On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Psalm 139:1-2
How cool and thrilling is this truth? In a world where more and more, people are cautious about sharing their thoughts, we have a God who welcomes them. In fact, he already knows them!
Our God is not a fragile God. He can handle my thoughts and even better he won’t turn away from me. Or in today’s lingo, He won’t ghost me.
In fact, I believe that God delights when I talk with Him about the not so pretty thoughts…Impatience thoughts, angry thoughts, fearful thoughts and yes vengeful thoughts.
If I give God a chance to get a word in edgewise, He will direct my thoughts to His thoughts.
Our pastor created a graphic to encourage us to pray daily for those who don’t know God. This morning in my quiet time, I began to think about people who fall into the annoying category. So this morning I prayed “give me eyes to see the people who tick me off as you see them .” One can substitute any situation. The hardest for me, is to see as He sees the ones who hurt me and reject me.
Yesterday during lunch with friends we were bemoaning our memory lapses. I jokingly said ” I ask God to remove the memories and things that tick me off and that’s why I don’t have much memory left!” I am definitely a work in progress!
After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience. Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites, Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix
In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books
My 2021 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.
Old Things R New 
I hope I’ve already told you how good this is. Anyhow, it is good. I liked what the pastor did.
Love,
DiVoran
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our pastor has such a loving heart for not just those he shepherds but for those who don’t know our Savior. Week after week in the current study of Revelations he emphasizes how much God loves those who don’t know Him and how He grieves for there future
LikeLike
Very well done!
LikeLike
Thank you, my friend.
LikeLike
I feel like I have to share a story I recently experienced and hopefully it will help. With grown children and grandchildren we recently learned that those who hurt us and reject us maybe doing it because of something we did to them or because we have treated them a certain way. As humans we are quick to blame others for the way they feel about us. When we really should check our hearts first and ask ourselves what did we do that might cause someone to want nothing to do with us? My husband even at 52 is a huge child at heart. He is playful and loves to joke around with people. My husband hasn’t always gotten along with one of our daughters boyfriends. Our other daughter’s husband is more like my husband Tony. Tony thinks Travis needs to be more playful and not so serious so their personalities clash all the time. One day Tony had had enough. Tony told Travis how he felt about him. They both ended up saying terrible things. And rightly so Travis had the right to defend himself. Tony attacked him because he is different. When being attacked we defend ourselves. This made Travis not want to come over for Thanksgiving. For weeks Tony blamed Travis. Until much time and prayer he finally realized he had been agressive with Travis for two years. Tony wanted to change Travis he wanted him to be more like him and play around with him. So he was hateful to Travis from time to time. Changing someone isn’t out job. Tony realized he was the reason Travis felt the way he does. So they have worked through it now that Tony admits he was part of the problem and he is the reason Travis felt uncomfortable around him all this time. Turns out Tony was making Travis feel uncomfortable and hurt by his agression towards him. So Travis didn’t know how to act around Tony and avoided speaking to Tony if possible. So it seemed like Travis didn’t like Tony when really he felt he couldn’t live up to Tony’s expectations. Now that Tony has admitted he was the reason Travis felt the way he does we will have a Thanksgiving with the whole family. And that brings joy to a mother’s heart because I would never ever do anything to jeopardize seeing my children or grandchildren! So as much as it hurts I believe if people feel distant from us or reject us it could very well be out fault and not theirs. I only say this because this has been out current situation. I sometimes reject those who hurt me it doesn’t mean I don’t love them or haven’t forgiven them. It means because I love Jesus I stay away from them so I won’t be sinful if they continue to hurt me. Not everyone who rejects others is annoying or unloving there could be a reason. And that reason may sometimes very well be us or something we do or have done. Happy Thanksgiving!
LikeLike
Lorryn, thank you for stopping by and leaving this comment. How wonderful that you will have Thanksgiving with the whole family this year. I am trusting that your words of encouragement today will touch hearts.
LikeLike