(Potentially) Profound Thoughts
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Yep, all very good points...
I related to this premise based upon the major milestones of my life thus far... and assumed that the last phase described below might resonate with many others who found themselves here under similar circumstances...
I suspect that I and many folks spent the first part of our young single lives working on ourselves - many thru self discovery...
Even then, I imagine that many of us had to restart, reset and refocus a few times...
Once married and raising three kids - you are absolutely correct - each of them were the main focus of my efforts...
At the same time - even during that phase I still often found myself (as I imagine many others have) having to restart, reset and refocus with the aim (in my case) to strive to be the best example for my kids as a man of faith, a husband, father and provider...
After the big 'D' that fortunately coincided with my kids as young adults - I found myself all alone (with my dog) and that is when I discovered this CC Forum all those years ago - as I suspect that many on CC may have found their way here during similar phases in their lives... That is when this profound premise bounced back across that net and really hit home...
Yes, I recognized that even with adult kids that I will always be there father, but with a renewed focus - still striving to be that best example (still stumble) as a man of faith, father and provider... But it is now more than ever, along this last phase, where I find myself all alone that these words resonate with me to keep going and to never give up...
I related to this premise based upon the major milestones of my life thus far... and assumed that the last phase described below might resonate with many others who found themselves here under similar circumstances...
I suspect that I and many folks spent the first part of our young single lives working on ourselves - many thru self discovery...
Even then, I imagine that many of us had to restart, reset and refocus a few times...
Once married and raising three kids - you are absolutely correct - each of them were the main focus of my efforts...
At the same time - even during that phase I still often found myself (as I imagine many others have) having to restart, reset and refocus with the aim (in my case) to strive to be the best example for my kids as a man of faith, a husband, father and provider...
After the big 'D' that fortunately coincided with my kids as young adults - I found myself all alone (with my dog) and that is when I discovered this CC Forum all those years ago - as I suspect that many on CC may have found their way here during similar phases in their lives... That is when this profound premise bounced back across that net and really hit home...
Yes, I recognized that even with adult kids that I will always be there father, but with a renewed focus - still striving to be that best example (still stumble) as a man of faith, father and provider... But it is now more than ever, along this last phase, where I find myself all alone that these words resonate with me to keep going and to never give up...
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Well maybe not so profound for us, but rather maybe a friendly profound reminder from our childhood and for passing along to our kids and grandkids... hmm maybe such nursery rhymes (religious children's books) might make for good Christmas gifts...
A little bread, a little jam.
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This is one that I still wrestle with...
I'm a recovering work-o-holic...
Survivor of a broken marriage (not by choice or effort)...
I became a facilitator to help people "Rebuild" to find themselves and to find 'Their Purpose' after a 'loss'...
It's often a blessing (after the kids are all grown up and adulting) when you are all alone to have a Job that you are happy to wake up and go to every day...
But I do concede - I have often contemplated - "should I be working for a living - or should I be living for a living?"
I'm a recovering work-o-holic...
Survivor of a broken marriage (not by choice or effort)...
I became a facilitator to help people "Rebuild" to find themselves and to find 'Their Purpose' after a 'loss'...
It's often a blessing (after the kids are all grown up and adulting) when you are all alone to have a Job that you are happy to wake up and go to every day...
But I do concede - I have often contemplated - "should I be working for a living - or should I be living for a living?"
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Last night our pastor was talking about Naaman. Something about that story stuck out to me. We never read where a grateful Naaman set that little slave girl free. As far as we know, at the end of the story she's still a slave.
I started gnawing on that for a while.
A lot of times the things I do wind up not benefiting me at all - ESPECIALLY things I do for God. God blesses people I talked to, people I prayed for, even people I don't personally like very much, and I'm left in the middle of my own problems... Including some problems I think God should be taking care of.
But if I love my neighbor the way I love myself (wait, where have I heard that before...) it shouldn't matter.
Many years ago I adopted a habit of saying hi to everyone when they come in to w*rk. I just like for them to know that someone sees them and says hi. One time we got a know-it-all at our store. His favorite dish was anybody who had been there less time than he had, because he loved bossing them around. That didn't work on me for two reasons: 1, he had been there months and I had been there almost a decade; 2, everything he tried to order me to do was wrong, so I didn't do it. He didn't like that, so when I said hi as he entered he stopped replying.
His face and general attitude indicated he was intending to bug me by not replying to my greeting, but it didn't bug me. This seemed weird to me because it seemed like it SHOULD bug me. You ole stuck-up, butthurt clod, who needs you to say hi anyway?
But I realized it didn't bug me because it didn't affect the reason I was saying hi to him. He still knew that someone noticed him coming in and greeted him. I didn't say hi to him just so he would say hi back. Him pointedly ignoring me didn't hurt my aim and intent one bit.
The little slave girl didn't mention the prophet who could heal Naaman, hoping that Naaman would be grateful and free her. She mentioned it because Naaman had leprosy and she wanted to help him. Whether she was set free or not, history does not relate, but her purpose was accomplished.
Loving someone I don't like takes a bit more effort, but it's possible because love is a choice (because we are commanded to love.) If God blesses someone else, even someone I don't like, I can be glad that God helped him... If I love my neighbor.
I started gnawing on that for a while.
A lot of times the things I do wind up not benefiting me at all - ESPECIALLY things I do for God. God blesses people I talked to, people I prayed for, even people I don't personally like very much, and I'm left in the middle of my own problems... Including some problems I think God should be taking care of.
But if I love my neighbor the way I love myself (wait, where have I heard that before...) it shouldn't matter.
Many years ago I adopted a habit of saying hi to everyone when they come in to w*rk. I just like for them to know that someone sees them and says hi. One time we got a know-it-all at our store. His favorite dish was anybody who had been there less time than he had, because he loved bossing them around. That didn't work on me for two reasons: 1, he had been there months and I had been there almost a decade; 2, everything he tried to order me to do was wrong, so I didn't do it. He didn't like that, so when I said hi as he entered he stopped replying.
His face and general attitude indicated he was intending to bug me by not replying to my greeting, but it didn't bug me. This seemed weird to me because it seemed like it SHOULD bug me. You ole stuck-up, butthurt clod, who needs you to say hi anyway?
But I realized it didn't bug me because it didn't affect the reason I was saying hi to him. He still knew that someone noticed him coming in and greeted him. I didn't say hi to him just so he would say hi back. Him pointedly ignoring me didn't hurt my aim and intent one bit.
The little slave girl didn't mention the prophet who could heal Naaman, hoping that Naaman would be grateful and free her. She mentioned it because Naaman had leprosy and she wanted to help him. Whether she was set free or not, history does not relate, but her purpose was accomplished.
Loving someone I don't like takes a bit more effort, but it's possible because love is a choice (because we are commanded to love.) If God blesses someone else, even someone I don't like, I can be glad that God helped him... If I love my neighbor.
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