Journey With Me!

I suppose that there are times when all one can do is stand… even if the water rises or the wind blows all the windows open!

Maybe in my case, it’s writing instead of physically standing, who knows…

Often by talking too much about our feelings or circumstances, we end up feeling worse than before, as dwelling on things out of ones control does no one any good! 

When you see me write that I am tired, you already know that’s my code word for things being a bit much. I will leave it at that, as far as circumstances go.

It got me to pondering the art of Sharing Thoughts and Feelings without actually having to share specific thoughts or actual emotions.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Stargate, there is a scene early on in the movie where the young scientist is giving a lecture, trying to explain a new theory and everyone just simply gets up and walks out, leaving him standing there looking confused. Sometimes, when I talk or write too deeply, it can feel sort of like standing alone on that stage in confusion.

I guess its a bit like standing in line at the grocery store, trying to tell everyone in line what you’re buying and why you want or need the items. Why on earth do they want to listen, when they all have their own carts filled with the things they want and need for themselves.

Things would be different, I think, if those people were traveling or staying with you, thereby, requiring everyone to know what your cart had so they did not accidentally buy the same thing… in this case sharing is everything. Strangers at the grocery store, however, simply consider it OVER sharing. 

There is nothing like trying to share a thought or feeling with someone, only to see them visibly raise or roll their eyes, or worse, to see the eyes go vacant, the feet begin to shuffle, and the hands begin fidgeting.

What is also interesting, is the newfound openness people have to verbally doubt your statements, to voice their disbelief out loud, as if you are cartoon character that just tried to put one over on them!

I have my theories, as to why we, as a culture, have become so callous and downright impatient when communicating with each other, but since I stated earlier that I would share my thoughts and feelings without actually SHARING mine… I will let you come up with your own theories.

Has it really become so difficult to fully engage with each other in an authentic way?

Are we to be forever lost in some form of Therapy session somewhere, JUST to receive compassion, empathy and some dad blamed Understanding?

Most have either heard of or seen the movie The NeverEnding Story, starring Barret Oliver and Tami Stronach. *F.Y.I.* This is a spoiler alert if you haven’t seen it yet. At the end of the movie, there is a scene in which the two main characters are sitting in complete darkness. The young Empress (Stronach) is holding the tiniest piece of sand in the palm of her hand, telling Bastian (Oliver), that it only takes the tiniest bit of belief to restore everything in the land. Without oversharing here, thereby ruining the beautiful experience of the whole movie, I want to simply point out a perfect example of what I think it could be like, if one by one, we all try just a little harder with each other. 

I know, I know, I’m not exactly saying that everyone is a BOOB, but there is definitely, a great amount of boobish behavior going on in the world right now! (yes, this phrase is loosely pulled from the movie Battleship, with Taylor Kitsch). Don’t judge… I’ve no idea how I can remember such odd details, when I cannot, for the life of me, remember the name of any of my childhood teachers or friends names.

Anyways, I will leave you guys and gals with a bit of encouragement, if I can. Let’s be a village! If it takes a village to raise a child, it goes without saying that there will be a good many carers, sharers, listeners, givers, teachers, healers and providers. They should strive to offer love, compassion, grace, mercy, understanding, patience, kindness and more, but the one thing that binds the entire village to accomplish raising a healthy human being… is LOVE!

I’ve no idea how I lucked out, but somehow the camera on my smartphone did a stellar job of capturing the depth of color in this leaf. I feel quite pleased with myself, even if it was just a happy accident!

I’m home everybody!!! Did you miss me? It feels amazing to be back in the comfort of my office, after such an extended absence! While this assignment turned out to be such an amazing experience for me, as a journalist… I was still quite thrilled to step into the shower and feel the steam rise in my nostrils, as the hot water cleansed away the dirt and grit I’d been covered in from my travels. 

As soon as I arrived at the paper this morning, everyone was already waiting in the newsroom! We here at WTL News make a habit of meeting together as a group, whenever one of us returns from an assignment. This is a great time to unload much of what one learned, while out in the field, as well as catching up with the daily comings and goings of the newspaper, itself. 

When I walked into the room, heading for my usual seat in the far corner, I was intercepted by J.C. who guided me over a seat that was located right in the middle of the group. Awkwardly, I took my newly assigned seat at the boardroom table, situated between our news teams Senior Staff! Everyone in the newsroom was sitting quietly, without belaying any expressions that might give me a clue, as to the odd behavior occurring in the staff meeting. Quite honestly, I was unsure if I were being celebrated or about to be reprimanded for something. Since no clues would be forthcoming from my coworkers, I simply sat quietly to await our CEOs appearance. He appeared shortly after I took my seat, so there wasn’t really a great amount of waiting.

