Patience... my dear Danielle :)
E: Express thanks to God in Advance
Thank you Lord for my new job. Thank you for my sucessful career. Thank you for my wonderful husband. Thank you for my God-loving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Thank you for being there every step of the way as I fulfilled my purpose here on Earth. And thank you for welcoming me with open arms into your presence for eternity.
F: Find the blessing in the bad
Buddy Owens mentioned in the sermon that trials in life are like God asking a question. He will ask you... Are you humble? You have two options... Yes or No. If you answer no, God will go on to give you many chances to show you just how humble you are. During those times of testing and growth... it is often hard to see the blessing. But hindsight is 20/20. And God's blessing are so much clearer after He has brought you through.
Now, let's get personal: There are serveral examples of how I can look back and see how God blessed me while at the same time asking me a difficult question that I thought I knew the answer to. Just one for this blog is the area of racial reconciliation. In junior high and up, if God were to ask me "Tina are you judging people based on their race? Are you discounting they value or ideas?" I would have answered "No". And God gave me plenty of chances to prove that. Between being constantly picked on at school by a group from another race. To having one of my best friends from another country. To going to other countries and struggling with the fact I thought I was right and they were so dumb about some things. To having a close friend in relationship with someone of another race, and question whether that was "right". Finally I had to change my answer. It was changed to "Yes sometimes I do, but I don't want to. Help me God." Once my heart was turned to God on the matter I searched out and fed on multi-cultural relationships. I was able to respect others and their culture. Those past experiences (good and bad) helped me to better connect with others from the same race that I met later in life. Tonight while with my old small group I was amazed how I have grown in this... with God's help. I was sitting around a table with a woman from Russia, another whose family is from Palestine, an african-american women, a woman whose family is from India, a Brasilian, and a few others. I praise God for each of them and the blessing they have been in my life. My life has so much more flavor and joy, b/c of them. I praise God for the battles that I went through. I know in the future as I enter new cultures and meet people from other backgrounds that the internal struggle of superiority... may re-surface, but I praise God for my past. I pray that I can look on others through His eyes. Eyes of love not blinded or skewed by culture, selfishness, or fear.
posted by TiNA @ 11:32 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Whoa... barely made that cut off :) But I got to it in time. Hehe.
Wow. What growth you have experienced. This is wonderful.
You are a very loving person, generous too all, I'd say from my observation. You really let Christ's light and love shine through you.
Oh yes...sorry for being impatient. heehee
Oh my! Dad is catching up on his only-begotten dauther's blog. You have been digging deep into the recesses of your soul and sense of being, And as for the multi-cultural aspect of your life...wow! I remember when you insisted I was a bigot and I knew absolutely 100% that I was not. But your indictment made me reach deep into my soul and inspect the questions once more. And you quickly told me that my love for Africans and my deep desire to see them saved from hell, unnecessary sickness and poverty was no evidence that I was not a bigot. Hopefully you have grown way past that approach of challenging me and my generation.
When I was raised in a segregated South, the only prejudice I knew was towards "African Americans" (the politically correct names have vareied in my life time). I remember the first time that a black person had the audacity to touch me. I remember big men stepping back to let this little white boy to the front of the line. I remember picking up black children to bring them to our church...one was so brave to touch my hair...and I touched his also...the first time I touched a black person.
When I went into the Air Force, I found that we were co-mingled in the barracks. In boot camp we did not have separate water fountains or bath rooms. The Southern blacks knew their place, but the Northern blacks acted "white". It did not take long for color to take a backseat in my thoughts. But 18 years (100% of my life) of cultural indoctrination was sort of ... shattered. And I really learned something when I found that there was no prejudice in a foxhole (or sandbagged bunker), when the "commies" started lobbing deadly rockets our way. (Did I say Commies?...communists...another prejudice?).
And then I learned something esle that was rather strange. I was also suppose to be prejudiced against Jews, Pollocks and other certain segments of society. I was not taught that in my culture.
Your mother and I never used the "N Word" around you or your brother (I hope it never slipped). But your uncles and grandfather notice this and tried to make up for it. I never challenged them. You had to learn by my example.
I felt we did an excellent job, but you can be the judge of that. The cold hard truth?... the black students in juniour high and high school taught you any dislike for Blacks that may have crept into your life. You would beg me to lock all doors when we entered mostly black housing projects or a car of black boys would pull up next to us on the highway. You insisted that I NOT make eye contact...your words sweetie! I did not teach you that!
But I would say Tina...into the second generation...yours...there is a larger step of reconciliation made than any I have ever witnessed ... on either side of the black-white barriers that exist today. Like Jesus, you (and I) have made Godly steps towards erasing a prejudice that may start with one culture and now encompasses all cultures. I have shed tears over many...many people without seeing the first leval or layer of difference in their skin or nationality or financial status.
Thanks for being my only-begotten-daughter.
Love
Dad
I am especially touched by your father's closing line...
"I have shed tears over many...many people without seeing the first level or layer of difference in their skin or nationality or financial status..."
This is clearly the example set by Jesus Christ.
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