Stepping on my own toes

My teens and I were discussing how we, as Christians, should not “bear false witness against our neighbors“. We’ve probably all messed up in that way…I know that I have. It is especially easy to do in today’s political climate and social media crazed lives. So — who is our neighbor?

That question has been asked before. When Jesus said to “love your neighbor as yourself”, someone responded by asking, “Who is our neighbor?”

In response, Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan. This was a HUGE deal because of the bad blood between the Jews and the Samaritans. (If you don’t know the story or history, here’s a good place to start: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37&version=NIV)

Note, Jesus doesn’t say you have to like your neighbor, but he did command us to love them. And if we use the Samaritan story, then to “love someone as yourself” means that we are to show kindness, even if there is a deep chasm. We are to help heal the wounds that have been caused by other people. And one of the biggest things? Sometimes we have to be willing to put our own time and money on the line.

Let me be honest – that whole parable is hard for me and most people that I know. Yes, I believe we are supposed to live our lives by that command and the example of the Samaritan. But imagine if the person by the side of the road had been someone who had hurt the Samaritan’s child? Or ruined his reputation by lying? Or done any manner of ill will toward the Samaritan and the people he loved. If I put myself in his place, would I be as willing to “love my neighbor” with the same intention and obedience as the Samaritan did?

Back to the commandment about “bearing false witness” (i.e. lying). It doesn’t say, “Only tell the truth about the neighbors you like” or “the ones you have helped you.” It doesn’t say to “steer clear of bearing false witness…unless they deserve it.” Nope, it is clear that we are not to tell lies about any of our neighbors, whether we like them or not. This includes all politicians (even the ones you might despise) and really rich people who get their names thrown into conspiracy theories on a daily basis.

An essay on this very subject hit me hard (listed below). I don’t like to be told to repent… I don’t know anyone who does. That doesn’t negate the fact that I need to do it. Please note that the article I’ve listed is from several years ago, and though you might not agree with his political leaning, he doesn’t use it at as a crutch. If anything, he’s calling out everyone in his party. He references older memes, but the point is still the same. If you’d like to read it, here is the link: https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2017/may/christians-repent-conspiracy-theory-fake-news.html

Here are some words from the article to consider: “When we bear false witness, we establish a reputation for blindly succumbing to unverifiable or groundless stories. How can we effectively witness when we have negligently borne false witness? How can we then claim to be the body of truth itself? When we spread conspiracy theories and fake news, we discredit ourselves, and we allow the gospel to be discredited as well.” (Ed Stetzer, Christianity Today)

The Good, the Aggravated, and the Sheltered….

Shelter in place. It’s what we’ve been told to do. And for the most part, it’s been going okay.

But last night, I got aggravated because my teens and hubby were hogging the remote. And yeah… I complained a bit. I don’t usually care, but for whatever reason, it bothered me. It was just one of those “moments”.

We all have moments like that – and sometimes those moments can feel much bigger than they usually would, especially during this weird time we are all going through.

Then this morning, I remembered that Sean had smashed a house centipede crawling toward my side of the bed yesterday morning that I’m certain had targeted me for extermination.

And today, he set up my new hammock while I ran an essential errand. I had tried and tried to hang the hammock yesterday afternoon, but couldn’t seem to make it work right. Sean got it set up in a matter of minutes.

Let’s be real — If I wasn’t already smitten with him, I would be now.

The girls have been getting along (mostly) and finding that being “still” isn’t a bad thing. They are working through the grief of missing out on things they’ve been looking forward to for years – and doing their best to find the joy in the every day things. (Some days are better than others!) Zoe and Casey continue to have Bible Study with their youth group via online meetings and also online game days. And many days are spent in their hammocks…just hanging out together. That makes this mama’s heart happy!

I’m thankful for Zoom, FB messenger, text, and for the ability to watch Acorn TV and Britbox 🙂 I am thankful for telephones that allow me to talk to my loved ones every day – several times a day!

And I am super, super, SUPER thankful that we are together and safe with a roof over out heads, food in the pantry, and that all of us are healthy.

There are days that none of us are easy to live with and get aggravated about the small things– but we get past them. They aren’t worth lingering on because we have been given another day — another opportunity, to do life together.

God is good – all the time. And in moments like these, He shows us love in big and small ways…through the arms and hands of the folks around us. And that is what I want to remember, long after our “shelter in place” orders are lifted.

Adding Some Joy

Okay, y’all… in an effort to support local bookstores and bring a little joy into the lives of my fellow humans, I’ve decided to buy a few books from Main Street Books — Davidson, NC, then give them away ! (Bought and shipped via their ONLINE STORE!)

What do you have to do to have a chance to win a book from the list below?

