SelahV Today by hariette petersen

I Am Sure Glad God Loves Me, Because

I am a bit dissapointed in myself.

I know some folks think the human race is totally and completely depraved, but I don't.  I believe if I were totally and completely depraved, then I would never entertain a single thought of praise, or acknowledge the Hallowed Holiness of the Most High God. A depraved soul does not hear the convicting voice of the Shepherd.  A depraved soul is a soul without kindness, without goodness, without mercy, love, or peace.  I have those things.  I exhibit those things...and to be clear, it's not because I am some goody-two-shoes who walks around toting my bag of benevolence and purity, either.  It's not because I wear a cross, or get dressed up on Sunday morning and go to church while others mow lawns, pack golf-bags in their trunks, or snooze till they feel like getting up and beat me to Cracker Barrel to have their breakfast while I order lunch.

I have virtuous characteristics and exhibit them because Jesus saved me from myself and gave me new life in Him.  In Him I am not depraved; I am holy.  In Him I am pure and complete. In Him I am righteous.  Yet I do get a bit weary looking in my mirror and seeing a chubby face staring back at me.  She's a feeble-minded ding-dong at times.  She disappoints me to no end.  But, still, there's hope.  She's sanctified, set aside, blood-bought and worthy to stand in the sight of God, and bow before the King of Kings.  Her life is secure...her destiny certain.  And for that I am so very grateful.

However...I get tired of seeing her fleshly carnality rear its ugly head.

Yesterday a salesman (actually he looked about 18), came to my door.  He smiled great big and handed me a pretty hot-pink laminated card that described what he was, uh, not selling.  Kirby vacuums.  He said he wasn't selling them; he just wanted to demonstrate it on one of my carpeted rooms.  I explained I had no carpets to clean and I was moving anyway, and would only have concrete floors.  He continued.  I interrupted.  He broke in and continued his rehearsed spiel.  After telling him I wasn't interested for the umpteenth time, I asked him if he understood what the word no meant.  He got this really defeated look on his face that pierced my heart, but pressed on with a "but..I...".

I broke in, "I don't think you do, but you'd do well to find out before you go to another house.  At least then you wouldn't waste your time or theirs."

It was one of those "gotcha" moments when I didn't need a mirror to see the ugly image coated in soot.  I saw her in his undeserved chastened woeful expression.  Whatever that young fella felt from my rebuke was immediately reflected back into the eye of my soul.  Hardly in keeping with "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

I closed the door and returned to writing checks and paying bills.  The moment my husband came in the door that evening I blurted, "I made a jerk of myself today."  I related the story and confessed the unkindness, the rudeness, and spiteful attitude I exhibited.  I'd already told my heavenly Father I was sorry.

That poor young man was only doing what a lot of people wouldn't do today.  Instead of protesting and occupying Wall Street, he was doing the best he could.  He was going door-to-door, trying to sell a reputable product in a astronomically depressed economy.  It occurred to me that he would probably have received some kind of stipend for demonstrating the vacuum, even if I never purchased it.  I'd have a clean carpet, and he'd make a little money.  So what would I be out?  An hour of my time.  And to be honest, that time is not mine.  It belongs to God.

After the young man left, I let my mind play out the what ifs:

What if I was his last straw?

What if I was the person who could make his day?

What if my "yes" was the blessing God wanted to give him in a discouraging day?

What if I were the answer to a prayer he'd uttered?

What if...what if he were an angel?

What if he wasn't, and during the demonstration, I had shared Jesus with him? 

I know God knows what I did.  He knew before that young man came to my door what I'd do.  And at this moment, I share my ugly truth with you in hopes to help you avoid a similar event.  Just think if you don't do what I did, and you are the one who shows the fruit of the Spirit God so liberally gives you.  Just think what He could do with that.  Like I said earlier, I am glad God loves me.  He still has a plan for my life.  He's not finished with me yet.  It's not easy to admit the ugly part of myself.  But I am more than my flesh and blood.  I am a child of God.  He is my Heavenly Father and He loves me so very much.  I won't dwell any longer on my haughty-taughty attitude and the smut that skewed the Life of Christ within me.  I will commit my way unto the Lord and do my best to heed the Spirit within me, this day.  Hopefully, my confession helps you in some way...to help another in some way...today.  selahV

When Words Are Not Enough (Part Three)

Words of encouragement are all some know.  "They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." Psalm 19:10

Unlike gold and honey, words of discouragement are all some people have to say.  Their sentences are like an overstuffed suitcase.  They carry unnecessary baggage and really do need to go through an x-ray machine and be unpacked before they reach the other side of the conveyor belt.

Sometimes a person's brain leaves the station before it has time to weigh the words in its heart.

