It is much easier to spot someone else’s errors because your brain will not as easily assume what the author meant to write. I do try to check my posts, but sometimes things will get by me and I do not have a proofreader. So, please show mercy if you see an error. Just make a note in the comments section and I will fix it.
This former copy editor and proofreader thanks you for your understanding.
Imagine it! We are all made in the image of the Creator. There are differing ideas as to what, exactly, that means. Here are my thoughts.
The Creator wears many “hats”. He is Creator, Provider, Warrier, Husband, Bridegroom, Lover, Father, Healer, Spirit, Friend and many others. We also have many hats. I am Daughter, Mom, Wife, Sister, Friend and others.
He is creative; so am I.
But really, do we even take the idea of everyone being created in His image seriously? When we look at another human being, do we see the Creator…regardless of how the person dresses, acts, looks, etc.?
It is a wondrous and marvelous thing to be created in His image. Do we act like it? Do we think, behave, live in such a manner that someone looking at us would be able to say, “you know, I see traces of the Creator in that person”?
I know I have failed many times to truly reflect His image, but I pray I won’t fail at it again. And with His help, I won’t. I pray that I will both reflect His image and see His image in all others, especially in others I don’t like.
If I see someone not reflecting His image, it just means they are lost. They do not recognize who they are in Him…and that is sad. When someone is being difficult, I need to pray they will recognize who they are and, if possible, help them to figure it out. It is what I would desire someone to do for me if I was not reflecting His image as I should be.
I hope and pray you will consider that you, too, are made in His image.
This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lam 3:21-23)
I had a good day yesterday, but also a draining one. I finally made it to visit my local assembly. It felt good to walk in class and have everyone excited about my finally being there again. I have no idea when I will return.
When I got up yesterday, I could already feel the drain in my body, but I really wanted to visit and to go to the store afterward. We live so far from everywhere, I did not want Dave to have to come all the way back to get me.
We went to the next state to a Kroger Marketplace. Our “local” Kroger (which is at least 45 minutes away for us one way) is smaller and does not offer all the same things. I enjoyed the walking around and finding some good deals on foods we needed. But it was draining. I knew when I got up in the morning I would pay a price for all the energy expenditure.
Now, before anyone tries to say I “cursed” myself with an energy drain and that I should have instead thought I would be just “fine” and fully energized…just stop. There is such a thing as common sense and knowing your body and what it needs. I believe in healing and in miracles. Yet, I have also seen folks declaring themselves “well” all during the whole week of their being sick. Hello! If you were well, you would not have symptoms. I do not see that as faith…I see it as lying and trying to force something to happen.
Yes, G-d heals. But He also allows us to experience the follies of our decisions and the results of living in a sin tainted world. If G-d is healing you, He is just going to do it…as I have heard of happening. He is not going to drag it out for as long as the sickness would normally run its course! It might be a multi step healing, but if He is healing, there will be clear evidence of a supernatural touch.
Anyway, I did indeed experience fallout from my trip yesterday. This morning, I could not get up until around 11. I have been using my walking stick part of the time. I have no choice but to be up because I have to wash the bedding today. It has been a couple of months since I have been able to do it due to being drained and sick. But it is getting done today.
So, why the Bible verse above? That is the verse that came to me as I was lying in bed early in the morning. I always try to start my day talking with Hashem, even before getting out of bed. And that verse came to mind.
I am very grateful for His lovingkindnesses aka mercies aka grace and for His compassion. He has touched me in so many ways during my lifetime and really shown Himself to be my Protector and Provider, Leader and Guider.
So, no matter how I feel or what energy levels I have, I am grateful and I know I am blessed. I am going to spend eternity with Him in the new world. It just does not get any better than that…to know this life is temporary and where I will be in the next.
We qualified for a lower interest loan to help finish the outside of our house! We now have steps and assorted decks at each door, replaced two doors and four windows. And, because we were blessed with an extremely low bid on a heat pump (the man was definitely being generous due to our situation), there was just enough money left over in the loan limit to replace that, too! Woohoo!
What a difference it makes! Instead of looking weathered, worn and ancient, it now looks like the appropriate age. The house was built in 2012. We are praising our Creator, for it is only through His hand this house was built at all and now brought up to this point.
The inside is still unfinished, but at least it does not look old. The new woodstove we bought two winters ago is finally being put in place, too. I will put up a photo when it is done.
I don’t, typically, like to speak of this side of my life. But this year, I feel I must. I cannot remain silent.
My heart is breaking for the ones who went missing these last couple of months. For the ones who lost their lives. Most of us who know what is going on don’t like to speak of it. We have survived the horror and prefer not to even think of it. But when you know what you know, you can never fully escape it. You cannot fully forget it, no matter how hard you push it to the side.
I am OK with that…for myself. For it means someone is keeping vigil. Someone is watching and praying. I know I am not alone in this. There are many who are quietly watching and praying.
This year…for some reason, this year, I am not doing it as quietly. Maybe it is because, although I have managed to push it aside the last few years, this year something happened to bring it all to the surface again. It breaks my heart to see people celebrating. I know they do not know the truth of what it is all about, but some do. Will they be brave enough to go against the social trend and start speaking the truth? Probably not. I know this because I know how hard it is to believe such unspeakable evil exists in this world. Although, that is kind of strange. Look around us. Evil is everywhere and humankind has not changed. Why is it so hard to believe?
