When I was young, my Mom used to get together with other women to have a quilting bee. One of the mom's said she had bought her daughter a dress to wear for the Homecoming Court. One of the other ladies said she thought the voting for who'd be on the Court was not until the end of the month. The other mom smiled, and said that was correct, yet the reason she bought her daughter the dress was because she knew her daughter would be on the Court because she was the prettiest girl in the school.

My Mom did not spread this news around, but someone else may have.

And at times, part of growing up is having to deal with disappointments ...and this girl cried much at the end of the month. 

Homecoming was a big event in my high school, and as most of you know, it centered around the very popular sport in my hometown ...football.

When it came to sports, much of the time I wanted to hide. Other people want to be the center of attention. And it's not looked on as a bad thing to aspire to that which we may consider important positions.  On the football team ...that highly esteemed position which brings much prestige, is the position of quarterback.  A running back or a receiver get much attention also ...but, mostly the quarterback.

The problem is ...not everyone can be King or Queen for the Homecoming festivities.  And throughout the season, not everyone can be the quarterback.  The Homecoming event may be a bit of popularity contest, but the football team is exactly that ...a team.  And every position is important ...and it is important that every person play his position to the best of his ability. 

And this is not just important in sports.

It is important in a business, in a marriage, and in families ...and in most every other area of life.  

Yes, it is important to do your best with what you've got ...and where you are at.

Then came the mother of Zebedee's children ...and with her, these same sons.

Jesus asked her what was on her heart.

She said, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Your right hand & the other on Your left, in Your kingdom."

It's a good thing to want to be right there with Jesus ...yet, like the Homecoming, there is but One King, and though many people may want to court a prestigious position, how do we view all that??

Perhaps some people view life like wanting to go to a movie on opening night.  At first I didn't understand why that would be so important.  If I planned to see a movie, I trusted it would be out for several weeks.  What I didn't understand ...is that other people communicate much more than me, and some of them find seemingly joy in telling critical details about the plot (spoilers).

So, some people say you have to get tickets early, or they may sell out for that opening night.  And I guess it would be accurate to say that the theaters have by necessity instituted the 'first come first served' principle. In fairness, perhaps that is what the Zebedee mom felt was going to possibly play out.

Let me tell of another story.

A Tale of Two Dogs ...

If we are unfamiliar with a dog, we may look for evidences of whether the dog is friendly or not ...or not dangerous.  And often a wagging tail evidences an eager, friendly, or happy dog.

We could call it:  The Tails of Two Dogs ...

Anyway, I consider Heaven as a wonderful place ...because I know enough about, and trust the One who runs the place.  So, even though I don't know significantly much about Heaven, I have great confidence in the One who has prepared it for us.

I imagine that our two dogs get used to our routines ...which people often refer to as training.  So, to a degree, they get to know and are able to predict our behaviors (which develops a degree of trust ...hopefully).

Okay, dogs don't actually predict our behaviors, they learn our behaviors ...which hopefully are healthy, and a part of their training.

Our two dogs see where the food comes from ...and I imagine that paradise to them would possibly be having the free access to that stockpile of food that we dispense to them.

The one dog patiently (or at least, obediently) awaits for us to dispense the food.  The other dog has on more than one occasion taken into his own hands (or paws) to access the food.  And has also utilized his sharp teeth to aid him.

Sometimes we give our pets more credit than we do human beings, and other times we don't give them enough credit (our pets).  Yet, it seems that one of our dogs lives for the moment ...the one who has forced his entry into the supply.  The other dog seems somehow to naturally accept the reality that future offerings of food may be jeopardized by disrupting the supply line.

As for us humans, there is something to be said for trusting we will get our provision.  And we often pray " ...give us this day our daily bread ..."

No, it doesn't have to be that we just want to be part of a winning team. It could be that we want to do the right thing ...provided we would know what that would be.

