Externally Processing My Way Through Life

So one of the many ways my body has chosen to fail me recently is that I apparently have hypothyroidism. On one hand, this really stinks because it means I essentially will have to be on medicine the rest of my life. On the other hand it gives answers to long kept suspicions that something was majorly off with my body. As well as the extra 30 pounds I've been rocking for the last 5 years.

My doctor of course handed me a prescription without thinking twice.

After a lot of thought and consultation once again I am bucking modern medicine and going to try to rely on the things that God created.

I would really like to know why naturally occurring things are WAY more expensive than the artificial drugs. Fake drugs cost: $14, natural treatment: $70. Seriously?

So that's my life right now.

A final thought on Genesis and then I'm hopping over to Matthew.

The last several chapters of Genesis focus on the story of Joseph. I think most of you are generally familiar with the story so I will spare you the details and get to the point that left me in awe. Joseph's brothers almost killed him, left him in a ditch, and then sold him into a slavery that resulted in several years spent in jail. His brothers pretty much put him through hell. Yet when they come to see him in Egypt year later instead of him having them killed, or put into slavery or thrown into jail he weeps at the site of them.

When they return again he weeps over them and expresses how grateful he is to have relationship with them and lavishes them with gifts. Um, did I miss something?

As someone that had an...interesting family life I find this story fascinating and convicting. It also took on a whole new meaning at our training this weekend with CLT on reconciliation. MLK's view of a society where everyone lived in peace (not conflict free but capable of dealing with the conflict in a peaceable way) seemed pretty unrealistic to me. As did Joseph's story. I kept thinking maybe God left out a detail or two or Moses fell asleep during his writing.

I've always thought God capable of forgiveness towards anyone and am in awe of that attribute of His. But I've never considered myself capable of forgiving anyone and everyone and showing all the kind of grace and mercy Christ has me. Which is odd considering His Spirit lives inside of me. Are ya seeing the breakdown?

The only way we can have reconciliation with Christ and with others is through His love and work in our hearts. God had been working on Joseph's heart for well over a decade (probably more like two) by the time he saw his brothers again, only he could have brought about the transformation from a snotty and prideful teenage boy to a mature forgiving leader of a nation who wept over the brothers that tried to rob him of life.

With MLK's movement the kind of society he hoped for was completely unrealistic- without Christ. The only way we can have a peaceful society, church or movement is with Christ's love ruling in our hearts and mimicking the reconciliation He provided for us in our own hearts and relationships with others.

Joseph's story is just such a shocking real life picture of grace and mercy. In the NT we see so many great personifications of it through Christ and his work, but for some reason the story of Joseph put it into real human life for me. It made me realize that with Christ in my heart, and if I let him do his full work I too (through Him) am capable of that sort of forgiveness. Leaves me convicted and motivated.

I've been in Matthew for a little bit and already have some stuff I'm hoping to jot down before I forget. One of the things that will help my thyroid is supposedly de-stressing which I am applying as not doing so much. Thus the excess number of blogs this week (and more to come). And a full head. Things to look forward to, eh?