I’m Not God

November 8, 2022November 9, 2022 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I’m not God. That’s for sure!
For He is Holy. For He is pure.
I have moments where I imitate him,
but not consistently because of sin.

I want to be, for He is love.
His Spirit is gentle as a dove.
He accepts everyone for who they are.
I have expectations that hurt and leave scars.

I don’t like it when my attempts to be like him fail.
It makes me feel as though I want to die and deserve hell.
Is that what God meant when He said, “You eat this fruit, you will die.”?
Satan certainly didn’t want us to believe that and said, “it’s a lie.”

I’m grateful for second, third, fourth, and more chances to get it right.
It’s a daily challenge, a yearly struggle, and a lifetime fight.
There is grace for the times I fall short of the Glory of God,
It’s for everyone through Jesus. I know his grace is so odd.

We don’t deserve it, yet it is there for us to receive,
if upon Jesus Christ and his forgiveness, we believe.
I’ll keep trying with his help to be like him, for God is love.
The world needs me to obtain, conquer sin, and rise above.

The Tiny Sermon

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April works hard at a manufacturing facility. They build things that use extremely tiny parts, tiny screws, etc. Since I am retired, I willingly keep the house, including doing the laundry. If you wash the clothes in your household, you also know that you find things inside the washing machine from time to time.

The other day, I found a small screw. Actually, the one pictured here. At first, I was upset. This washing machine terrorist could easily get through one of the holes in the machine that the water drains through. Who knows what kind of damage that could cause? This is not the first time I have found one, either. I have asked April several times to check her pockets before putting things in the dirty clothes basket. Often, she doesn’t do this. Her favorite item to overlook is tissues. Yep, they make a mess!

So, while I was angry, thinking about how I would complain, chew her out, or make an issue out of it, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “Don’t say a word.” I think it is part of my Heaven Training Program to become a “quiet man.” (See the previous post but not right now. After you finish reading this one.) I know my high standard of perfection, and my unreachable expectations come from my parents. I know they meant well, as do I, but there is a way to point things out where people hear you but don’t feel bad. You know, like God does.

God loves us enough not to leave us the way we are.

God disciplines those He loves. (Prov. 3:12)

I want April to learn about life here in America. That simple mistakes can have expensive consequences. If I leave this world before her, I wouldn’t want her to suffer when a little carefulness can spare her hardship. I know God would help her, though, and bless her as she lives a life pleasing him and as she honors him. I think my parents had the same desire for me.

I’ve decided to keep the tiny screw and perhaps even put it in a case and display it where I can be reminded as often as needed till I learn to apply the message of that little sermon. Many people take notes while the minister is preaching, but how many reviews those notes afterward? I am thankful for the tiny sermon. I’m glad God still speaks in small ways. Now, if I could only get April to leave money in her pockets.

What Makes Me Hard to Love?

January 22, 2020January 20, 2020 / Mark Brady / 5 Comments

Charlie 012220 Well this isn’t going to be fun, but I feel the need to write out a self-evaluation. While reflecting on some recent events I was reminded of the following flaws in my personality:

I expect others to do the right thing. When they don’t, I want to be the one to tell them they screwed up. (In love of course!)
I have no trouble pointing out the truth of situations, but I forget few want to hear it.
I seek perfection in others, and though I try so hard, I overlook that I too come up short.
I do to others what I am want them to do to me, but I have learned not everyone knows that rule.
If I’m willing to listen to you, I expect you to listen to me.
I tend to “nick pick”, because I think people should do everything the way I do it.

I could go on I’m sure, but this hurts. Looking into a mirror, that sees deeper than the exterior, is hard to face. When you see who you really are, you wonder, how can anyone love me? Then, you might ask, how can God love me?

When God first made man, he was perfect. But God refused to have robots obey commands to choose him, so he gave man “free will”. It was the only way to see who would love him, because they wanted to. God first loved us, even though that “free will” opens the door to imperfection, and makes us hard to love, he loves us anyway. There is no means to measure, or weigh how much God loves us. Love, is God’s core nature.

But just how does God do it? Love us even though we are hard to love?

He looks at us through rose colored glasses. The ones that were stained, by the blood of his son, Jesus’ when he died on a cross to forgive us of our sins. I would be more lovable if I saw others as God does.