Taking A Stand

    Just recently I have had someone be extremely brutal towards me and for no apparent reason. Without mentioning any names I have to say that when someone treats me so heartlessly I am a little bit more understanding if there is a reason behind their knavery. People often mistreat others not because of something you did, but because of something someone previously did to that person. You don't deserve to be treated that way, yet they do it out of illogical reasoning that you may be just like the person who hurt them before. It may be their way of pushing people away, it may be because they never learned that they should treat others the way they want to be treated, or it may be that they don't care about another's feelings and they their pride get in the way. One thing my parents taught me was that hurting people hurt people.

    I most likely have been there as well and I think that is why I am more tolerable when someone hurts me deeply. It may seem like I am writing this out of spite and a need for empathy, but I encourage you to hang on to see where this is going. So many people have hurt me in the past. It is inevitable in life, but there's one person who has probably cut me the deepest and not once, but time and time again. I would call myself naive for putting myself in a position where it would happen again and I'm sure anyone would think the same. In fact this past time this person hurt me made me furious for about a day and then I was "peachy" after that because I had learned the secrets of preventing bitterness in my heart years ago. My life philosophy has always been to never let someone else be the reason that you fall. In other words, don't let someone else's actions keep you from being all that you can be.

    If you let the pain manifest in your heart it produces bitterness in due time causing walls of separation between you and God. You start to build up walls between other people as well and begin to isolate yourself from good influences because you are afraid of the bad. In turn you become malnourished instead of becoming someone who lives a healthy life and has a healthy spirit. Some other negative results would be depression and anxiety. They all are able to go hand in hand and the more that they do the heavier stronghold is on your life. This is where discernment comes in. It is dire to make sure the influences in your life lead you toward the path you want to go in. Bad influences will drag you down and pull you under just to see you fall. They are incognito persuading you that what they hold is what is good for you. The apple looks good, but really it's poison inside. Now when someone hurts you whether they are a good influence or a bad one we are to mold ourselves to follow the familiar acronym: WWJD? 

    In Luke 6:29 it says, "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic." I've been thinking about this scripture a lot lately so that I can understand the depth of what it means. I'll start out by telling you what it does NOT mean. It does NOT mean that you should let someone abuse you. It does NOT mean that you should let someone walk all over you. It does NOT mean that you shouldn't defend yourself. It does mean to confront someone in a pure manner asking for clarification. We should not seek revenge and believe me I know how hard it is when someone continually stabs you because I admit my initial reaction was to give it back to them as brutally as they have to me, but what good would that do? If it did anything it would only make matters worse. We need to keep in mind Romans 12:19 which states, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." We are to let go and let God.

    The true meaning of Luke 6:29 is that IF we were the ones to be wrong we should go out of our way to make things right. It doesn't mean that we should keep letting someone bully us around in the case where they have already wronged us. We are God's children. We are not weak, but we are strong in His power so that we may overcome. God loves His children and we should treat one another with kindness and humility never letting pride rule our lives. As this post comes to a close I encourage anyone who is in the grasp of someone who is hurting them physically or emotionally to get out as soon as possible and to never let manipulation bring you back to them. In turn pray for them. You can love from afar without getting hurt. Offer them unto God and forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

Your Questions Answered

    I had a lovely discussion with some fellow people the other day and I would love to answer some questions that they had. I didn't choose to write this post because I want to prove them wrong just for the sake of proving myself right. I want to write about it because I believe many people don't understand some of these topics Christian or non-Christian. Now that I have been meditating on it for a few days so that I may attain organized thoughts I would love to share with you what is on my heart not to hurt people, but to help people. I want to help them understand a little better and I as long as I am not hurting anybody I believe that it is okay to talk about. Many of these people had extremely valid questions whether or not they were doing it with respect and love or with disrespect and hatred. As I go into the subjects that I remember most I would suggest if you are going to read this any further and you are not a Christian to respect this post and have an open ear whether or not you'll agree with me.

    One question that was posed was "Is the force that designed creation defined by love?" If you love someone wouldn't you spend time with them? God took the time to create us. He loves us so much that He knows us by name. Not only does He know us by name, but He knows the very number of hairs that we have on our heads. (Oh, look three hairs fell out in the shower. That makes 1,212,340 hairs on Jimmy!) Haha, sorry. I could not resist. If someone is going to quote scripture as proof then Luke 12:7 says, "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of value than many sparrows." If someone takes the time to know you that well there is no way you would doubt that they cared about you. The reason for me saying "if someone is going to quote scripture as proof" was because if anyone is going to quote something and use it against itself then it must be taken into context, i.e. the text, circumstances, and setting surrounding it. I have seen a particular scripture verse taken out of context recently and several times before that.

