Name: Linda
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Bowing Down to the Golden Statue and My September 11th Memory
I know I’ve mentioned the Beth Moore study our Women’s Bible Study is doing. It is on Daniel. I love studying the Bible. I am constantly amazed at how it speaks to me in such clear terms. It is miraculous the way in which a story that took place hundreds of years ago has such relevance to my life today – right this minute.
This week we studied the Golden Statue that Nebuchadnezzar had built in honor of himself. When it was finished he summoned all the VIPs in the kingdom to come and bow down and worship at its feet. I had never thought about the fact that it was the important people he wanted to approve him with their worship. It mattered to him that those people who were in high positions give him his due.
That concept just pierced my heart as I applied it to my own life. Do I want the people I consider to be “important” to recognize me. Do I want to be part of the “in crowd” – to know and be known? Do I get my sense of value from what others say about me? Am I doing things to receive recognition and affirmation rather than to glorify God?
I have to be honest and say that I am guilty of that. As hard as I try to be pure in my motivation for doing things (such as writing), I know there is a big part of me that wants the glory for myself. Far too often I find myself with that “high school mentality” of wanting to part of the “Popular Group”. I want to be known by the people who are highly thought of. I have even been guilty of name-dropping to impress others.
That is a hard confession to make. Pride has a way of masquerading as different things (even humility) and taking up residence in my heart. As I was doing the lesson I kept thinking about how it even affects blogging. I began because I wanted to write again and felt the Lord had led me to this wonderful group. Now I find myself wanting to be well thought of and checking my comments and comparing what I receive to what others receive; to make sure my blog has all the ‘bells and whistles” everyone else’s has; to write well.. It is the same old trap.
So I humbly ask forgiveness. In my heart of hearts I want more than anything else to be all God wants me to be, to love Him with all my heart, and to passionately seek after Him. I want whatever abilities He has given me to be used for His glory. I am so sorry I have let “self” get in the way once again.
Steptember 11th Memory
I wrote my post for today and then saw that Shannon was giving us opportunity to share our memory of September 11th. (I hope I link this correctly – it’s my first try).
On the morning of September 11th we boarded a plane to fly to Pennsylvania to visit family. Our layover was in Chicago. When we landed we were not allowed to pull up to the gate. There was a lot of confusion, and no one seemed to know what was going on. After a short time passed, the events that had just taken place in New York and Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. were becoming known to the flight crew. One of the stewardesses ran to the plane galley in tears. People in the plane began calling home to find out what was going on. I was able to reach my daughter-in-law and assure her that we were fine and to find out some of the details of what had happened.
We were stranded in O’Hare airport for three days (those days were an adventure in themselves) and finally were able to rent a car to drive the rest of the way to Pa. When we arrived, we learned that one of the passengers on flight 93 was related to someone we knew. He was the son-in-law of a friend of mine in New York – Todd Beamer. I hadn’t seen her in years – we just send Christmas cards back and forth – but it suddenly made a terrible tragedy personal and real and heartbreaking. Her daughter Lisa and my son Scott were in the same Sunday School Class when they were very young. We had visited back and forth and were just getting to know one another when we moved to upstate New York. They are a very special family.
It was a time of deep tragedy, but it was also a time of seeing the grace of God evident in the lives of people like Lisa Beamer. We cannot understand things like this. All we can do is believe that God is who He says He is, that He is good, and He is in control.
Blessings,
Linda
This week we studied the Golden Statue that Nebuchadnezzar had built in honor of himself. When it was finished he summoned all the VIPs in the kingdom to come and bow down and worship at its feet. I had never thought about the fact that it was the important people he wanted to approve him with their worship. It mattered to him that those people who were in high positions give him his due.
That concept just pierced my heart as I applied it to my own life. Do I want the people I consider to be “important” to recognize me. Do I want to be part of the “in crowd” – to know and be known? Do I get my sense of value from what others say about me? Am I doing things to receive recognition and affirmation rather than to glorify God?
I have to be honest and say that I am guilty of that. As hard as I try to be pure in my motivation for doing things (such as writing), I know there is a big part of me that wants the glory for myself. Far too often I find myself with that “high school mentality” of wanting to part of the “Popular Group”. I want to be known by the people who are highly thought of. I have even been guilty of name-dropping to impress others.
