"SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK"

As I read through things I’ve have written I can see how it can be seen that I have allowed myself to feel like a victim at times.  I HATE THAT!  I am the only one that allows me to feel this way!  It is the one of the reasons I started this blog.  God has answers for everything we encounter.  He created us; He loves us; He only wishes for our good!  Matthew 7:7-12 is a good passage to read for this:  vs 9: “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? And then down in verse 11:  “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much MORE will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” We are God’s children…we are sons and daughters of the King.  How awesome is that!   We, who belong to God, need to ask for good things.  A whole study could be made to discover what “good things” are…but for today we can state that they are things that will further our purpose here…things that make us whole and righteous in God’s sight.  Being an undamaged person would be good for us, and for God; because it is only then that we can be true servants of His.  Keep your eye on the prize; know what the prize is…and then re read this passage!

We are also called to unity with our Christian brothers and sisters.  Galations 3:26 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” and in vs 28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. (Paul speaking to the church at Galatia). And then Paul in Romans when talking about how we should behave like Christians says in chapter 12:16 “Be of the same mind toward one another.  Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your OWN opinion”.  {This is by NO means comprehensive…there are things like this throughout that give us a WHOLE picture of what we are to do and be…these are just passages that have come to my mind…I invite you to further study this concept and find others!} 

With all that in mind comes the point of today.  After a few failed attempts at finding a way to be a part of the congregation where we were I was thinking one day that the women of the congregation could use some activity or association with one another so we could become closer as a family of women in our little congregation.  Ladies class had disbanded, and we didn’t all live near one another (a mountain community…some 30 miles away), so I was thinking we needed fellowship together on some sort of regular basis.  The men were getting together to watch Monday night football, so why not us?  I’m ALL for everyone fellowshipping, and we did that every month for pot luck and one couple hosted who ever wanted to come to breakfast on Saturday mornings; all good stuff…but we women were failing to be a cohesive group.  Some in the group were having difficulties in life and were lonely…so, a great idea right??  YES!  

 SO, one Sunday during potluck I approached several women who were sitting together at a table and broached that very subject.  It went something like this…”Hey girls, wouldn’t it be great if we could all get together and do something together once a month or at least once a quarter, just us girls?”  We could go shopping and stop for lunch, or have an activity at say my house…just something fun so we could all get closer”…”We could even take turns and meet at each other’s houses when the men get together to watch football”…the first comment out of the mouth of one of the women was “I never get to be in the house by myself, so when my husband goes to the football I enjoy the time alone”…OK…I can understand that…so I tried again…”So, then maybe we could all meet once a month in town and…”  was cut off there…that was too often…so, again I tried “What about at least every quarter?”…and the answer I got from this same woman was “Some of us have to work”…"ouch"

SIDE NOTE:  I lost my teaching job then, two years before,  and was working at home on my art; and crafts; trying to put together a cohesive body of work to sell…I’d say I work at it every day of the week for several hours in between the other responsibilities we all have as homemakers and those trying to help our husbands…I believe that is called a helpmeet…tee hee…During the time I found myself unemployed  on a full time basis I had painted over 100 pieces, set up a website, an art blog, taught workshops (for pay) for various art groups around town, taught demo’s for art guilds (for pay), worked as a substitute teacher (for pay) and was asked to write an article on a new art method I’d developed (for pay)for a book , which led to another article in a national art magazine (for pay).

This statement was directed at me…hmmm…WHY?  WOW, that was a slap in the face!  WOW, the very reason I had broached the subject of getting closer…we weren’t connected as a group of women in Christ!  DID THAT SHUT DOWN THE CONVERSATION OR WHAT!!  YEP…I found myself just scooping up what was left of my feelings and quickly making some sort of joke and changing the subject…LIKE I ALWAYS SEEM TO DO!  SHAME ON ME!

Regardless of what someone else says or does it does not relieve us of our responsibility to ourselves or to each other!  “If your brother sins against you…” Matthew 18:15 as I wrote in an earlier article.  WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE was go to this woman and talk to her…tell her that her harsh and seemingly unfeeling attitude towards me hurt me…and talk it through to get back to the “one mind” state that we are supposed to have with our fellow Christians!  I could have found out that it wasn’t at all what I thought…IF I had done what I should have done, what I have direction in the bible to do I wouldn’t have let that hurt pile on to the others…SHEESH…when will we ever learn!

SO, that is another thing I have on my list of things to grow to do!  See how, if we don’t do what God says, things can get big?!  

Later on a friend I’ve had for nearly 30 years came to me and “explained” “That is just her”…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?  Is there some sort of permission we have in scripture that excuses behavior as just being part of a personality a person has??  Yep, you know the answer to that…  And on we go!

PS...no ducks' feelings were hurt during the telling of this story...:)