Daily Tools # 2. (Ironies)
Warning: Long winded Post!
If you don’t have the time better move on. Otherwise Grab a cup and read along.
Disclaimer: Before you get your knickers in a bunch!
The following Christian portrayal is purely fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is completely coincidental.
Setting: Two old acquaintances meeting outside a Starbucks one drizzly gray day.
Hey there CG so nice to see you. Where you’ve been? Hey you got a minute I’d like to buy you a cup of mud and I’ve something I’d like to share because we had talked quite a bit earlier and you shared how full your life was.
I especially remember you telling me how content with life you were. Honestly at the time I thought you were a little nuts as I’d heard through the grapevine about your bout with the big “C” word. Got a minute? Do you mind if I kick something around with you?
I just can’t see what you all see in all this talk about having a personal relationship with God. Now don’t get me wrong…I believe in a God and all. I’m even Baptized and have attended church. I am especially careful to try and go on Easter and Christmas. But allot of the times something seems to always come up on the weekends making it difficult if not impossible.
Besides I’m not really a bad person. I try and follow all His commandments. I haven’t murdered anybody, nor have I cheated on my spouse, and I certainly haven’t stuck up a bank or robbed a gas station. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I even do the monthly charity deduction thingy for United Way every year at the office.
But truthfully I really don’t see that I’ve really benefited at all since I became a Christian. I don’t feel any different on the inside than I did before. Baptism was disappointing for me in that I didn’t feel any different going in than going out. I didn’t see a great light or hear God speaking to me in rolling thunder. True at the time I felt like I was coming to Him I did feel some excitement and nervousness. But that quickly waned and then passed.
Things don’t seem much different. Like I said earlier I am a little disappointed that this is all there is! It feels like a let down… as though what I was expecting and what I got just wasn’t the same.
While your here let me share some stuff that is exciting and fills me with so much pride! I finally completed my schooling and now have my degree. I’m so proud because I have spent so much time, money and effort on that goal. It wasn’t easily earned let me tell you.
You will never know the effort, hardships, and sacrifices I had to endure to reach that goal.
I often see old friends and acquaintances that shared in our youth that they wanted the same things as I have but are still looking and not finding.
Let me share a little wisdom with you in confidence. I think they don’t have what I have because they aren’t willing to invest the earnest effort that I have. If they did they could have it too! Go figure!
This degree has helped ensure that I can more readily provide the physical needs of my wife and children! You see I competed for the position I now hold with this company! I looked at it as if I was in a race if you will…. with the prize being the position I now hold with this firm.
You will appreciate how much more meaningful this is when I share that not only did I have to have the hard won degree just to apply; but I also had to study countless hours of technical books and go over volumes of policy and procedures. I was tested over and over again!
You see I’m proud of my position with the boss because of the effort I put forth to be here. My boss often invites me out for eighteen holes a few Sundays out of the month. A most envied and covetous position to be in!
Golf there’s another exciting subject. Oh I know to allot of folks it just makes no sense to chase a little white ball around, trying to smack it in a hole in the ground only to resurrect it… by pulling it up out of the hole in the ground and doing it all over again!
The folks that don’t understand the meaning of the game have just never put the time in that’s required to learn it. If your not afraid to sacrifice a few bucks and maybe take some lessons, read lot’s of golfing magazines, and share tips and tricks with other golfers. Then don’t be afraid to apply what you’ve learned to actually playing the game.
Do this and you will without question gain a new respect and admiration for the folks that play the game and even for the game itself. I’m pretty good competition to the boss if I do say so myself! I can see it in his demeanor at the nineteenth hole!
Anyway back to what we were discussing…where is this special personal relationship you “holier than thou Christians” claim to experience? Forgive me if I seem a little hostile…a little angry. You see for all my hard work, education, dream home, money, wife, family, and position; I feel an indescribable emptiness.
A sadness, something is still missing. Since it’s just you and me talking and sharing . I do have a little confession to make …none of all the hard work, money spent, or sacrifice means anything really.
My marriage is almost on the rocks. The wife and myself are strangers in our own home. Intimacy flew out the window long ago. We don’t seem to really have much in common anymore. We never talk or communicate.. ..even about the little things anymore. Even when we do things together. More often than not she does her thing and I go do mine.
If we do try and put something together with the whole family the kids complain about not being able to socialize with their friends. Our children actually disrespect both my wife and myself. Which I don’t understand as I feel we’ve given them everything they could ever want. I’ve done my best to be a good example to them!
On top of all this I know (though I hate to admit) I may have a drinking problem. (Shaking head) You know I just don’t get it. You work so hard to get ahead in this world….and where is God in all this ….why has he let me down? Do you know anyone that can help me? Do ya? Well do you!! Well thanks for your time. Thanks for listening.