I think that words are the clumsiest, most inadequate measure of one's heart that we have.  I, cherish words of affirmation as an outward expression of another's love for me.  But sometimes I forget to measure them when I speak.

I forget to consider that the person with whom I am sharing all my words and sentences, may not see them, hear them, or understand them quite the way I intend.  Why?  Because sometimes they are ill-chosen, ill-timed, ill-defined, and ill-written.  So how else can one communicate?

My husband chooses to express his heart, mind and soul with acts of service.  Yet even acts of service can be misconstrued, can't they?  One time my husband thought he was doing me a service by trimming my forsythia bush away from our air-conditioning unit.  He cut off all of its sprawling stems just as it was coming into full-bloom.  Instead of me having a gorgeous display of yellow to hide the hideously ugly air-conditioning unit by my house, I had a short ball of yellow that called attention to that hideously ugly air-conditioning unit.

Did I ever rain on my husband's parade of expressive love when my distorted words of affirmation screamed, "What in the world were you thinking!  Why didn't you simply uproot the thing!"  I gathered up as many of the manicured stems that lay on the ground as I could in my arms, took them in the house and placed them in every jar imaginable to finish blooming inside my home.  For days those brightly colored stems made peace with my heart.  But for my husband, they served as a reminder of how his acts of service had failed to express his sincerest wishes.  Sometimes, attitude is everything, and words are entirely too much.

Words can be everything that's wrong.  Everything that hurts.  And would be better left unsaid.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Provers 17:22

Ill-chosen words destroy the heart of the hearer.  They are not worth the air it takes to even whisper, let alone to shout.  May the Lord give us words befitting a cheerful heart filled with His love and grace.

WHEN WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH (PART TWO)

WHEN WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH (PART ONE)

HUMAN DEPRAVITY, BEYOND WORDS

There are many things in life that cause me to wonder about the depravity of man:  The murder of innocent children in a mother's womb.  The beheading of innocent people to make a religiously motivated political statement.  Coercing mentally handicapped to strap on suicide bombs.  The abuse of children in all forms.

But last Friday, "Black Friday", the greed and selfishness of man took on an sickening and revolting new face.  In order to get a desired sale price, people literally trampled a young man to death because he happened to open the doors at Wal-Mart for early shoppers.  He was knocked down, stomped on and killed.  For what?  A flatscreen television?  A Barbie-doll tricycle?  Black Friday, indeed.

The day after Thanksgiving is dubbed "Black Friday" because stores hope to get the red-ink off their records by selling so much merchandise it puts them in the black.  That's it.  That's what provoked the rush of people through those doors.  Four or five items priced extremely low to entice multitudes in to shop for those few pieces and more.  Black Friday.  Greed.  Selfishness.  Indifference to humanity.

Two customers arguing at Toys 'R' Us present two angry men with an opportunity to draw guns and shoot one another.  Over what?  Elmo?  Black Friday.  Indifference to human life.

Can we afford the Black Fridays of life?  Are we so self-centered in society that we fail to recognize a human being beneath our feet in our quest of shopping?

I may not trample over a body, but do I stop to consider the lostness of a soul as I pass on my way to fulfill my own desires?  Am I any less depraved than the Wal-Mart shoppers?  Will Christmas be all about me?  About purchasing the "perfect" gift in order to receive the adoration from another?  Or will Christmas be about giving so the Lord of Lord and King of Kings is glorified?  I pray, the latter.  selahV  

HOW TO FOLLOW THE DEVIL WITHOUT EVEN TRYING

Constantly complain about your life.

Continually point out the flaws in others.

Harp about anything and everything that is wrong with other Christians.

Verbally share every problem you see in your church and all other churches.

Never say thank you.

If you are offended, get angry and hold a grudge.  Do not forgive.

Emphasize the failures of every ministry that have not shown immediate success.

Never ever say you are sorry or wrong about anything.

Don't sing during worship, but grumble about the music that is chosen for the services.  Gee, just stop going to church altogether, you're saved aren't you?

Always see the flipside of every positive.

Never do more than you absolutely have to.

If you see something good going on, don't tell anyone you saw it.

If you realize someone has a gift and is sharing it and bringing glory to God through it, don't magnify it by praising God for their abilities.

Never give God any credit for anything you accomplish yourself.

When people need your help, point them to someone else.

If someone helps you, do not let them know you appreciate them.

When the church needs volunteers, let someone else do it.

When you could be merciful or generous, don't be.

When other Christians denounce sin as sin, accuse them of being judgmental and stand up for tolerance.

Make sure you refer to God as "the man upstairs" and spiritual people as "holier-than-thou" self-righteous Pharisees.

Don't worry about doing things that give the appearance of evil.  People aren't interested in appearances anyway.  They only care about sincerity and purity.

And if these don't work, simply sit around all day and wonder why God is so good to others and not you.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]