It's Not Always About You – Or Maybe It Is...?
Here are some lyrics from a song entitled: "How Can I Serve".
. . . Open up some closed doors
and use me now, or when I'm ready.
and use me now, or when I'm ready.
I only ask one thing Lord. . .
that I may Love – the way You Love me.
that I may Love – the way You Love me.
Lord, How Can I Serve?
How can I be a Faithful Friend. . .
How can I be a Faithful Friend. . .
To me, movies and music are very much alike. I can watch a favorite movie just as often as I can listen to a favorite song. Maybe you’re the same way and then again, maybe not.
With music, in addition to the melodies, arrangements and production,
I feel what’s often happening is simply that “Hurt People, hurt people.”
In one scene from the movie, Brooks (James Whitmore) who's in charge of the Shawshank prison library has a knife to an inmate’s throat. He's been in prison for nearly 50-years and is normally quite harmless. But in this particular scene, he’s extremely upset and is threatening to kill a man who, by the way, happens to be a friend – go figure? The prison guards are nowhere to be seen as Red (Morgan Freeman) and Andy (Tim Robbins) rush in trying to help. With compassion and concern for both men, Red says to Brooks, “Why do you want to hurt him – what did he ever do to you?” Brooks' response reveals the heartfelt reality of his seriously painful situation. He says, “It’s not what HE did to me – it’s what THEY did to me!” More dire moments go by as Red and Andy continue to listen to Brooks share the PAIN of what he’s going through. Fortunately, as his anger (fear) subsides and with tears in his eyes, Brooks puts down the knife. His life is turning upside-down and he simply can’t handle it.
In my own journey, I can identify with the pain that Brooks was feeling.
I've recalled previous times in my own life when I unintentionally hurt
and offended people, even close friends and family. In truth, but without excuse, I simply couldn't handle the ongoing pain of a wounded and broken heart. The pain I carried sometimes came out in, let's say, an assortment of less than loving ways. I also became aware of my need to seek forgiveness from those I had hurt. By Grace and Mercy, I came to know "The Christ who came to heal the brokenhearted." And that happened through people who knew how to love. . . unconditionally.
I’ve also come to learn that when some people are offending us or are being “difficult,” it isn’t always about what we did to provoke them. Often, it’s about something that someone else did to them and now they’re simply taking it out on whoever happens to be around. The unhealed hurts which people carry are often misdirected toward others and sometimes it's toward the very ones we love, or who love us, the most. And that’s just the way life is. What’s happening between you and that hurtful person, well, It’s Not Always About You – Or Maybe It Is. . . ?
After calming the storm while His disciples were in fear for their lives of drowning, Jesus came ashore to encounter a man with some serious troubles – someone who apparently was a bit more than just “difficult.”
In the account from Luke Chapter 8:27-39: When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed (“difficult" / "hurtful”?) man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at
his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. . . and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. . . The man from whom the demons
had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Obviously, Jesus did nothing to provoke an encounter with a “crazy man.” But, He did do something about it. I believe Christ truly "bore that wounded man's burden." I think of it as “Loving the HELL right out of him.” I've also noted that Jesus had literally "broken through and calmed a storm" just to get to that man. . .
Maybe when we encounter difficult people, God is giving us the same opportunity. Sure, there are times in which we may have done nothing to deserve the hurtful actions of others. But, it’s those very situations which provide the opportunity for us to learn "How to Love the Unlovable.”
Below is a link to a short 4-minute video called "Get Service." I'm hoping you'll take a few moments to watch it (just click on the screen). Perhaps when we have "the eyes to see," we'll have a better idea of what others, who are hurting, are going through – and what God might have us do, in response. And maybe it's not so much about difficult people "getting their act together". . . Maybe it's about us?
the thing that often touches my heart and mind the most are the lyrics. Words are used to express thoughts and feelings. To me, putting words and music together is somehow a special formula for reaching the human soul. When it comes to movies, it’s the interaction between people that reaches me the deepest. Again, words and feelings are involved and now there’s also the visual action and interaction (relationship) between the people involved that can easily be identified with.