If you remember my last message I sent back to you from the field, shortly after I’d arrived at my assignment, I’d just been informed that I was there to learn some lessons, rather than interview someone else. Well, what I wasn’t aware of, was the fact that I’d been sent there to be evaluated by WTL News… go figure!

As I sat quietly in my seat, listening to our CEO open the morning meeting, he walked down the table to where I sat and came to a halt behind my chair! The lights lowered, followed by the projector screen lowering, and then began a slide show of the very place I’d just been. There were pictures of all of us, from when we were standing at the city gates, to walking among the hills and valleys surrounding Jobs home, and finally, of us all sitting around the fire in the evenings, laughing and telling stories. 

Afterwards, when the lights in the newsroom began coming back on, my CEO still stood behind my chair… but this time, the senior staff that had been seated on either side of me, began standing up. My boss turned my chair around, gesturing for me to stand up, as well. When I’d gotten up out of my chair, fully confused, I was handed a set of keys… one for the Senior Staff floor of WTL News, and another key that belonged to an office on the above mentioned level. 

I think I just got promoted?!

After all the hoopla ended, the meeting concluded and most of the attendees wandered back to their offices. I was still very confused as to what had just happened, nervously standing along side J.C. and several other senior staff members that had remained, as well as our CEO. It was then explained to me that I’d been sent forth on a Pilot test run of a new line of articles to be written for WTL News… and I had just become the newsrooms first Time Traveling Journalist! 

According to my boss, I fit perfectly into this new role, as shown by the photos somebody had taken of me, out in the field. For several moments I tried sorting through memories of my recent trip, pondering how somebody was able to take photos of my work, as I saw no cameras or folks that looked suspiciously out of place. Finally, I opted to simply accept that someone had INDEED been watching and recording my comings and goings. 

I trust my CEO, as well as J.C., so it wasn’t difficult for me to just accept how things were playing out and step into this new role, freely. My boss knows me better than I know myself, so who am I to fear or doubt His decisions, as they have always benefitted me in some way.

WTL News has been raised from the ground up, by my CEO, with me actively working towards bettering His establishment. If the one who carries this company on His shoulders, seeks to use my skills and abilities… little ole me… then I am all in! Besides, who could ask for a better dream job, than to wander the paths of history, meeting and interviewing some those who have come before us? 

While I’ve no idea, as of yet, where or when I head to next, I shall devote myself to being ready to pack up and go at a moments notice. With an adventurous job like this one, who needs a regular shower, anyway?

Often times I wonder what idea the Lobby could stand for, in terms of what I want to reflect to those stopping by. 

I have decided on a song that I think we should put in the Lobby, but I want you to listen to it first. Once we decide if it is suitable or not, I will either use this song, or one that perhaps you have suggested.

Who knows, maybe we could choose a new song each month, to reflect the depth of love and acceptance that the Lobby represents… you realize that what I mean is, if you don’t make any suggestions, then I will simply choose on my own. 

I have a deep love and appreciation for music, and though I am a pretty competent person at speaking and writing out thoughts, many times, a song can express how I feel, so much more clearly than I could ever do on paper.

I suppose you can consider whatever song that gets left in the Lobby, as a constant reminder of things like Gods Love, my Love, encouragement for the hurting, healing for the broken hearted and shelter for the weary!

Don’t we all just need to be reminded that we are not alone, not invisible or cast out? 

That is what I seek many times, with you, as each of you reflect love and acceptance toward me, when you visit. Each time I write and share my heart with you… there is never any judgement or rejection from any of you! Thank you!

So don’t forget to vote! Some form of song will be installed in the Lobby by the end of the week. 

I’ve not been able to do any audio content at the moment, due to technical difficulties with my headset… technical means broken, just in case I was being too vague… lol! It’s a good thing that words are free, for the most part, so writing I shall do… til the lights go out!

To Serve The Most High…

As I left the book of Exodus behind, heading into Leviticus, a thread of thought began pulling my mind towards Moses brother, Aaron. By the time I got midway through Chapter 8, where God told Moses how to consecrate and present Aaron and his two sons as the priests to be in service within His holy dwelling… I began to wonder how Aaron felt about everything. Don’t forget that this wasn’t too long after that little incident with the Late Night Bovine Hoo-ha! Aaron wasn’t exactly looking or feeling like a winner, after his last leadership catastrophe!

As I was reading along, I began to wonder about the life of Aaron, before Moses returned to Egypt with Gods instructions, that included both brothers. Was their conversation that of two brothers, men of God, in full alignment and agreement as to how things would go? Or was their initial reuniting more like a recruiting session, with Moses laying out Gods plan like a sales pitch, hoping to entice Aaron to come along? 

The only thing I saw clearly in scripture, was the part where Aaron melted down the Golden Calf, while Moses was on the mountain retrieving the Stone Tablets of Gods Law… it was for sure, Aaron that did the deed! 

