Why didn't you leave him?
I could have helped you.
Why didn't you tell me what he was doing to you?
I would have helped you.
Why did you let him hurt you?
I wouldn't have let him.
Why did you let him control you for so long?
I tried to show you.
Why didn't you put a stop to it?
I wanted him to stop.
Why did you lie to me?
He didn't love or care about us.
Why didn't you warn me about how he would be?
It would have prepared me.
Why did you ever listen to him?
He only spoke lies.
Why did you ever believe him?
He only deceives.
Why didn't I see what was happening?
Because you kept most of it from me.
How did I not recognize your pain?
Because you wore a mask.
Why didn't I care enough?
Because I was selfish.
Why didn't I understand what was happening?
Because I couldn't imagine a husband both loving and
hurting his own wife.
May you rest in peace.
May you have peace from the games, the lies,
the mask, the deceit, the hurt, the pain, and your own grief.
May you finally have peace.
In God's name, may you have peace. Amen.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
God's Children
God's Children.
We come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.
Some are old, some are very young, and then there are
those of us who are smack dab in the middle.
We have good jobs, good grades, and we go to church
because we should. We're clean cut and smell good.
Our families intact. These are God's children. Right?
Last week, after we read our devotion, I gave my children
a talk about how Jesus reached out to the lowest people
in his time. The outcasts, thieves, loners, etc.
And, how we should try and do the same.
A week later, in came a very sweet, unknown little person
that my children had invited over to play. They offered
him a cup, and told him to help himself to the fridge
for a drink of juice. A stranger was looking
in my refrigerator! I held the same feeling of alarm
as if he went shuffling through my underwear drawer.
But, eventually I could see that the child was harmless,
and I quieted down and settled in to read a good book.
Twenty minutes later, all the children went outside to play.
I went in to check out our playroom where the children
had been playing. An odor seemed to hang in the air
of the room. It was awful! This child had very bad B.O.,
and I happen to have a very sensitive nose!
So, I was debating weather to allow my kids to play
with him or not. I decided it was best to wait for my husband
to arrive home from work in order to ask him. So I did.
What should we do? Should we let this child come over
to play in the future? Or should we keep our distance?
My husband told me to let the child come over to play.
Then, no sooner did my husband finish answering the question,
did I hear God say, "Uh-hmm! Remember that talk
that you gave to the kids last week? How I reached out to misfits?
Well, they don't always smell the best. Or dress the best.
You asked me to show you a way to reach out.
And here he is.....a little blond headed, blue eyed boy."
I think that it's easy when God calls us to do His clean work.
The easy stuff. The stuff we enjoy doing, with the people that we
enjoy doing it with. And, I think that it's easy to write off those
children of His that smell badly, who may not have the best clothes,
or whose house isn't picked up and in perfect order.
But, these are the ones who may most need to know
that God loves them. Because they are God's children too.
"Then the King will say to those on the right, "Come, you who
are blessed by my father; take our inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. " (Matt. 25:34-35)
"Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes
and clothe you?" (Matt. 25:37-38)
"The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
(Matt. 25:40)
We come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.
Some are old, some are very young, and then there are
those of us who are smack dab in the middle.
We have good jobs, good grades, and we go to church
because we should. We're clean cut and smell good.
Our families intact. These are God's children. Right?
Last week, after we read our devotion, I gave my children
a talk about how Jesus reached out to the lowest people
in his time. The outcasts, thieves, loners, etc.
And, how we should try and do the same.
A week later, in came a very sweet, unknown little person
that my children had invited over to play. They offered
him a cup, and told him to help himself to the fridge
for a drink of juice. A stranger was looking
in my refrigerator! I held the same feeling of alarm
as if he went shuffling through my underwear drawer.
But, eventually I could see that the child was harmless,
and I quieted down and settled in to read a good book.
Twenty minutes later, all the children went outside to play.
I went in to check out our playroom where the children
had been playing. An odor seemed to hang in the air
of the room. It was awful! This child had very bad B.O.,
and I happen to have a very sensitive nose!
So, I was debating weather to allow my kids to play
with him or not. I decided it was best to wait for my husband
to arrive home from work in order to ask him. So I did.
What should we do? Should we let this child come over
to play in the future? Or should we keep our distance?
