5.2.2012 THE GOLDEN RULE

for the last several weeks the heart is agonizing and writhing in deep pain
due to an incredibly nasty and downright mean and heartless note
a sent to a distant friend who is about to get married.
horrified what i said, it has woken me in the night several times.
much mourning and moaning before the Lord.

this kind of thing seems to be the story of my life.
i'm not a truth speaking in love but a vicious pit bull,
often dealing heavy, wickly heavy, unfeeling blows to others.
as with larry norman, i too can truly say,
'when you are lonely, you are the only one to blame.

Jesus' words have been slicing through my heart for several years.
but the only concerns are:
1. how in the world do i do what He is calling me to, and
2. how can i cling closely to the Dearest One on earth to me
..when i am counter to Him.
He has gently made it evident
that i am not having anywhere the same effect on others
any good and blessed effect
with my kind of slicing words.

this morning a kind of miracle happened.
i had been working on a job with another brother
who had shared something about a third brother.
this has been on the heart
and last night as the thick curtain that has been between
the Lord and i...He withdrew,
i simple question formed
to ask this dear brother.
this morning as we talked i mentioned what he had said,
mentioned that it had caused me to think
mentioned that a question came to mind to ask.

'if you were in the other brother's place,
what would you want him to do
(based upon all that is going on)?'

he said after some thought
that he would want him to tell him what he was observing.

he followed by saying that he had thought of doing that but hadn't.

the Lord just seemed to open his heart wide
as i told him how God had given him an ability, a gift
that the other brother didn't have.
as i told him how God has used this gift down through the years
to be a blessing to many people.
as i told him i hoped, in spite of the current difficulty,
to not withdraw but
to come closer to the other brother
to support the other brother 100% and be a blessing to him and
to continue using the blessed gift he had been given
to strengthen and encourage many, many...

as we had to part, he suggested maybe we could pray.
we bowed
and after a long pause he started to pray for the other brother
and that God would help..that God would work
...not without tears

this is like the first time i can remember being a part of something
like this
in a long time.
as the song says, 'little is much when God is in it'.
maybe God can transform even a naturally vicious, wicked
heart like mine
to the place where i can start
actually
regularly
speaking the truth in love to whoever is the one next to...
may He give me His merciful heart
so that i treat every other as i would like to be treated
so that His beauty, His glory would be seen