Just leave a comment on my facebook post telling me you’d like to be added to the giveaway. That’s it!

On April 15th, I’ll put all the names into a random name picker Yes, that actually exists! Once the names are chosen, I will announce the winners before I go to bed. Fair warning, that could be anywhere between 10pm and 2am. 🙂

The names of the books you can win are:

1. The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
2. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C Stead and illustrated by Erin E Stead
3. Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter
4. CAVE DADA by Brandon Reese! (This is a brand new book, y’all!)

I will wait to buy them until April 15 so I will know where to have them shipped. If for some reason, the bookstore I’ve chosen is unable to fill the order, I will find another local bookstore to order the books.

To recap:
1. If you want to be in the giveaway, let me know in the comments on the post here: https://www.facebook.com/writerEarnhardt/

2. The drawing for winners will take place on April 15.

3. There will be four winners. Each will receive one book from the list.

3. Easy-peasy… so what are you waiting on? 🙂

P.S. This is the first round of giveaways. I hope to do two more over the course of the next six months. The next batch of books will include Brown Baby Lullaby by Tameka Fryer Brown, God’s Blessings of Fall by Jean Matthew Hall and one more TBA!

 

p.s.s. I can only afford to ship to the US, y’all. Sorry!

Loving our Neighbors

I saw this on the pavement yesterday leaving Food Lion.

I stopped and stared, then took a pic. I’ve been thinking about it since then. That singular face mask represents so much to me and yet it’s too much for me to unpack. So here is just a little of what’s swirling in my brain…

I was there buying groceries that we needed…but not toilet paper. Why? I didn’t need any because my mama had shared some with us. A act of kindness and love that has continued to bless us in more ways than I can say. Toilet paper…something simple that I take for granted on a daily basis.

But there is nothing simple about what our world is going through right now. The impact on families (physical, financial, spiritual) weighs heavily on my heart. I hurt for the world knowing the damage that has already been done. People have died and are dying. Families have had their jobs cut until further notice. They can’t just “run to the store” for a few things…and even if they do, the shelves are mostly bare.

And yet I see some people making fun of others who are fearful. Why? Why do we, as a society, attack those who are already feeling vulnerable? (I have more to say on that, but that’s a post for another day!) Many who make fun of those who are struggling with fear are the ones who act as if they are invincible. To do so is foolish. It doesn’t matter what age you are, disease is not a respecter of persons.

This is clearly not a situation to be treated flippantly.

And still…in the midst of the craziness around us…I have hope and faith that there will be “joy in the morning”. That we will have a greater sense of brotherhood and community, reaching out to help our neighbor…and that we will understand that everyone is our neighbor. I hold onto the hope that there will be healing and gratefulness for our jobs, families, and food on the tables. That we will appreciate the “mundane” side of life and understand that it is a luxury…and that we will “love our neighbors as ourselves”.

Through it all, I have to trust that God can bring beauty from the ashes…and He will. And as we wait, I pray that we share hope and walk in love. And yes, that might even come in the form of sharing our rolls of toilet paper. (Thank you, Mama…we love you!)

Risky Business: The Currency of Love

Jan 9, 2020.

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” – 1 John 4:19-22

As a follower of Christ, Love is supposed to be my currency. Loving God and others should be THE most important thing I do — but it will also be the hardest thing that I do. If it was easy, there wouldn’t be so many scriptures and sermons about it, would there? We don’t hear sermons on breathing. It’s just assumed that we’ll do it naturally. But loving as God loves us? Putting others above ourselves? Even climbing a mountain might seem easier on some days.

Loving our fellow humans carries an inherent element of risk. It leaves us open for hurt. It leaves us open for rejection. Most people have an innate ability to love themselves, so why is it so hard to love others?

C.S. Lewis has this to say about it, ““To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Have you ever ridden a water-ride at an amusement park on a really hot day? I have – many times. And each time, I got drenched… sopping wet. Did I go hide in the car so no one could see me? Of course not. I kept walking around the park. And yes, water dripped from my hair and clothes, leaving evidence of my adventure wherever I walked or sat. Every once in a while, one of my kids would hug me.. then they would be wet, too. If we make the decision to allow our hearts and lives to drenched in the Love of Jesus — and refuse to hide ourselves away — imagine the beautiful soaking of Love that would occur in the world around us!

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” — 1 John 4:7-12

• 

Do you Hate someone?

What I’m chewing on today: 1 John 4:11, 19-21

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
***

I don’t think we all have to like each other or even agree with each other… but we have to love each other. And in this passage, we see that the opposite of loving someone is hating them. No in between. So what does it mean to hate others? What does that look like in our lives today?

