It was a great revelation for me today to see the blessing it is in my life being somewhat surrounded by contentious times and people. I do not know about anyone else, but for me, I would much rather learn the important lessons in life, while in the valley of the shadow of death, rather than on the mountain top, where I want to enjoy fully the beautiful blooming flowers in full array of colors so beautifully displayed in the warm shining sun with diverse textures and fluffs of clouds passing overhead.
Contentious times. They cause me to reflect on family and friends. To reflect on lessons learned, both theirs and mine. To reflect on wisdom, knowledge and blessings previously received from GOD. In a nutshell, to inspire me to look deeper, which I seldom do unless prompted by a direct and prolonged onslaught of contention. Off track here, but a friend once told a friend of his, “hell she’s shallow and happy, so why change her?” I had to smile at that, he knows me so well, and knows how to rid me of unwanted interests as well. Kudos brother I love ya!
Contentious People. Simply the standard clichés always are symbolic of these. Misery loves it`s company. Misery hates to see anyone not as miserable. Jealousy inflames contention, due to not seeking GOD for an individuals own talents and gifts. But I realized today, that these individuals also bring with them the power of sickness and disease with a level of exploitation. To let their misery into my life, my realm, is also to allow entering into my life all manner of sickness and disease that is carried with it. For is that not how disease enters a healthy life? I must guard against these as I would a literal physical evil, unless of course, I would choose to succumb to the misery, sickness and diseases which afflict the miserable. As Jesus stated, let the sick take care of the sick, they have each other to comfort and to care for; therefore abandon that ship if you are healthy and whole! Most often I find these are the people who are continually plagued by some misfortune or another and rather than seeking GOD and examining themselves as to why, they rather try to drag healthy souls into the chasm with them. In a neighborhood this would resemble the “Stepford Syndrome” where all the wives are “happily” married with 3 children, all join the PTA, with 2 cars, and role model their lives one after the other on their block; completely lacking any individuality or independence from one another. The movie, “The Help” is a great example of this sickness. AND, how un-Christ like! GOD created each one of us to be individuals, not monotone robots. Though HE does expect harmony, HE does not ever state that we are to be created after the image of our neighbor, or sister or mother.
Perhaps in their defense, I can see conformity as a way of eliminating jealousy and severing any bipartisan relations.
However for my situations experienced, this is a blanket disguise covering the deeper motive of power and control out of or beyond the realm that has been granted to any individual or group.
Far too often individuals are imprisoned for having vision and wanting to have wings to fly. Look at the lives of Hilary Swank and Taylor Swift, both of whose parents chose to take the road of loneliness and poverty for a season with the knowledge and understanding that their current locations would snip the wings and eventually the heart of these talented women by enforcing them to be what GOD never created them to be. By Hope and Faith, these parents chose to move them to where they could grow, bloom and fly after their GOD gifted talents. And life should be as such for every created human being on the face of this world today, and forevermore.
I toast those who don’t fit in when not of their GOD given talents or interests or abilities, but are fully conformed to GOD’s vision and creation of their lives.
And in closing, I want to say, that contentious times and contentious people ARE created by GOD for the purpose to inspire me to dig deeper and seek HIM. Reading today in my Bible, we, as HIS believing children, are to dig deeper and seek HIM for as long as the trial of contention continues. It is HIS way of testing our faith, testing our commitment to HIM no matter what. Adult Peer Pressure! Let us as Christians remember Noah…everyone thought he was crazy building an Ark when the people had never seen rain, and Joseph who was the carefree youngest of 12 boys who saw that one day GOD would cause him to rule in majesty over all of his family, and Daniel who several times over remained unwaveringly faithful and obedient to GOD and gave no regard to the “whims of status quo” created by GOD’s enemies who surrounded Daniel in the Babylonian empire.
In closing, ALWAYS SEEK HIM – Read and Study Your BIBLE!
walkwithmeandhim 