Born Again Christians Thread-No Bashing please

[WDWHound]

Someone Mentioned the Footprints poem and that reminded me of this humorous variation of it. Before you read it, I want to make it clear that I don't beleive God ever gets tired or fed up with us, but I do beleive he challenges us from time to time so that we may learn to strengthen our walk in faith. That said, I give you...

Butt Prints In The Sand
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
and there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
when one must fight, and one must climb.
When one must rise and take a stand,
or leave their butt prints in the sand."

 

[dcentity2000]

Hello all,
I have a new question for you., A long way back on this thread I posted a question regarding how people pray (which I would still love to get responses to by the way). If you don't mind, I have another question for you.

What do you do when you pray and it seems like God is silent?

In my experience, this happens to all of us at one time or another. It is also been my experience that it usually turns out that God was not actually silent, but that I had somehow found a way to stop listening without realizing it. Right now, for me personally, things seem to be going ok in the listening to for answers to my prayers dept, but I know that sooner or later I will find some creative way to mess it up.

So, what do you do when you pray, and yet can not sense a response from God?

Although He doesn't always answer right away He always listens and often, that's all I need.

I can't say how I know, I can't describe it... it's immensely comforting and very personal...

He does always answer though, even if it takes a while and when He answers, it's always when I need it the most. It's wonderful

Goodness I'm tired... and it shows Sorry for the poor grammar, guys



Rich::

 

[disneymom3]

A number of the people claiming wrong and right are not who I would assume are being labeled "invaders". In fact I find the whole invader remark pretty rude.

Honestly, I have read this response 3 times and I can't figure out what it means.

I really think Rich's comment was just being lighthearted and not intending to be rude.

 

[Grandma Bear]

WDWhound thanks for sharing, I have never seen this. Today I attended the memorial Service for one of our members,; and it was so moving and touching.
This man had suffered from Parkinson's disease for 17 years. In the last few years he was confined to a wheel chair or bed. The hospice director got up and spoke about what an inspiration he was; never complaining or being upset about what had happened to him. He always had a smile for everyone
and a kind word while he was able to speak. He was a Japanese American and during WW11 served in the military while his family was interned at Manzinar. Someone asked if he was bitter about this one time and he said no. He understood why; but didn't agree with it. The chapel was filled to overflowing and some peole could not get into the main room. Every speaker related how he had touched their lives with his love and warmth. What a testimony !

 

[WDWHound]

Today I attended the memorial Service for one of our members,; and it was so moving and touching.
This man had suffered from Parkinson's disease for 17 years. In the last few years he was confined to a wheel chair or bed. The hospice director got up and spoke about what an inspiration he was; never complaining or being upset about what had happened to him. He always had a smile for everyone
and a kind word while he was able to speak. He was a Japanese American and during WW11 served in the military while his family was interned at Manzinar. Someone asked if he was bitter about this one time and he said no. He understood why; but didn't agree with it. The chapel was filled to overflowing and some peole could not get into the main room. Every speaker related how he had touched their lives with his love and warmth. What a testimony !

It sounds like he was a wonderful man. Thank you for sharing his story with us here.

 

[cardaway]

Honestly, I have read this response 3 times and I can't figure out what it means.

I really think Rich's comment was just being lighthearted and not intending to be rude.

Like so many other things, humor is in the eye of the beholder and usually found more humorous by the bystanders.

 

[dcentity2000]

Like so many other things, humor is in the eye of the beholder and usually found more humorous by the bystanders.

It was either invader or Darth Vader and I stand by my choice of words

Seriously though, if the comment offended I offer my full apologies



Rich::

 

[cardaway]

It was either invader or Darth Vader and I stand by my choice of words

Seriously though, if the comment offended I offer my full apologies



Rich::

The choice of words was obvious and likley will have the desired result.

 

[dcentity2000]

The choice of words was obvious and likley will have the desired result.

D00d, I'm not here to argue Relax (as Frankie would say)



Rich::

 

[Albertan mom]

Hound- I had never heard that version of the Footprints poem-very funny!!

