The Bright Spot Report: An Apology to Women

The Bright Spot Report: An Apology to Women: Sometimes I get weird "God Moments" and I feel an urge to do some strange things, This morning I woke up thinking about boundarie...

An Apology to Women

Sometimes I get weird "God Moments" and I feel an urge to do some strange things, This morning I woke up thinking about boundaries. I'm writing a book about the "Thirty Wise Sayings" My new habit includes reading from the Book of Proverbs just before I go to bed and it seems to permeate my thoughts as I sleep. My boundary thinking was boundary-less and caused my thoughts to wander in many places. That's how I got to this strange place of "An Apology to Women."

Tomorrow I'm speaking in a church in Buffalo, N.Y. The subject that I believe God gave me this week could be called: "Peace in a Woman's Heart." That troubled me a bit in the beginning, because I perceived myself as inadequate to speak about a woman's heart. I'm not inadequate, as long as I'm listening to what God would like me to say. As I began to pray and learn how to prepare for the honor of speaking about a woman's heart, the pattern of The Tabernacle began to seep into my reflections. I'm talking about the Tabernacle of Moses - the place constructed in the wilderness with a blueprint from God.

*Note:
 If you are a lady who is not into religion or God,
 please hang in here for a bit.
 Take a chance that this might be a birthplace of peace. 
Thank you in advance for being patient and open.

Flowers in a garden have boundaries. You were meant to flower through all kinds of weather.

The Tabernacle had boundaries. We all need boundaries. When our personal boundaries are breached, we are personally violated in a very painful way. That pain can become a wound that festers into a contagious gash of anguish that creates unhealthy boundaries. I'm old enough to have experienced many broken boundaries and I know pain. My life for the last 10 years has been lived in a land of broken boundaries. I'm the director of a youth ministry in Buffalo. I have watched children die. I have watched young girls hungering for a father's love end up in the arms of a gang. I know what it's like to be a young person and receive unwelcome attention from an adult. I've seen a lot more and I only reveal that information as a glimpse into my awareness of breached boundaries.

Although I do not know your personal pain.
 I hurt for you as a result of my own personal pain.

Even in the cold of winter snow,
A warm heart will grow.
Even in the coldest heart, love can make a new start.

 
Many women have been abused in untold ways at the hands of men. I feel pain when I think of that. I may not have caused your pain, but I do feel your pain. I feel your mistrust as a result of  what was done to you. I'm sorry for what men have done to you. I apologize as a man on behalf of men. I have a burden of pain in my heart that I desire to be a birthing of peace. Healing comes from God. He revealed that process of healing in the blueprint of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.

You are not your pain. You are not your mistrust. You are not your wound. Today you are not the person you once were. Give yourself permission to visit the place of woundedness and examine who you were. My own personal method is to grab the hand of Jesus and step down into the wound as if it were a well. Jesus knew every kind of pain imaginable, he's got a strong hand that will not lose it's grip on you. The person who hurt you never went through a healing process like this. If he did, he never would have hurt you the way he did. His pain festered until it became a contagious magma that erupted with a volcanic fury that maimed and destroyed innocent people. He was out of control. People become blinded to compassion when they are choking in the throes of bitter brokenness.

 I always found it interesting the way Jesus forgave his abusers when he was in the midst of abuse. He said: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." I don't think the man who hurt you knew what he was doing. The filth and dirt that was heaped on him caused him to chafe against real love. He didn't know what real love was. Hate is a sickness and disease that causes a "love unconsciousness." You are only conscious of the pain he inflicted. He was unconscious of the pain he was inflicting. I wonder if he was numb to all goodness and mercy? You are worthy of love. You are worthy to give and receive love. If you don't act in a worthy manner, you too may become calcitrant and end up with a hardened heart. Let go of the woundedness and grasp the hand of healing. Become what you desire and give what you desire.

The Sun of Righteousness Will Dawn

 “Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash— a black day. But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day.” God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. Malachi 4:1-3 The Message

The Gate of the Tabernacle in the wilderness was in the east. I keep using the word wilderness to make a point. You may be in a wilderness of painful memories. You can choose to mold that ache into labor pains preceding a new birth of peace in your heart. The sun rises in the east. Did you ever notice that the sun never stays in the set position? The sun always rises! Walking into the Gate is a form of obedience, this is hard; who wants to be obedient in the midst of pain? Focus on gratitude, find something to be thankful about. Just believe that you are entering into a place of personal forgiveness that will birth healing and peace in your heart.

