LEARNING FROM OUR PAIN

Part 1

Seeking after pleasure and avoiding pain – nothing could be more normal and natural for us to desire.  Seeking pain – that’s abnormal, masochistic - not good!  However, pain seems to find us from time to time in life, sometimes, at least from our perspective, far too often.  What to do when life dishes out these times of discomfort, suffering, betrayal – follow the old, but somewhat silly-sounding advice:  “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” - ?  Really?  That sounds like pretty good advice, on the one hand, but, on the other hand, it can lead us to believe that our taking charge of the situation is not only the right thing to do but either the best thing, or, the only thing to do.

This can be a very subtle, but crippling, danger.  By doing so, we learn to rely on ourselves as the source of all of life’s solutions.  Lemons are one thing, but some of the pain life hands out can be something altogether different.  Someone we had trusted, liked, even embraced as a very close friend or loved one betrays us and causes the deepest of wounds.  Lemons – yeah, that’s one thing.  Betrayal, cancer, paralysis, the sudden loss of a loved one, especially a spouse, child, parent or sibling – well, that’s an assault on the balance of and the comfortable order of our lives of a different magnitude altogether – not even in the same ball park!

What, then, to do?  How should we respond?  What should we do when our senses are all rubbed raw and our eyes won’t stop weeping, and our soul feels dry and desolate, when the ache in the gut goes deeper and deeper with claws of grief and anxiety and fear and confusion?  Huh?  No clichés will do now, will they?  Search deeply within. 

The first step is to ask the right question.  Asking why this has happened to us will not help.  You’ve heard this expressed as a statement of truth and often posed as a question:  “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The answer is rather direct and very clear:  Pain is a part of this sin-sick, fallen world we were born into, and all of us can experience pain and suffering. 

Rather, we should ask, “What?”  What can I learn from this experience, Lord, and how can I use that knowledge to live in Victory?  That is my desire, personally, and I hope to share with you the power of choosing to live in victory.  We are not defined by our circumstances, and I refuse to let them defeat me.  How can I say that with such confidence?  I can declare it to you, and share with you, not as a boast of my own strength, but as a confession of weakness in true humility.  If you, with me, are in Christ Jesus, then (1) we have the promise of His Word that we can, indeed, do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13), and (2) as a testimony that the Lord has truly proven Himself faithful to be with me even through “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).  He has promised to never leave us, nor to ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5b), and I have found this to be true.  Therefore, the first step in Learning from Our Pain is to seek Him who is the Source of all Truth, Strength and Life.

Last word for Part 1: If you are not with me in Christ Jesus, that is the first and only right decision to make. He is the Life, the Truth and the Way (to walk in this life), and in Him we can truly find the answers to our questions about life, and only He can help us to live in victory, in, through and above every pain of life.  If you don't "know" Him, then I invite you to make that wonderful decision repent of all of your sins and to surrender your life to Him right now and ask Him forgive your sins, to come into your heart as Savior and as King!  God Bless you. .  

To be continued . . . .

WHEN THE COLORS SANG AT CREATION

“Let there be Light!” – and, Light came into existence

          Singing, Dancing, Spinning – Energy bursting forth!

A Seven-Fold Symphony of Song, a Harmony Pure and Perfect,

          Delightful in its Resonating, Pulsating Power of Life.

Yellow skyrocketed into the heavens, a Soprano of Crystal Clarity –   Hallelujah! – 

          The first words ever Sung –

                    In a Thrilling Gloria of Praise to Yah, her Creator God

         

Golden hues shimmered in Dewdrops of Delight, as yet unformed,

In Honor of Him whom She Crowned –

The Lamb of the Ages, the Lion of Heaven’s Pride –

Glory unfettered and Free!

Red reverberated with a Holy Hue

          Foreshadowing the greatest gift – Forgiveness – Sigh!

          An Alto of haunting Perfection

          As she sang down the corridors of Time to

          A reborn, redeemed and renewed Humanity not yet Born.

          Ah, the poignant Passion that would

          Echo through the corridors of time

          Resounding back to the Father of Lights:

          “Thank You, Abba! Thank You!” Amen.

Orange’s Fiery Song of Spirit Love

          Morphed into Chords of Rhapsody

          As She hovered over unformed Seas.

          Oh, the Power!  A Voice unleashed

          That climbed to the heights of heaven

          And plumbed the depths of the world

          In search of Truth to be found

          In every corner of creation. 

          Yes, the Tongues of Power would Dance

          Upon the Prophets as our Hearts

          Would sing the Refrain of Good News to All Mankind!

The Sky-Blue Tenor lifted his head

          To the dawning of Life and

          Breathed out his lyrics of Love

          Wafting on the zephyr breezes

          To the four corners of the World.

Emerald Green batted her long lashes

          As she whispered a Lullaby of Peace

          That painted the grass of the fields

          And with which She kissed Awake

          Each Leaf of Flower and Tree, Rich and Free.

Purple’s bass resonates down the corridors of time

          And fills the halls of kings and queens

          While forming a warm, sonorous blanket

          To wrap around the King of Kings as He lay in the manger

          And with which to drape His magnificent shoulders

          When once ascended and enthroned.

Blue-Violet’s Baritone provides the undercurrent

          Of rhythm and counterpoint

          As he scatters each brilliant star in their rising up

          To meet the moon in the twilight gleam,

          Emitting sweet vibrations that receive

          The refrain of stellar harmony to complete the Choir.

When all Colors Voice their Created Love together,

          Brilliant and Blinding White Light

          Emanates from the Throne,

          And all knees bow to Honor Him

          Who is the Conductor of the Symphony of Life and Love!

  

Robert E. Preston

March 22, 2013        

Continuing the Thought of Being a Radical Christian:

A Radical Christian continues to experience Victorious Christian Living, because he always remembers where to put his “but!”  Read that correctly now ~ that’s not where to put our ”butt” ~it’s where we choose to put out “but.”  Please allow me to explain.  In my more than 37 years of ministry, one of my greatest frustrations is to hear a brother or sister in Christ say to me, “I know the Word of God says . . . . but ~ . . . .” and then that loved one goes on to share a very lengthy and detailed litany of woes – if I permit them to go on and on – which I have learned not to do!  When I hear that scenario begin to unfold, I graciously (I really do try to be gentle and gracious at this point!) say, “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but please stop for a moment, and allow me to teach you where to properly place your “but.”  (This is where I explain to them that I am not referring to their gluteus maximus.  I then suggest to them that we start over again and say as simply and concisely as possible – “This is my problem, but . . . .”  I tell them that this is not some “mind over matter, self-denial, New Age, Christian Scientology thing.”  Rather, this is a powerful biblical method of attaining true Spiritual Victory over the Enemy and over our own flesh.

After the word “but” we now begin to confess the truth of God’s Powerful Word.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).  God did not think the created order into existence.  He spoke each component of it into existence!  “God said” . . .and it was!  We are created in His image and likeness.  Jesus told us in Mark 11:22-23 that we are to have faith in God (the faith of God) and say to the “mountain” (whatever that mountain of woe or pain or defeat that we experience in life), “Go, and be cast into the sea!” – It will Go!  By speaking to our need the Promises, the Provision and the Power of God, as His son or daughter, our whole “inner man” is changed from a posture of fear, frustration and defeat to one of Hope, Peace that passes all understanding, and even Joy unspeakable and full of glory!  That equals True Spiritual / Life Victory!  All because we knew where to put our BUT! 

Be Blessed! :0)