Thursday 26 December 2013

Faith and Fiction

                                                                                        .
 
Just recently I heard, once again, the phrase:
 
'God will never give you more than you can cope with'
 
It drives me to distraction when I hear another Christian say this to anyone. In the extreme, whilst listening on the end of the phone at Samaritans in days gone by, I have sat with people of faith, and people with no faith, who have clearly got far more to deal with than they can cope with, and on a number of occasions have shared their last breaths with me, as they find release from those difficulties. Somehow, when the phrase above is quoted, it's usually at a time when one is struggling with 'life stuff', and meant as though God is somehow testing that person, and as long as their faith is strong enough, then they will be able to come out the other end either practically, physically or psychologically ok, whatever happens. As a person of faith, I don't doubt for one minute that when He so desires, God will test people to the extreme, but in most cases it's just life that is presenting those problems, and we are all left to deal with them as best we can, and that's it. As a Christian, just as with any person of faith, I look to God through prayer for help when I am struggling, but certainly don't simply expect it, and in the past it has helped me on occasions quite vividly, but at other times those prayers have remained unanswered (and God has simply thought sort it out yourself and don't be lazy). Some of you out there may think this whole faith thing is mumbo jumbo and say this is just coincidence, but just let me say that when someone finds that faith, and understands and believes in it, it becomes a very real and central part of their lives, so please don't make fun of it. Question it by all means, but don't mock.
All too often, the reinforcement for the statement at the beginning comes in the form of 1 Corinthians 10:13, but for me this is about trusting in ones faith when fighting temptation, not coping with severe difficulty, and so completely irrelevent. When problems come our way, they will usually be through circumstances that have simply occurred in our lives, and sometimes they become more than we can cope with, and we take our own lives. It's then, that for me anyway, I have trust and faith that God will step in and take over as promised.
The problem I face when trying to put all this down on paper so to speak, is that it is still far too complex an issue to cover in it's entirety in a couple of paragraphs, and so if it appears a little disjointed or vague, sorry, but I wrote as I thought. By all means ask questions later.
 
 ---------------o---------------

I like books at Christmas, and I also like to collect old secondhand books, but not just any books, those with personal inscriptions or bookmarks in. Amanda bought me a couple of books this Christmas. 'Cold' by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and 'Dedicated to' by W B Gooderham, an interesting, and at times humourous collection of inscriptions to be found in the authors own collection.
 
 
I have several, some with very personal dedications of love, and this book that I found in a tiny village book shop in Norfolk earlier in the year. The flower may have been used as a book mark, or just collected and put in as a keep sake. I ask myself all sorts of questions with things like this. Did a man, woman, boy or girl own the book? Did they finish it, and what did they think of it? How many people have owned it, and where has it lived? Was the flower given simply as a memento, or a love token? Or was it even found by the reader? And why is it now in an old secondhand book shop, and where is the owner? Personal inscriptions or mementos turn a plain book into something that is much more personal, and deserving of being taken care of. After all, in this case, the books owner and the flower giver may have been intensely in love, but have alas since departed, and this is all that is left of that relationship. Very special indeed! 



Have I read the book? Not yet, but half way through and enjoying it immensely. Am I in love....intensely!

21 comments:

  1. Gary,
    In the waning days of 2013 I find this latest post most enjoyable in the reflection it has sparked in myself. I look forward to reading more on your thoughts on this “complex issue”.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your interested reply Gary. Faith topics usually seem to attract hostility in varying degrees from those who don't believe. Although I would like to see everyone have my beliefs, I don't believe it's my place to convince them so, they have to see it for themselves at some point. I might do a follow up as a new year first, as I have had to face several challenging issues of late. Have a good New Year.

      Delete
  2. I don't mock faith. I do have faith in myself so if a problem arises that seems insurmountable then I break it down into mountable bits......From what I recall God takes responsibility for the positive in life and much like politicians passes the buck for the negative.

