The Pink Flamingo :: Please Forgive My Arrogance & Lack of Christian Behavior

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:

I am so ashamed of myself. I am not practicing what I preach. I am a praying person. I’ve adopted my mother’s theory that you must stop and pray for someone who does something to you because they need prayer. If they’d not done something, said something, caused hurt and pain you never would stop to pray for them. I can’t believe I am so shallow and so slow in doing this for this person. I don’t need to mention a name. The Lord knows who he is.

I have been arrogant and so impressed with myself and my own importance in the world I never stopped to think this man is in disparate need of Showers of Blessings. I should have prayed for him last week when the first attack came, out of nowhere. I did not. The assault continued until this morning when I finally figured out I was in the wrong – for not praying for this person.

I was thankful for it. I live by 1 Thessalonians 5: 15-18

“6Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The previous verse is equally important

“See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.”

Instead of praying for this person, I’ve complained. And this person needs prayer so very much. I am truly ashamed. Then I let this person’s actions cause me to worry about my position in the world. I can’t believe how shallow…

Yesterday Tom Arrowsmith-Lowe, our priest, had a wonderful sermon about worry. If we truly believe the Lord will take are of us in all situations, working things out the way things are to be worked out for His plan for our lives, then worry is almost a sin. In an email today, Tom wrote

“…the sort of Christian that I like best (is). Someone who cares for others, someone who tries to right the things that are harmful to people, especially those who are victims of others, of our society, or of our prejudices. All of us are on a path toward being who God wants us to be. We can set out to do God's will or do our will. Whenever we strive to hurt anyone we have gotten off the path. Christianity is all about acting out of love, love for God, love for others, and love for ourself. None of us can completely achieve this and can never do so on our own, but God loves us and our trying to act out of love, which is doing the will of our loving God, is an act of praise toward God and an act of Thanksgiving for his Grace showered on us…”

If I have indeed turned my life over to Christ with my usual flippant, “Okay, you deal with it,” then I’d better be prepared to deal with the ups and downs that come my way.

I get it, this guy needs prayer. He needs Showers of Blessings!

My mother told me a story today about Rosa’s garden. She told my mother while she was planting it she blessed every row, every seed. Her flowers came up quicker and are more magnificent than anyone other garden in the area – Showers of Blessings!

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

Refrain

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

Refrain

There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

Refrain

There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Daniel W. Whittle

Daniel W. Whittle, 1883

“…Whittle was named after American politician Daniel Webster. Whittle reached the rank of major in the American civil war, and for the rest of his life was known as “Major” Whittle. During the war, Whittle lost his right arm, and ended up in a prisoner of war camp. Recovering from his wounds in the hospital, he looked for something to read, and found a New Testament. Though its words resonated with him, he was still not ready to accept Christ. Shortly after, a hospital orderly woke him and said a dying prisoner wanted someone to pray with him. Whittle demurred, but the orderly said, “But I thought you were a Christian; I have seen you reading your Bible.” Whittle then agreed to go. He recorded what took place at the dying youth’s bed side: I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet him in heaven. After the war, Whittle became treasurer of the Elgin Watch Company in Chicago, Illinois. In less than 10 years, though, he entered the evangelism field. During this period, he worked with musicians Phillip Bliss and James McGranahan. His daughter May Moody also wrote music for some of his lyrics….”