I fulfilled a dream of seeing one of my heroes. I love Dolly Parton. I love everything about her. When you see her on TV, or in person you can feel the woman’s heart. She has humility and such love of life that you wish it would just rub off on you. Talk about a woman that achieved her dreams. She doesn’t feel guilty or ashamed about her money. She’s worked hard for it, and it has been given to her. The below lyrics to her song “Sacrifice” pretty much sums up how I have been feeling about this country.
“But empty or full, I’ve carried my pail / You don’t drink the water if you don’t dig the well / Through blood sweat and tears I have built a good life / But it didn’t come without sacrifice,” Dolly Parton
She is a storyteller through her songs, but she has had obstacles that we don’t even think about in our country anymore. She thanked God and praised Christ throughout the show. She talked about the sacrifice that he made, so she knew she would have to make sacrifices to get where she is today. One of the most beautiful things she said was about being poor, but they were rich in life. They always had food, shelter and clothing but most of all they had love. A humble beginning usually creates great humility when we have worked hard for it.
What we watch, listen to and read influences our hearts. If we constantly surround ourselves with individuals that aren’t grateful and humble for what they don’t have, how could they ever know what they do have? If we have a roof over heads, food in our bellies, and clothing what more do we need. If we have more thank God that we do because those things are just the extra in his eyes.
Joe Scarborough talked about how Christians for years have missed the message of Christ. Jesus was asked by his disciples, who is getting to heaven? How do we sit on the right hand of the father? This is what Jesus Christ said. Then, the King will say to those on the right, come you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me (book of Matthew). This scripture is based on what the individual has done for Christ not the masses. If it was the masses then it would say “we.” Christ convicts your heart, and your heart alone. If we don’t understand the message of Christ and missed his words we probably need look in our heart and not someone else’s.
I can hear the argument that because disciples that it means the masses. Peter denied Christ 3 times, and Judas handed him for money. They were both disciples. Paul was a murderer of Christians, but was given grace and forgiveness by God on road to Damascus. Every act he committed after accepting him was all in his name. Nero killed him for it.
Governments are slave owners. We are now owned by the United States government because of everything we wanted them to take care of, because we didn’t want to do it ourselves. When I see individuals march and protest for the wealthy to give them that wealth I wonder what is missing in that individual’s heart. I see envy, jealousy and greed. I am not saying that there wasn’t corruption because we all have that in us, but we can’t force someone change. We can only try to live by the examples Christ gave us in scripture.
I like Herman Cain because he is actually telling people the truth. When I first saw him he said something that resonated with me and really had never thought about politicians this way before; “I‘m getting off the democratic plantation.” The history of the Democratic Party is filled with racism and hatred towards the black man in this country. Southern democrats were the reason for the civil war, as well as the horrors during the civil rights movement. To me Washington is just trying to control and own what is not theirs; our lives. So many are saying raise taxes, but in reality when is that greed of more money ever going to be filled?
MS changed me. He gave me a very heavy burden. He gave me something that could either make me or break me. Then he gave me a doctor that treats and studies this disease. Then he gave me medicine to help manage the disease from the work of individuals so I could manage it. He gave me husband that works hard everyday to provide for his family to care for my disease and our children. He gave me the money to make sure that I could have all of the above through work. None of this was for free and there is a great deal of sacrifice.
He sacrificed his son so that I would give back to him and others. What a slap in the face to him if I had not of done that. I could have played the circumstance and self-pity card everyday for the rest of my life if I had chosen that. Instead I chose to be grateful for my MS, and achieve what he wanted from me. It is my cross to bear not someone else’s.
Please just take the time to question your heart. Question if you want to be owned by a man that tells you, you aren’t capable of achieving something because of circumstance. Wouldn’t you rather be owned by God that believes in you? Whatever is in your heart is what is affecting your life. I feel great sadness for our country and it just breaks my heart.
"and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV)"
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