You Were Never Meant to Carry This - Oh the Choices You’ll Make

Greetings Dear Reader,

So much of our day is a series of choices.  Every single one of those choices shapes us in some way.  What we eat defines a part of our health and it influences our feelings.  We choose what to wear.  We make moment by moment decisions about leisure, work, and family.

Those choices shape us.  They have benefits and consequences.  The choice to embrace reading at age six has benefitted my education vastly.  The choice to eat badly in my twenties has continuing consequences in my fifties.  Other large choices have benefits and consequences that impact me and those who know me.

All of those choices made me.  However, it is not the choices alone that shape me.  It is the Father’s constant response to our choices that shape us as well.  Since he has prior knowledge of everything he anticipates my needs for love, discipline, and nurture and shapes responses to them.

The error we make is that we do not trust this.  We foolishly think that God abandons or tortures us.  He is always working to bring everything back to good.  In the midst of that work he allows us choices, free will.   He then responds to our choices making the necessary course corrections to improve things.

“I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You Were Never Meant to Carry This – One Step Ahead

Greetings Dear Reader,

The song I used to introduce this series, Dear Younger Me has a line; “If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far then you could be one step ahead of all the painful memories still running thru my head.”

We would all like to be a step ahead of the results of our choices.  We would all like to know the outcome before the choice is made.  We do not.  We have warnings and portents.  We have advice from those who precede us. 

The thing is that we all have painful memories we carry.    We all have failed at things that matter.  We are not meant to carry those things.  We are to learn from them.  We are to grow and become better.

We are never meant to carry our failures beyond the cross.  They are forgiven.  They are paid for by Christ.  We are not able to change the past but we are able to throw off the pain if we adopt the proper perspective.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You Were Never Meant to Carry This - Shame

Greetings Dear Reader,

First let me apologize for being absent for a few days.  I have an injury that makes typing painful.  I am recovering but things are going slowly. 

I feel shame when I miss posting.  I do not need to but I do.  There is shame that is genuine but it, like guilt, should dissipate with forgiveness.  We hold on to shame for many reasons.  It causes us to disconnect and hide from community.

We must not let our own shame disconnect us.  More so we must not shame others.  The moments we do feel shame we must move through them to forgiveness and doing what is right.  We are not meant to carry shame.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You Were Never Meant to Carry This - Guilt

Greetings Dear Reader,

False or deserved we all feel guilt over things.  Some of it is deserved.  When we do wrong genuine guilt is healthy.  Too often, however, we carry guilt over things that are not our responsibility.  Real or imagined guilt is something too heavy for us to carry on the journey.

It has too much power over us.  My younger Son once talked about the things for which he cannot forgive himself.  I have past failures that assail me in the dark robbing me of peace and rest.  It is no small thing that guilt extracts from us. 

There is also the cost of denying genuine guilt.  This too has great power to burden us.  It has vast strength and it endures.  We are not meant to carry it either.   We are meant to find forgiveness, learn the lessons, and move on down the path. 

We are meant to admit our wrongs, make restitution where possible, and leave our guilt at the cross.  We are never meant to take up false guilt.  Some things are out of our control.  We must not take up burdens we are not meant to carry.

The journey is too difficult on its own without baggage that harms us.  I cannot change what my younger self chose to carry.  Perhaps I can lighten your burden.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You Were Never Meant to Carry This - Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes songs make me weep for my younger self.  Sometimes they make weep for the troubles I see in the lives of others that I cannot fix.  Sometime, as in this case, they bowl me over, back up over me, and run me down again.

This is not a bad thing.  It is often good for me to be knocked down by truth.  It keeps me looking up and following in humility.  I can tell I am listening when the truth leaves me feeling love and compassion for others who need it. 

I have often spoken about what I would do if I could speak to my younger self.  I have spoken about what I would do if I could go back and change something.  The reality is that the former me would not be likely to listen.

Still pondering what people need to know as they are younger brings me to some current understanding.   There are things we are just not meant to carry.  There things we need to leave behind that we do not. 

This round of thinking is for both of us Dear Reader.  We carry too much that should be long gone.  We do not see our younger selves as we should.  Walk with me and let us reason together for a bit.

Dear Younger Me – MercyMe

Dear younger me

Where do I start

If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far

Then you could be

One step ahead

Of all the painful memories still running thru my head

I wonder how much different things would be

Dear younger me,

Dear younger me

I cannot decide

Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life

Or do I go deep

And try to change

The choices that you'll make ‘cuz they're choices that made me

Even though I love this crazy life

Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride

Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now

Condemnation would've had no power

My joy my pain would've never been my worth

If I knew then what I know now

Would've not been hard to figure out

What I would've changed if I had heard

Dear younger me

It's not your fault

You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross

Dear younger me

You are holy

You are righteous

You are one of the redeemed

Set apart a brand new heart

You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley

Thru each heartache you will see

Every moment brings you closer

To who you were meant to be

Dear younger me,

Dear younger me

You are holy

You are righteous

You are one of the redeemed

Set apart a brand new heart

You are free indeed

You are holy

You are righteous

You are one of the redeemed

Set apart a brand new heart

You are free indeed

You are holy

You are righteous

You are one of the redeemed

Set apart a brand new heart

You are free indeed

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Be The Reason… - Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We are always an example of something.  We move back and forth between being examples of good and bad things.  We choose the patter of our example.  We become either reasons for belief or cautionary tales.   