That is a hard confession to make. Pride has a way of masquerading as different things (even humility) and taking up residence in my heart. As I was doing the lesson I kept thinking about how it even affects blogging. I began because I wanted to write again and felt the Lord had led me to this wonderful group. Now I find myself wanting to be well thought of and checking my comments and comparing what I receive to what others receive; to make sure my blog has all the ‘bells and whistles” everyone else’s has; to write well.. It is the same old trap.
So I humbly ask forgiveness. In my heart of hearts I want more than anything else to be all God wants me to be, to love Him with all my heart, and to passionately seek after Him. I want whatever abilities He has given me to be used for His glory. I am so sorry I have let “self” get in the way once again.
Steptember 11th Memory
I wrote my post for today and then saw that Shannon was giving us opportunity to share our memory of September 11th. (I hope I link this correctly – it’s my first try).
On the morning of September 11th we boarded a plane to fly to Pennsylvania to visit family. Our layover was in Chicago. When we landed we were not allowed to pull up to the gate. There was a lot of confusion, and no one seemed to know what was going on. After a short time passed, the events that had just taken place in New York and Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. were becoming known to the flight crew. One of the stewardesses ran to the plane galley in tears. People in the plane began calling home to find out what was going on. I was able to reach my daughter-in-law and assure her that we were fine and to find out some of the details of what had happened.
We were stranded in O’Hare airport for three days (those days were an adventure in themselves) and finally were able to rent a car to drive the rest of the way to Pa. When we arrived, we learned that one of the passengers on flight 93 was related to someone we knew. He was the son-in-law of a friend of mine in New York – Todd Beamer. I hadn’t seen her in years – we just send Christmas cards back and forth – but it suddenly made a terrible tragedy personal and real and heartbreaking. Her daughter Lisa and my son Scott were in the same Sunday School Class when they were very young. We had visited back and forth and were just getting to know one another when we moved to upstate New York. They are a very special family.
It was a time of deep tragedy, but it was also a time of seeing the grace of God evident in the lives of people like Lisa Beamer. We cannot understand things like this. All we can do is believe that God is who He says He is, that He is good, and He is in control.
Blessings,
Linda
8 Comments:
An amazing post. Your honesty about pride and wanting to be part of the in crowd is honouring to all those who also struggle with the same thing...the fact of the matter is, everyone does...just not everyone admits it...and another fact is..the truth shall set you free...once we begin to shed light on our motives we break the power they hold over us. It's one thing to confess the behavior...it's powerfully freeing to confess the motive behind it!
Thanks for sharing.
Linda, I feel that when people do good things, when they stay in the light, we trust and grow from knowing them and then people just naturally gravitate to them. I feel God wants us to be happy and as long as we always keep him first that he is pleased with us. I value our friendship, I truly light up when I see your comment. I depend on human compassion and friendship but will alway be grateful to God for all of his blessings.
Well said. I think after a couple months of blogging has passed, we all have experienced the need to be part of the "many comments in-crowd". Don't beat yourself up over feeling like that. As time has gone by though, I find myself not caring about the quantity of comments, but whether or not the people I feel I have something in common with return to read and interact with me.
Perspective is so important and I appreciate the way you have expressed yourself in this post.
Your honesty is actually refreshing. But I think your feelings about blogging are pretty normal when you're first starting. Comments are your only way of knowing people read what you write so of course you want to receive them. It just takes a while to get it all into the right perspective.
I was stunned when you told me you were friends with Todd's mother-in-law. That really does bring it close to home for you. The closest it actually came home to me was knowing that Todd's flight went down just a couple of miles from where my sister and her husband always go camping.
Linda, I am new to blogging and am having trouble posting a comment. I hope I do it right this time because I want you to know how much I enjoying reading what you write. There are two blogs I read everyday - your's and Sarah's. I appreciate your honesty and courage to be vulnerable and transparent. I have been disappointed that you have not written anything in the last few days. Your posts are encouraging, motivating and also challenge me in my walk with God. Thank you. Debbie
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hi Debbie,
I have been thinking about you ever since I read your sweet comment. I have tried several times to visit your blog but can't seem to get there. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated your words of encouragement.
Well, I have to say that I am guilty of that, too. I wrote a similar post a while back, but you said it much more eloquently than I ever could.
That is an amazing story about Sept. 11th. How horrible.
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