeling guilty that I had not earned it.
Are you more familiar with the perform/reward system? Do you ever feel as if you need to pay God back for a blessing you don’t feel you have earned, or deserved? What will you do differently today to shift your thinking to a love-motivated paradigm? Lord, I find it hard to fully comprehend Your unconditional Love. Help me make progress at tearing down the walls of my natural self-centeredness and learn to love unconditionally. Amen “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love…” I John 4:16a What are your thoughts? Libby
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"Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise." Sigmund Freud“It’s all Libby’s fault.” “No, she hit me first!” Sibling rivalry. It might be true that she hit me first, but she was also correct that I started it by teasing my younger sister. When we both got the same punishment, these experiences were imprinted in my memory as unjust treatment. And, I’m sure I spent good money on counseling to recover from the resentment I felt, still unable to admit that I might have had something to do with it.
When doing an inventory of the angst in my life, I was forced to consider my role in each of these scenarios. And then, to be honest with myself and identify just exactly what my actions were that promoted the thinking ‘I was the victim.’ Entitlement? Yes. Self-pity? Certainly. Honesty? Absolutely not. The good news is, when I looked back at these scenarios with honesty and open-mindedness, replacing resentments with forgiveness (for others and also for me), I felt better. My resentments and hurts evaporated. My mind was free of anger, revenge, and self-pity.
Lord, thank You for helping me learn to take responsibility for my actions, and then to forgive those I’ve been mistakenly blaming for my misfortune. Amen
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:8-9 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), an Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst…the forerunner of what we know today as psychotherapy. “Wherever you are, be all there.” Jim Elliot
I always enjoyed visits from Dana. We’d sit in a crowded coffee shop and catch up. He’d look at me and his eyes never wavered no matter who walked past, what noise caused everyone else to look up, or how often I paused. I had his undivided attention. I felt special, appreciated, valued. Dana was a busy guy; a missionary on furlough. He’d come home for a few weeks a year, and had to fit in visits with friends while he managed a full schedule of meetings with churches, support teams, his missions’ organization, and speaking engagements. Yet when we talked, you’d think he had nothing else on his mind. And he didn’t.
Note: Jim Elliot (1927-1956), an American missionary participating in Operation Auca, an outreach to the Huaorani people of Ecuador; Elliot and his colleagues Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Nate Saint, were killed during a face-to-face visit. Elliot’s wife, Elizabeth, (and their one-year-old daughter Valerie) continued in Ecuador working on a team that was successful reaching out to the tribe in the years following her husband’s death. “Build your life on the foundation of gratitude to God and true humility…build the frame of your life out of self-discipline…build the walls out of service to others…build the roof out of prayer and quiet time…build a garden around your life out of peace of mind and serenity and a sure faith.” Anonymous“It’s my kitchen this year so I’m going to do it my way,” which was my polite way of saying, ‘back off.’ Why do holidays often revert to tension and a sharp tone of voice? Short answer: family dynamics. Even as we rotate homes, the sister who’s kitchen we’re in is likely to be backed into a corner at some point by everyone else’s ideas until some form of this declaration is interjected into the discussion. Today, however, we are better at backing off than when we were younger, which I give full credit to how we’ve integrated our faith into our everyday lives.
Just think, this retreat could be a real world for me if I were to turn over my rights—or what I think of as my rights because it’s my kitchen—to God’s ways. If I based my life on gratitude for the fact that I have a kitchen to cook in and a family to spend time with, if I worked in the kitchen accepting of the habits of others for just this one day, if I realized this was my opportunity to serve my family with generosity of spirit not just generosity of food; then I might enjoy the holidays more.
Does this description of a home to live your life in sound appealing? Would you like to take a walk in its garden? What will you do today to take a step toward making it a reality in your life?
“Do not peer too far.” PindarThis year I am not making any New Year’s resolutions. I never succeed in keeping them, so what’s the point. Instead I’m making a goal for today only. It’s not as if I need resolutions to be reminded of the things I want to improve on: eat right, exercise more, be generous, serve others, don’t procrastinate, be genuine, and apologize quickly when needed.
I think this year I’ll make a resolution for today only…today I’ll take the dogs for a long walk and call Judy, Doreen and Nola to wish them a Happy New Year. Tomorrow I’ll think about what I’ll do tomorrow. Isn’t that what they call “one day at a time”? Are you tired of New Year’s resolutions that you’re not able to keep all year? Do you get tired of resolutions that make you feel more like a failure than a better person? What will you do today that will break the chain of guilt and yet still help you lead the life you dream of?
What are your thoughts?
Libby Note: Pindar (522BC-443BC), an Ancient Greek poet (one of the nine lyrical poets of ancient Greece), was the first Greek poet to reflect on the nature of poetry and the role of the poet; his work is the best preserved and considered the greatest in the genre, yet, while Pindar’s works are admired by critics, they still challenge the casual reader and therefore are largely unread among the general public. An example: Victory Odes by Pindar Creatures of a day! What is anyone? What is anyone not? A dream of a shadow Is our mortal being. But when there comes to men A Gleam of splendor given of heaven, Then rests on them a light of glory And blessed are their days. (Pythian 8) Amazingly, Pindar’s poem is not much different from the idea of seeking God’s grace one day at a time. |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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