A Totally Free Society?

You cannot force people to do the right thing in a free Society. You can ask them to do the right thing. You can pray they will do the right thing. You can scold them for not doing the right thing. You can reward them for doing the right thing. But you cannot force people to do the right thing in a free Society.

We must be willing to ask ourselves if we want a free Society. If we do, we must be willing to allow others free choice even if it means bad choices. That is the sadness of a free Society. Laws are made to ensure the one man's bad choice does not ruin the life of other men or of the society itself. Punishment ensues to protect the validity of the law and we are governed. When the law is allowed to be disrespected it becomes invalid.

I heard a person say once "Your freedom ends where my yard begins." In a perfect Society it would be so. In a totally free Society it would not.

Grace gives people the right to do the right thing based on the love and provision of Christ. However it does not force them to accept the love and provision of Christ. Grace extended includes forgiveness as well as the right to move on from a bad choice, sometimes a hurtful choice. He forgives us and we forgive others. Then we start living as the Spirit directs us.

But first we must learn to hear the Spirit speak. For that we must stop listening to all other voices for a time. That is the hard part. Few people will put forth the effort in this noisy, crowded, entertainment driven world. And so we become subject to the noise of opinion.

The opinions of man get clouded and confused. And we have to ask ourselves again "What is freedom?" Do we want a truly free Society populated by people who disagree with everything that is important in our mind and heart. What if the laws that are made by this Society are against everything I believe in?

Once more we are directed to Grace and forgiveness and the need for restoration and for that we need the guidance of the Spirit. Where does it end? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control can break no law. That is not something you do, that is the result of being Spirit led. But when that becomes you, don't expect the world to applaud and respect you. The world cannot understand that behavior. And that is where we become truly free regardless of the society we inhabit.

A Message from Myself to Myself

Two years ago, I wrote a post to another social page.  I ran into it today and it said all the things that were stuck in my heart and head.  So I brought it here and shall share it elsewhere.  My mother's birthday party was good.  Many things I forgot to do.  Many things I discarded for time.  My age and humanity were apparent.  But it was good.  I shall self-deprecate elsewhere in another timeslot.

What a huge pile of memories I unearthed looking for pictures of my mom! Lots of bunnies to chase within those files and I was chased out by a few bears also. I wanted to post pictures that I would have gotten in big trouble for and I cried over long past pain. It's all still there: love, pain, hurt, joy, laughter, tears, ignorance and pride- all waiting to tell its long past story as my father used to at family gatherings after we'd all had too much to eat. 
Frankly, I can see good progress in many things over the past decades and I can see somethings that remain nagging in the shadows. The truth of my past is the truth of my past, yet I'm not as easily angered by injustice because I realize the injustice in us all. I am not as embarrassed by my lack, because it is my story. I'm not as appalled by the 'sins' of others because though I still believe sin is sin, I see the bigger story and I see the pain of humanity much clearer. -And I understand that only God can fix sin and therefore only God can judge sin. However, I want more than ever to rid myself of its presence and its effect.
I can see some places where things began to go dreadfully wrong, but I still don't understand why. If I try too hard to understand it now, I find myself trapped in a bad attitude cycle that goes nowhere and gives no answers. It's best to leave some things alone, to walk from that room and quietly close the door.
I also saw some of my family in a new light -in a good way. I realized that my mom was really good at fun. She enjoyed it without self-conscious inhibitions and yet it was such good fun. I plan to post a blog on that bunny trail soon. I was not good at fun. Oh how I wished to be, but I was not. I'm a serious person who wants to be fun.
I found that an old friend -a very good friend whom I lost contact with- died a couple of decades ago in a different part of the world. I tried to find out how he died, but I could not. It made me sad for I've always envisioned him off somewhere with a load of grandkids following him about. I can find no indication that he ever married or had children. I cried as I closed that door of research. And yet I found myself hoping that someone else had his exact name and exact birthdate and that he is somewhere loving his life, his wife and a passel of giggling grandchildren.
This September month is full of happy and sad memories. I hope I can give honor to the sad ones without losing the joyous ones. It is not that I would forget the sad. I could not if I wanted to, and yet I don't wish to diminish the happy, amazing wonderful things that came into my life through the door we call September.
I hope your joy and strength are equal to your days. Be blessed.