Unoffendable
In this day and age, it seems that EVERYONE is offended by something. Recently in our state, they were offended by the Confederate Flag that was flying high above the State House. After several rallies and protests, the governor sought, and later succeeded, the removal of the flag.
If it’s not the flag that people are offended by, they are easily offended by other things. It seems that people feel they are entitled to be offended. As Brant Hansen points out in his book, we think we are entitled to our anger and resentment that go along with being offended. It is like we’ve got something on someone, and as if we have moral superiority over them when we are offended. However, you can choose not to be offended. That is not an easy concept to swallow, but it is a choice that we can make in the moment when we feel it rising up inside of us.
Ask yourself this. Is your anger, resentment, and bitterness pleasing to God? I realize there is a bible verse that people love to quote where it says not to sin in your anger. A lot of people don’t realize (I didn’t) that this often quoted scripture also goes on further down in the passage to say NOT to be angry or bitter. Take a look:
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:26-32
What would our world look like today if we all chose to be unoffendable? What if we actually lived by the above bible verse? Now isn’t that something to consider?!
Being unoffended strikes at our pride and forces us to be humble. Being unoffendable also takes us from being the center of attention with our anger, our hatred, our resentment, our feelings of injustices, and our raging emotions, and it puts the focus on OTHERS! That is a hard one for us, isn’t it? We are all, whether we want to admit it or not, self focused and self absorbed. We don’t want to put others before ourselves, and yet, what if we DID just that? If we were to forfeit or deny our anger, and give up our “right” to be angry as if it does not even exist, and we FORGIVE and let go of our anger. Christ calls us to do just that. We are to love, offer mercy, and extend grace. Truthfully, how often do we do this when others have offended us?
Do we stop to put ourselves in other people’s shoes for just a minute? Take the flag situation I mentioned at the beginning of this post. People on both sides of the argument thought they were RIGHT! The ones that wanted the flag to remain said it was heritage and not hate. It is a part of our history, and yet the ones that had so much hatred toward the flag saw it as a sign of when their ancestors were in slavery. One side refused to see the other side’s point, though, and so they continued with their bitterness and anger. What if the side that said “Heritage, not hate” put themselves in the shoes of the black people saying “All I see is a symbol of slavery of my ancestors.” What if the blacks put themselves in the shoes of the white people and recognized that it was a part of our history and heritage instead of choosing to see it as a symbol of hatred? If we stop to consider where the other party is coming from, maybe … just maybe … it would make an impact on us and how we respond. Maybe then we could truly become unoffendable.
I’d like to challenge you on this, just as I feel I have been challenged by the words in Mr. Hansen’s book. I will not issue this challenge, though, without offering you the tools in his book. I have his brightly colored orange and white book in front of me so I can soak up all that he has to offer on truly being unoffendable. I’d like to equip you as well with the tools to fight against anger and, instead, be able to offer the love, mercy, and grace that we are called to extend to others.
Below is a giveaway for a $25.00 certificate from Family Christian. In just a few clicks, you’re entered to win. This certificate can be used to purchase the book, OR to purchase anything you desire at their store. They have so much to choose from, and I, personally, love shopping there!
I will be going through this book in more detail, and I intend to share it with my family. We all can benefit from being UNoffendable. Just as I talk of choosing joy a lot of times on this site, you can also choose to be unoffendable. Mr. Hansen will show you how, and I will share with you the knowledge I gained from his book, spread out in separate posts so you really “get it” and not just skim through the post.
Here’s to being UNoffendable!
And here’s your chance to enter a giveaway for a $25.00 certificate from Family Christian! A special thanks to Family Christian for this opportunity to partner with them as a blogger and to offer such awesome giveaways!
Here
Today I got a rare opportunity, and I took it. I seized the moment, right here and now, to let my long lost niece know that I love her. I let her know that things are not as they seem, nor as she was told. While it started off kind of rough in a Facebook message, with my detecting her sarcasm and angry tone in her postings, I knew deep down inside that this 14 year old child needed to hear what I had to say. And … I think she wanted to or else she would not have engaged me in conversation. It would have ended with a few cross words from her, but it didn’t. I have been waiting for the past four years to tell her, and I had the chance I’ve been looking for. The chance to tell her I love her, even with no response back from her. That was okay that she didn’t return the words of love to me. It is okay if I tell her a million times and never hear it from her lips or see it on a screen. It is only important that I tell her, and I let her know. I also had the chance to tell her that she was taken from us years ago, and we were forbidden from having any further contact with her. At one point, she was to come live with us as her father asked this of us four years ago, yet shortly thereafter, her father and his family snatched her back away from us. I told her that I wish things had been different and had I been given the chance, I would have raised her as my very own. She is bitter, and I can sense through her hostility, that she is just a lost little girl that needs love. She needs to know that she matters and that above all, she is loved completely despite how she is right this very minute – distant, bitter, cold, and hurting deep inside. I told her that today. I let her know that I am still a part of her family – whether she wanted me to be or not – and I love her. Oh, how I wish my sister was still here, things would have been so much different if she would not have ended her life 14 years ago due to postpartum depression. But today, here and now, I got a chance to tell her daughter that her mother — my sister — loves her (I refuse to use past tense), even still today from Heaven. She loves her daughter — my niece — so much, and this little girl, who feels so lost, unloved, and unhappy, is still her mother’s pride and joy. All the way from Heaven’s door, here and now.
