Blest Guest Wednesday #13: Break Out the Red Pen! (Kathleen Smith)

At times, my crazy travel schedule interferes with my ability to post regularly, and I have to bring a little sanity to the blogging part of my life by asking for help. I am now entering one such crazy period. Some wonderful fellow bloggers have been willing to write guest posts for me on Wednesdays, hence the name "Blest Guest Wednesday."

As today's "Blest Guest," I asked Kathleen Smith (Heart 2 Heart), who comments on Blest Atheist frequently, to share something she thought would be interesting to BA readers. I think you will find her post interesting, so here goes:

Break Out the Red Pen!

When I was a corporate trainer for one of the top communications companies, after we had completed our 6 to 7 week New Hire training class, we had a graduation day. It was something I felt was owed to these hard working individuals who had made it through training for customer service representatives. They had to endure long hours and no time off for illness or any reason. If they did, we had to let them go due to the intense and compacted training they needed to do the job.

So, we usually had a class of about 40 people, and we were lucky to have 15 left by the close of our 6-week class. So, on graduation day, I would give them a chance to provide feedback on my training, being as honest as they felt, and no names needed to be provided. I wanted the brutal honesty. If I was a bad trainer, I wanted to know it but also what they felt I did wrong and suggestions on how to improve my training.

It was something I looked forward to the most. Most of what I got was great, but occasionally I did get the brutally honest feedback. I feel it made me a better person. I wasn’t out to get the person who gave it to me, rather, I felt that others can sometimes see things you are often too close to see. That’s where I believe we can all use some brutal honesty.

However, I think we have to be in the mood to hear it. Sometimes others want to offer their dose of brutal honesty to us, but we aren’t ready to hear it. I think a warning is in order. You have to mentally be prepared to deal with their honesty. You have to see it also for what it is: honest feedback based on their perceived opinion of you at that moment. It is a hard pill to swallow for some of us. We don’t want to hear anything negative. All we look for is praise and compliments.

It’s like the red pen circling our errors we have made in life. Remember when you received your paper back from your teacher in school, only to find it riddled with red-pen marks of correction? How did you handle it? If you were like me, a perfectionist in every sense of the word, I hated it. I didn’t see until my high school years that it was a way to improve, a way to better yourself, a way to be a better person to those around you.

In high school, I looked forward to the red-pen marks. I was always looking for how to be a better person, and the people, who could provide that kind of feedback for me were the experts in their field, my teachers. Who better to provide feedback and correction on my English paper than my English teacher? My parents could offer some suggestions, but unless they had an English degree, I had to wait for the red pen! I knew I was getting better when the red pen marks became so few that they didn’t appear any longer.

I didn’t know then but I do now how those red pen marks made me a better student. It’s all about not so much pointing out the negative things but on how to improve on the positive things. That is where God spends so much loving time with us.

Many times we are faced with similar situations in life. Times where I believe, God breaks out the red pen in our lives. Sometimes we are so stubborn that we choose to look at a difficult situation God has placed in our life, and all we choose to see is the red pen all over our paper. We don’t want to go back and fix it; we don’t want to hear what is wrong. We simply want to see a great grade on top and move on to something else.

When we take that attitude of refusing to fix things that God wants us to fix, He may allow the situation to pass but brings it back to us in a different form.

Many times as a teacher for my daughter, when she gets frustrated learning something new and wants to quit rather than see the lesson before her, I try again. Many times, I have to see that my attitude or method of teaching her that new concept isn’t getting through to her. I have to change my approach so she learns without me losing my patience with her or having her end up in tears. I have to try a different way of teaching her that concept. My methods weren’t able to reach her in the manner I needed it to, so she was missing the point. The goal is to get her to learn something new, something that will make her a better student and move up a level.

