Trust Me- It Doesn't Help

Today I will be sharing some of my heart with you dear reader in hopes that maybe I can help someone else who may be in my shoes. I think sometimes we say things that really hurt others and cause extra pain and add extra weight to the burden they are already carrying and we may not even know it.

Maybe these stories were told to me before but I don't remember them. Maybe it's because it didn't hit so close to home. But it seems that ever since my husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's mostly those who love me feel the need to tell me stories of people with Parkinson's- including all the gory details.

Just this week at the most inopportune time (at a restaurant, in the middle of the meal) my mother in low out of no where began to tell me of a long ago pastor and his poor wife with Parkinson's. We had not been talking about my husband or Parkinson's - it was just totally out of the blue. Almost like a slap to my face, it took my breath away. It took all I could do not to cry. And I couldn't even say anything for fear the tears would start if I did.

She's not the only one, I've had this happen with other loved ones- who I have asked not to tell me the horrible stories - who forget I asked them not to or because they think I need to hear it...continue to share the stories with me....

Do these people thank that I do not know about this disease?

Do they think that they are helping me?

I know plenty about Parkinson's. My husband and I went to a Parkinson's symposium, we sat there (the youngest couple by far) for several hours hearing the brutal facts. I do not need to hear stories of other people I don't even know. I have enough pain dealing with reality. I do not need the extra burden of what I might be dealing with in the future. When the fears creep in, I try to turn them over to God. He is in control.

If you know someone dealing with a painful diagnosis or their loved one is, please think twice before sharing scary stories with them. Because truthfully all that does is causes fear- and where does fear come from? It doesn't come from God.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

II Timothy 1:7

 

I choose to claim the verse in Deuteronomy:

 

"As your days, so shall your strength be."

Deuteronomy 33:25b

 

 



This was true for me during the cancer "adventure" I went through and many times before and since. I believe God will continue to get me through each day. It doesn't mean it'll all be easy- don't I already know that, but I continue to trust in God.

So please think twice before passing along those unpleasant experiences. Instead think of uplifting and encouraging things you can share with those you may think are in denial - because they are probably carrying around more pain than you realize. And those sad stories don't help.

 

When trying to decide what to say - this is a very good verse to consider:

 

8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

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Come back next week when I will be sharing a post about  ~what would Jesus do

 



Double Longing and the 80/20

This week I found what I thought was going to be an excellent book. Actually I found 4-6 great books. And had been trying to decide which one to start with. Well the one I decided to read first was one about our hunger for a deeper relationship with God.

Here is an excellent quote from the book:

"As Thad Rutter put it so beautifully, we discover the double longing. We learn first that we have a longing- a deep hunger for God and a sense of His presence. As we we begin to pursue that intense desire, we encounter a second even stronger longing. God's heart desperately longs for us. That increases our desire for Him, and the spiral of communion continues to grow." 

 

And I thought it would be a great place to start. I mean seriously, we all have a place in our hearts that only a relationship with God can fill - so what could be wrong with the book, right? 

 

After I found the quote above and I was feeling like oh what a great book. I decided to go look for a photo online of the book- I was going to write up a post about the book and share a photo of it. When I did - I just happened to notice an entry in the google search that I knew I needed to check out more. I clicked into it and I found a great write up of the book. And in it I found that this book actually pulled an 80/20. What is an 80/20 you ask? Well it is where there is a good deal of truth but there is also error. Just enough truth is in the book to lead truth seeker to check it out - but throughout the book is error. So while a person with a true desire to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ reads this book. They get counterfeit ideas of how to go about developing that relationship. And in the end it does more harm than good.

 

I found that this book did not fall under the 4:8 principal at all- it was not truth. And I want truth. I am not looking for the counterfeit. There is enough counterfeit in the world and we need to be on the outlook for it.

So my suggestion to you today and everyday is to be sure and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you with truth. To give you the wisdom you need to discern truth and error.  As I shared yesterday....

 

    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8

 

This book will not be read by me.

I will continue to follow after truth. 

I have a pile of other books to read through. In fact, I had actually started 2 books- and I am thinking that tomorrow I will share with you some about the other book that I am reading.

May God lead you in all truth 

 

        Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.   

Psalm 119:105

 

Truth Has a Counterfeit

The other morning I heard a guy on the radio telling of a study that he had read about. In this study, a man put people in a dark environment for 14 hours a day. I think is what he said. The study went on to explain that at the end of the study that a lot of the people had gotten into a rhythm of sleeping 4 hours and then getting up and doing things for a few hours and then sleeping another 4 house. Therefore, he concluded, that the best sleep cycle for people is this 4 hours of sleeping - then up for a few hours and then another 4 hours sleeping.

I find it funny how these experiments are done and then how they come up with their own ideas of how things should be. I mean seriously.

First of all - it is really an unrealistic way to live. How many people have 10 - 12 hours that can be devoted to sleep?

And when you really think about it- it really does not work for so many reasons. I am not going to go into all of those reasons- that's for sure. I'll leave that up to the experts. I am going to hit more of the common sense factors though.

Going back in time - 100 years or so - we find people getting up a little before dawn(or at dawn) to take care of their animals and such. They worked hard and when the sun went down -they spent some time doing things by candle light or what ever - but then they went to bed. And the cycle continues.

Going back in time even further - When God created the world - he created day and night. The sun and the moon were set up to set the rhythm of our days.

I think we need to use common sense when it comes to what we hear. Many of these studies are funded by companies and people who have an agenda - so the big bucks are spent to prove or disprove things that will help their cause the best. We also need to remember:

   Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,

 seeking whom he may devour.   

1 Peter 5:8

 

There is an adversary and he has his own agenda and believe me when I say that his agenda is always a counterfeit to the truth. And we need to hold onto the truth and not allow false ideas to sway us away from the truth.

 

    Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8