My friend, the Man of Sorrows...

[moxicarose]

 This week has been an extra tough one. My feeling that (at least for now) God has asked me to live without meaningful human friendships beyond my dear husband has been "underlined, italicized, and highlighted" with the events of the past few days. Family from out of town arrived, and though I have lots of family within walking distance, I do not have much in common with them, and so they rarely give our little branch of the family the time of day. The clamoring after the family members from out of town by the ones from down the road became a source of sharp grief in my heart, since I was not asked to join in the activities between them, save for the planned family dinner. The divisiveness, and the animosity amongst them and toward myself is so upsetting, especially when almost all that they say is completely false and has no basis other than their personal opinions...

  Today, God brought my attention to Isaiah 53...


]1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.


  What comfort floods in to my heart knowing that HE KNOWS what this feels like...He knows!! And, then as I continued to read I was reminded that I have something else to repent of, for in my grief I allowed myself to "vent" to one of these family members, and became utterly disappointed in myself.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.


  As my heart is filled with these seemingly conflicting emotions, I am so humbled as I recognize anew the sacrifice of my Lord and Saviour for my sin!!

~moxicarose

[Kat]

Hi Jessi,

Mat 10:34-39  "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to "set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and "a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

The path we must go down is not an easy one, persecutions are a certainty. It is a learning process ans so we don't always do the right thing at first, but with God leading, little by little, He helps us learn how to do the right thing. This is all part of the process of separating from the world, which would include our worldly family. But know you have many brothers and sisters here that love you and feel your sorrow.

Mark 10:29  And Jesus answering said, `Verily I say to you, there is no one who left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my sake, and for the good news',
v. 30  who may not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions, and in the age that is coming, life age-during;

I will pray that you feel His comfort and encouragement, that what you are preparing for is well worth what we must bare at this time.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[jingle52]

Hi Moxicarose,
Kat has stated it beautifully!!
We are to go through much sorrow and affliction and it is hurtful when you are confronted with the loneliness of our walk to conversion and godliness. Some of us are lucky and have a spouse or a child who will understand and  accompany us on our new path, others like me, are all alone (husband atheist, daughters couldn't be bothered, no likeminded friends), my family in SA are all happy in their various churches/denominations and will be there until God does otherwise. So take heart, we here at BT are a family sharing all our troubles, doubts, fears, questions and loneliness in this our long walk to spirituality.
God's Blessings

[One Love]

Dear Moxicarose
I Just want to share this link & scriptures with you. Remember, spiritually we're not alone in our bad times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HkzZgj-J2A

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

[karenmarie]

I learned over the past 6 years that even with a lot of friends and relatives around I can still feel very much alone. I don't know anyone in real life who believes the true gospel, so I can't share my faith intimately. And having lots of people around to do things with still doesn't fill the Void in my spirit.

Only Jesus can do that! I thank God for the desert years when I was at home with children, and my husband was distant, moody, and (I later found) unfaithful, and I had no friends at all, even at the church. I thank God for my years now with a husband (second husband) who is a faithful friend, for my close relationships with adult children and for a reconnection to my family, and for lots of friends in the neighborhood and community, --- but I have a realization that only God KNOWS ME, and is the true and faithful one to the end. Friends and family even in the best of circumstances will disappoint! I will disappoint my loved ones, too!

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He loves us with a perfect love! I am so grateful in all circumstances: of no friends, no husband, many friends, faithful husband, -  to be still in my soul and love Him first.

He never disappoints! He will never leave! Thank God for the voids in your life!!!! He will come and fill them all!

Karen