God is the same. He presents situations to us, many times in different manners so we can learn what He needs us to before we can move up another level. We may get frustrated and cry. We may run from our situation, but God keeps lovingly bringing it back to us until we see that situation or red pen for what it is: a lesson to be learned, a way to make us into the wonderful person God sees. It is His goal for us. We are on that path to becoming better people! We simply must change our hearts and our attitudes and be willing to see the red pen marks for what they are in our life.

God, please continue to use the red pen until I achieve all you want me to be in Your life!

Blest Guest Wednesday #11: Why Is Love the Greatest of All the Gifts from God? (Kathleen Smith)

At times, my crazy travel schedule interferes with my ability to post regularly, and I have to bring a little sanity to the blogging part of my life by asking for help. I am now entering one such crazy period. Some wonderful fellow bloggers have been willing to write guest posts for me on Wednesdays, hence the name "Blest Guest Wednesday."

As today's "Blest Guest," I asked Kathleen Smith (Heart 2 Heart), who comments on Blest Atheist frequently, to share something she thought would be interesting to BA readers. I think you will find her post interesting, so here goes:

Why Is Love the Greatest of All the Gifts from God?

I was reading tonight a book about Heaven and what it's actually going to be like. After all, it is where me and my family know for certain we are going when we die, so wouldn't you like to know a little bit about what it's like? I will discuss some of those things with you tomorrow but it isn't really about a tunnel of light either!

So the question that presented itself in my readings pertains to the chapter in the Bible known as the chapter about love. 1 Corinthians 13:13, which reads, in case you don't happen to have a Bible handy, is " and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So why is love the greatest? To figure this out, you need to go back to the Bible in Genesis to when God originally created a sin free world with Adam and Eve. The garden and world in which God created was perfect! No sin, or sinful thoughts or any evil. Adam was having conversations with God in the garden so there was a sense of an intimate relationship with God. Adam didn't pray to God, but he actually talked to him like we do with close friends and relatives. So if you are living in a sin free world, it's easy to see why love remains the greatest.

Remember that the world we live in today is filled with sin and a sin filled nature. Which is why, even after we are saved, we will continue to struggle and often times go back to things we know we shouldn't, like books, movies, TV shows, language and other things. God never said once you give your life to him, becoming a Christian, that your life would be carefree and easy. In fact, the opposite is true. We are faced with more struggles because the enemy, the devil, does not want us to wind up with God in Heaven. His goal is to take out as many of us as possible before his time is up.

But God when he returns promises to destroy the earth as we know it and will create a new heaven and a new earth in which sin will be removed. Imagine that! No pain or suffering is easy to believe along with no more death. We will never have to face the fact of losing someone close to us ever again. The other thing is we will restore that intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ. We will see them face to face. So there will not be a need to pray anymore. We won't need anything which is why we pray. We will have it all.

Our sinful nature and thoughts will go away as well. No more doubting things, no more evil thoughts ever!!!

So now that that relationship with God was severed on the initimate level we have to have faith. What is faith?

Let's define that. The dictionary states that faith is

1a: allegiance to duty or a person;

1b loyalty (1): fidelity to one's promises; (2)sincerity of intentions;

2a (1) belief and trust in and loyalty to God; (2) belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion;

2b (1) firm belief in something for which there is no proof; (2) complete trust;

3: something that is believed especially with strong conviction, especially a system of religious beliefs.

Basically, in a nutshell, faith is believing in something you don't see but believe is there.

Since we will be in heaven and everything we wanted to know will be revealed, we don't need faith anymore. God won't allow disbelievers of God or Jesus into heaven so the only people there are the ones who believed when they didn't see. Remember the Beatitudes? Blessed are those that are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

So with no needing of faith, that one is gone. Now we have hope left, so let's define hope.

Here is the definition according to Webster's:

intransitive verb
1: to cherish a desire with anticipation
2 (archaic): trust

transitive verb
1: to desire with expectation of obtainment
2: to expect with confidence : trust

Well, for now we can hope for a better life. We can hope to be reunited with our loved ones. It, again, is something we want and trust but can't be sure will happen until it does or doesn't. So, back to the new heaven and earth, if all our desires are provided for and given to us, what else is there to want?

