"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ...."
I've had one of those not-so-great weeks starting with a gall bladder attack on Friday, followed by a fast for 4 days, cleansing w/ oil, and passing the stones this morning. Inspite of the unpleasantness at times, it really wasn't anywhere as bad as having surgery to remove my gall bladder. However, much like Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4), the highest place in the temple and then on a mountaintop (while he fasted for 40 days) so was I tempted.
You see, while it seemed obvious that my battle was physical, satan stepped in to tempt me, to persecute me and to curse me. I'm so glad that God uses all satans little tricks for HIS glory. God revealed to me a person in my life that was using me. I can't go into the details, but I am so thankful to see this person as they really are. I will pray for them. God also shined through some very sweet people in my life who prayed me through this. For them, I am indebted. I know God gave me amazing strength as I had to extend my fast an extra 12 hrs so my kids could attend co-op school. I even exercised on my 4th day without food. I was able to keep my happy countenance and disposition through the whole event.
And just hours before I was to start the cleansing w/ oil part, I was given the nicest insult a Christian can have. I was first commended for my convictions of pulling a story out of my son's writing class, then given a long lecture about somebody else who brought a solution to her children's problems, then proceeded to be suggested....... no, called out, as having the appearance of being an isolationist for doing such a radical thing. When I said I was sorry for the "stubbornness" in my original message to the teacher, I was recorrected to "No, more like isolationist" a second time. If it were only reasonable to laugh in her face. I am SO. NOT. AN. ISOLATIONIST. :o) I'm exactly the opposite. I'm the talker in my marriage. The social butterfly. I love having friends, going to church, attending stuff with my kids and taking them to field trips. I even went to Key West a little over a week ago where, gasp.... gay people... were all over the place. Even worse.... I blog. I read. I watch tv. I have friends who are of another denomination - GASP! again. I even have...... totally unchurched & athiest friends...... another gasp. gasp!
Regardless of how I could prove my point, I know this was really just somebody noticing our values & convictions. Actually, it was Simon Peter's convictions because he brought the story to Jack and I. We were all in agreement and issue solved. I love it when that happens. I really can't help it that I left the proverbial table without a solution for the co-op school or that I somehow appear to be doing my own thing. (I'm not really doing my own thing here, just not doing it. LOL) Ask my parents, that happened a lot when I was a kid. ha ha. I could make a solution to the problem - REAL QUICKLY - but she didn't want that after insisting that I should have. So pretty much, I was left there with the feelings of being reprimanded which God quickly turned to joy again.
I'm happy to disappoint satan, but I'm probably going to love all over her and still keep my convictions.
Keep on Keepin' on!
Robin
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