I was recently watching The Shawshank Redemption with actors Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and old-time actor James Whitmore. Ideally,
I think it’s a movie about the consequences of our decisions in life and how, eventually, some things will work themselves out in the end. But sometimes, like in the movie, life seems to be truly unfair. Unfortunately, we’ll all experience some unpleasant situations while we’re on our journey. Sometimes we bring things upon ourselves. Then, there are other times we’ll seem to experience trouble from others that we may not deserve. We'll simply encounter people who have problems and who are “difficult” to deal with. They might be mean, hurtful, using, selfish, rude, self-centered, self-concerned and seemingly oblivious to everyone around them. Still, I feel what’s often happening is simply that “Hurt People, hurt people.”
In one scene from the movie, Brooks (James Whitmore) who's in charge of the Shawshank prison library has a knife to an inmate’s throat. He's been in prison for nearly 50-years and is normally quite harmless. But in this particular scene, he’s extremely upset and is threatening to kill a man who, by the way, happens to be a friend – go figure? The prison guards are nowhere to be seen as Red (Morgan Freeman) and Andy (Tim Robbins) rush in trying to help. With compassion and concern for both men, Red says to Brooks, “Why do you want to hurt him – what did he ever do to you?” Brooks' response reveals the heartfelt reality of his seriously painful situation. He says, “It’s not what HE did to me – it’s what THEY did to me!” More dire moments go by as Red and Andy continue to listen to Brooks share the PAIN of what he’s going through. Fortunately, as his anger (fear) subsides and with tears in his eyes, Brooks puts down the knife. His life is turning upside-down and he simply can’t handle it.
In my own journey, I can identify with the pain that Brooks was feeling.
I've recalled previous times in my own life when I unintentionally hurt
and offended people, even close friends and family. In truth, but without excuse, I simply couldn't handle the ongoing pain of a wounded and broken heart. The pain I carried sometimes came out in, let's say, an assortment of less than loving ways. I also became aware of my need to seek forgiveness from those I had hurt. By Grace and Mercy, I came to know "The Christ who came to heal the brokenhearted." And that happened through people who knew how to love. . . unconditionally.
I’ve also come to learn that when some people are offending us or are being “difficult,” it isn’t always about what we did to provoke them. Often, it’s about something that someone else did to them and now they’re simply taking it out on whoever happens to be around. The unhealed hurts which people carry are often misdirected toward others and sometimes it's toward the very ones we love, or who love us, the most. And that’s just the way life is. What’s happening between you and that hurtful person, well, It’s Not Always About You – Or Maybe It Is. . . ?
After calming the storm while His disciples were in fear for their lives of drowning, Jesus came ashore to encounter a man with some serious troubles – someone who apparently was a bit more than just “difficult.”
In the account from Luke Chapter 8:27-39: When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed (“difficult" / "hurtful”?) man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at
his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. . . and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. . . The man from whom the demons
had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Obviously, Jesus did nothing to provoke an encounter with a “crazy man.” But, He did do something about it. I believe Christ truly "bore that wounded man's burden." I think of it as “Loving the HELL right out of him.” I've also noted that Jesus had literally "broken through and calmed a storm" just to get to that man. . .
Maybe when we encounter difficult people, God is giving us the same opportunity. Sure, there are times in which we may have done nothing to deserve the hurtful actions of others. But, it’s those very situations which provide the opportunity for us to learn "How to Love the Unlovable.”
Below is a link to a short 4-minute video called "Get Service." I'm hoping you'll take a few moments to watch it (just click on the screen). Perhaps when we have "the eyes to see," we'll have a better idea of what others, who are hurting, are going through – and what God might have us do, in response. And maybe it's not so much about difficult people "getting their act together". . . Maybe it's about us?
R Butch David
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