In the blanks below write the two most significant statements in today’s reading assignment. Be prepared to discuss why the statements you chose were significant to you.
“God doesn’t humble every man in the same way. He has wrenches of many sizes in his toolbox to fix whatever problem He finds – I love the metaphor and the uniqueness.
“The world around us continually temps us to think that somehow we have the ability within ourselves to make life work – and I believe it so often, at least at some level.”
Do you have any areas of your life you are asking God to change but, like Naaman, you think God ought to be bringing about the change in a way different from the way he is apparently doing it? Is He asking you to humble yourself in some way, and are you insisting that the change should come about some other way? If so, describe what is happening.
“I suppose there are things where I should be asking for help to change, but I dislike change, so not at the moment. (Sadly, I am comfortable in my paralyzed state)”
Jonah apparently felt he was doing a good job as God’s official prophet in Israel until God exposed his self-centeredness by giving Jonah a command he refused to obey. Is God perhaps doing the same for you at this time? Are there any ‘Ninevites’ in your life (i.e., people who are hard to love), whom God is commanding you to love? Are there ministries in your church that you are avoiding (nursery, choir, Sunday, school, teaching, etc.) because they would involve working with certain children, teens, or adult adults who are hard to love? If so, describe what is happening.
“Actually, I think a lot of what I do is a bit this way, so I’m already there; however, I do need to be more careful to not be two-faced and gossip or gripe about them to my family or other friends.
“Also, I need to work harder/pray harder at not letting my brain get overloaded and check out occasionally on Awana nights.”
Praise – “You are quintessential, quick, and quality control of quarks to quasars”
Repent – “Sorry to rush today.”
Yield – “I want to shed all these wrong attitudes and behaviors.”
Dearest Rachel –
I can certainly vouch for your willingness to interact with those that had, as you put it (although I think you borrowed the term from elsewhere), “extra grace required.” Some of those you brought into your orbit – or who latched onto you, I’m not always sure which – were more than a handful. As a result, I can also vouch for your negative interpretation of your making the effort of extending that “extra grace”; it would get exhausting, both mentally and physically, and you made that clear to me more often that you would probably care to admit about each of those particular ladies.
For what it’s worth, though, you didn’t listen to any of my advice that I offered when you would do so. My usual response to your having to deal with people who, while clearly in need of friendship, would purposely push people (including you) away, was to give them what they wanted, and walk away as they insisted they wanted you to do. I’ve always wondered when it was acceptable to follow Jesus’ instruction to shake the dust from one’s sandals in terms of certain human interactions; if even He claimed that some people weren’t worth the effort, it would be nice to know whether and when to give up, in order to focus on others that might be in need. Why waste effort on ingrates?
I hardly need to point out how uncharitable that position is, and how much I admire the fact that you didn’t listen to me when I suggested it – although maybe you needed to hear it in order to gain the motivation to redouble your efforts to help them. Not so much to spite me, but as to prove you had the determination when a lesser man – me – would give up.
It makes me wonder why He had you check out early, when clearly you were doing more good than I was here on earth. Then again, maybe being able to enjoy an early retirement could be considered a reward, while He must have thought I needed to do some growing and changing yet. I haven’t figured out how to reach out to my ‘Ninevites’, though; I can barely interact with the people I like (or want to), to be honest. Guess I’ve still got some learning left to do, eh?
In which case, I should ask you to keep an eye on me today, as with every day, and wish me luck, as I continue to need it, don’t I?
Letters to Rachel 