 Look at the colors around the Gate. The Tabernacle itself was surrounded in white linen. White is the color of God's righteousness, purity and innocence. You can begin to feel pure and innocent because you are loved by God unconditionally. The gate is surrounded by linens of blue, purple and scarlet. The blue is the color of heaven or God's love. A love that is limitless, unimaginably extravagant and unconditional. You are loved. The purple is because you are part of a royal family. You belong to this family who loves you and cares for you with a glorious and deeply penetrating love. This family will never leave you or forsake you. The scarlet is blood of broken boundaries. Jesus shed his blood on the cross for all of the broken boundaries of mankind. The red is your own broken boundaries as you make the choice to enter the Tabernacle in the wilderness. (Any place outside of peace is a personal wilderness.) Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life." Are you ready for the truth that will lead to a new way of life? Let your own personal thorns become piercing points that allow mercy to enter into your being.

Deadwood makes the best fire. Burn up your broken boundaries.

As you walk into the Gate, you will smell bad smells: burning flesh. You will see bad things: death of innocents and blood. Many people will turn and flee at this point, don't let it be you. The trees must lose their leaves before they grow new buds. A kernel of wheat has to fall to the ground and die before it produces new seeds. A butterfly struggles out of it's cocoon. A diamond is made from stress and pressure. A pearl is made from an irritant invading an oyster.  Do you want to grow? There is a Brass Altar where sacrifice takes place. Will you sacrifice your right to hold grudges against those who have broken your personal boundaries? It's hard to sacrifice haughtiness, pride and personal righteousness. It's another labor pain, that's all, persevere and push on. After your personal bloodletting of brokenness, you will walk to the Brass laver. This is your place of cleansing, a place of innocence restoration. Wash off your filthy rags of rejection and betrayal. You are now ready to approach the Presence of God.

Even the thorny cactus grows beautiful flowers.

Obedience and gratitude are opening melodies in a symphony of healing desire. Sacrifice and cleansing are rising crescendos in a rhythmic restoration. The Tabernacle is God's musical instrument of rejuvenation. Stepping into the presence of God is like being enveloped  in the cure, the healing and the recovery at once. I pray that my apology as a man is a seed that causes death to your broken boundaries as you allow God to repair the walls in your tabernacle. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Let their be peace in your heart.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.

Prunes & Pruning - Flo & Gro

I have to admit when I think of prunes, I think of obstruction and laxatives. When I think of pruning, I think of cutbacks, layoffs, and trimming bushes. Yowzers! This does not sound like great material for a Bright Spot Report!  Bear with me my good friends, there is fruit underneath all of this trim or treat.

PRUNES! YUMMY!

Life is meant to be a flowing river. When a dam is constructed, life becomes bound up and unmoving. Nature provides obstruction removers if we are wise enough to learn about them. A laxative for a butterfly is it's struggle out of the cocoon. The butterfly needs the struggle to force fluid into its wings. That process is needed for the butterfly to fly freely. The prune is the struggle that causes the free flow of the natural gifting of the butterfly. These beautiful creatures do not live very long and their very purpose in life is to "struggle and reproduce." You cannot force life, you have to flow life. You need fluid in your wings. If you are experiencing a blockage, go eat some brain prunes!

What's a Brain Prune?

I'm glad you asked, so let's ease into the answer. Take a rest. Take stock of your life. Reflect without interruption. Identify your strengths and abilities. How are you gifted? Are you using your talents in their highest and best form? Are you creating more love in an excellent way? Have you banished negativity from your thoughts?

Life is not meant to be easy. Please don't misunderstand my discussion of prunology. Cool beans! A new word! You were meant to struggle and wisdom is the prune (fruit) you gain from the struggle. Struggle helps you become stronger and more intelligent. Embrace struggle, yes embrace is a fruit called a prune. Ask God why He created you.

Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! A Pruning We Will Go!

Brokenness is a gift designed by God to give you a lift. The tree cannot hold on to last years leaves if it wants bigger, and bushier branches this year. The rose doesn't grow among thorns if the bush isn't pruned. The grape vine needs pruning or it will experience poor fruiting. I took the following from the website of Washington State University Extension:

1. Don't be afraid to cut.When you finish, about 90% of last year's growth will be cut.
2. Grape plants are vigorous, and forgiving. Even if you make a mistake, you'll get a chance to fix it next year.

With that said, you can approach your pruning in a spirit of learning and adventure, not panic.

(http://extension.wsu.edu/maritimefruit/Pages/GrapePruningBasics.aspx)

 

Beautiful and free.

Thanks for your time and patience with my fruiting prunology. I hope these words of wisdom will help you flow and fly!

Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.