It is my obligation to be the reason that people believe in good things.  I must do so by example.  I must do so by living out love, kindness, and faith.  I must become an example of these things no matter how I feel or what my circumstance.

It truly is possible to choose to do right no matter the situation.  It is not easy and it is not simple.  It is my duty to be the reason that others have hope.  Only in this can I be sure that I am following; if I live out the Gospel in every endeavor.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Be The Reason… - Someone has Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

I said all that to say this…   We who follow Christ need to be the reason that people find faith.  We need to live lives that put hands and feet on the Gospel.  We need to be a living example of faith. 

The difficulty is that I cannot take out my faith and show it to someone.  I have be an example of love, compassion, kindness, goodness that can be seen as a glimmer of who Christ is.  Too long we have inundated the world with things that detract from the Gospel. 

When we fail to deal in the things people need to believe in by being the reason to believe in them we hinder others from seeing Christ.   Faith comes from seeing the things that faith yields.  Faith comes from living out the Gospel and earning the right to be heard.

I do not want anyone to put his or her faith in me.  I do want to be a reason that someone puts his or her faith in Christ.  Someone did this for me and it saved my life.  I must do the same.  I must be an example and give people a reason to believe.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Be The Reason… - Someone Believes in Kindness

Greetings Dear Reader,

People need friends even if they do not realize they need them.  It is easy to be solitary when one chooses to be so.  It is difficult when one does not.   It is easy to hard.  It is easy to be indifferent to others. 

It is hard to be kind.  It takes constantly thinking of the needs of others.  It requires insistent intentional putting ourselves in the place of others.  We need to see and understand how others feel and think.  It is remembering the needs of others and even if we can do nothing having compassion.

Kindness changes things.  It can cool tense situation.  It can ease the burdens of others.  It can open doors to friendship.  Kindness fueled by love is the paving material into the lives of others.  It also provides an exit ramp to a solitary selfish existence.

It is easy to guard our hearts and not share them.  It remains easy until we take the risk of doing so.  We will get hurt.  We will be damaged.  It is, however, always worth it.   When the kindness pays off in someone believing that there is genuine kindness in the world it all becomes worth it.

Easy to be Hard – Three Dog Night

How can people be so heartless

How can people be so cruel

Easy to be hard

Easy to be cold

How can people have no feelings

How can they ignore their friends

Easy to be proud

Easy to say no

Especially people who care about strangers

Who care about evil and social injustice

Do you only care about being proud

How about I need a friend, I need a friend

How can people be so heartless

You know I'm hung up on you

Easy to be proud

Easy to say no

Especially people who care about strangers

Who care about evil and social injustice

Do you only care about being proud

How about I need a friend, I need a friend

How can people be so heartless

How can people be so cruel

Easy to be proud, easy to say no

Easy to be gone, easy to say no

Come on, easy to get read

Easy to say no

But too easy to be cold

Easy to say no

But too easy to say no

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Second Thoughts – Uncommon Common Moments

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

Today is one of those rich October days where the temperature is cool.  The sun is out and standing in it feels just right.   It is one of those days where the portents of winter are in the air but so is the last breath of summer.

I had to gather groceries for the coming week.  I went to my favorite grocer, smiled at several clerks I know, and went to the checkout.  Both the cashier and bagger were people I have interacted with for many years. 

I noticed that the bagger, Sheri, did not greet me with her usual smile.  She was stone faced and woodenly doing her work.  I asked her how she was and she only shook her head.  As the cashier was ringing up my groceries Sheri took a moment to step away from the bagging station and speak to me.

Still stone faced she spoke, “I just learned this morning that my husband only has three to six months to live.” 

Her statement hung there in the air like a bomb in the moment before detonation.  She searched my face for a response.  I looked her in the eye and said, “I realize there is no time to discuss this now.  I do, however, care.  Thank you for trusting me enough to be real.  I will look for you whenever I come in so that you can update me.  I will be praying for you both.”

It was then that Sheri smiled.  That was all there was.  A brief smile.  Then she spoke again, “I know you care.  You treat us all with respect when you are here.  Thank you for reminding me.”

As I walked to the car I prayed for Sheri and her husband.   As I drove back to my place I prayed again.  The difference we make by being kind every day pays off in opportunity to be good to someone in pain.  It results in the chance to do more good for someone.  That is what we do.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Be The Reason… - Believes in Love

Greetings Dear Reader,

The engine that drives hope and good is love.  The power to crush the barriers of pain and suffering is love.  The path to all things worth finding is love.

I am not talking about romance.  What I am pondering is the power of selfless unconditional love for those we encounter daily.  It is where we can find the strength to combat all the besieges the work of getting back to good.

This establishment of reason is very simple.  Moment by moment my motive needs to be to be the reason that others believe that love is possible.  People need to see it in everything I do.  They need to feel loved, respected, and valued. 

This means that selfishness and anger must go.  It means that genericity must be a part of who I am.  It also means that I cannot substitute anything less than love for love.  I must not replace love with things or people.  I must always seek to act in a loving way with all my endeavors. 

It is in loving others that makes progress down the path of following Christ.  If I work at being the reason that someone believes in love then perhaps I can help them believe in other good things as well.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)