More Learning

There are two family styles I have always admired, but yet neither were meant to be for me. For one thing, I have no experience from which to draw to be the matriarch of such a style, and the other are the thoughts that it simply isn't G-d's plan for me, or doesn't fit into the plan I crafted for myself several years ago, before walking with YHWH . . .

One family appears to be close in heart, while not necessarily, geographically. The parents are now retirement age, but never made any bones about working for the "almighty dollar." They raised their kids to have good work ethics, or at least money making work ethics. They have all achieved education and career goals, and for the most part maintained the traditional family values as well. The parents are with their original partner and I believe all but one child/sibling is also with their original spouses. They have an unconditional love that I've watched supersede all barriers and they truly rally together for the bad times and gather to share the celebration of the good times. I admire it, I have at times envied it, but I can't emulate it or recreate it, as a parent or a child.

The other family I was watching in hopes of achieving similar results, is also successful in their cohesiveness, and their livelihoods, but in a much more earthy way, and are very geographically connected. The next generation (baby boomer) men did not obtain college degrees, but they are quite entrepreneurial and definitely are not afraid of hard work! The women all work independently and from what I can tell, all in-laws get along well. They have a real "family tradition" set of values, while also embracing, "everyone does their own thing." I have definitely enjoyed watching their lifestyle, certainly envied their unity, but again, it's just not in my future, although for a very brief time, I thought it was within my grasp.

The first family mentioned is all about "American, conservative, family-values." I think they all attend their various churches, have good work ethics, and their folks are quite proud to tell anyone and everyone that the kids have good jobs, making good money . . .

The other family, also shares values, but not so much in making large amounts of money. More along the lines of valued investments, as in land and business; while spiritual matters are on a back burner or predominantly, off the table. They don't mind if someone wants to pray, but . . .

Both of these families, and there are now at least three generations in each, are the two basic, but very different image of mainstream America. What has taken me years to understand is seeking a Scriptural basis for living isn't going to be in mainstream in America. I have discovered in my own situation, a longing for spiritual connection that both of these families also share, but it's a different order of priorities for them, or type of priorities. These families both have the same spiritual values amongst themselves and that, I believe is key to any group actually working and co-existing well together.

That is probably why Y'hshuwah identified his family as those who did the will of His Father, rather than the blood relatives in question at the time. Perhaps that's why Ishmael got sent away from Abraham's life. After living through some pretty harsh negative experiences, Joseph's brothers certainly gained a new appreciation for their little brother they had once found to be so annoying.

We are all spiritual beings, who choose where we place that particular priority in our life. Like-minded people who share similar spiritual priorities manage to interact well. A spiritual bond is a tie that binds. Also though, a spiritual difference makes all the difference.

Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. New Testament

A Little Slow

It has finally dawned upon me, what is wrong with our G-d, family, and country platform, besides the obvious idolatry involved in elevating anything besides the G-d of Israel to the prominence of top priority. Not to mention three entities cannot be the top priority. Y'hshuwah said we can't even have two masters, much less the three we are taught. Those three priorities don't even include the mammon so highly valued in most of our society. To claim anyone or anything on the same platform as our Maker, is to demote our Creator.

The realization hit like a ton of bricks, that not only was Abraham called out of his country and family, but Y'hshuwah said basically the same thing to believers of that day. A prophet would not be received in his own country or own home. Three times it appears in the New Testament that by very comparison to the way we are to feel about him, other relationships would be as "hate," and family is mentioned specifically. Now, it's not that we are truly to hate our family, as he commanded us to love our enemies, but he also mentioned that our enemies would be in our own families. One of the signs of true believers, is the severe family disdain directed toward them.

I've always been intrigued by the number of people who attempt to correct me in the definition of my own beliefs in order to tell me they believe the same thing, only different . . . Exactly! There is truly nothing new under the sun.
We need to take hold of this, and I can't believe it took me so long. True believers are going to be ostracized by friends and family, or mocked. It began with Cain and Abel, but descendants were not an issue with them. I believe we're all familiar with the next major family discord, being Ishmael and Isaac. To this day, the discord continues between the descendants . . . By the time Jacob procreated, there were 10 family members against 1 brother . . .

Y'hshuwah already said it would be the same for his followers, because we are the ones he came to save. Whether it's Ur of the Chaldeans, Egypt, Babylon, Rome, or now our modern society, the majority has never been right in the eyes of YHWH, and G-d's people have always been peculiar to the culture of the time. I probably don't need to mention this part, but they weren't terribly popular either. Only one of Messiah's followers died of old age, and he was in exile on Patmos. Considering the fact that Paul was a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee, I'm guessing family gatherings would have been a bit awkward after his Damascus road experience.

It isn't easy to accept this fact, but it is a fact. Abraham had to let go of everything to take hold of the promise. Y'hshuwah gave every indication the conditions had not changed, and stated as such. As these last days continue to unfold, we will see, on a smaller scale of course, more examples of country and family rejecting those who actually seek the One true G-d of Israel, who is YHWH.

And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake . . . And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:18a,21-22

Forward

I hadn't really thought much about the word, forward, until I read it regarding Ariel Sharon. He's the former Prime Minister of Israel who has been in a coma for seven years, and established the Kadima party before suffering his massive stroke. Kadima is forward in Hebrew. President Obama used Forward in his recent campaign, and I've heard it from friend and foe alike. My daughter has stated more than once, recently that "forward is the only direction we have."

The idea of moving always made sense to me, but I hadn't really considered forward to be the only direction, much less such a popular one. I guess as a mother, grandma, and minister, I've been hesitant at the idea of leaving anyone out and I somehow in my thinking, being left out, even by choice, was being left behind . . . It was in realizing waiting for someone who doesn't want to be included keeps me from moving forward and still doesn't change their choice. So many passages in Scripture these past couple of weeks have been confirming what I just wasn't quite ready to see. Letting go of the past isn't the same thing as leaving someone out, but not letting go certainly impedes the forward motion, and greatly impacts any opportunity to gain momentum.

Not moving forward means one of two things. Either we are standing still, which is stagnation, or worse, spinning our wheels and grinding our gears, digging the hole deeper; or we are moving backward, at that is not only losing ground, but the opposite of forward. As far as I can understand Scripture, the G-d of Israel doesn't appear to have a reverse gear. He doesn't move backward and when He moves, He moves big! I have read about situations in which He doesn't "go with" the presumptuous, but still no stagnation and no backward. It's taken some maturity on my part and receiving wisdom from on High, to realize it isn't so much waiting on folks that aren't choosing to move forward, as much as it, is not wanting to move on without those folks.

The only way to move forward is to let go of the past, and sometimes it's hard to let go of the people who live there.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Torah of Holy Scripture