I LOVE your thoughts on honest self-examination. Of all religions, Christianity should be the most honest, but I think we have been infected by the worldly religion of "power of positive thinking," and therefore refuse the look truthfully.
As you say, we recoil from Jeremiah's description that "Our hearts are deceitful and wicked." Why do we shy away? We know the entry into Christianity is humility, why is it so hard to stay humble?
I also continue to love your perspective on our suffering. Yes! We have been hurt, wounded, betrayed, and we are suffering. You are so good at admitting it, explaining it, and mourning it. But you also remember that our reaction (bitterness, judgement, grudges, etc.) may be the thing that holds us back the most. Your balance is beautiful and true to God's word.
And you always end in hope: The best is yet to be!!
Sam, thanks again for your response. You’re such a gift to me and to so many. Honesty, humility, hope. Gosh, that’s a sermon outline. Alliteration and everything. 😊. Many blessings to you and yours today. Hope you have a good Father’s Day.
Never give up, there’s always more, the best is yet to be. Churchill—never give up, my own “more” and the poet’s best is yet to be. Browning?
I developed that tag line when I wrote Trading Fathers and that memoir didn’t get a wide distribution. But God had more plans. I love getting to use that now as my ending format for the psalms and as my title and tagline for this Substack.
Hi Karen,
I LOVE your thoughts on honest self-examination. Of all religions, Christianity should be the most honest, but I think we have been infected by the worldly religion of "power of positive thinking," and therefore refuse the look truthfully.
As you say, we recoil from Jeremiah's description that "Our hearts are deceitful and wicked." Why do we shy away? We know the entry into Christianity is humility, why is it so hard to stay humble?
I also continue to love your perspective on our suffering. Yes! We have been hurt, wounded, betrayed, and we are suffering. You are so good at admitting it, explaining it, and mourning it. But you also remember that our reaction (bitterness, judgement, grudges, etc.) may be the thing that holds us back the most. Your balance is beautiful and true to God's word.
And you always end in hope: The best is yet to be!!
Thanks
Sam, thanks again for your response. You’re such a gift to me and to so many. Honesty, humility, hope. Gosh, that’s a sermon outline. Alliteration and everything. 😊. Many blessings to you and yours today. Hope you have a good Father’s Day.
Are you familiar with Jonathan Edwards? He was a terrific, Biblical preacher in the early 1700's and was part of the Great Awakening.
He preached his first sermon at the age of 17 or 18, and his outline ended with one of your messages. His outline was:
-Our bad things will turn to good,
-Our good things can never be taken from us,
-And the best things are yet to come.
And don’t we see that the Holy Spirit keeps speaking the same truths? It is reassuring when I see I’m repeating one of the greats.
That is terrific. And if we rest our hearts there, what a good life we have. God has given me a lot of grace to come to that rest. I am so grateful.
Thanks! I know his name but haven’t read much about him.
I've always loved your lines "never give up" and "the best is yet to be" (or something like that).
Part of God's plan for our lives is to give us HOPE! And you always do that.
Never give up, there’s always more, the best is yet to be. Churchill—never give up, my own “more” and the poet’s best is yet to be. Browning?
I developed that tag line when I wrote Trading Fathers and that memoir didn’t get a wide distribution. But God had more plans. I love getting to use that now as my ending format for the psalms and as my title and tagline for this Substack.
Thanks!