Now What Would You Share?
Warning: Long winded Post!
If you don’t have the time better move on. Otherwise Grab a cup and read along. Disclaimer: Before you get your knickers in a bunch!
The following Christian portrayal is purely fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is completely coincidental. Setting: Two old acquaintances meeting outside a Starbucks one drizzly gray day.
Hey there CG so nice to see you. Where you’ve been? Hey you got a minute I’d like to buy you a cup of mud and I’ve something I’d like to share because we had talked quite a bit earlier and you shared how full your life was.
I especially remember you telling me how content with life you were. Honestly at the time I thought you were a little nuts as I’d heard through the grapevine about your bout with the big “C” word. Got a minute? Do you mind if I kick something around with you?
I just can’t see what you all see in all this talk about having a personal relationship with God. Now don’t get me wrong…I believe in a God and all. I’m even Baptized and have attended church. I am especially careful to try and go on Easter and Christmas. But allot of the times something seems to always come up on the weekends making it difficult if not impossible.
Besides I’m not really a bad person. I try and follow all His commandments. I haven’t murdered anybody, nor have I cheated on my spouse, and I certainly haven’t stuck up a bank or robbed a gas station. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I even do the monthly charity deduction thingy for United Way every year at the office.
But truthfully I really don’t see that I’ve really benefited at all since I became a Christian. I don’t feel any different on the inside than I did before. Baptism was disappointing for me in that I didn’t feel any different going in than going out. I didn’t see a great light or hear God speaking to me in rolling thunder. True at the time I felt like I was coming to Him I did feel some excitement and nervousness. But that quickly waned and then passed.
Things don’t seem much different. Like I said earlier I am a little disappointed that this is all there is! It feels like a let down… as though what I was expecting and what I got just wasn’t the same.
While your here let me share some stuff that is exciting and fills me with so much pride! I finally completed my schooling and now have my degree. I’m so proud because I have spent so much time, money and effort on that goal. It wasn’t easily earned let me tell you.
You will never know the effort, hardships, and sacrifices I had to endure to reach that goal.
I often see old friends and acquaintances that shared in our youth that they wanted the same things as I have but are still looking and not finding.
Let me share a little wisdom with you in confidence. I think they don’t have what I have because they aren’t willing to invest the earnest effort that I have. If they did they could have it too! Go figure!
This degree has helped ensure that I can more readily provide the physical needs of my wife and children! You see I competed for the position I now hold with this company! I looked at it as if I was in a race if you will…. with the prize being the position I now hold with this firm.
You will appreciate how much more meaningful this is when I share that not only did I have to have the hard won degree just to apply; but I also had to study countless hours of technical books and go over volumes of policy and procedures. I was tested over and over again!
You see I’m proud of my position with the boss because of the effort I put forth to be here. My boss often invites me out for eighteen holes a few Sundays out of the month. A most envied and covetous position to be in!
Golf there’s another exciting subject. Oh I know to allot of folks it just makes no sense to chase a little white ball around, trying to smack it in a hole in the ground only to resurrect it… by pulling it up out of the hole in the ground and doing it all over again!
The folks that don’t understand the meaning of the game have just never put the time in that’s required to learn it. If your not afraid to sacrifice a few bucks and maybe take some lessons, read lot’s of golfing magazines, and share tips and tricks with other golfers. Then don’t be afraid to apply what you’ve learned to actually playing the game.
Do this and you will without question gain a new respect and admiration for the folks that play the game and even for the game itself. I’m pretty good competition to the boss if I do say so myself! I can see it in his demeanor at the nineteenth hole!
Anyway back to what we were discussing…where is this special personal relationship you “holier than thou Christians” claim to experience? Forgive me if I seem a little hostile…a little angry. You see for all my hard work, education, dream home, money, wife, family, and position; I feel an indescribable emptiness.
A sadness, something is still missing. Since it’s just you and me talking and sharing . I do have a little confession to make …none of all the hard work, money spent, or sacrifice means anything really.
My marriage is almost on the rocks. The wife and myself are strangers in our own home. Intimacy flew out the window long ago. We don’t seem to really have much in common anymore. We never talk or communicate.. ..even about the little things anymore. Even when we do things together. More often than not she does her thing and I go do mine.
If we do try and put something together with the whole family the kids complain about not being able to socialize with their friends. Our children actually disrespect both my wife and myself. Which I don’t understand as I feel we’ve given them everything they could ever want. I’ve done my best to be a good example to them!
On top of all this I know (though I hate to admit) I may have a drinking problem. (Shaking head) You know I just don’t get it. You work so hard to get ahead in this world….and where is God in all this ….why has he let me down? Do you know anyone that can help me? Do ya? Well do you!! Well thanks for your time. Thanks for listening.
Now What Would You Share?