That leaves love. To see why that is the greatest goes beyond the initial love, the romantic feel-good, emotional love that comes and goes. What I am talking about is the act of love. Unconditional love with expecting nothing in return when you give it. That is the love God gave us.

Imagine you are a parent and you have a child. No matter what your child does in life, you will always love him or her unconditionally. But let's say you had a child that was perfect in every way. Yes, to some parents, we would love a child like that. But a child that never talked back, never did anything wrong, always listened. Perfect in every way.

You go to a city one day with your child and find yourself in the middle of the courtyard that is filled with people who are about to be put to death based on their horrible, evil crimes: mass murderers, liars, thieves, rapists, (you fill in the blank with any crime that makes you sick or cringe). The men are ready to receive their just punishments. After all, we punish our children when they doing something that is wrong. Then, you hear about the worst one there, the evilest of all the criminals and he is about to be put to death by the executioner unless someone steps forward to take his place. You hear laughsfrom the crowd around you. People begin to shout for the execution to take place, and some in the crowd throw things at the man. Then you step forward and offer your child to take the man's place.

People in the crowd begin to whisper about how you could sacrifice your child for one of this city's most notorious and evil criminals. But you say I am glad I could do this for you. You owe me nothing. You watch the criminal walk away without being executed. How would you think the criminal should react?

If I were the criminal, I would be eternally grateful, offering to work for you or do something for you as payment.

Or would you say thanks or not say thanks perhaps and simply walk away?

The story is real!

The child as you may have guessed is Jesus Christ, and the parent who gives up his perfect child is God our Father. We deserve the punishment we should receive for all of our evil doings in the world. True, we may not be the most notorious and evil criminal or ever think of doing those things but the Bible says all fall short of the glory of God! Every one of us was doomed to be executed, but Jesus took it all for us so that we may have eternal life if we simply believe in Him. It is by His grace to offer us the gift of His son, that we can have faith and hope while we wait to return to Heaven when our lives are over.

Will you simply choose to be like the criminal and just say thanks and walk away! The great thing is that even though we would want to give that guy the world, he wanted nothing from us, but our love. That is why I believe that love remains the greatest.

Now that you know, what will you do with this gift?

Blest Guest Wednesday #6: Sadhu Sundar Singh - A Christian Ascetic Holy Man

From time to time, it is difficult for me to post regularly, given my crazy travel schedule, which you can follow, if you have such a liking, in the Twitterlets. You will notice that "crazy" is the correct word because while one day I think I am going to Afghanistan in March, the next day I learn that it will be Ohio. (I am trying to determine what those two places have in common!) I have been able to bring a little sanity to the blogging part of my life by asking for help. Some wonderful fellow bloggers have been willing to write guest posts for me on Wednesdays, hence the name "Blest Guest Wednesday."

As today's "Blest Guest," I asked Amrita from India (actually from a place with the delightful name of Allahabad, meaning in English, City of God), who comments on Blest Atheist frequently and whom I have come to know and have some affection for through the blogosphere. (See her blog, Yesu Garden.) I think you will find her post something from another world, literally.

Sadhu Sundar Singh: A Christian Ascetic Holy Man

Sundar Singh was born into a rich landowning family of Punjab on Sept 3,1889. He lived a life of comfort and ease and received his education at a Christian High School in order to learn English.

His mother used to take him to a sadhu (holy man) living in a nearby jungle who taught him the holy scriptures and religious traditions. Sundar sat at the feet of the hermit, drinking in the wonders of Eastern philosophy and religion.
His mother's sudden death affected the young boy deeply . Anger and disillusionment erupted in Sundar's heart. This often took the form of violence against Christians and missionaries connected with his school. He started taking great pleasure in ridiculing and persecuting Christians, especially new converts. In a blatant act of hatred, Sundar bought a Bible, tore it up, and burned it page by page as his friends watched the spectacle.