Chapter 8 of Leviticus was the next time I really focused on Aaron, as well as, all the other parties involved in the building and service of Gods Holy Dwelling, situated in the midst of His people. It can be easy to do, as there were a great many details, and a myriad of rules to be adhered to… for every single man, woman and child.

When I arrived at the part of the story where Aaron and his sons had been sanctified and placed in service to God and the people, it was very troubling to my heart when Aarons sons were instantly killed for not obeying the rules. Oh, I wasn’t caught up in why God destroyed them, but rather, how had they so quickly become lazy and flippant in their tasks. When it happened, God instructed Moses on how to handle things, leaving words with Moses on what to say to his brother Aaron. The part that has stuck in my mind ever since then, was when Moses told Aaron what God said, regarding their deaths, and the bible only states that Aaron remained silent… that’s it! 

Now enters two more of Aarons sons, for service in the dwelling place of God. As a parent, I am already considering how difficult it may have been for Aaron, to watch yet two more of his children picking up where the first two had left things. This was not anything like a posh position in an elite executives office, it was a do it or die if you fail kind of job, if I am to be blunt! Being in service to the Most High God is not a job to perform by the law, without the heart being All In! 

How many times, as a parent, did I think my children would do the right thing in questionable circumstances, only to see them choose poorly? How many times did my kids say they were sorry for something, not because they really felt contrite, but because they got caught? I am supposing that Aaron was no different, as a parent, than you or I might be, watching our kids make the wrong choices. Once, when my oldest was a teenager, I discovered that she had stolen some items from her job, so I took both her and the items back to the company, making her return what she had taken and apologize. The police were called, she was terminated and escorted off the premises. My then husband was furious with me, and my child did not speak to me for nearly a month… but I would do the very same thing to this day, as I don’t think she ever shoplifted again.

I imagine that Aaron was heartbroken, at the death of his sons, but also very aware of the sanctity of God and His dwelling place. God was actively establishing His Holiness, and the life one must live to become separate from the sin of the world. Sin always starts really tiny, barely noticeable if you are not quick to catch it. These people had been living beneath the feet of the Egyptians for generations, but they also picked up on many bad habits of a “Worship Who You Want, How You Want and When You Feel Like It” kind of people.

The amount of rules, regulations, Laws and By-laws God set down in both Exodus and Leviticus, leaves me to believe that there were many behaviors and habits that were far from Godly, which had gotten the Israelites into this mess generations earlier. 

Wickedness was rampant in every fiber of society, at that time, and not just with the Egyptians and Israelites, but throughout the lands. It was apparently normal, on any given day, to spy your neighbor down the path sacrificing one of their children to a false God. 

Cleanliness was far from being on any ones list of concerns, as well as many of the same criminal acts we face currently… same stories, different times, as far as I can see. The problem that the Israelites faced was the fact that they had become so accustomed to the norm, they didn’t even realize how many bad habits they had accumulated over the generations spent in bondage. 

God is a Holy God, flawless and more glorious than our minds can even fathom. The Creator of all, fully intended to dwell in the midst of His people, as they traveled to the promise land. Because of all the Stinkin Thinkin, as I like to call it, going on in the minds of the Israelites, God had to ensure that His children approached with reverence at all times. 

Perhaps Aaron was so overcome with sorrow and disappointment, in his sons flippant behavior, it simply robbed him of anything worth saying to his brother that day. Knowing what is right and doing what is right are two separate things, and often they do not end up hand in hand… for any of us.

There was a time, back in the day, where I would skim over much of what was written in any of the books of the bible involved in, whosoever beget whom, or how many cubits high and wide, because it either seemed like someone’s ancient family tree or just a bunch of rules by an angry God. There is so much more in those passages… so very much! As it stands now, I can barely get through a chapter or two each week, without having to go back and reread something that I’d previously skimmed past, that now had a great deal to do with what I’d been studying. 

It says in Gods Word,

“All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

I believe this to be true, All of it!

The more time I spend in the Bible, reading what was written so long ago, I find it just as applicable today as it was back then. Aaron may have been serving as high priest for God Almighty, but he was also a man with human flaws, bad habits, weaknesses and emotions. The beauty I found within this story is shared, not only by Aarons desire to stay the course in his service to the Most High, but God’s tireless efforts to bring the whole of His people out of a very sinful gutter, so to speak!

One of my lessons here, is that I too have bad habits needing to be replaced with good ones, one of which, is my skimming over of things I deem unnecessary for my study. If the Bible tells me that it is ALL God breathed, and that it is All useful for my learning… skimming ANY of scripture, could be causing me to miss many of the words given to me by God, for my journey home! Trust me, there are a good number of lessons I’m getting from the book of Leviticus, but if I keep sharing them all at one time, none of us will ever get anything else done.

Have a beautiful day everyone,

God Bless!