Good Monday morning and Happy May to you! May is one of my favorite months of the year. Spring is here, and my flowers are blooming brilliantly! My perennials surprise me in May when they come back after the garden has been cold and empty. The weather is warm now, and around here I enjoy the occasional thunderstorm. My garden does too. (My heart goes out to those who have suffered from the outbreak of tornadoes. It’s been a bad month in the Midwest already.)
May has a couple of holidays, the kind I like, because they don’t bring on any stress for me. No need for lots of shopping or decorating. No expectations. Just fun.
Thoughts rattling around my brain this morning:
What is wrong with a woman who openly writes about shooting her dog and a goat? I mean. Why? Why do it? Why write about it? I know some people grow up on farms and ranches and have a different viewpoint about ‘livestock’ and don’t get personally connected to animals. But, dogs… dogs are pets. They become family members. Yes, some are used for hunting – which is a whole ‘nother topic to get into at another time. I have loved many dogs and I sometimes prefer them over people. They are loyal and loving. Shooting a puppy (it was under 2 years old) is just cold and heartless. And, then to write about it? Wow. I don’t get it.
The Trump trial continues this morning. Have you watched any of it yet? Please, don’t be a person who puts your head in the sand and just wants to ignore the illegal behavior of this man. It’s too important. This is the first trial with others to come, though not fast enough. But, if you haven’t realized yet, there is a pattern to his behavior. I feel a ‘need’ to write about the subject of Trump because too many people still don’t seem to have open eyes to the man. These people are tuned into the fake news outlets and to the lying social media sites. They have been told that we are the ones who have been fooled, but it’s the other way around.
Yesterday I had two different examples of homosexual fear show up. First, I rang handbells with a group at a Methodist church that has left the UMC and has now joined a World Methodist organization. I knew that the split facing the Methodist churches was over acceptance, or lack of, homosexual marriages, homosexual pastors, and homosexual weddings performed in the churches. After playing during the worship service yesterday there was a meeting in the sanctuary about the changes in the church. (Does anybody else besides me see the irony of calling the room a sanctuary?) While I put my bells away I listened to the updates and my heart hurt. People speaking of homosexuals as ‘others’ or as ‘something else’ than individual, loving human beings. Another bit of irony from my point of view: the sermon given just minutes earlier was about living a Christian life, following Jesus, and His Great Commission to go and be fishers of men. In other words, go out into the world, teach about Jesus, be an example of his teachings, and live a life of love for everyone.
Then a neighbor came by and visited us yesterday evening. Hubby, and I enjoy sitting on our screened porch with him from time to time. Our conversations are always interesting. Somehow we got to talking about attending church, and Christian beliefs as far as homosexuals. As I said, our talks are not dull!! My neighbor is certainly not alone in what he said, but I tried to figure out if he was speaking from a place of fear… or believing that God doesn’t like homosexuals and condemns them, or what. I said God does not make mistakes and I believe homosexuals are born being that way just as we are as heterosexuals. We did not choose our sexuality.
The subject was changed. I have always believed that if you don’t understand something, then at least give it the consideration it deserves. Saying ‘no’ to something like sexual orientation is close-minded, and it is not showing God’s love for all. My two cents. Seriously, I can’t imagine being a person trying to live your true life and having Christians not believe you. And worse, not being considered as equal in the eyes of God. (Truth: we are ALL equal in the eyes of God.)
Okay, change of subject…
Well sort of…
As a child I thought like a child. Thank God for that. The serious, debatable topics never entered my mind. But, by the time I got into my 20’s I had a foundation for my beliefs. I can only think it came from my parents and family life, from the schools I went to, from peers who I felt comfortable hanging with, and my own innate personality. All of those aspects made me think how I do now.
It is the same for others. Nobody can escape their foundation. But, life doesn’t stand still – and it never should. A closed mind tries to stop the moving forward, and it stops the ability to accept not knowing everything, or being able to grow by learning more.
I admit I struggle to find people who feel the same way. I can’t find friends who want to discuss, to learn, to accept. I find too many with closed minds. It has turned me inward. It has made my writing here important to me.
So, I sit here on the couch with my sweet dog on one side of me, and my kitty cat snuggled up on the other side.
I’m getting ready to head out for the day. It’s a beautiful May Day…. And I’m going to my weekly church quilting group (that never talks about issues) to help make warm gifts of love, and to a handbell rehearsal after it. We will work on making a joyful noise to the Lord…. A musical fit to the one who loves us all. The one who gets us even when we don’t always get each other.
Marla’s Musings 