Can we not put our traditions aside for the sake of truth? I know. I am probably just going to be considered “extreme”. But it is hard not be when you have witnessed the extreme. It would be like people who actually witnessed the Holocaust not liking having parties in former concentration camps. Hello! Why would anyone want to hold a celebration in a place where unspeakable evils happened? Why would anyone want to celebrate a holiday during which human sacrifices continue to happen?
Some will say it is, historically, only Samhain and it is celebrating/worshiping the earth and there are no sacrifices. Well, just because many do not do sacrifices does not mean none do! Hear that, please. Just because many do not do sacrifices…animal or human…does NOT mean no one does! It does happen! And it is way more widespread and organized than people want to believe.. if they can even accept it happens at all.
We who grew up in the cultic world, or know someone who grew up in it, cannot fully forget. And pretending to fully forget does not really work. Even when we can push it from our conscious mind, our bodies and spirits remember. We can feel it as the edginess starts, even if we don’t realize at first why the edginess. But when we look at the calender, it is “aha”.
So not only do we still remember on some level, no matter how hard we push it aside, but pretending is not being true to who we are. And it may be ignoring our calling to take our horrible experiences and use them for good. Someone needs to remember what is going on. Someone needs to pray for these victims. Someone’s heart needs to break for them.
What Does G-d See?
We are all made in the image of our Creator, but many seem to have forgotten this. There was a time when people did know it, even if they did not respect it. But now, it seems many have forgotten it entirely. And I am not just talking about “unchurched” folk. I am talking about folk who wear religious affiliations, too. How very, very sad.
When our Creator looks down at us, I don’t think He is checking to see what our political affiliation is, our religious affiliation, the language we speak, the country in which we live (or come from), the color of our skin, our sexuality or the traditions and customs we keep. I am not saying those things have no significance or importance. I just don’t think it is the first thing He sees. I think the first thing He sees is our hearts.
He isn’t saying, “I love them if _____”. He is saying, “I love them ALL!” And, I believe, His heart is breaking when He sees a lot of us. He knows we are ALL broken and He wants to bring healing, if we would only turn to Him. He won’t force it on us. We are ALL broken, but some (many?) of us just don’t like to admit it because our brokenness is more hidden or has a different label/name than someone else’s. We judge others while reserving judgment for ourselves. But that is not His way.
We are called to judge with a righteous judgment, but what does that really mean? Is any one of us actually “righteous”? No! That is why we need to be soooooo careful about judging others. The way we judge others is the way we will be judged. I don’t believe that is just talking about the here and now…as in how I treat others is how I will be treated. We all know that does not hold 100% of the time, although it is true in a general sense. No. I believe it is the ultimate judgment.
If we are unforgiving and unkind in our judging of others, we will end up being judged the same way by the only One who actually IS righteous. If we are unforgiving, we will not be forgiven. Ouch! That is some serious stuff!
How did Yeshua (Jesus) separate the sheep from the goats? It was based in that teaching solely on how we treated others. Did we give a cup of water to the thirsty and food to the hungry? Did we clothe the naked? Did we visit those who are sick and/or in prison? It was about how we lived our lives…the actions we took and the heart behind those actions. It is about loving others as we would want to be loved. And notice the way Yeshua put it. He was talking about doing these things to him and that doing it to others was also doing it him. Again…pointing to the image of the Creator in ALL of us.
It is my hope and prayer that we will tone down our voices and the things we say and write and do. May we show love to one another and always remember people are the way they are for a reason. It could be us in their shoes.
** If you cannot find the Bible verses referenced in this post, contact me. I will help you.
Dear God, who/what are You…really? Creator?
People describe You in different ways. Even Your Bible is kind of vague. I am asking a big question and it will take several posts to explore this question…and others I have about You. Some of these will, I am sure, overlap and I am a mere mortal human being attempting to understand a Being who, I am also sure, is beyond my comprehension. I am certainly no “theologian”. I am simply one of Your children who is asking questions.
I get that You are Creator. That is plain to see. If a simple stack of rocks in a path is clearly a sign of someone’s hand putting them there, if the letters on a page forming words are clearly the work of intelligence, how can the complex magnificence of the universe and the encoding in DNA not also be the work of intelligence? No, it is impossible for us to be here by random chance. Even evolutionists (in particular, their top guru Richard Dawkins) recognize this when they say we had to come from aliens via directed evolution via panspermia because random chance evolution is impossible. But they never give a satisfactory answer to the ultimate question of our origin. They only push the question outside of earth, but not outside of the universe. From where did aliens come? Plus, isn’t any being capable of directed evolution, by nature, intelligent? They dance around the problem while being blind to their own bias. So, yes, You are Creator.
But that only explains what You did. (Are doing?) It does not explain who/what You are…what Your nature is. Obviously, any being who can create an entire universe is all powerful. No question. Science affirms the universe had a beginning, so You must be outside of time…the Creator of time. You, clearly, have to be super intelligent and have amazing, if not complete, knowledge in order to create something of such magnitude…something that works together so intricately. I cannot imagine there being anything bigger than that, but even if there is, You are big enough to boggle the mind.
So many questions to explore. At least I do have this one piece of the puzzle down. You are Creator. I don’t understand how You did it, but I don’t really need to. If I could understand all the intricate details of how You did it, I would be as knowing as You. If I could duplicate it, I would be as powerful as You. But no one can and no one is. You are alone in Your uniqueness…and, yet, You are not alone. But that is another question to explore in another post.
God, our Father, teach us to know You as fully as we can in this life as we look forward to the next life.
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