"the delivery guy who couldn't hear me because of the noise of his truck"
Yesterday, I was riding my bike to go see my lady friend a couple towns away. I have a cheap cosmetic mirror I bought so I can hold it up and see what the cars are doing, behind me. And I had just rode around this delivery service truck that was stopped and blocking about half of my lane. Then he caught up with me and was not passing; I waved him by and he honked; so I pulled over and stopped, thinking he wanted to let me know something was hanging from my bike, or something. Then he caught up, by me, and called out that he honked, in order to tell me to keep going.
And yes he was turning in, just ahead of us; he had wanted me to get out of the way. So, in he turned and I decided to follow him to tell him it was no problem and I like to be hospitable to vehicles.
I could hear him; but he said he could not hear what I was saying and have a good day.
His truck was so noisy, that his voice could get out to me but he could not hear me (c: So, I decided to leave.
As I "retreated" from him, I thought of how in prayer we can say all we have to say and God hears us; however, during prayer we can be so busy with our worrying and thinking and wanting and problems, and the "noise" of all this can make us so we can not hear God during our praying. So, we can be like that guy who is trucking, but unable to hear what someone is saying to love him > I was disappointed that he didn't have the time of day to turn off the engine or step away from his noisy truck so he could hear me say I care about him and so I was pleased to let him pass me. And can't we be like this? We have such noise of our worries and problems, in our heads, that in prayer we are not interested in just stopping and relishing how our Father lets us know He loves us.
And our pastor, on Sunday, was talking about how we need "listening prayer", instead of how his prayer can be "a one-way conversation".
So, we need how You, God our Father, make us able to be attentive to You while we pray . . . instead of thinking we need to get Your attention (c:
"Be still." "Be sober" . . . so we aren't drunk with worry.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Trust God to have us succeeding in this (c: Before this scripture, I notice how Paul says, "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." (Philippians 4:1) So, this is written not to criticize us and show how we are failing, but this is written by someone who dearly loves us and desires so much for us.
Yesterday, we had our Tuesday group, and my lady friend asked me to meet with her for prayer, instead of helping to set up for our group; word was out that today we would have a storm, and she was already concerned about today's weather being a problem for getting to today's prayer meeting. She wanted me to get away from preparing for our yesterday group, so we could pray in her truck about today's prayer group. I advised her how we needed to give our attention to our others in our group, not be already worrying about today which we had not reached, yet. But in her mind was concern about rain so she could already be worrying about today . . . when we had not even been in our group for yesterday. We needed to be attentive to loving and sharing with our people of group, not worrying about rain that was supposed to come on a later day (and we don't even know if the weather people know, anyway!).
So, even in praying, there could be noise of worrying. And . . . by the way . . . today it is sunny . . . no rain! We can be listening to this world's reporting and news of people who do not have a clue what is going to happen . . . when instead we can be listening to our Father, in prayer.
So, today, when she phoned for prayer, I asked her if it is Thursday because it was so sunny > perhaps I had slept all the way through Wednesday and the storm. She said I was rubbing it in, but I offered how on Monday I had been upset all day because I did not get returned calls from my landladies, about something. And I let her know that I got pretty dirty and smelly in my paranoid criticizing and imagining how I was going to deal with them. So, Honey . . . uh-uh . . . I could be worse than you, I was saying.
But at least I was aware that I was being overcome to be the wrong way. And I was better because of her calling me, that day, and how her way of loving was cheering me up. So, I appreciate how she can have power of love, like this; I need her. But we need to be first able to submit to You, Father and Jesus, and not be brought down by negative and nasty nonsense. So, thank You for Your correction with encouragement, as One who dearly loves us (c: And may we be this way with each other >
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) In other words, get rid of all that noisy stuff that keeps us from hearing our Father, in prayer, and keeps us from how we can have love, together. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) > forgiving while dearly loving, like our Father has done with us > I think of how Jesus so suffered for us, on the cross > for Jesus, we were worth suffering so much, in order to love us and do us so much good. So . . . this, for me, now means that any person is worth suffering-for, in order to deeply and dearly love and do good for that person. This is how I can become loving.
By the way > I have always thought "clamor", in Ephesians 4:31, means people making a racket. But now I think of how "clamor" can mean that major noise that can be within us. "Clamor" can mean noise which is loud and confusing, and of people demanding things and protesting. Well - - in us, can't we have such a racket of what we demand and expect and are complaining about and suffering about?