Three nights later, his soul seeped in bitterness, Sundar decided to commit suicide. A fast train passed by on the railway tracks near his house at 4 o' clock every morning. He would lay on the tracks and let it pass over him; that would be the end.
Contemplating his predicament, he got up to take his last bath. While bathing, he looked up to the star-speckled sky and, addressing the Unknown God, cried out, "God, if you really exist, reveal yourself to me." Then he lay down on his bed, waiting for the morning to dawn.

He was suddenly awakened by a blinding light and saw a vision of Christ. who looked at him with love and compassion and showed him his nail pierced hands and feet. The dazed Sundar fell down at Christ’s feet in worship and adoration. His heart overflowing with joy and excitement, the 14-year-old lad ran to his father and told him about this vision of Jesus.

The elder, staunch Sikh man chided his son, saying it was a figment of his imagination and that he should shun every thought of a foreign God. But Sundar would not budge from his faith and determined to follow Christ, whom he had seen face to face.

His conservative Sikh family used various ploys to destroy his newly found faith. Unable to do so, they even tried to poison him. Sundar was finally disowned by his family and driven away from home as converting to Christianity bought great shame to the clan. He lived in a Christian community, and at the age of sixteen he was baptized in the hill town of Shimla.

After that, he donned the yellow robes of a sadhu (a holy ascetic man) and set out on foot to traverse the length and breadth of India and the neighboring countries to spread the message of Christ. On his journey he would beg for food. At night, he found shelter under a tree. He had many strange and miraculous encounters with people who appeared to be angels or outlaws, and he once found that he had slept with a cobra.

At first, the Christians of North India were suspicious of his liberal ways, but they soon found out that Sadhu Sundar Singh was a devoted follower of Christ. They gave him the title of "the apostle with the bleeding feet." He received a lot of public attention in the cities he visited. People wanted to elevate him, but he responded by saying ,”I am not worthy to follow in the steps of my Lord ... but, like Him, I want no home, no possessions. Like Him, I will belong to the road, sharing the suffering of my people, eating with those who will give me shelter, and telling all men of the love of God."

In his missionary journeys, he traversed the entire sub-continent, even Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Afghanistan, and Tibet. He spoke of meeting a 300-year-old Christian hermit in a cave on the snowy slopes of the Himalayas. Both men spent several weeks together in fellowship.

The sadhu was not welcome in Tibet after he shared the gospel message. As on many other occasions, he was beaten, stoned, and left to die but miraculously survived. Once, he was sewn up in the dry skin of a yak and left out in the blazing sun to die of suffocation, hunger, and thirst. But at nightfall, a man who appeared to be an angel of the Lord came and rescued him and sent him on his way.
Nothing is clear about his death. In April 1929, he set off into the Himalayas to visit Tibet again as well as places of Hindu pilgrimage. He was last seen in a small hill town of Kalka, after which he disappeared. He never returned. His biographers say he died on the frigid terrain of the mountains or was taken up to heaven by angels. I would like to believe the latter.

Below are excepts from the Sadhu teaching from The Parables of Truth.

Parables of Truth

- When a man is in a state of sin, he has no sense of sin. A man dives into the water. On his head are mounds of water, but he does not feel their weight at all. However, on coming out of the water, if he lifts a vessel of water, he thoroughly understands how heavy the water is. In the same way, when a man is sunk in sin he has no sense of sin, but once he is delivered, he is conscious of the least sin.

- It may take a long time to know about a flower, but it doesn't take long to smell its sweet fragrance. It doesn't take long to enjoy Him. I know Him -- that is enough for me. People have been quenching their thirst with water, not knowing that it is hydrogen and oxygen. So it is with the water of life. If salvation is for a few, then it is not universal, and if it is not universal, it is not true.

