VideoBlog - How experiences can color our perceptions

Comments

[Meredith]

Hey Jim,

Thanks for this one. I think what you are talking about here is the main battle of following our dreams...the battle in the mind. I can relate to your pain in discouragement when things don't happen as quickly as we would like them. It's very difficult. I feel I am given a vivd vision of the future and the desire to pursue something and things aren't working out immediately. The doubt starts creeping in. "Maybe I didn't hear God right. Perhaps this just isn't for me. Maybe I'm just not equiped for this. God isn't pointing the direction at the moment that I can see." Hurt can be so profound that people give up altogether. I think many do. I think sometimes as difficult as it is that the pain is an important part of the journey that we can learn from in a way.

Thanks for this,

Meredith :0)

[Jim Robbins]

Thanks, Meredith. It can be a bewildering journey. I would just hate for people to shut their own hearts down even further by drawing conclusions based on pain and not truth.. (faith, hope, love).

[ian]

First of all great backdrop! What an incredible view. I'd be interested in knowing how far through the move process of 7 years you came to the conclusion about God's character being one of goodwill towards you and your family. My guess is that as the reality of the move became more real then your views changed. Just guessing. Sometimes I think that it is not a matter of blaming God and getting angry but just facing up to the facts of environment, opportunity and the historical context that folks find themselves in. Disappointment about lack or lost opportunity does not have to have a blaming component but the fall-out is still damaging.

[Jim Robbins]

Hey Ian -- that's actually my backyard. We have a micro-forest out back. In my journey, there wasn't necessarily a straight progression -- we certainly felt more confident as the move approached, yet there were constant unknowns, and surprising setbacks. Sometimes, my grief won out. At others, it didn't.

But, because I had heard God give specific direction: "Go without a job, and I'll take care of you." And, knew that he had given the thumbs-up for the move, I had greater sustaining confidence throughout.