Thank You for this correction and encouragement, LORD our Father and Jesus! May we grow in this that You desire with us, all the more > "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)
May this be getting our attention, in prayer (c:
Thank you for being with me and praying for me; God bless you, too (c:
Bill
Yesterday, I was riding my bike to go see my lady friend a couple towns away. I have a cheap cosmetic mirror I bought so I can hold it up and see what the cars are doing, behind me. And I had just rode around this delivery service truck that was stopped and blocking about half of my lane. Then he caught up with me and was not passing; I waved him by and he honked; so I pulled over and stopped, thinking he wanted to let me know something was hanging from my bike, or something. Then he caught up, by me, and called out that he honked, in order to tell me to keep going.
And yes he was turning in, just ahead of us; he had wanted me to get out of the way. So, in he turned and I decided to follow him to tell him it was no problem and I like to be hospitable to vehicles.
I could hear him; but he said he could not hear what I was saying and have a good day.
His truck was so noisy, that his voice could get out to me but he could not hear me (c: So, I decided to leave.
As I "retreated" from him, I thought of how in prayer we can say all we have to say and God hears us; however, during prayer we can be so busy with our worrying and thinking and wanting and problems, and the "noise" of all this can make us so we can not hear God during our praying. So, we can be like that guy who is trucking, but unable to hear what someone is saying to love him > I was disappointed that he didn't have the time of day to turn off the engine or step away from his noisy truck so he could hear me say I care about him and so I was pleased to let him pass me. And can't we be like this? We have such noise of our worries and problems, in our heads, that in prayer we are not interested in just stopping and relishing how our Father lets us know He loves us.
And our pastor, on Sunday, was talking about how we need "listening prayer", instead of how his prayer can be "a one-way conversation".
So, we need how You, God our Father, make us able to be attentive to You while we pray . . . instead of thinking we need to get Your attention (c:
"Be still." "Be sober" . . . so we aren't drunk with worry.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Trust God to have us succeeding in this (c: Before this scripture, I notice how Paul says, "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." (Philippians 4:1) So, this is written not to criticize us and show how we are failing, but this is written by someone who dearly loves us and desires so much for us.
Yesterday, we had our Tuesday group, and my lady friend asked me to meet with her for prayer, instead of helping to set up for our group; word was out that today we would have a storm, and she was already concerned about today's weather being a problem for getting to today's prayer meeting. She wanted me to get away from preparing for our yesterday group, so we could pray in her truck about today's prayer group. I advised her how we needed to give our attention to our others in our group, not be already worrying about today which we had not reached, yet. But in her mind was concern about rain so she could already be worrying about today . . . when we had not even been in our group for yesterday. We needed to be attentive to loving and sharing with our people of group, not worrying about rain that was supposed to come on a later day (and we don't even know if the weather people know, anyway!).
So, even in praying, there could be noise of worrying. And . . . by the way . . . today it is sunny . . . no rain! We can be listening to this world's reporting and news of people who do not have a clue what is going to happen . . . when instead we can be listening to our Father, in prayer.
So, today, when she phoned for prayer, I asked her if it is Thursday because it was so sunny > perhaps I had slept all the way through Wednesday and the storm. She said I was rubbing it in, but I offered how on Monday I had been upset all day because I did not get returned calls from my landladies, about something. And I let her know that I got pretty dirty and smelly in my paranoid criticizing and imagining how I was going to deal with them. So, Honey . . . uh-uh . . . I could be worse than you, I was saying.
But at least I was aware that I was being overcome to be the wrong way. And I was better because of her calling me, that day, and how her way of loving was cheering me up. So, I appreciate how she can have power of love, like this; I need her. But we need to be first able to submit to You, Father and Jesus, and not be brought down by negative and nasty nonsense. So, thank You for Your correction with encouragement, as One who dearly loves us (c: And may we be this way with each other >
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) In other words, get rid of all that noisy stuff that keeps us from hearing our Father, in prayer, and keeps us from how we can have love, together. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) > forgiving while dearly loving, like our Father has done with us > I think of how Jesus so suffered for us, on the cross > for Jesus, we were worth suffering so much, in order to love us and do us so much good. So . . . this, for me, now means that any person is worth suffering-for, in order to deeply and dearly love and do good for that person. This is how I can become loving.
By the way > I have always thought "clamor", in Ephesians 4:31, means people making a racket. But now I think of how "clamor" can mean that major noise that can be within us. "Clamor" can mean noise which is loud and confusing, and of people demanding things and protesting. Well - - in us, can't we have such a racket of what we demand and expect and are complaining about and suffering about?
Thank You for this correction and encouragement, LORD our Father and Jesus! May we grow in this that You desire with us, all the more > "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)
May this be getting our attention, in prayer (c:
Thank you for being with me and praying for me; God bless you, too (c:
Bill