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A Morning View By the Wood Stove

1.What do you see when you look at someone? 
2. What do you experience when you encounter someone? 
3. What do you really know? 

1.We see the surface. We see the painted picture of the moment. We see what the person wants you to see.
2. We experience whatever the person desire for us to encounter. We might hear words and see actions which do not match the painted picture in question 1. We often can experience something not quite right with the persons soul, but we experience mostly what someone is willing to allow us to experience. Something I confidently can say which someone cannot hide is that when they are a believer in Jesus Christ, even in their worst, we will experience Jesus in he presence of the Holy Spirit.
3. Really, we absolutely know nothing about them unless they are willing to share. 

I see a lot of people putting puzzles together during the pandemic. It can be a productive way to spend time with one another and not just sit around. There is a completed picture when it is finished. I have never really enjoyed puzzles. What I have always enjoyed was standing and helping for awhile, becoming "frustrated." Then walking away allowing people to see the outside fake joy of "helping." When I do walk away, I would take one piece of the puzzle and put it away until the puzzle was completed and there were "no more pieces." I would then come and be the person to "complete" the puzzle. 

With one another, we can put the puzzle pieces together which we are allowed to see, but we cannot complete the puzzle without all the pieces. The opportunity we have is to only work with what we've got. Making snap judgements both good and bad are not fair and are not right. We only know what we know. We do not know the whole story of the past present and future of any person we encounter. We may get clues but not facts in our conversations. We just can only really know someone to the depth they allow us to know them. 

People spend their whole lives living lies to hide their pain and struggle. They find temporary fixes through worldly addictions as well as through spiritual addictions. This happens, perhaps not intentionally, but most often avoiding pain and happens quite often running because of self worth. The surface looks perfect, but the depths are in turmoil. You would never know based on 1-3 above. 

Well, PB they are a good person. Yup. They go to church. Yup. They are a leader in the church and are even pastors. Yup. The better observation is are they authentically surrendered to Jesus Christ? Is their soul complete with God? Is there an insatiable desire and passion to completely give their life to save their soul and serve God before serving self, desires and the flesh things of this world? 

I have said before that salvation is so important, and it is. But salvation is only the starting point of our life journey with Jesus Christ. First reconciling in total surrender to God is necessary. Our soul must be complete. Second following the call of God no matter the journey is imperative. Last we must help others complete their puzzles with how ever many pieces are missing. 

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT


How is your soul? Are their pieces missing? I am working on mine.

Peace,
PB

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