Choice - Unity or Heartburn

Holy Land Picture of the Day

Valley of Tears Today's picture is of the 'Valley of Tears' in the area between Syria and Israel where IDF tanks fought off a vastly superior attack by Syrian forces in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Today,  this former battlefield is productive farmland, reminding us of Isaiah 25:8; "He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken"  “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” (Phil. 2:2). Hey Gang:  “Choice” or “heartburn” may be a wee bit light for this subject.  A few years back we had a daddy show up at one of the week-end parenting classes.  I might add, it was suggested by the local probate judge that he bury his anger for a week end and come and see if there is a better way. On the first weekend he sat with his arms crossed, and one did not have to be too bright to see that he had made us his mind that he would be there in body but not in spirit.  He was no problem, stumps very seldom are unless you happen to run into them.  The one thing he kept track of was the time – how soon can I get out of this and get back to being a stump again.  Did you know there are a lot of people like that?  The Scripture tell us that there are folks who dearly love to return to their vomit even though their chest cavity feels like someone just rolled over them in a semi.  (Been there and done that) But, then again, I did not have a reputation for allowing stumps to take up space without some sort of response, negative or positive – his choice.  In weekend two, we centered on change – you can remain like you are or lay down the hatchet or gauntlet and try something new.  We closed with the challenge: “Try it you might like it”. Well, low and behold, on the next Saturday we greeted a new daddy, same body but different face and totally different attitude.  He had accepted our challenge and tried it.  When he arrived home he announced to the siblings in the family that things were going to be different and they were - including him!   The end of the story is that dad and mom and siblings liked the new atmosphere of the house, which was heartburn free, for they had learned what Paul was talking about in the above verse.  There is joy in unity. Sooo, my young friends, check out these words by David,  “Behold, how good it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.  It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard” (Psa. 133:1).  God’s lubricating oil works very well, even between brother and sister sandpaper.  That’s why God said when you are at the altar ready to make your sacrifice and you think of a burr that is sticking you, leave your sacrifice and go and remove the burr! (Hainley rendition) Blessings,   Gramps