A Pause in This Stream of Consciousness

Diane’s mother had a friend who died recently. This wonderful Christian woman was ready (in every sense of the word) to meet her Lord and her Savior. Diane was always amazed at this woman’s faith and her trust in the Lord. As an example, shortly before her death, this woman fell in the hallway of the senior high rise where she lived. She could not get back up. Sometime later someone found her asleep on the floor. When asked what she was doing down there. Her reply was, “I fell and I couldn’t get up, so I thought as long as was lying here I might as well take a nap.”

Wow! What a way to face life.

I have been thinking a lot about money, my money, your money, and the management of money in an abstract theoretical way. My head is full of just about everything but faith. Of course, faith does not live in the head it lives in the heart and that, of course, is the problem. I live in my head not in my heart.

I have thought a lot about authentic communications between individuals. I have concluded dialogue is the essence, the foundation, of relationship. For any communication to be perceived as authentic by the receiver, I believe it must contain some combination of three elements, time, treasure, or emotional energy. Think about it, if I asked you to prove to me that you loved your children, what would you say? I imagine I would hear stories about how much time you spent with your child, perhaps the time you sat up all night with her when she was sick. Perhaps you would point to the cost of a college education at the school of her choice, or the hours spent in anguished prayer during a difficult period during her adolescence.

This, however, is communications between near equals. There is a different kind of communications, this sort of communication is based on power and authority. The centurion understood this kind of communication. He told Jesus, “Speak the word only and my servant will be healed.” I don’t think the centurion understood that he had faith. He did understand power and authority. His orders were backed by the Roman Imperium all the way to the Emperor’s throne room. He saw in Jesus a man who spoke words backed by the full power and authority of God Almighty.

We just don’t believe that we can speak with that kind of authority. I find this curious, as I tend to believe some pretty outrageous Elijah and the prophets of Baal stories told by visiting missionaries returning from some pretty horrid places. Why can a missionary speak with the kind of authority the Bible says is available to all believers, but I can not?

And so we come back around to money. We know that God states, “The silver is mine and the gold is mine.” We know that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. So why do I spend so much time fretting about what is going to be available when or if I ever am able to retire. Wouldn’t it be better sometimes to just take a nap?

God bless all of you.

Matthew 8

[5] And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
[6] And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
[7] And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
[8] The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
[9] For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
[10] When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.