- “How can I believe there is life hereafter? -- Heaven and Hell?” I was asked by a professor.
“But,” said I, “we find the proof in ourselves.”
“Can you give a proof about the future life?” he asked.
“Certainly. Eggs at first contain only liquid matter. Then, a young bird is gradually formed. Supposing the mother-bird tells the young one, ‘You will come out of this shell. You will see mountains, hills, clouds, fields and also your mother.’ What if the chicken says, ‘No, you are telling a lie. What proof do I have?’
‘Why, those wings, those eyes have been given to you. You can't use them in the egg shell. You can't see anything but yourself. Your eyes and wings are proof that you are being prepared for a world to come.’ When the chick came out of his shell he saw everything and his mother and he could enjoy everything.'”

- So we shall come out and see our Heavenly Mother-Father. Why these desires? Longings for peace? There is no room to satisfy all human desires in this life. But we shall see our Saviour and the saints in Heaven. In this body we could not see them. But all eggs do not get hatched. They need the Mother's warmth. So too we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit to make us warm. We must receive the warmth and heat from Him in prayer."

- "When I was in America a wealthy man was telling me of his experience. 'What do you think is the most precious thing in this drawing room?' he asked, 'Some say it is that beautiful picture or these precious stones. But the most precious thing in my house is that tiger skin. One day when I was hunting with my brother a tiger was shot. But he was not killed -- only wounded and still breathing. My brother fired and the tiger jumped on him and so my brother was killed but the tiger was killed too. These scars are my brother's blood. My brother gave his life for me. So this is the most precious thing in my house.'
- So when we read the word of God we learn that our Brother gave His life for us. There is no precious thing in the world than this. It has the mark of our Brother's blood."

- I have a stone in my hand. I hit somebody with it. The man's head is broken, and he dies. As long as the stone was in my hand, it was in my power. However, once the stone was out of my hand, it was out of my power. And it was too late. The man was dead. If I repent, that only means I won't throw any more stones in the future. But the man is already dead! In the future, we shall receive strength, but we must hold fast for the present. Otherwise, we are in danger of losing what we have.

- There is a danger of losing the gifts or the blessings which we have been receiving from our Heavenly Father. If there had been no danger of losing our crown, our Lord would not have given warnings. So,” watch and pray.” Gifts, blessings, spiritual life and crown — there is a difference between having these things and receiving them again. Those who repent may obtain forgiveness if they go to our Heavenly Father, but those who postpone may find it too late."

- It is an excellent plan to entertain noble and lofty thoughts in the mind at all times; for by the Law of Association one good and noble thought attracts another.

- A tree grows and develops in the light and heat of the sun. There is infinite space above the tree; yet, when the tree has reached a certain height, it cannot increase any more. Why can it not increase? The force of gravity draws it down. We are spiritual beings and are to grow upwards and not downwards though things in this world draw us down.

- The heat of the sun makes a tree grow, but by the heat of the same sun, another tree dries up. When a worm or an insect has entered a tree, the life of the tree is being gradually destroyed; then the heat of the sun instead of giving it strength helps the process of decay. We have life within us and are to grow through the light of the Sun of Righteousness. To what degree is it possible for us to increase? To this degree, “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.'"

- When governments began to mint coins, men began to make counterfeit coins. So, too, in the Spiritual life, the Evil One provides counterfeits of every virtue.

- In the spiritual life, we can do much harm when we fully intend doing good just like the man in Burma who rushed to pour buckets of water on his house which had suddenly caught fire and found that in that great oil-region he was pouring kerosene oil instead.

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When I was growing up, my grandma and parents told us stories about Sadhu Sundar Singh. I was in awe of his spirituality and devotion, and it has left a deep mark on my life. Two years ago, his niece held a series of meetings in my town. She is also a missionary, and it was thrilling to hear about the rich legacy the Sadhu has left behind.

- Amrita from India