A Strong Defense

Most of us get offended by someone else every day.  We might get cut off and traffic, someone may use harsh language with us, a boss may deny us a deserved promotion or a spouse might cheat on us.   Any offense creates a debt of "you owe me".  You may owe me an explanation, some money or an apology.  And if we don't get what we deserve, we become angry.  Unresolved anger can lead to bitterness and resentment making anger one of the most dangerous enemies of the heart.   Anger is dangerous because it not only breaks the relationship between me and the offender, but that bitterness can also seep into relationships with others and our relationship with God.  The Bible directs us to fight anger with forgiveness.  At first glance, we may think forgiveness is for the person who offended us, but forgiveness is for the forgiver.  It frees us and might also free the offender.  But, it might not.  And that's ok.  We have done what we can do.  "Forgive and forget" is a phrase we hear a lot.  It's not likely that a serious offense will be forgotten - probably ever.   But it is possible to forgive.  Forgiving is not a feeling.  We may not feel like doing it.  But, we can choose to forgive, just as our Father in Heaven forgives us undeservedly.  

All of these ideas are from Andy Stanley's book, Enemies of the Heart, and I agree wholeheartedly.

Gone Guilt

Guilt is the first enemy of the heart that Andy Stanley addresses in the book our small group from church is discussing.  Some Christians have grown up believing that all of our sins are covered by the grace of God, and all we need to do is ask God's forgiveness, and the sin will be erased.  God's grace IS big enough to cover all of our sins, but He calls us to go further.  It's not enough to confess to Him.  He also directs us to confess to those that we have hurt by our sin.   Sin, only confessed to God, is still in partial darkness, and has the power to affect our relationships with others, especially those that we are closest to.  Andy challenged us to think hard about any unconfessed sin, and take the first step in defeating this enemy of the heart by confessing that sin to God, and to any that have been harmed by it.  That confession will move us toward living the life that He intended for us.

Hallelujahs

We got some sad news this week.  One of our ConnectGroup members suffered a stroke last Thursday and is still recovering in the hospital.  He is alert, but will be in therapy working on walking again and his speaking skills.  We had a regular group meeting last night, but sorely missed him and his wife.  We spent most of our time together sharing bible verses that would encourage them as they continue with his recovery.  One of our members sang a song for us that she sings when she is facing hard times.  All of us watched this inspiring worship song, I Raise a Hallelujah, and sang along.  We then had the most heart-felt time of corporate prayer that our group has ever had.  We trust God that He will be with all of us through what is sure to be some difficult times.  He certainly showed up last night.  Praise Him!  Hallelujah!

Coal Miner's Daughter

My dad was from Big Stone Gap, in southwest Virginia.  He wasn't directly involved with the coal industry, but his parents and grandparents were.  I was born in Virginia, but grew up in Columbus, GA.  After my parents retired, they moved back to the old homeplace in Big Stone Gap. On one of our family trips to visit them, we went over to Carter Fold.  Carter Fold is named for June Carter Cash's family and was a popular spot for the locals to go listen to music on Saturday nights.  June was not around when we visited, but some of her people were.  That was the closest I have ever been to bluegrass and mountain music.  

Loretta Lynn died this week.  She was from Kentucky and grew up in that same era.  She was 15 years old when she married and started a family with 6 children to follow.  I can imagine that her life wasn't too easy.  Her husband recognized her talent, and she began her career writing and making music and became known as one of the most highly respected "mothers of country music".  She was known for her bold truths about how women have been mistreated and how they deserved to be treated.  She was fine with people believing she was unsophisticated, but underneath, she had a story to tell, and didn't let anyone stop her.   One of the best stories I read about Loretta was when she was invited to sing at the White House.   She was one on one with Pat Nixon, and wanted to make it known that she wasn't happy that someone had been imprisoned unjustly during the Vietnam War.  She mentioned to Pat that she had wanted to write a letter to Richard.  Of course, no one referred to the president by his first name, especially at the White House.  Loretta chalked it up to her upbringing as a coal miner's daughter, and stated that she hadn't spent a lot of time in "places of power".  When a reporter asked her why she had called the president, Richard, she replied, "they called Jesus, Jesus, didn't they?"  This story makes me want to know her more.

I read the Nixon story in this article.  Check it out for more on Loretta.  I found this short video connecting Lorretta to the Carters.