The Immovable Rock...1

I've been re-visiting some old posts saved on my computer.  Some of the posts were authored by me...some by others I've shared cyber space with on various e-lists and message boards over the years.  Some of the writings go back to the early days when I first became acquainted with the marvels of the internet. 

I've converted some of them to MP3 files using one of those text to voice programs that converts the written word to the spoken word.  From there it can be transferred to an I-pod or MP3 player to listen to while doing any of those other mundane but necessary activities we must do when not staring at a computer screen.  You know...like walking or scrubbing the toilet or cooking supper.

The voice and flow of words sounds a bit like R3PO or Wally the Robot, but it is adequate and can be understood if you listen closely and if you remember it reads what is written...including some very long URLs. It also converts some abbreviations to what it thinks is the correct long word. Example: Gen. as in Genesis becomes General.  Col as in Colossians becomes Colonel.

As I was walking last night, I listened to the following excerpt from a post written by my friend annie.  She has posted the following several times in the years I've known her. 

 

forgive me if i've shared this story before, but it's come around  again in my meditations (contemplations).  there was a man who lived near a large boulder.  God spoke to him and told him to go and push on this rock.  he did so.  it didn't budge.  but every day, God  repeated his instruction and the man obeyed.  this went on for years.  finally one day the man was exasperated.

"God, every day for years i've been pushing on this rock just like YOU told me to.  it hasn't moved even a fraction of an inch.  either i've failed, or i  didn't hear you correctly, or you have cruelly given me an impossible task to perform!" 

but God spoke to him.... "son, I told you to PUSH on the rock.  I never told you to MOVE it.  you think that you have  wasted your time, that you haven't accomplished anything in all of these years.  but, as you pushed on the rock, you have grown strong and what I intended for you has indeed been accomplished".

i can't count the times i've railed at God for allowing "unnecessary" suffering into my life or the lives of those i love.  it makes no more sense to me than pushing the rock did to the man in the story.  but, through it all, we are humbled, we learn mercy, patience,  endurance, faithfulness - we grow strong in the Lord and the power of  his might.  i hate things that are "unfair" or don't go as they should".  but, after the dust settles, (with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight) i can see God working all things together for good and i  feel stupid for railing at him - kind of like when you lose something and blame whoever else is there, your spouse, the kids, the dog.....  and then find it. 

with that in mind, i'm trying not to behave like an ass when things go "wrong", choosing to not be discouraged by  years of apparent "failure" when circumstances disappoint.  nothing is ever wasted in God's economy - as with the leftovers from feeding  the 5000, he gathers up every fragment.  he redeems the years that  the locust has eaten.  none of our efforts are wasted.  God is not so much interested in our producing "results" as the results that he  produces IN us.  just musing...  -annie

Hmmmm....so "God is not so much interested in our producing "results" as the results that he  produces IN us." 

Damn...I hate it when she says that!!

More of my thoughts on this to follow...