October 14th - Feelings - Stuff 'em up or look at 'em in the light?

The story...

Oh I wish I'd have acknowledged my strong feelings, paused, and decided how to best respond to that situation - the way I reacted was true to my feelings but clearly the wrong thing to do.  In other situations, I wish I would have been attentive to my feelings and recognized that they wanted to share yet couldn't find the courage to speak what wasn't said - I often recognize that there was an unspoken message ten minutes to a few hours later.  "What was I thinking?"  I expect that I was thinking about me and my interests - "It's all about you."

Does the Spirit of God stir up our feelings and provoke our mind towards His will?  When we're right with God, I expect that there's a flow of His goodness that's channeled through our life like a calm river that flows, smooth, and deep.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is a series of locks, canals, and channels that allows ships to float from the Atlantic to as far as Duluth, MN.  In 1959, A hydropower project, a series of electricity producing dams, increased the depth to enable big ships to navigate the route.   The "river" is up to 250' feet deep in some places.  The project required cooperation between Canada and the United States.  It runs deep and generates power.

Might the only church in town be a bit like the Saint Limerence Seaway?   Deep flowing waters generating power - humans cooperating to channel and work out the power of God?

Just for today...

"We soon discover that our willingness to help others has an immediate and beneficent reaction on us . . . The giver is only a channel for the gifts he has received from God. He cannot hoard or withhold them without blocking the channel."  One Day at a Time (p. 288)

"Much of what I find wrong in my life is related to my opinions - that is, my prejudices, assumptions, self-righteousness stances, and attitudes . . . Reality proves me wrong. I also revert to the idea that ignoring my feelings is practical, even desirable . . . It is no easy task to change the thinking of a lifetime, even when I am sure that I want to change."  Courage to Change (p. 288)