 

[shelly3girls]

Hound - I love it! It reminds me of a very gifted speaker I heard this past spring. She spoke about how Christians who are facing challenges can be frustrated by watching the "easy life" of non-believers around them (not making assumptions she was just using a specific example). She talked about how it was part of God's plan to have us face challenges in life. Afterall it is our challenges that bring us closer to Him. If life was "easy" we wouldn't seek His help.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Hound, "Butt Prints in the Sand" is probably the favorite poem of pastors today. You are right that God doesn't tire of carrying us, but our shepherds can get exapserated. I know that particular poem gets lots of mileage among clergy around here. The first time I heard it I for a long time.

You asked what particluar thing got me out of my "prayer funk." I think it was a) actually moving to a new location (loooooong story behind that) and b) a renewed commitment to prayer. I am still working on it, but for a while there I must confess that my prayer life was dismal because I was unable to go through with it without a certain level of assurance from God. Now I pray constantly for God to wake me up from any spiritual slumber I may be in.

Have you read "Waking to God's Dream" by Dick Wills? It is an awesome testimony about one person's journey from spiritual malaise to a new awakening.

 

[Buckalew11]

These ate great posts you all are sharing! I LOL at the butt prints. I have never heard that version. I've been there and done that...

Also, I loved Hound's response about getting off track when praying. I have done the same thing! And it took me a few minutes to realize I had quit praying also. It is like, "oh, yeah, I was talking to God" (Like some small child would do talking on the phone!) When that happens it certainly opens my eyes to the disrespect I am showing my Creator. I think it is the most shameful thing I do. And yet, it happens too often for my own comfort. (But, I am glad I'm not the only one...)

 

[Aidensmom]

Also, I loved Hound's response about getting off track when praying. I have done the same thing! And it took me a few minutes to realize I had quit praying also. It is like, "oh, yeah, I was talking to God"

Same here. When I go to bed at night, I pray, and when I start drifting off things can get weird!

 

[Aidensmom]

Just wanted to share something funny my son said today. He will be turning 4 in two weeks. He was telling me that he wants some books for his birthday, and I asked him what kind of books. He said "I want two books, my two favorites, Power Rangers and God."

(One of our presents to him is a children's bible, so at least I know I got a "favorite"!)

 

[disneymom3]

Hello all,
I have a new question for you., A long way back on this thread I posted a question regarding how people pray (which I would still love to get responses to by the way). If you don't mind, I have another question for you.

What do you do when you pray and it seems like God is silent?

In my experience, this happens to all of us at one time or another. It is also been my experience that it usually turns out that God was not actually silent, but that I had somehow found a way to stop listening without realizing it. Right now, for me personally, things seem to be going ok in the listening to for answers to my prayers dept, but I know that sooner or later I will find some creative way to mess it up.

So, what do you do when you pray, and yet can not sense a response from God?

Hound, well, my latest tactic was to look up every verse I could find that had the word "wait" in it. Seriously though, one of my biggest struggles in my faith is to wait on God's timing and that is what I make as my goal when I feel like I am not hearing an answer. I also ask myself if I really am listening and making time to really focus and communicate with God. As you say, it is not usually that God is silent, it is that I am not listening. Recently I have found it helpful during these waiting times to think about the time of silence that God imposed from the end of the OT to the NT--400 years of waiting and then look! What an amazing thing came of that waiting!

We have a huge praise in our lives right now that reminds me how faithful God is and astounds me once again with his glory. DH was laid off about three years ago and we have been struggling financially ever since. He got a job in his field about 15 months after he was laid off, but the pay was awful and his boss and immediate supervisor were even worse. He learned a lot there though and just in March started a new position, but he has been working as a contractor, which means we have no benefits including health insurance. So, this has been a struggle, but God has seen us through. There were so many months that I didn't know how we were going to keep the house, etc, and yet we managed to pull through it. Yesterday, we got news that he was being offerred a permanent position and at a rate that is 10% higher than the top of the range he had put in for for the job. Woo hoo! We have asked God to see us through, and to provide for us what we needed and He has simply blown us away! However, I wil say that during this three years, I truly wondered what God was thinking and how much more he was going to ask of us. We have been tested in the fire and I truly pray we have proven our faith in Him. We have grown so much as Christians and as a married couple in this time and I know that that is thru Christ alone. Many marriages would have been very strained during this time, but DH and I have managed to draw ever closer to one another.

