Recently, AnthonyR shared something that was surprising and refreshingly honest about a matter and I wanted to include a bit below. Makes no difference whether you agree or not, this topic isn't about that or anyone in particular.
I don’t bring this up to stir the pot, but to point out something that I think is important to mention. It’s interesting when we read things that bring out certain feelings in us. When something like the above happens, I try to look at myself first and figure out why I’m feeling this way. Even though we are writing in a private setting, with nobody to look at us; emotions, motives, and intentions can come through on the page. Things people say and write will get under our skin. I think sometimes it’s our paradigm or doing and at other times, it may be the writer’s. It’s really interesting and got me pondering.Too many times I will be in the Heavenly Gift area, feel a flood of the spirit, then read one of your better than thou contentious postings and the spirit is gone. I am left to mourne because I read one of your one liners which irritates and gets under the skin.
I've been thinking about this phenomenon since AnthonyR posted. As I was thinking about this today, I found and read the post below from Jump4joy.
As I read this, tears flowed and I felt great joy, almost to the point of singing and dancing. This was edifying to say the least and although I’m quite sick and miserable today, I couldn't contain my joy. I immediately felt better and didn't have a care in the world.I asked the Lord if it was all right with Him if I shared something sacred to me. This is only to edify and give hope and my witness of how this came to pass in my life.
In the last week of December 1974 in the middle of my senior year of high school, I had spent my Christmas vacation doing nothing but reading the Book of Mormon and engaging in mighty and heartfelt prayer. The night I finished and then asked the Lord if the Book of Mormon was true according to each requirement in Moroni 10: 4 & 5, I received the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. I was in a state of fire, or eternal burnings, for the space of about a half an hour. Also, pure intelligence flowed into my mind and I communed in the spirit with God while feeling the constant burning....it wasn't painful, but fire is the best description. I also felt joy beyond my ability to express it. I was given a sure knowledge that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God, and that everything in it really happened. And that Joseph Smith is God's Prophet. My belief became knowledge on that day and it changed me forever. A few weeks later, just after my 18th birthday, I got my patriarchal blessing, and that blessing was from God to me...not the words of man. There were many things I asked the Lord about beforehand, and every point was answered in my blessing. I'm not allowed to quote it word for word, but I was told that my Heavenly Father was bestowing a great honor upon me, and said I was Accepted as His daughter and that from that day onward He would sustain me. I didn't understand the implications of that for many years, since I just assumed that we were all already sons and daughters of God.
In July of 1993 during the night I was carried away in the spirit and brought into my Savior's presence. I long to share that glorious experience but will only share a small part. When I saw Him coming towards me, I knew Him immediately, call it recognition....I knew Him and have always known Him and how could I have ever ever forgotten Him??? I fell at His feet (it was the most natural reaction in the world to me) and wept on His feet. I was enveloped in a feeling of love and acceptance that I have never experienced before. There are no words. I wasn't worthy! How could this be? I asked Him the only question I have ever cared about and I was given an answer, a promise, and counsel. I will never forget the weight of His hand on the back of my head and the feelings of comfort, acceptance and sublime love given to me. Or the jarring shock I felt when my spirit was pulled away (torn away, since I fought leaving Him and wanted nothing more than to stay with Him forever) and then dropped into my body. I floated for months in the euphoria and felt chronically homesick for a long time afterwards...I still feel homesick for heaven. For Him.
On the night of January 26th, 2003, something upsetting happened to me, and I went to the Lord, determined to pray until I was able to find comfort and resolution, asking for His charity so I could forgive someone and not yield to anger. One hour went by. Two hours. In the 3rd hour, I was no longer speaking my words, but spoke the words of the Spirit that were given to me to say. It was the middle of the night, but I wasn't tired. At that point, I began to hear the Lord's voice speaking to me as clearly as one person speaks to another. It was wonderful! Who needs sleep?!? I was reminded again of my PB and the implications of being HF's daughter were expanded in my mind. I was also claimed as Jesus Christ's daughter and given a new name. And the thing that was so sweet, poignant, and searing to my soul, was that even though I was rejected my my two earthly fathers (bio and the one who's surname I carried), I was now claimed by two eternal Fathers and I was no longer Forsaken. It makes me weep to remember and write this. I was also shown what my sacrifice had been.
That's all I'm allowed to say, and I hope I can keep this up and not delete it. I hope that my words and witness will help or give hope. I'm nobody the world notices. I'm nobody special and oft-times a quitter too. I am truly the least among you, but I want to add my one small witness that He lives! He longs for us to know Him.
There is a great difference reading things and feeling the way AnthonyR did when he read things and contrasting that type of feeling with what I read not even an hour later. The difference is as broad as night and day, or light and darkness. You can’t hide it or pretend it’s not real.
I don’t want anything to be misconstrued here. I have no problems with Anthony’s words, I appreciate the honesty. This is about those feelings we feel because of something we've heard and/or read and this is a topic I've thought about from time to time over the last few years, this isn't about Anthony’s words.
I don’t think we need to necessarily refrain from writing anything until we’re moved upon by the Spirit, but there’s such a big difference isn't there? I consider jump4joy’s words to be scripture, period. I don’t give a damn that I don’t know you, can’t see you, don’t know what calling you have (if any), and that this isn't in the standard works. This is scripture, light and truth.
These are just some things to consider as we read and listen to others. I also know when I’m being led to write or say something, as opposed to spouting off pridefully or foolishly. Just look at some of my posts and you’ll see there’s a lot of foolishness in there.
The Lord’s words often lead us to pure joy and they can often lead us to almost pea our pants in disbelief, or to our knees in shame. In the end, His words taste good and if we allow ourselves, they’ll change us for the good.
On the other hand, contention, which surely is of the devil, rears its ugly head in many different forms. I can be a “button pusher.” I often know what to say to get under people’s skin. I can calmly be contentious. Even though I’m not riled up, raising my voice, or pumping my fist, I’m very aware of what I’m doing and I regretfully admit that I can be like that at times. I’m a lot like my 7-year old nephew, who often walks in front of a movie screen nonchalantly to bother others when he doesn't want to watch that particular movie.
I don't have any big answers here, but just because someone is upset with me and telling me things that may sound rude, it doesn't necessarily mean they're acting in an unrighteous way. On the other hand, just because someone is calling me buddy and pats me on the back, it doesn't mean they have my best interests at heart. After all, we can seek, ask and find the answers to these things.
Just my 2 cents.
