The Eye of the Needle

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  [James 1:2-3, NLT]

KLOVE

When I was struggling with health issues because of living in a parsonage filled with a very virulent strain of mold, I was beside myself.  For about three weeks I "heard" the Holy Spirit saying, "Count it all joy. . . "  It was very irritating and I knew the verse sounded familiar but I couldn't get a handle on it and was really whining and fussing at the Lord a lot.

So I finally gave up and looked in  Bible concordance to see if I could find the verse.  The verse that fit was the one above and after I read it I was even more irritated and frustrated so that the Lord "said,"  I can't talk to you when you are so whiny and fussy.

And I said, "Well I'm not done!  I am so tired of being sick and tired."So then He "said, "OK, so I'll leave you alone, but I'll be right here when you are ready to listen."

I fumed and fussed for a while longer, and then I finally asked what He meant by the verse and I asked for peace to go through whatever it was  -- and for stamina and for some knowledge that I didn't think I had in order to try to deal with the parishioners, with my District Superintendent and with all the adjustments of living in a new place, trying to live up to my own expectations of how I was supposed to be in ministry, and trying not to feel like I had to make everybody happy.

A grand trial for someone who DID think I had to be a "people pleaser" to get my needs met.

So if you are down in the dumps and having a difficult time, try taking a deep breath and thinking about what way what you have been going through could possibly considered joy.

And look back on your life, if  you can manage it, and ask your self when you had also been through a lot, and try to remember if you thought that God had done anything to help you, and see if you have forgiven Him and your self if you still don't feel like any of it could be considered joy.

Sounds like a really dumb idea sometimes, I know . . . but so much of Life in the Spirit comes from doing things that don't make any sense "in the world."

And so much of the "modus operandi" of Life in the Spirit is paradoxical compared to how you have to think about things and do things in "real life."

It's like when Jesus is talking about if people are rich it is more difficult than going through the eye of a needle for them to come into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And almost everyone thinks that is a silly metaphor unless he or she understands about walled cities from the Bronze Age through the fall of the roman empire.

Cities had big heavy gates that were closed at night.  But if a caravan of camels and mules and horses, etc -- or whatever one of those, or whatever combination of those came to the walled city after dark and after the gate(s) had been closed, there was one doorway that was easily guarded and could be opened so that the caravan could come in without risking opening a large gate in the dark.

This small gate was called "The Eye of the Needle," and it was just big enough for a fully loaded camel to come through.  The camel driver had to have good aim and had to make sure that the load that the camel was carrying was the right height to go through the opening.

It wasn't impossible -- just difficult.

And plenty of rich people have been, are and will be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.  God knows people's hearts.

So don't worry and don't be afraid.  Trust that the doors of the Kingdom will open as wide as you open your heart, accept the gift of faith and trust God -- and especially when you act out that knowledge of the love of God through acts of deliberate charity and because you put others before your self.

There is so much of the language of the Spirit that really doesn't translate into our worldly experiences.

That's why Jesus told stories and so often said things like, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . " and then also mentioned some allegories or metaphors that were better at giving people of how Life in the Spirit/Life in the Kingdom is lived.

Questions?

Just ask . . . I will try to share my understanding, or I will pray you will find the answer . . . not that I will necessarily know the answer, and not that I will always be right -- and not that I will even always understand the question, but I am willing to go with you on your Spiritual journey as long as you want me to do that, and as long as I am able to do that, with God's help.

Ciao, Bella!


Kathleen Ware Harris  © 2013
kwharris777@gmail.com