    Have a good year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Adrian,
      I think the difference between God and politicians, apart from one being all powerful, and the others identical to you and me, is that politicians do something wrong and then pass the buck or use a scapegoat, whereas God doesn't do things wrong, he watches while we screw up. As humans we are very skilled at that, and some even pass the buck to God for what they either see, or can't understand.

      Delete
    2. Gary, was it our fault the ice age came. I never blame God for anything. I do blame the religions of this world for fifty percent of the worlds troubles. I admire your faith but never let it control the real you. This is getting a bit deep for me. I just try to look after people and animals.

      Delete
  3. Great thought provoking post Gary. Faith is hard to explain in words. You can't give it to others or make them have it.

    Having faith doesn't mean you always get what you want either.

    I look forward to reading more that you have to say on this important issue.

    Books are wonderful. I like having my own books, as opposed to reading books from the library or borrowed from others, because I mark them up by thoughts, underlining, dates read, etc.

    May you and Amanda have a wonderful 2014 ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lorraine,
      It's why nobody wins when there is a debate about religion between believers and atheists. Faith can't be debated, it just is. Your first paragraph is spot on. Hope you are well.

      Delete
  4. Great post. I believe I would ban Adrian from your blog if I was you. But you are generally nicer than I am so do what you feel is best. the Bible puts it best...
    “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." Matthew 7:6
    Keep posting, my lazy posting self may post on my own blog at some time.
    Take care, Gina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gina, thank the lord you are not Gary and thank god you only want to ban me. I bet deep down you want me burnt at the stake. Say what you like I'll fight the sanity corner and I promise not to persecute you or any other zealots as long as they live and let live.
      A good post Gary. It beats looking at cut grass. Happy New Year.

      Delete
  5. Hi Gina,
    It's been a while. I like Adrians blog, his photography skills, and writings to go with them. I have never worried too much about putting my beliefs out there for non-believers to see and comment on. The word can't spread if it's only ever shared between Christians, one reason I left my church some years ago, and am struggling to find a new one. May be there now though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Gary, Thanks for visiting my blog...I guess great minds think alike when it comes to naming blogs! I am also a Christian and really like this very thought-provoking post and am looking forward to becoming a follower. I see that you have a grandson named Joshua and I have a son with the same name. My hubby and I also love books - especially old ones...we have quite a collection.

    ReplyDelete
  7. P.S. Gary - I really think you are right - we do make many of our own messes in life. Many of our trials and hard times come from our own mistakes. God has, after all, given us free will and that means he lets us mess up and suffer the consequences. Good post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning Deb,
      Quite a coincidence with the blog names, and the connection with Lorraine!
      As people, we have become quite good at using our free will to mess up, and in a lot of cases thinking that we can fix things without Gods help. Take care.

      Delete
  8. I struggle with faith every day. Being a Type A personality, I find it hard to relinquish control. Plus I'm a hyper-worrier which basically says I don't have enough trust/Faith to 'let go' and turn my problems over to the Lord. Maybe I'm afraid that I won't get the answer I'm hoping for! -- Jan

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Jan, nice to see you over here.
    Not necessarily wanting Gods result is very often what stops me from praying, but we have to don't we? Another place where He only gives us what we can cope with.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Well done Gary, I agree with what you say but we do have the promise from God that He is a far better "get out clause" than anything that we can do either for ourselves or more frighteningly to ourselves. Keep on wearing your heart on your sleev!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there Pete, nice to see you.
      I feel that my sleeves need to be much longer.

      Delete
  11. Thanks for your thoughtful post, Gary. I am not a Christian but I have the definite and uncomfortable sense of being 'pursued' at the moment. The funny thing is that this is happening through blogging - I keep finding blogs I really like, such as yours, that I think are safe territory, and then the blog owner turns out to be a Christian. If I believed in God I would say He had a sense of humour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning Linda,
      I had that same 'being pursued' feeling many years ago. Very real. It has since led me on a very turbulent journey in life terms, but really quite amazing at the same time. All I would say is just keep an open mind. I think God must have a sense of humour to put up with us all down here.

      Delete