Imagine a person you don’t like at all. Someone you vehemently disagree with morally, spiritually, and politically. Got them in mind? Now imagine that you’ve found them hurt and dying by the side of the road. Do you help them… or leave them to die?

About 2,000 years ago, that same scenario was addressed when an expert theologian asked Jesus an important question. He asked, “What must I do in order to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus didn’t give him a long list of things to do. He asked a question that fell well within theologian’s circle of knowledge. “What is written in the Law?” Jesus asked. “How do you read it?”

The guy, probably feeling pretty good about himself and his understanding of scripture replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

So… Jesus affirmed that the theologian had the right answer. But at that moment, the man had questions. Perhaps his mind filled with images of the people in his life that he did not love as he loved himself. People he considered dirty. People that he didn’t even consider people. In his heart, they weren’t worthy of love from him…and certainly not love from God. So this happened…

“But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

As always, Jesus knew the subtext of the man’s question. He knew the fella’s internal struggle.

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” Jesus asked.

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
**
I can imagine the theologian sighing and wish he hadn’t asked the question. But he did… and now we have the answer, too.

Are we willing to leave our “enemy” by the side of the road? Or are we willing to “go and do likewise” by choosing love and mercy over hate? How do we love in daily situations that don’t involve “road side” emergencies? What does that look like?

I think the answer can be found in I Corinthians 13: 4-7. But it’s also hard a hard pill to swallow. So I’m just gonna leave this right here… and chew on it a little more.

“Love is large and incredibly patient.Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter,for it never stops believing the best for others.Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.” (The Passion Translation)

Devotion: Is It Good for You to be so Angry?

In the last chapter of Jonah, the water-logged prophet is a wee bit upset. It isn’t, however, because of his staycaytion in the belly of a big fish. Nope. It was because God was merciful and compassionate to the people of Nineveh.

“I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2a-3)

See that last bit of that verse? Jonah was so bitter and resentful that he asked God to take his life. God’s response, in Jonah 4:4, was to ask…

“Is it good for you to be so angry?”

In Ephesians 4:26 we read, “When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.”  

The truth is, anger is not a sin. But it can lead to sin if we allow it to take up residence in our hearts.

Jonah cared about his reputation. He cared about his health and comfort. But he did not care about the people around him. Why? He was too busy wallowing in resentment and anger because had God decided to bless and forgive someone that Jonah thought “unworthy”. Not only did he allow his arrogant anger to take up residence in his heart, he allowed it to pull up a throne and become king. He had become so comfortable being engulfed by it that he didn’t see the danger to himself and others. His callous and resentful attitude toward the lives of those in Nineveh became the hill he wanted to die on… literally. 

We can tell ourselves that we aren’t like Jonah. But how often have we allowed anger/exasperation/indignation to last longer than it should? How often have we held on to things that we should have given over to God? How often have we secretly wanted someone to “get what they deserved” — but then God forgives and blesses them, instead? What’s that about?

Well… it’s all about God’s mercy and grace. And like Jonah, we are sometimes blind to it. 

When the prophet pitched a hissy and ran from the Lord, he didn’t see the log in his own eye.

And we often do the same.  

But God forgave Jonah. He saved him. He gave him a second chance.

He does the same for us. 

So God’s question remains. “Is it good for you to be so angry?” 

Prayer: 

Lord, when we get angry, remind us of Jonah. Remind us to extend the same mercy and the same grace that we have received — and to kick anger out before it pulls up a throne and gets comfy. 

 

Poetry Friday and Madness Poetry

So I’m out of the Madness Poetry competition — I got knocked out in the second round. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and took the time to vote for others, as well! The poetry is still going strong, though, so head over today and vote for your favorite of the remaining matchups! https://madnesspoetry.com/matchups

***

Today, my kids made a pun when they thought someone said, “soul-er” powered instead of “solar” powered. It stuck with me… so I penned this little poem. Happy Poetry Friday!

CHOOSE CAREFULLY 

by Donna Earnhardt

The things we say can form friendships

and help build confidence.

Or we can choose words

that make other’s laugh —

at somebody else’s expense.

Words can be lovely and gracious —

or they can be salty and soured.

Just know that the words

you choose to use

are always “soul-er” powered.

ROUND TWO!

Okay — it’s here. Round two of Madness Poetry! My assigned word is plateau. 

There are 16 match-ups this time — and they are all hard choices.

You can find it my match-up HERE. 

 

MADNESS POETRY!

It’s here again, y’all, and I’m in the line up for this fabulous poetry competition!

If you want to spend some time reading some fun poetry matchups, check out my poem below (and my opponent’s), vote, and then check out the other poetical pairings!  —–

>>>>> MADNESS POETRY FIRST ROUND! <<<<<