Gentle Rant

 Hello again. I'm sitting out on the deck listening to the gentle rain dance on the metal roof. The sounds are actually quite soothing and somewhat musical. Just a little while ago the Lord began giving me another song. The title is "Simple Man".

I haven't often thought of myself as a simple man. To some that may seem to be a derogatory term, but I don't think so now. In most cases I think that keeping things simple is the best plan. Our lives become so complicated and so fast, as everything runs downhill at such high speeds, I don't see the positive in it; rather the negative because of the complications.

This past week for me has been a true godsend. We haven't even turned the television on one time and that's fine because there's really nothing on there that I need to see. I know it's important to keep up with the news and keep up with the weather, but for the most part, what's the point? We have spent almost all of our time on the deck, this glorious deck.

I do however, believe the news is important and we never know when catastrophic events can come to bear. The ways of the world are difficult to put it mildly. But when your steps are ordered by the Lord things become settled in your mind and things slow down considerably and are much, much easier to take in, to retain, to address and understand.

How should we best deal with the difficulties that we face each day? Are we following the roadmap that God laid out so long ago? And is it right down the line and in the middle of his will? I look at all the translations of His Word and I have to wonder, are all of these people right? Are all of these translations what God actually wants us to know and see and hear? I wonder. I know that when I read the Bible it comes alive to me, and it addresses the problems and the situations and the circumstances I'm involved in at that moment. All in all, I think God has His way no matter what anyone tries to do to His Holy Word.

Now I may have read the same Scripture over and over but, in reading it this time, in this set of circumstances, I find the words to be quite pointed and direct. As I said, "alive". 

Just like my song says, "simple man", I need things put to me in a simple, direct way and God knows that. And I see that He treats me as a child, and I like that. I like being pampered. I like being special. God knows me and He knows what works for me and He does things that help me learn; like showing me things in a way that I can understand. 

My wife treats me in special ways. I "see" her love in her interactions. And I trust that she sees my love in my actions. Just like God.

Now where is all of this going and makes this world about all this drama that plays out in our capitals and in our churches on a weekly basis? Is this really what God wants from His children? Certainly not. 

I compare government and churches a lot and often paint them with the same brush but when I look back into Acts and see how the early church was so adamant and so alive and so giving and so loving, it just seems like I'm looking at the same thing. Which is church and which is state? And then I compare things to today's 'plays' and 'dramas' and emergencies. How much of what we see and hear is really truth? I'm suspicious and I'm cautious and I'm ready for the "real" side of what goes on. But it's just not there; hence 'Fake News' in both places.

I'm not trying to be negative I'm trying to be real. I'm trying to ask the questions that mean so much to me, and hopefully to you as well, so we can look at our situations and find real solutions that bring us back to God and back together and bring us back to a feeling of sanity and a sense of peace that we all so desperately need.

We are seeing several of our friends in court. One is in divorce court and the other is a domestic abuse case and so on and so forth. Everyone wants their own way. The selfishness is so self-evident. I see so little selflessness that it makes me wonder, is anyone reading and understanding God's word today? Are we so wrapped up in self that we can't see anything else around us? We can't see others feelings, we can't see others needs, and we certainly can't see ourselves helping anyone; 'we don't have the time'.

I know that with God there is great peace, there is great safety. There is understanding and learning and adventure and inspiration and on and on. A limitless God that knows no bounds, has no weaknesses and only has strengths and power to solve any and all situations anywhere.