Just wanted to share.

 

[Aidensmom]

I agree that certain prayers are left unanswered, but the phenomenon I am talking about is more like losing touch with God's presence. Prayer is a conversation, and sometimes I find my self in the situation where I can't feel Gods half of that conversation. Does that make sense?

When I feel this way, I read Job. It first reminds me that my circumstance is not as bad as his was, and then it inspires me to really look around for my answers, they are not always where I am expecting them to be. (For example, I came to the DIS boards several months ago to find out some things about a recent trip we took, I never expected to be given some answers I was looking for here on the DIS, who knew .)

 

[Grandma Bear]

Hound, well, my latest tactic was to look up every verse I could find that had the word "wait" in it. Seriously though, one of my biggest struggles in my faith is to wait on God's timing and that is what I make as my goal when I feel like I am not hearing an answer. I also ask myself if I really am listening and making time to really focus and communicate with God. As you say, it is not usually that God is silent, it is that I am not listening. Recently I have found it helpful during these waiting times to think about the time of silence that God imposed from the end of the OT to the NT--400 years of waiting and then look! What an amazing thing came of that waiting!

We have a huge praise in our lives right now that reminds me how faithful God is and astounds me once again with his glory. DH was laid off about three years ago and we have been struggling financially ever since. He got a job in his field about 15 months after he was laid off, but the pay was awful and his boss and immediate supervisor were even worse. He learned a lot there though and just in March started a new position, but he has been working as a contractor, which means we have no benefits including health insurance. So, this has been a struggle, but God has seen us through. There were so many months that I didn't know how we were going to keep the house, etc, and yet we managed to pull through it. Yesterday, we got news that he was being offerred a permanent position and at a rate that is 10% higher than the top of the range he had put in for for the job. Woo hoo! We have asked God to see us through, and to provide for us what we needed and He has simply blown us away! However, I wil say that during this three years, I truly wondered what God was thinking and how much more he was going to ask of us. We have been tested in the fire and I truly pray we have proven our faith in Him. We have grown so much as Christians and as a married couple in this time and I know that that is thru Christ alone. Many marriages would have been very strained during this time, but DH and I have managed to draw ever closer to one another.

Just wanted to share.

What a great story! God answers in ways we never expected! It's hard to remember sometimes when we are in the fire that it is for our own good! You and your family have been refined and have moved on to bigger and better things. It's always astounding because we ask in faith believing for one thing and God delivers a huge surprize. Sometimes I have had to wait a long time;but I have concluded that it was because God wanted me to know it was him that provided.

 

[luvthatduke]

Good evening and good morning everyone!
I'm glad I wasn't able to read through the
thread until now, I really didn't want to debate,
and a lot of you gave really insightful answers
to the creation/evolution conversation.

On to other topics!
Hound, I'm sorry you didn't get many responses
to your first question, but the second one is
generating some great encouragement, eh?

Julie, thanks so much for sharing your journey these past few years.
How difficult that must have been for you & DH.

I find that God does, indeed, "hide His Face" sometimes,
but usually it's me, praying totally out of frustration
and not in reverance and with faith and trust
in my Father, Who loves me.
Hound, I think that's the reason for me personally,
when I feel like it's a one-sided conversation.
I guess we've all heard the saying,
"If you can't find God, guess who moved?" (hint: it wasn't Him!).
Sometimes we do need a season of deeper reflection and study,
maybe more times of praise than requests, KWIM?
Whatever the reasons, and of course I'm guessing mine mostly,
God is always in control, and it's not that He's not hearing me,
it's that He's decided that it's best for me to only hear myself
for the moment. That, in itself, can be a real eye-opener.

ETA: Loved the Buttprints Poem, never heard it before!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Thank you for the Butt Prints in the Sand. I never heard that before.

And Aidensmom, your story about your son is too cute.