I thank God for this opportunity today and my niece’s openness to a conversation with me. Although she made negative remarks about her dad and step-mom, I focused on stating what I knew for a fact from my perspective, as I am sure no one told her why we are no longer a part of her life. It is not by our choice. She learned the truth today. Here and now.
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This post was inspired
by the prompt word of “Here”
for Kate’s Five Minute Friday.
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One of the last pictures we have of Melanie from 2011 when we were allowed to have her. I treasure our time together.
National Lighthouse Day
“Lighthouses stand as beacons of light;
guiding ships safely through the night.
May this lighthouse stand as a symbol of guidance for you,
reminding you of the people in your life
who have helped guide you on your journey.”
~Isabel Bloom
How beautiful are these words as we celebrate National Lighthouse Day?!
Each year, we celebrate National Lighthouse Day on August 7th. This day is set aside to honor the beacons of light. Just think about how, for hundreds of years, the lighthouse has been a symbol of safety and security for ships and boats while at sea. Imagine all the people that this beacon of light helped find their way on a foggy night! Think of the lives spared by this one light shining brightly, guiding them safely to shore!
Why August 7th, you may ask? It is due to the United States Congress approving an act on August 7, 1789 for the “establishment and support of Lighthouse, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers.” Approximately two hundred years later, Congress designated August 7th as National Lighthouse Day!
I often think of the lighthouse as Jesus Christ guiding us in life. As the old gospel song says, “If it wasn’t for the lighthouse, where would this ship be?” We are nothing without Jesus, and we would be so lost in this cold, dark, and evil world. Jesus provides a way for us, lighting our path as we journey through life.
This evening, my family and I went to an Amish restaurant in a small town where they serve delicious food and homemade bread. Upon stepping foot into the door, I noticed a lighthouse lamp sitting on a shelf.
There was an older gentleman seated nearby that appeared to be a part of the family that owned the restaurant, so I inquired as to whether they were selling the lamp. The former owners used to have an antique shop under the same roof as their restaurant, and I loved to visit to enjoy the food but also to see what treasure I would find there after the meal. Since they changed hands, I wasn’t sure if this would still be the case. This time, I spotted my treasure shortly after walking through the door, and sure enough, this lighthouse lamp was for sale after all … and I made it mine tonight! I almost squealed with delight when they said the lamp was for sale!! I know I cheered, “Yea!” and my husband just laughed at my excitement. I had to share with the owners that lighthouses are my favorite, and what better day to find such a treasure than on National Lighthouse Day!
I have various lighthouses on displayed in my home. From little what-nots of the lighthouses we’ve visited, to lighthouse pictures, and even a lighthouse table, it’s safe to say that I have a “thing” for lighthouses! Here’s a sneak peek into my living room.
My most favorite lighthouse of all time is the Morris Island Lighthouse near Folly Beach, South Carolina. If I’m ever stressed, walking out on the white, sandy beach toward the water’s edge seems to help melt away all the cares of the world even if just for a little while. With sand between my toes and the roar of the waves as they roll in and then crash against the rocks, it feels as if all is right in the world as I stand so small against the magnificent lighthouse. I think of Jesus and how He provides peace. I also think of how small I am in this big ole world, but Jesus sees me, cares for me, and loves me. I matter to Him! And He is there, shining His light in my life guiding me safely to Heaven’s Door.
I think of how Jesus uses me – and any one that is a willing vessel – to share His light with the world. There is hope in Jesus, and there is love … the sweetest love you will ever know!
These are just a few things that lighthouses make me think of as I marvel at them reaching up from the ground so high in the sky.
Take time to appreciate the beauty of a lighthouse near you, and while you’re there, it is my hope that you, too, will think of our Guiding Light, Jesus Christ!
Happy National Lighthouse Day!
