Shrug part 3
I truly and deeply believe in the concept found in Mark 6:11 in the Message Bible, "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be one your way." I mean, if I didn't I wouldn't be Ranting about it, right? But the reason it's so important to me is because I believe peace is so very very important. Stress literally kills people. It is so bad for us. And when you're fighting a battle that you can't win... that's stressful. That's frustrating. When you're banging your head against the wall, all you're going to get is a headache. So it's imperative that we get to the place where we know when to say when. And, in all honesty, I'm not great at this. I'll probably try too hard, for too long, until I reach my "limit." I'll probably keep fighting past the point where it will make any difference, if it ever made any difference at all. But here's the thing: The ONLY fight we're supposed to be involved in at this point, on this side of the cross, is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of eternal life. Not getting it. Because we already have it. But receiving it. And releasing it. Experiencing it. By giving it away. Receiving it BY releasing it. Releasing it by receiving it. Filling ourselves up so much that what God has already filled us with flows out of us. Naturally. Not because of what we try to do... but simply because of who we are. Loving people because it is our nature to love. I remember watching a TV show one time, and two brothers were hunting frogs. And the older brother was just snatching them up one after another. And he goes, "It's just not in my nature to miss." That always stuck with me. When something is your nature, or is natural to you, you don't even have to think about it. You just do it. Love is nature. That's what comes natural to us--when we get to the place of maturity and understanding that allows us (equips and empowers us) to believe in that love. The ultimate truth of the universe is that God is love and He loves you. That's where everything else comes from. That's the foundation we can build on. And God loves us no matter what. He doesn't expect us to do anything... except love Him back by loving people. That's where the (maximum) effort that is love comes in. Giving everything you have and everything you are to the people in your life. Without expecting anything from them. Because love is never about getting. Because love is giving. But here's my point. Here's what I wanted to say tonight: When you've given it all you've got... you can be at peace with whatever happens. If you do your best, you can forget the rest. Will everything always work out the way you want it to? Of course not. That's just life. You won't always be welcomed. You won't always be listened to. You can have the right answer and it might not mean a thing. But that's ok. They might not listen. Tell them anyway. And then leave it in the hands of our heavenly Father. If you try to shove Jesus--God, love... anything, really--down somebody's throat, they won't receive it. They'll gag on it. Puke it up. And they'll resent you for choking them. So just do what you can do. If it "works," great. If it doesn't, that's ok too. At least you did what you could do. You can hold your head high. You can be at peace. And that, friends, is priceless.