Saturday, April 19, 2008

• FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELES FEAR TO TREAD Part 1 1/2

   

   

   

  Let's Get Some Things Straight Before The Next Installment

   

  

  "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.."

  I resemble that remark

   

   

   

  As I fully expected things are getting a little heated behind the scenes.   I'm not a mean SOB because of the stance I take.   Many of you are reading into what I'm saying, and casting your preconceived notions upon what I've written.   And lets get something straight.....THAT'S OKAY.  I have the opportunity to try to communicate better.   I've thought about how to do this, and the only thing I know to do is to reveal my heart on the matter of sexual brokenness.   I should have done this a long time ago, but it just never occurred to me.    So read carefully, so this process remains focused on what is most important.

  Several years ago I was walking through a mall toward a shoe store, when I passed a little family out for a day of shopping.   There was a dad, mom, grandma, son, younger daughter, little daughter.   Pretty usual for a family, until you got the the "little daughter".  You couldn't help but notice the little girl, her head arms and legs were covered in compression bandages.   Compression bandages are often worn by burn victims.   The compression bandage on her head was really a mask.  she looked like a cross between Minny Me and Nacho Libre.  At first I just gawked, like everyone else around them seemed to be doing.  Suddenly I realized how rude I was being.   I felt ashamed, but went about my business. 

  I saw the little family later and decided to strike up a conversation.  We were all sitting in chairs out in one of those sitting areas malls have.  I made some offhand, comical comment, they laughed and the dad had a comical comeback of  his own.   That broke the ice and I had my opening.  I spoke to the little girl who obviously had been burned, badly.   For the first time I could see that on one of her little hands she had no fingers left, just nubs.   Water started filling my bottom eyelids, so I tried to smile and talk over the feelings.   My voice was a little huskier, but my smile was genuine, and thank God none of the water overflowed.   I said to  the little girl, "Hi there!"  She looked me in the eyes, smiled a very crooked, burnt smile back and said "Hi!"  This one wasn't shy at all!.   *God, I thought how am I ever going to get through this without breaking down completely?!*  "What's your name, pretty?!" I asked.   No one had called her pretty for a long time, I'm sure, but she did what every little girl of 4 or 5 does, she got all cute, smiley, and if she could have I'm sure she'd have blushed.   She told me her name, and then I complimented her dress, "That sure is a pretty dress you have on," I gushed.   She said, "Thank You!"   Then she got all shy and moved closer to mommy.   I looked dad in the eye and asked if I could ask him a question.   You could see he was guarded, but I'd just been very kind to his daughter so I figured he'd answer me.  "Sure", he said affably.   I asked very simply, "How did it happen?" 

  It was an accident, plain and simple.  The house caught fire, and at the same time the little girl caught fire as well.   I held eye contact as best I could, but it was so hard.  I said, "That's terrible, I'm sorry."   Mom joined the conversation, "We're just thankful she's alive."   "She was burned over 50% of her body," she finished.   I asked another question, "Did they ever discover how the fire started?"    Dad responded, "yeah, a match caught paper in a trash can on fire, and this one, *indicating the little girl*, tried to put it out."   "Oh, my gosh," I gasped!

  it was tragic story, a tragic accident, no child should ever suffer.   Let me tell you when you are looking at a small child, horribly disfigured by burns, something in you wants to grab the baby up in your arms, and weep and wail uncontrollably.   Children aren't supposed to suffer like that.  IT'S WRONG! AND EVERY FIBER OF YOUR BEING WANTS TO SHOUT AGAINST THE INJUSTICE!!!!   Finally I said, " I don't understand how you two kept your sanity!"   Mom said, "it's been horrible, I wish it had happened to me instead!"   

  Then dad finished the story....It had happened when the little girl was only three.   The little girl had been playing with matches, throwing lit ones into a trash can in the home office.   She had been told time and time again never to play with matches.  They had no idea where she got the box of matches she was playing with, at the time.   Mom had gone to answer the phone in the kitchen, and by the time she got back half the room was engulfed and so was the child.  

  SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?   

  Do you think the little girl got what she deserved?   Do you think as soon as she got well enough her parents should have beat some sense into her??   She knew it was wrong to play with matches, she got burned so that's just plain old justice ain't it?  

  Mom and dad didn't worry about the house burning down, they worried for their child.   The family was devastated to discover the baby had been playing with matches.   That little girl didn't deserve to burn, because she played with matches.   Justice wasn't served.   She could not understand that playing with matches would bring her lifelong pain and misery.   Did the little girl sin?   Yeah, she disobeyed her mom and dad.    But would anyone like to argue that she deserved to be burnt????    

  Folks no one thinks the bad decisions we make will burn us up, but they do.  It's just the way it is.   You play with matches you get burned.   The crime doesn't fit the punishment per se, but that's just the consequences.   It's the same with sin.   You play with sin and it burns you up.   It's not what we thought we were signing up for, but that is just the way it is.   Whether we feel we deserve the consequences of our sin is moot.  The consequences of sin is death.   That's the way it is.   

  With Jesus God gives a message:  "World, I want to get the gas can and matches out of your hands!"    

  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free"

  Galatians 5:1

  That's all folks, God wants to set us free.   And when I talk about the hard stuff that is the only point.   I want freedom for people who've been taken captive by their own sin.  

  When I'm spitting mad at Christians on the Right it's because all you care about is your burning house.  

  Fundamentalist Fruitcake:  "Look at how the liberals, homosexuals, feminists, and ACLU are destroying America!!   We need to take this county back for God!!!!"   "Vote BUSH...er....VOTE HUCKABEE!....um, well....I guess...at least don't vote Clinton or Obama!"

  So wait... hang on... Let me get this straight... Jesus died on a Roman cross for our American dream "house"???   Are you out of your minds??!!!   Jesus died for the burning people not the house.  He didn't die for America, and certainly not any "Christian American" dream!!!   And let's get one more thing straight....When Jesus returns for the second time it will not be to recreate the United States of America.  

  And you religious people on the Left....While the Right cries about the house burning, neglecting the burning people, what do you do?!  You refill the gas cans and hand out matches!!!  

  Lefty Lunatic:  "You poor gay person!  It's not your fault!  You were born to burn yourself up!!   I understand, and I've figured out a way to make it alright with God.   All you have to do is wear a wedding band....oh, look you've burned your fingers off...well at least we can have cake!!!"    

  What does it take to get through to some of you people???!!!   Why won't you see things with God's eyes???   While hanging on a cross Jesus literally took the weight of sin upon Himself.  "He who knew no sin became sin..."   Jesus understood, for the first time, what we experience when we sin.  And even when Jesus knew us at our most wicked and worthless, He cried out to Father,

  "FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO."     

  I didn't write that post to throw gasoline on the fire!  Taking responsibility for what we THINK AND FEEL is part of what we need to do, so God can forgive and free us.  

  So you people who've been giving me a hard time need to cool your jets.  You aren't attacking me for my agenda, you are attacking from YOUR agenda.   All I want to do is get the gas can and matches out of sinner's hands and into the arms of Christ the healer.

  God is a good daddy and momma....GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

   

  Lonnie    

   

   

   

  • 8:32 PM
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