When I was a little boy, 3rd grade I think, my friend Ricky asked, “Why did the little ink drops cry?” After admitting I couldn’t think of why they would, he answered, “Because their mother was in the pen and they didn’t know how long the sentence was.” I have coined the word in this title to characterize my sadness and occasional depression about this evil world. For a few examples, the condition of three of my 13 grandchildren whose mother, my number 3 daughter, who fell into drug abuse and homelessness three years ago, left her sister and her husband who had no kids to be their guardians. Lots of pieces to pick up there. Plus the accelerated purposeful destruction of our republic with our freedom, peace, and prosperity -- all hopes living only in the past. Then there are tens of millions of believers suffering persecution and abuse for their beliefs. Then consider millions of other believing and non-believing victims of massive floods, fires, earthquakes, and other natural events. And constant wars destroying refugees to assure their poverty, madmen spinning off worldwide ethnic genocide, revolts and insurrection. There's bloody control by corrupt unelected NGOs and elected government officials without consciences, forcing ceaseless bombings, killing of innocents, and so forth. It's depressing at the limit! Feels like only evil, continually -- never this bad in my long lifetime. Our own western world hoped-for heritage is toast. In short, until the Rapture the whole world is literally trapped here! Compounding these, all these last ten plus years in which I have honestly and realistically expected “Deliverance by Rapture” -- the single event that begins to soon right all universal wrongs -- all the hopeful dates have come and gone. After some I actually cried. The Fall of 2015 brought me my holidays from hell! So admit it that I / we have the exact problem as those little ink drops, namely we don’t know how long our "sentence" is down here. We're trapped this side of the Rapture. "Trapture." So what, Dan Whitestone? What’s your point in writing this post? Quite simply it’s to share my heart with those likely to understand my sense of being trapped. It is personal and emotional and it is of my own making. Not that I caused the feelings I hope to be delivered from, but somehow I have been unable to reliably enjoy daily peace and hope by sending the devil packing! In fact, years ago I used to go to WalMart and walking around became depressed imagining that not many of those people were saved, and that they lived clueless about what they were about to suffer. I'm not currently that afflicted and I'm grateful for the deliverance. Also historically, many of my friends and church acquaintances whom I testified to about Jesus coming in the air very very soon, almost all considered the whole concept kooky. And my using a few “you’ll see” statements in talking to them years ago has only proven to embarrass me now years later. Credibility zilch it seems, among some friends. I’m not asking for advice. I give myself plenty of valuable advice. But I do covet your prayers that the devil will be unable to steal any more of my joy before the Rapture, and that whenever I feel so depressed that I’ll be enabled to count God’s blessings and praise God in order to send the devil packing! Every so often I admit allowing the devil to trouble me. I hate being emotionally trapped this side of glory. Thanks in advance for the prayers. And pray too for yourselves and all of us who really really really really really want Jesus to come for us, that we'll receive hope and patience. But you already do that, don't you...?! Ditto brother. The only one good aspect of all the evil, wickedness and loss that men experience it certainly makes my heart all the more grateful for His saving grace. I am also made all the more humble knowing that He chose me! I do appreciate your candor and honesty brother! Your transparency is an encouragement! And frankly I also believe the Lord also relishes your candor as well. Much like King David, he hid nothing with regards to his feelings. And the Lord always knew what condition his heart was in at any given moment. IMHO, there are too many Christians who live behind pretense. In any event I am always gratified by a humbled heart. God doesn't seem well pleased with a proud look or a haughty spirit, either! I pray heavenly Father than you honor this brothers heart, faith and endurance! Because you know his frame Lord, reveal to him personally how much you cherish him! Whether through enhanced blessings, a magnified anointing or by bringing him deeper into Your presence. Love on him Lord extravagantly as only You know how to do! Give him You assurance Lord that you are indeed well pleased with him and his heart! Lord God Almighty, I neither claim nor demand anything from You, but simply beseech that You reveal Your heart and affections towards Dan. The grace and peace of Christ attend you always. And praying for a greater measure of His love be imparted unto you. YBIC TR Thank you for the heartfelt prayer, TR. Seriously and sincerely. I hope our sentence is really really short now, but I'm expecting next summer, largely thru 2ndComing's thorough analysis. I hope I'm not trapped again in the summer. Romans 5:20-21 assures us, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." So, though this world might trap our emotions, God's grace toward us who believe sets us free indeed. I'll keep trying to not remove my eyes from the goal. White stone - you are right, your story is one of many throughout time and many of us say as Paul did, except for the Grace of God, there go I.... For the rest of your honest heart .... all I can say beyond prayer .... BUT GOD ..... but God —- evil would prevail but God —- I would be lost we all have a but God in our life ... remember brother, one moment, one day, one prayer at a time and then God! :prayer-hands: Reading through the first three chapters of Revelation gives me a sadness and some relief as well. We are the last church and we are holding on by a thread because of God's grace and mercy. I think the reason we are granted a crown is because of the deep faith and longing we have for Jesus' appearing. Truly stop and ponder for a moment here with me - just how strong our blind faith in the rapture has to truly be - it is an abstract concept for one thing, something never experienced by anyone we personally know, we endure countless hours of scoffing and let's not forget Mr. Evil Pants bugging us too... I say all that because I am beginning to believe that our spiritual, emotional, and mental fatigue might be our new normal. But the trial that it is to endure that fatigue might also be why we are granted a crown for longing for his return... thoughts? Well said Dan - and I can relate to my own life "disasters". My wife and I run a Christian recovery program and we work with dozens of people every month who are at the end of their ability to cope with the challenges of living through unbelievable hardship. We work with them to move them away from drugs, alcohol, gambling, abusive relationships, and other addictions to the hope and love that can only come from Jesus. But there are so so many of us who are weary of the constant battles and who long for the promise of Heaven. I remember as a 10 year old sitting in church on a warm Sunday morning in August of 1967 and hearing our pastor excitedly talk about Christ's imminent return and often reflect back on that Sunday and all the times that I've cried out to Jesus to come back now. Fifty-two years and so much pain later, I can see why God has waited - so many lives have come to Christ in that half century - but it seems like we're going backwards faster than forwards. I just have to remind myself that the time on Earth will be like a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of eternity. In the mean time I'll keep pouring out the hope and love of Christ on those who enter our program, hopeless and searching for an answer. :prayer-hands: :prayer-hands: :prayer-hands: Hang in there Todd. Your not alone. If we all focus on the time that has transpired and evil before us we often forget that the Lord knows and will remember our struggles. Our struggles of body, soul and spirit will be rewarded. Though it has been long delayed, we shall be recompensed. Quite adequately I might add! TR Remembering every woman who has ever given birth knows the pain that is experienced just prior to birth. But once the birth is accomplished overwhelming joy eliminates the pain. As we wait for our bodies to be born again, we also suffer. Tears through the long night, but joy in the morning. TR Hev - a truer statement has never been said, our longing and struggles will be overwhelming at times, enough, as JD says, I’d loose my mind, but the final joy, as TR mentioned, will make it worth it. :prayer-hands: :prayer-hands:
