Today, I had a chat after my ranting blog. I talked with my husband. I have never really mentioned him much on my blogs. Not for any particular reason but honestly we don't talk a whole lot about my blog and thoughts to it. I asked him if he has read it and he said no. He has some reservations about reading it and discussing it with me because he doesn't want to alter my writing. He wants me to be free to write what I feel and not to be impaired or hesitant to write anything based on what he might think. This is very nice of him. I'm not sure if it's totally accurate or not...maybe...he does know me pretty good so...hmm..
Before I get started on our discussion I should tell you that my husband is quite opposite of me. He's wonderfully optomistic. He thinks the best of people and always gives them the benefit of the doubt. He also knows much more about the bible than I do. He was raised in a christian household and attend sunday school stuff. It honestly is a topic we never really discussed much. Odd I know. Since we have been together for 13 years and married almost 9.
OK...back to our discussion.
I told him about my ranting blog. My frusteration with radical religious wacko's trying to get notches in their belt with the most recruits and flashing letters and promises of being healed or saved in some creek.
He told me to think about their intentions. Some of these people are excited and this is the way they show their enthusiasm for their faith. Some might have ill intentions but not all of them do. Some people are looking for that hope of healing and the flashing letters might just get their attention. It's different for everyone. But most importantly, they don't all have bad intentions. Just because it isn't what you are looking for doesn't mean it isn't what someone else is looking for.
Yep, that's my husband. He is better half for sure. He reminds me that there are good people and to not assume that the intentions are all bad.
So for my prior post I now realize that there is a lot that isn't for me and I'm still searching for what is me. What I am looking for and what I consider "normal" which everyone's definition of "normal" is different.
Back to something I stumbled across on a friend's facebook page and since we are wrapping up Leviticus I thought I'd get it on my blog before it's too late.
Yes, you are reading that correctly Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as one does with a woman. It is an abomination."
This person has so wisely (sarcasm) tattooed a verse from Leviticus that he must feel strongly that man should follow yet he chooses to ignore the following versus from Leviticus. You can't just pick and choose what to follow. It is not up to you to decide how God will judge us all in the end.
Leviticus 19:28
“‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Leviticus 19:16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
Leviticus 19:18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
I guess it is so much easier to look at other people and judge them rather than to change ourselves and judge ourselves. I know I commit sins and I know that God is probably not happy with my or my thoughts but at the end of the day I know that even though I might occasionally get mad about something I would never be extreme. I would never hurt someone for being different. I would never treat others poorly because of their lifestyle, race, gender, etc. I try to love your neightbor as yourself....ok well I may fail at the love part but I mostly succeed at tolerate. :) Occasionally I'm even nice! :) Keep in mind I work in an Emergency Department and run into some less than polite individuals at some of the worst times in their lives. My "love" for others I will be the first to admit doesn't always exist in these circumstances.
I will go on and try to be a better person.
As Gandhi once said "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
I will be starting another book in the next week or so. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I still am working on A Year of Living Biblically occasionally at night and Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional Ethics.
did you ever get the ICU position you applied for?
ReplyDeleteHello Erica - No, I didn't get the job. Not even an interview. I talked about it on my medical blog. http://lifeandsirens.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you knew it was there. I was pretty bummed. I still am on some days. Sigh...guess I'll try again somewhere else but for now...it's life in the ER!
So glad you are still reading the Bible and learning so much. God takes us where we are and moves us to where we need to be. There are a lot of rules, and many of them no longer apply to us (animal sacrifices)but it shows us just involved He is in our daily lives. He wants to be part of everything we do. So when a Church starts a new "Project" or changes a "Teaching", it means that all the members to search the scriptures to see if the new "Project" is in with His teaching or if the new "Teaching" comes from His word. Keep reading.
ReplyDeleteThanks LynnMarie - I've really enjoyed it so far. Very interesting!
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