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Letting go isn't always giving up

mood: relaxed relaxed
The rich young ruler [Luke 18:18-30] went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, and He will not plead with you. But every time He meets you at the place where He has pointed, He will simply repeat His words, saying, "If you really mean what you say, these are the conditions."

—Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (18 August, "Have You Ever Been Speechless with Sorrow?")

There's a lot in this. Honestly, I think most of us are too self-centered to see it.

Full day yesterday: work, lunch with Heather, dinner with cow, Community Group. Good to meet cow in the flesh over a good meal, a good beer, and a good conversation. Taking it easy tonight, which is nice. Stillness comes hard for me, even though it's one of the things I most deeply need. I think lots of us are that way in our current culture.

Way too short tempered the last couple of days.

Letting a lot of things sink in related to remembering what I want. Not epiphanies; just letting the realization bring things to the surface and experiencing them. It's a strange place, but I've been in stranger. And it's a hopeful one, even when I choose directions opposite of what might seem to make sense.

Looking forward to fall and winter, when I can have a fire in my fireplace. I've wanted that for a long, long time.

Love that we will have a Radiohead quote on the cover of our church bulletin this Sunday.

Posted on Aug. 18th, 2004 at 08:07 pm | | Communicate | 3 communications |

Comments


chippa

For the longest time I thought that verse was about man's ability to reject Christ's invitation, but now I realize the man was unregenerate, and though expressed the desire to follow Christ, did it w/ the wrong motives (w/o the Holy Spirit).

Just my opinion.
Posted on Aug. 19th, 2004 03:41 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

barlow_girl

Letting a lot of things sink in related to remembering what I want.

I hope you enjoy making me curious. ;o]
Posted on Aug. 19th, 2004 07:04 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

gatorgirl

We have to lose our lives to find them. You can know that without being willing to DO that. The very things God points to, and wants us to yield, are the hardest things TO yield, and that's the point. If it were easy, it would mean nothing to Him. If we love Him, first and foremost, then we have to be willing to yield the things or the people He wants back.... and really leave them with Him. Because only then can He perfect His work in us. And yes, it leaves you speechless with sorrow. Although it doesn't necessarily leave you dry-eyed. But I'd rather be speechless with sorrow, having yielded the thing He wanted me to yield, than grieving my own inability to be as much as He expects me to be. Because He will honor us when we yield. And it will grieve Him when we don't. And the person I'm really sharing this thought with probably knows that I'm speaking to myself. Still, the quote was timely, and helps me reach my conclusions... as always, the right thing to do is the hard thing to do. But as I said before, I will love my God when there is nothing left to love. Even if it sometimes means sorrow beyond words.... (not that I'm ever completely "speechless").... :)
Posted on Aug. 19th, 2004 08:28 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply