I am currently sitting in a not-so-comfortable chair in an airport waiting area. My flight doesn't board for another two and a half hours and I am really not wanting to read The Blood of the Vampire for Victorian Lit. I don't want to edit an essay. I don't want to start reading The Lonely Londoners and I really don't want to start working on a presentation that isn't due for almost two weeks.
Wow... think I could whine any more than what I just did? Apparently this is one of those times where my maturity level is really shining through (insert sarcastic tone).
I really want to sleep, but I suppose that isn't really an option! It was a pretty early start this morning and since my visiting time with my family was pretty limited I stayed up rather late last night. At least I got to sleep on my first flight.
Driving to the airport this morning with my mom and a friend we had an interesting discussion. I am reading in Deuteronomy right now, and Moses is recapping the Israelites' time in the wilderness for them. He just finished telling them (for the second or third time) that he can't cross over into the Promised Land. His reasoning? Because of them.
I had never noticed this before. The Israelites wanted water so God told Moses to speak to a stone and then water would come forth. Moses didn't do this. He hit the rock with his staff instead because he was frustrated with the people. This was what caused his zero access to Canaan.
Yet he blamed the Israelites.
It made me wonder: what if? What if Moses had've acknowledged that yes what he did was a reaction to te actions of the Israelites, but that he had to be responsible for his actions? Would God have let him into the Promised Land?
I also began to wonder how much of this attitude of Moses later on affected the attitudes of the Israelites? The need to cast blame and not take responsibility for their actions.
Something else struck me through this: I am just like Moses.
How many times have I blamed others because of my actions? How many times do I do things in reaction to hurts and frustrations caused by others? How many times do I refuse to take responsibility?
Which caused me to further question: how do these reactions of mine influence the people and circumstances around me? Do others pick up on this attitude and as a result are encouraged to cast blame?
And what am I missing out on as a result of my attitude?
So there are some Saturday afternoon thoughts for you. As for me, I am probably going to continue procrastinating working on a presentation or reading my books. Maybe I will do some writing instead... or fiddle away hours on Facebook... while people-watching and devising intricate pasts for the various people around me...
Such is the life of a Christian single.
Wow... think I could whine any more than what I just did? Apparently this is one of those times where my maturity level is really shining through (insert sarcastic tone).
I really want to sleep, but I suppose that isn't really an option! It was a pretty early start this morning and since my visiting time with my family was pretty limited I stayed up rather late last night. At least I got to sleep on my first flight.
Driving to the airport this morning with my mom and a friend we had an interesting discussion. I am reading in Deuteronomy right now, and Moses is recapping the Israelites' time in the wilderness for them. He just finished telling them (for the second or third time) that he can't cross over into the Promised Land. His reasoning? Because of them.
I had never noticed this before. The Israelites wanted water so God told Moses to speak to a stone and then water would come forth. Moses didn't do this. He hit the rock with his staff instead because he was frustrated with the people. This was what caused his zero access to Canaan.
Yet he blamed the Israelites.
It made me wonder: what if? What if Moses had've acknowledged that yes what he did was a reaction to te actions of the Israelites, but that he had to be responsible for his actions? Would God have let him into the Promised Land?
I also began to wonder how much of this attitude of Moses later on affected the attitudes of the Israelites? The need to cast blame and not take responsibility for their actions.
Something else struck me through this: I am just like Moses.
How many times have I blamed others because of my actions? How many times do I do things in reaction to hurts and frustrations caused by others? How many times do I refuse to take responsibility?
Which caused me to further question: how do these reactions of mine influence the people and circumstances around me? Do others pick up on this attitude and as a result are encouraged to cast blame?
And what am I missing out on as a result of my attitude?
So there are some Saturday afternoon thoughts for you. As for me, I am probably going to continue procrastinating working on a presentation or reading my books. Maybe I will do some writing instead... or fiddle away hours on Facebook... while people-watching and devising intricate pasts for the various people around me...
Such is the life of a Christian single.
People watching is fun. School required reading, not so much. I hope you were able to plow through some of it. How much more school do you have?
ReplyDeleteI think the lesson Moses presents us with is huge. I have not read that passage in a long time, and I am going to go get my bible to re-read it. I complain a lot. And grumble. Not good. He lost out on so much by succumbing to the grumble-blame game. I hope I am so much more mindful of this, after reading this.
Thanks girly!
jeanine
Oh yes, the people watching aspect was definitely a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteAs for school, I graduate with my Bachelor of Arts this spring (it has been a long time coming) and if I get into the program I want to for education I will be done school a year this August. Yay for me!!!
Looking at that part of Moses really struck me. And he says it in almost three consecutive chapters I believe, if not more. Which really made me think of the number of times I blame my reactions (and actions) on other people and grumble about how "They made me do it." It's a little humbling, that's for sure!