[Drawing of a giant fist squishing a tinier man. The giant fist has cracks in it while the tinier man holds it aloft his shoulders.]
Many are called, but few are CHOSEN.
Chosen? Few are chosen for what?
To ENDURE

Matt 20:16

May 21, 2018
Happy birthday to me!

Here we grow!

This time it is not about who called us, but why many are called and few are chosen. I have prayerfully researched and listened with spiritual ears of my heart to understand the chosen purpose of the few who are chosen. To some degree, I have always understood what it means to be called. All of us are given a measure, a portion of faith to apply. This is surely a portion of faith that will help us find divine relationship (John 3:16). Constantly within each of us is a call. The source that calls us within ourselves to be more, better. Few are chosen.

So I will not be addressing how we are called nor will I be writing about who is calling us. However, I will be focusing on what "the chosen" are called to accomplish. Of course, this is based on personal experience in my own life with the Creator, through Christ. Yeah, this is just another personal testimony of "how to." So, brace yourselves. Maybe you might see some similarities in our strategies. You may even find support or be encouraged to examine your own life, and assess the direction and quality of your own development. Maybe.

For more than a decade now in prison, I have met no one who is spending all this time focusing on the process of acts that causes one to be in prison. Most of the people here are spending their time trying to forget why they're in prison and what brought them here. Something that I do understand, though, is that most of the processes are rooted in trauma and severe emotional injury, pain. For most people in prison, the shame-pain of reliving the details and backtracking the steps to why are unbearable. Often, people think, "The damage is done, and I won't do it again." Many think to establish a pledge of "do more harm" as enough.

But I believe that much more is required. The feet of our soul requires our full and undivided attention if we are to really move forward in our lives, in a way that is better from root to fruit.

We will never be qualified to forgive anyone until we can forgive ourselves first and foremost. The source of all the good and love, and caring that we intend to pour out, comes from deep within each of us. And this is the difference between being called vs. being chosen.

The most profound and powerful think that I have ever heard is when my mother told me this: "Nothing you can do can ever stop you from being my son and me being your mother. And no matter what, I can never stop loving you." I have thought about it in one way only. How could I ever develop to a point where I could love myself with this level of unconditional acceptance? Are there still people on this planet who love another person, other people, no matter what horrible mistakes or worst choices they made? Am I one of these people? Are you?

The only way to advance forward in a broken life is to first accept what is, and forgive. Acceptance does not mean that the grave damage or harm we are responsible for is okay. Acceptance means that somehow in our constant reviewing of our wretched past. We must develop an intimate relationship, the WISDOM that exists in every mistake and wrong deed, if we can gain WISDOM from the responsibility of our fault, then we won't lose the guilt. We will develop the courage, strength, and muscle to demonstrate WHY we are chosen. To get through it. To ENDURE!

Not everyone has to get through it. But the chosen must ENDURE. The purpose of life race is to endure.
Matt 24:13

HOLD ON!

NO MATTER WHAT!

For the better, worst, and best of me, I have to stand firm in my portion of faith that there is a way and path to overcome. Now is the time to accept with deep confidence that above and beyond our (my) worst acts. We can go onward, forward, stumbling to do great and wonderful things, knowing that this path is our choice, eyes open. It is the smallest print in our contract with tragedy. We must ENDURE through to the harvest of grace, reconciliation. Allow the words of testimony to compel people to place their trust in the source and carry the burden of our cross to the coronation of our crown.

Anyone can give up. Anyone can hide and avoid. Anyone can blame others and deal forever with symptoms. But to ENDURE is to trust during the pain, stand firm during doubt, and hold to the promises of our Creator. Many are called but few are chosen!

Even knowing that there are those who desire to "keep hate alive," we must ENDURE. We must reboot our path and regulate our perspective according to our relationship with our Creator. Why?

Because we, you, I are possibly chosen to come out on the other side of our horrible past IF we ENDURE!

I am an African Classic!
X-Ray

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