Dangling | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Dangling | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ramona Cook
08/31/13
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It happens with people and with things
this unwanted place of "dangling."

I spent several years in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I was there for the purpose of education, I was getting my PHT.

If PHT is a degree with which you are unfamiliar, I will explain it to you. It is an acronym for "Putting Hubby Through." It was for me a fairly useless degree as it turned out.

As it has happened with many other PHTers, it also happened to me.

Once the real degree was secured from the University, those PHT degrees were not in the same intellectual classification system as the new graduate enjoyed, so they often felt compelled to find another real degree holder to match their newly acquired intellectual level. In legalese, it is called Divorced. "You don't fit with me anymore."

I suppose it could be similar to cutting off a dangling string from a piece of clothing. Although at one time in the past, the string helped in holding things together, if it isn't in its place, if it cannot fit, then of course it seems correct to
cut it loose.

Believe me, the cutting away was to my advantage. Be celebrated, not tolerated.

I'm actually telling this account of an occurrence in my life to talk about another and similar relationship many of us experience, and that is as a member of the Body of Jesus, a Church member; but do not be mislead by their apparent association, they are different positions.

A relationship with "the Church" may not be satisfactory; one may feel that "they do not fit," that there is no place for them. Sometimes that is the fact, and in other situations it may be the problem of the Church member, and not of the Church order of inclusiveness.

It is good to note that "The Church physical" may or may not be in correct position with Jesus. If it is not, then the Order of Liberty will not flow in such a body as that because the acknowledgement of status in education, finances, age, gender, yes, even race, will be factors by which one is enabled or denied to move in freedom and effectiveness in Christ's work.

The summation is this: we may not truly fit in the particular Church we attend, but never, never, never do we not fit in the Body of Christ if we have made that acceptance of Him and that commitment to Him.

To be cut off from such a relationship as a particular physical Church, can truly serve to the advantage of the one who is considered, not a good fit.

We have so little time. Those who read this who are in their teens, twenties, thirties, may think they have years to get it together. Perhaps you do, perhaps you don't. But even if you live to be one hundred years old, I promise you that when you get there you will have a revelation of the brevity of time.

Time is an illusion and we unfortunately live our lives by years, when seconds are the basic component of time.

Conclusion: Our focus must be on our relationship with Jesus, Who never cuts us off, Who has for each individual an assigned place of service, to whom He has given gifts of His to perform that assigned involvement, and no one can fill our place with Him. He has given us His Promise to hold us close to Him with loving care, and He will never evaluate us as unworthy or incompetent. To Him, we are each one, His Masterpiece!

Ephesians 2: 13 - 22 tells us that Jesus' intention is that we all become one in Him. The subject of our position is, "In Him."

Let us take our eyes off those who evaluate us by standards of their own and get our eyes on Jesus who calls us His Own. With Him we fit, we have a place, and it is only ours.

We follow Him, He has work for us to do; hopefully it is through the local Church, but if the local Church does not accept us as "qualified" there remains the Harvest in the Field, which Jesus says needs to be harvested. There remains the widows and the orphans, the prisoners and the sick.

Indeed, we have work to do, and we are well qualified by Him to perform that work. Better it is if it can be through the local Church; if not, then JESUS!

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