Emotional Crosstext (context but with Cross....read and you will understand)

                First off gotta say that I am writing this in candlelight…how awesome is that? Anyway, if you have read my last blog you know that the past three weeks have been an emotional three weeks. One’s of hurt, turmoil, pain, and the like. You know the usual. Yesterday I wrote a blog about going in to the wilderness and how God uses the wilderness to teach us His truths and to help us grow stronger in Him. Well today a little tid-bit of golden nugget truth came to me. I was reading a biography about Rees Howells, who was an amazing man of God during The Welsh Revival and WW2. In his biography there is a section that talks about a man he knew who was put in a mental hospital after his conversion to Christianity from Judaism. He was a new convert and was struggling with why God would place him in a mental hospital. He found himself complaining to God about the situation and it was in that moment that God gave him a vision. He said that he saw Calvary and was taken through every stage of the crucifixion and saw Christ hanging on the cross. It was at that moment that Jesus looked at him and spoke “must I bear this cross alone, and all the world go free?” to which the man replied “No. There’s a cross for everyone and there is a cross for me.” From that moment on he ceased to complain about his situation but instead started to pray for the other people in the hospital with him. What an amazing transformation and heart. To understand the true significance of the cross and to see what it truly cost is more than one could ever ask for and is something every Christian should strive to achieve.

                After reading this little segment I sat back and thought of how selfish I have been during this entire journey. What did I expect? That everything was going to go super smooth just because I was doing the work that He set before me? When I look at the gospels and the life of Christ, the ultimate example of following God’s call, I notice that His life was filled with turmoil and anguish. He had to deal with thick headed disciples who were constantly fighting amongst themselves about who was the most important and who never truly seemed to understand what Christ was trying to say. Talk about managerial frustration. He dealt with people coming to Him at all hours of the day and night asking for His help and to hear Him speak. The dude could barely find time for rest and I know from experience from both my life and the life of my friends that when people lack sleep they turn into a completely different monster. Its like those snicker commercials where they are a completely different person when they don’t eat except its when they don’t sleep, and yet he was still loving on people and taking time to help them in a loving manner. Can you say tough? And do I even have to mention the Pharisees (which by the way when I spelt that wrong the first suggestion was parasite which I found humorous). Above all that was the fact that the cross still loomed so heavily over Him. I mean all this time of ministering and loving on people, He KNEW He was going to die a painful, horrible death and yet never ran from it…. WHAT? Was Jesus crazy? Maybe crazy in love with you and me…lol ok sorry I know that was super cheesy but I couldn’t resist.
                So I am sitting here thinking about all this, all that He went through, and I realize that I have absolutely NO room to complain or whine to Him. He will allow me to because He is there for us, but when I place my problems and sacrifices up next to His they are petty in comparison. I realize that in order for me to be all that He has called me to be I must begin to place my problems (or so called problems) in context with His. Yes I may feel tired or sad or angry but so did Jesus. He was human and dealt with Human emotions. The dude wept so He got sad, He threw tables over so He most definitely got mad, and He felt betrayal by someone that was super close to Him for THREE years… can you say OUCH. And yet He still went through everything He went through with a willing and loving heart. We never hear a word of complaining (although He does ask that the cup pass from Him but come on who wouldn’t). My emotions have been was to much of a factor in this journey and after praying and reading and seeing this whole thing in context I must say that I will no longer be driven by emotion…Unless that emotion is love in which case it does drive me J. Emotions are temporary but our actions are eternal. Don’t let an eternal decision and action be determined by a temporary emotion….not a good idea…trust me I know. I think this is a major point that God has been trying to drill home these past few weeks and I have finally got it….only took 22 years…I blame my father for my stubbornness (btw dad if your reading this I LOVE YOU and your AWESOME and a Great dad…. J ) SO yea I guess that’s all I got for this one…. Wow three blogs in less than a week… this is a new record for me lol. Hope this has encouraged you to view your problems in relation to His and to understand that while life is hard, He never promised it would be easy, only that He would walk through it with us. Love ya’ll and God bless J