    That scripture verse is Deuteronomy 22:20-21 which says, "But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." One, this book is located in the Old Testament. This was the law written before God sent Jesus to this world. Back before God sent His Son, He had the high priest who was appointed by God sacrifice a clean lamb on behalf of the sins of the people so that they would be forgiven. Some Christians may disagree with me on this next part and that doesn't mean they are going to hell because of it just like I believe God won't send you to hell for getting piercings. If we put our faith in Him and live for Him I believe that we will be saved. Yes, we'll make mistakes and that's why we humble ourselves to ask for forgiveness. I'm going to bring you back to a familliar verse that many have heard and most people can quote.

    John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." I hear all the time in church that God sent His Son to dies for our sins, but no where in this verse do I see this. Back when they lived by the law human sacrifice was considered sin. By logic if God cannot sin then this was not His purpose. I believe He sent His Son as an example of righteousness so that we can try to attain that and so that we are able to reestablish a close relationship with God as that sets us aside from impurity. The sacrifice that took place was God sending His Son to earth. God didn't murder His Son. We did which magnifies God's love even more so that He would keep on loving us after we crucified His one and only Son. I hope that I clarified that last point to your understanding. Another question that was brought up was "Why does God seem absent in events like the Holocaust? Does all of this constitute a "lesson of love"?" The answer to the last question is a simple no. When sin was brought into the earth the devil had a plan and the blueprints in that plan are to steal, kill, and destroy . In no way was God the doer of such evil things and in no way was He absent. Could God have stopped what was happening to His people? Yes. I say "His people" because there are several verses in the Bible that mention Israel as God's nation. I do not dare make wild claims that I know why God did not strike Hitler dead in those days because anyone truthfully cannot make those claims just as someone cannot claim that God was absent during those times for they were not there. They were not with every person who walked through this journey as well. One's experience is going to be different from another's experience and therefore one person could have been delivered from Hitler's hands and another one murdered.

    I do know, however, that God's plans are greater than the plans the devil has set before us. Perhaps it was the devil's attempt at putting an end to God's people. Perhaps it was the devil's attempt at causing several people to lose faith which I am sure some did. Everything comes down to faith in those situations. It is almost as the faith that one must attain in believing the Big Bang Theory when they say it started off with molecules. Where did those molecules come from? Fact is something cannot come from nothing. I also have received the question, "Didn't God create sin?" When God created us He gave us the gift of free will or of choice which is another example of love. He will not force anyone to follow Him if they are not willing for if they are not willing or submitting then they do not love God. This is why the fallen angel, Lucifer, created sin when trying to overpower God after manipulating some of the other angels along with Him to do just that. As a result they were thrown into Hades. God knew it would happen. He could have changed their minds and controlled them, but if God controlled our every action then we would not be allowed free will, would we? When the devil came in the form of a serpent he convinced Eve that the one tree in the garden that both her and Adam were not to eat of was good. The devil changed her perception and she told Adam whose perception was then also changed. When they both took bite of whatever produce was on that tree God would not allow them back into the Garden of Eden. Again God gave Adam and Eve a choice. We were made for so many great purposes and one of them being so that we may exalt His name and have eternal life. These purposes come with God revealing them to us as we walk in faith.

    Now if I may get a little more personal in this next part then please bear with me. I have had a very long, hard season in my teenage years. I have walked, crawled, and sat through a lot of pain and brokenness and more than I often lead on. Many of you I can guarantee would be surprised at what I have been through. All of the times I walked away from God through everything that I was going through not once did things get better. The times that I did walk with God were the times that I have experienced an overwhelming amount of peace in my life not because the things in my life were ceased, but because God carried me through the times I couldn't walk any longer and held my hand in the times that I could so that I could be made stronger through it all. There are many things I have endured in my lifetime that I don't know the "why." In life no matter what race, religion, or background not knowing every "why" is inevitable. Some would argue that the peace that I felt through these times were because of molecules working together. Say if that were true then why does it happen in the instances where I am walking on God's path and not in the instances where I am not? If that were true then God being all powerful could be the cause of those molecules working together in that way. No one, however, can argue my experience for they were not in my shoes which brings me to my conclusion.

    I hear many of these people speak positively of peace and love yet I hear things like "burn churches" which absolutely appalls me. No argument that that would show love and bring peace would win. Granted there are some churches that are not right and do not live or preach the Word of God. Instead they preach their view rather than the view of the Holy Bible. This is a very sad thing to hear, yet no Christian acting under God's annointing would burn down those churches or even a place that doesn't worship the God who sent Jesus to this earth because it is wrong. On the other hand there are some very good churches out there that praise God and preach the Bible. They are the ones that are helping out communities and making good differences. Any one can do this. There are many people who give to charities and do positive things, but one can do this without following God. Someone absent of helping and loving others cannot do this following God because faith without works is dead as it says in James 2:14-26. Churches benefit others more than hurt them. Going back to the change that took place in my life when God was present I have to say would be that I have been able to love people who have hurt me and they have hurt me more than you can know. I would not be able to have a love even close to that after everything that has happened in my life if it wasn't for the change that took place when I came back to God. There was even an apparent change in my countenance.