We can be excited about good things happening ...but, not to take anything away from that (and certainly we should aim at good things), yet the big picture often requires us to experience a bit of 'not so good'.  This is not just to provide perspective ...it is just abundantly clear (at least it should be) that God knows more than we do.

It is very dangerous if we feel we can reach a level of intellect where we feel there is no direct link to God, or no God at all.  

(https://thecowerofbabble.blogspot.com/)

Jesus made our link to God more than just a traditional or cultural hope ...truly, Jesus made it possible for us to have a future reality of life with Him.

Jesus has provided a place for us ...yet, we also need to know our place.  We need to know and trust that we have a future place, yet we also need to know our place here on earth.

We all have positions, places, and purposes.  The last Chapter of the Gospel According to John, tells of an event of discussion ...Peter turning around, and seeing one of the other disciples, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what shall this man do?"

I had a friend who was going to therapy sessions ...and before I tell of the example, I must also say that sometimes excitement and enthusiasm causes us to often lack in judgment.  Yes, we all make mistakes ...and if we say we don't, it would be difficult to convince others that we still have a pulse.

My friend shared with me something that perhaps should not have been shared with him.  It was shared because we do feel we want to share in things that others have experienced during the times we feel were among the most spectacular of spiritual moments.  The mother of Zebedee's children (I wish she had her own name) was given a very interesting response from Jesus. And part of what I got from that is that we often want the good (and that is not a bad thing) without full view of all the surrounding considerations.  Some people go so far as to even wish they could literally move mountains without the vision of what the resulting effect would be from where that mountain would be moved to.

One of the first biggest mistakes was made by one of the most highly esteemed of God's creations ...Lucifer.  Now, he is mostly referred to as Satan.  And he was not satisfied enough with his esteemed position ...he wasn't then, and he still strives to stir up evil. 

I don't know how many angels there were ...but, even a third of them must have been a staggering number. And the campaign to convince the third to go against a most loving God, must have been a terribly cruel and conniving coup.  I don't even know if his strategy was so much to go against God ...or to just build his own empire or following.

How do do those today get us to follow what they believe ...instead of believing in God??

Doubt ...questioning, not with good questions, but with what erodes our previous trust.

Get them to compromise.  Find something they value, and see if they are willing to give up something for that one coveted thing. Yet, don't let them have it until their values have been compromised in the area you want them to surrender to. 

Do not accept less than absolute commitment.  "If you want to join, and be one of us ...you have to be one with us.  You are either all in ...or you are not.  Breed doubt as one would aim at acquiring a purebred ...establishing the propagation of new way of thinking, replacing a truth with your own.  

Now you have followers ...and it is critical for them to get involved.  The more they act, the more they are going to realize they are in this as much as the next guy.

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent questioned the truth of what had been accepted ...and implied deceitfulness on the part of God, also implying motive for why something was withheld. 

Even with Jesus, Satan tried to bargain ...but for more than just a compromise.  Satan wanted to be free to rule.  Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.

Now, doesn't that give a disturbing truth about how the kingdoms of the world are being run?? Even the ones who hold to believing the truths of God ...are not holy, nor wholly committed to what they often profess to be committed to.

There are many people who believe a wide range of different things.  It would be good for some of them to doubt what they presently believe.  Truth is so evasive for those who believe absolute truth does not exist ...or that it cannot be known.

And often society paints an ugly picture of those who claim sin exists.  They don't like the word ...sin.  Yet, sin admits that though we all have compromised ...we can work to surrender those things that do us no good.  Commitment in this case is not a manipulation, nor is it a tool to twist the truth ...but, it instead draws us to more truth and from the consequences of sin.  Commitment is something that benefits each and every one of us ...that is, if we seek a world where all can benefit.

That seemed like the right way to follow ...so, I have chosen to follow Jesus.

And I would never want to steer you on the wrong path.  I want you to benefit from all the same promises I believe in.


(   http://whosoevershallnotperish.blogspot.com/   )

(   http://moralemoralsandmorels.blogspot.com/    )

(   http://whatdowewanttobelieve.blogspot.com/     )

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