My husband told me to let the child come over to play.
Then, no sooner did my husband finish answering the question,
did I hear God say, "Uh-hmm! Remember that talk
that you gave to the kids last week? How I reached out to misfits?
Well, they don't always smell the best. Or dress the best.
You asked me to show you a way to reach out.
And here he is.....a little blond headed, blue eyed boy."
I think that it's easy when God calls us to do His clean work.
The easy stuff. The stuff we enjoy doing, with the people that we
enjoy doing it with. And, I think that it's easy to write off those
children of His that smell badly, who may not have the best clothes,
or whose house isn't picked up and in perfect order.
But, these are the ones who may most need to know
that God loves them. Because they are God's children too.
"Then the King will say to those on the right, "Come, you who
are blessed by my father; take our inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. " (Matt. 25:34-35)
"Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes
and clothe you?" (Matt. 25:37-38)
"The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
(Matt. 25:40)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Hard of Understanding
Hard of Hearing.
Moderate to severe hearing loss.
Hearing impaired.
They're all the same.
They all describe me.
They all simply mean that my ears don't function as intended.
This doesn't mean that I can't think.
This doesn't mean that I'm stupid.
This doesn't mean that I should not, or cannot lead a normal productive life.
It also doesn't give people the right to be blatantly rude towards me.
Nor does it mean that people have the right to tell me, "Never mind",
when I fail to understand them because THEY failed to look at me when
they were talking to me.
I refuse to believe that it is only my fault when I misunderstand someone talking.
I refuse to allow people to ignore me as if I'm not even present... and get away with it.
I refuse to lip read while the person is talking with food in their mouth.
I refuse to answer to or talk with someone who chooses not to look at
me when they're talking.
Things need to change.
There is no reason why I need to put up with the ignorance
and just sheer stupidity of hearing people who think
that they're better then I just because they can hear.
That is just wrong.
I don't know how, but I need to find a way to make things better for myself.
I need to gain my confidence back.
Take back my quality of life.
I am hearing impaired or hard of hearing,
but I prefer a new term I heard recently,
"Hard of Understanding".
That is much more accurate.
I struggle to understand so much more then I struggle to hear.
But hearing people struggle to hear and listen.
I don't have anything against hearing people.
I'm married to one, and all my children are hearing.
I just have something against disrespect, ignorance, and
impatience.
So, if you see me on the street, just smile.
If you want to say "Hello", make sure you have my attention.
Make sure that I can see your face in order to read your lips.
Speak clearly and don't yell or over pronounce your words.
And, have patience with me.
If you do these things, you'll probably gain a loyal friend. :o)
Moderate to severe hearing loss.
Hearing impaired.
They're all the same.
They all describe me.
They all simply mean that my ears don't function as intended.
This doesn't mean that I can't think.
This doesn't mean that I'm stupid.
This doesn't mean that I should not, or cannot lead a normal productive life.
It also doesn't give people the right to be blatantly rude towards me.
Nor does it mean that people have the right to tell me, "Never mind",
when I fail to understand them because THEY failed to look at me when
they were talking to me.
I refuse to believe that it is only my fault when I misunderstand someone talking.
I refuse to allow people to ignore me as if I'm not even present... and get away with it.
I refuse to lip read while the person is talking with food in their mouth.
I refuse to answer to or talk with someone who chooses not to look at
me when they're talking.
Things need to change.
There is no reason why I need to put up with the ignorance
and just sheer stupidity of hearing people who think
that they're better then I just because they can hear.
That is just wrong.
I don't know how, but I need to find a way to make things better for myself.
I need to gain my confidence back.
Take back my quality of life.
I am hearing impaired or hard of hearing,
but I prefer a new term I heard recently,
"Hard of Understanding".
That is much more accurate.
I struggle to understand so much more then I struggle to hear.
But hearing people struggle to hear and listen.
I don't have anything against hearing people.
I'm married to one, and all my children are hearing.
I just have something against disrespect, ignorance, and
impatience.
So, if you see me on the street, just smile.
If you want to say "Hello", make sure you have my attention.
Make sure that I can see your face in order to read your lips.
Speak clearly and don't yell or over pronounce your words.
And, have patience with me.
If you do these things, you'll probably gain a loyal friend. :o)
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