    It wasn't even one instance where I have walked away from God which shows my lack of faith that I had at the time, but everytime I turned around I know that God was standing right behind me with open arms ready to forgive me for everything that I have done even though I thought I was running away from God and that I was so far from Him. I will open up a little with you and tell you of a time I was bound in deep depression. I tell you this because I have nothing to lose. This happened a few years ago and you already know we all make mistakes and that God forgives us. Anyways, I was bound in a dark place of depression and I had no ounce of hope left in my weary body. I was overwhelmed by this depression so much so that my thinking was as cloudy as a stormy day. I locked myself in my room with a bottle of Vicodin. I was determined to take every last pill that was in that bottle and nothing could stop me. I started with one, two, three and found myself to five. I was severly high that night. My eyes were rolling back and my body just wanted to shut down whether it was going to sleep or dying that night. I woke up the next morning with pain in my organs which would be expected with that much toxicity in my 116 pound frame at the time. After two more days of the same pain I curled up with my laptop at three in the morning deciding to google how much vicodin would cause you to die. At the time I had read that six is enough to kill you. Many would speculate, but I believe God allowed me to live that night and no matter how you look at it God's hand is evident whether He allowed me to live if dying were the case or just the fact that He has delivered me from such a dark place that I would have never been able to get out of on my own.

    That is one of my many stories of what I have been through. If God brought me out of such a deep place of darkness then I will never lose faith. Sure, I have some valid "whys," but my faith is in Him whether or not He chooses to answer them. Also if God answered every "why" we had then we'd be all knowing and if there was no sin there would be no reason for a savior. Therefore if that was the case we would not need God. If anyone has questions that they want answered with the intention of interest and a listening ear and not a bombardment of arguments then feel free to comment below. If you wish to ask them anonymously then feel free to e-mail me at: elaina.morgan21@gmail.com

Loyalty

Just wrote this poem about a month ago. I like to express myself through poetry so I thought I'd share some more recent ones with you all.

Loyalty

By: Elaina Grace Morgan

I’m loyal, but I'm so sick of my heart being foiled,
From all the plans that you've coiled,
That's why I have left before my heart becomes the victim of theft.
This hurt can only wash out as easily as the dirt in your mouth.
My heart screams and shouts, no doubt.

You don’t care.
You’re blinded from everyone around you.
You’re too busy looking in the mirror.
You scheme to take every breath I drew.
Maybe take a stab at my heart or two.

The only person you care about is yourself, your health, your wealth.
Now I know the reason for your stealth.
I’m done with those lies.
I have no need to ask why

Because no reason’s sufficient
For why your love’s deficient of what anybody needs,
These lies keep growing like weeds.
Indeed, I should be done with you.
Who cares if I love you?
I deserve someone who loves me
And the only way to be free from you is to leave you be.

Religious? Naww.

    Other people are so busy for attacking others for their beliefs. All you Christians don't be like that. We're often the victims of scrutiny, but sometimes we're the ones to scrutinize them for their sin when we know we sin to. Yeah, you are human, but they call us hypocrites because we don't do what we preach. Hey, I'm not saying they're right all the time, but are you really striving to do your best? If not forget it. I have been there time and time again. I'm done with that, sick of this. Will I still make mistakes? Heck yeah, I'm human and so will you. We all do. My thought for today? - Stop trying to act more religious when you're supposed to be trying to act more like Jesus. I'm so sick of this legalism trash. It drives people away. They don't care. They hear all these rules up in the church and they're thinking, "Pft, screw that. My life looks fun out of here with all of this." We don't start by attacking their lifestyles?

    I mean really guys. You attack the things people do with their lives and automatically they're going to tune you out. You be the example. You show them what love is, HIS love. Don't give them a reason to call you a hypocrite. Live to love. We know that they're going to throw stones at any chance they get, guaranteed. Let's stop getting defensive. They're right and if they're going to throw stones then take them with constructive criticism. Build something with it. They know we're not perfect and we make mistakes and they'll use it as an excuse. If they seek the truth they'll accept it. If they accept it they'll do their best to follow it. No need to shove it down anyones throat. It's their lives. It's their own choice. We're not responsible for their choosings. Believe me, I've been there.

    I saw it as a challenge and I learned I can't change anybody, but I can be the reason for someone to change. God is the only one with the power to change someone's heart. We need to put it in His hands and learn we're not in control. I'm glad I finally learned that because I learned the more you try to change someone even if your intentions are perfectly justified the more it's going to hurt you. Don't let people like that bring you down. They're judging doesn't matter because in the end you know who is going to judge them and lastly, forgive them. I know this was a short post, but I HAD to get this one out soon because as you can tell I'm passionate about it.