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Amen to step 10

It never ceases to amaze me how much info we choose to "stuff" or try to hide , playing ostrich w/ voluntary ignorance, so to speak - "IF I dont look-Idont see-Idont see-it doesn't exist !" And we play that game for so long ,that we get caught unaware when someone else brings it up right in front of you and you go "Oh". "Now what do I do ?" Too late to run ! and I get to remember my coach saying ," some times vahn , a good defence is a better offence"

I dont recall how many times I had come across that conversation, between the Lord & Peter , w/the Lord asking the same question more than once trying to prove a point, and me, like Pete , going "yes, YES, I heard it already !", that I missed the whole point.
What the Lord was (Iwas going to say "trying", but He never "tries" anything, He just does it !) saying was "I know you love me, and that's "nice", and I loved you before you ever knew Me, but I also love all the "others" that dont have the "privilage" or the Grace you rec'd , and considering the fact that I am not going to be physically "around here" much longer, I want you to SHOW Me you love me, by telling "them" what I done , and how you got to where you are, and that they also can do the same and enjoy the same "freedom" as you, see that way you wont feel "lonely" and be a part of My flock than apart from it.". ( a V8 moment may be ???)

Although I keep a written journal as well, but given the fact that it'll only be me rereading, to keep an eye on "progress" will be the equivelent of "physician , heal thyself" thought it be best to write a word or two on the latter part of step 10, just to get another's point of you.

Given a choice, the title I'd pick will be "You draw more flies w/honey than w/vinigar".
If I were to catagorize myself solely by looking at my past , I'll be the one who "refused to give up the bad life w/o a fight" (smart huh?).
It wasn't until all score cards read zero, that I'd say "OK, whatcha got ?"
Most of the time I was given the "hail & brimstone" treatment , and when said I was to die & go to hell because of the way I was living , my answer to that was "WHEN ?" "Dont threaten me w/good news" for at the time hell spelled Disneyland to me. No one offered an alternative at the time, or if they did I couldn't hear them from the "noise" they were making, I'm going "If the only answer these Bible 'Know-it-alls' have to offer is Doom , I consider my self a scholar, w/o even reading a word!"

Now why would anybody with their right mind do anything like that ?
Yes, it is a fact that "If they dont listen, shake off the dust and move on to another" but the way you represent something will determin how much dust you shake off w/o getting anywhere, and doing so will end up both you AND the sheep dying of starvation.

What's important when we are called by the Lord to reach souls, is patience and longsuffering. There are some souls that you just want to beat your head on the wall over, because you feel like they aren't making progress...in fact God is the one who has to tell us it's time to move on. I'm usually one that will stay right with a soul, through many hours, so that I have utilized every opportunity that the Lord gives me. There has on occassion come a time, that the Lord has told me it's time to let them go...you can't reach them. This does hurt, but then I have hope that maybe some of the seeds I have planted will get watered by another on down the road.

There are other times that we have to pull souls out of the fire...by telling them the hell and brimstone type of situation. These are usually somewhat deeply lost souls, stubborn souls. They won't hear of love and kindness, they need to hear the cold hard Truth.

Have a deLIGHTful day my friend.

luv ya

I am not, by all means, trying to argue, in fact you are absolutely right on both counts , ever watch a life guard do his work ? what they usually do is swim up to the drowning, close enough but not right up to them, and then they toss a life saver at them, its up to them to grab it , then the guard will tow them to shore.
The practical reason behind that is, as a drowning person they tend to grab on to anything , and in the process you get pulled down yourself, without even them intending to do so .

Otherwise you are right, to stay w/them till you spend all your resources first , but what good will I be to any one if I were dead .

Yep, He definitely needs you and has a plan for you my friend

luv ya