” Contrary to popular expectation, Christianity offers no simple solution to man’s problems or to the integration of his personality; it does promise the abiding presence of Christ…..There is no offer of ease, but the promise of grace for the experience.” Morris A. Inch from his book, “Psychology in the Psalms.” As an illustration of this premise I thought of the story of Jesus, walking on the water. Matthew 14 records this for us. “Immediately (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, “ The disciple were sent on ahead. The crowd which Jesus had been teaching were dismissed. Jesus went alone to be with His Father. The excitement of being with Jesus…
Tag: <span>comfort</span>
Some have written about trains and boats and long journeys; T. DeWitt Talmage illustrates the crossing from earth to heaven too. His tale is called, “The ferry boat over the Jordan.” Talmage’s allegory details it, but I must quote the main points only. He begins: “Every day I find people trying to extemporize a way from earth to heaven. They gather up their good works and some sentimental theories, and they make a raft, and they go down.” “Skepticism and infidelity never yet helped one man to die.” “I invite all the ship-carpenters of worldly philosophy…in 10,000 years they shall never be able to make a boat to cross this Jordan.” No, says Talmage, “…the boat will have to come from the other side” “Blessed be God, there is a boat coming from the other shore.” “pardon, mercy, pity, ministry of angels, power to work miracles, Jesus….from the other shore.” “I…
Ever feel whacked out? Overloaded? Too many details? Go to the Brunswick All-night Bowl of heaven and roll your heavy ball of gruff toward Our Great Father and Care Solver, right away! Heave the ball vigorously and make it rotate far afield; make sure it does not boomerang. Squash the pins which fasten you to disquiet, and burst through with finesse to the back wall of resolution. Post your score! Then, steady yourself on His revealed mind of comfort and peace and ready for the next frame. Some tips to fine rolling: practice your release point, follow through, and avoid too much spin on the ball. Don’t choose a ball that is too heavy, (because you waited too long), or too light, (because you’re a whiner). Don’t allow your fingers to get caught in the ball-grips, but let go. Don’t slip and fall on your delivery. Taking aim crucializes here,…
“One thing we know about our panic —we own it.”“What else?”“We are directing it.”“Really?”“Yes, it receives its cues from us in various ways —weakening, strengthening, ebbing, and flowing at our unconscious movements.”“Tell me more.” “It thrives on attention!” In a word from Viktor Frankl he teaches: “a university student complained about being anxious with regard to an oral report to be given —let us say –on Friday. I advised him to take his appointment calendar and to write on every page of the week, with large letters, the word ‘ANXIETY.’ As it were —I asked him to plan for an anxious week. He was much relieved after doing this because now he was suffering from anxiety only, but not from anxiety about anxiety.” “Pressure induces counter-pressure, and counter-pressure, in turn, increases pressure” —another Frankl quote. Let’s reflect: This above example of “paradoxical intention” does what? It relieves a person from…
Brain-dead, stumped, with empty-headed stupor, I shiver and slap the side of my ear—a futile hope-to-jar-something-loose ritual. I dig deep, but words are not surfacing into consciousness. I scratch aggressively only to overturn more substance-forsaken fragments. “useless to inquire at the bank of ‘rationale,’ nothing of logic answers this event.” It doesn’t make any difference. “It doesn’t make any sense.” A nephew is paralyzed and in a coma after attempting to take his own life and the family calls. A dear friend gets a report that they have 6 months to live. There are no words of comfort, there are no answers. But we must talk, we must call back! Is there a hidden spring of wisdom, applied knowledge, or heavenly utterance to tap? O, The moment requires supernatural help, at the very least. Verily, answers don’t come because the only explanation seems to exist in the sphere of…