I would like to know what you think! That’s why I am asking you to vote in this survey. The only info I have will be:
- Number of people reading this blog.
- Number of people who vote.
- Number of people for each answer.
Pass this info on to other people you know and have contact with in your life. The more that vote, the better the results. I have contacted you because I would like your opinion. Others can go to:
I do not want to ”lead” you in an answer but let me suggest some tragedies/crisis in our lives: death of a loved one, a child kidnapped, an accident, 9-11, Katrina, tornadoes. Divorce/separation, child trouble (jail, drugs, sex, pregnancy, etc), partner leaving, house destruction, job loss, healthcare problems, and so on. You determine what a crisis is accordingly.
The point I am interested in is: Does it take a crisis/tragedy in our lives to find a deeper or more intense sense of love (or hate)?
Some people don’t become better. A child dies, or disappears, and the pressures break a couple up. A death in the family can cause destructive lifestyles for some…turning to alcohol or drugs or sex, etc. Finding a partner/mate/spouse having an affair, sometimes makes a couple stronger, but more often causes the “death of that relationship.” It also creates deep pain in children; should we stay for the “sake of the children.”
If you come after Nov. 1, go to the right of the blog, click on the month of November and go to the first. What is important to me is true and accurate responses. Pass this site on to facebook, my space, or any other community you have a connection with, or go through your e-mail address. This question can be answered by anyone, of any country, or any religion. It makes no difference who you are; you still have an opinion to share.
The results should be available anytime. At the bottom of the survey box it should give you a “for results” point. On November 10, 2009, I will give some of the information I gathered and my “take” on what we all said. First of every month, I may do this again, depending on the results and interest in this survey.
I want to share some initial thoughts about this question. LUKE 15 there is a story we label as “THE PRODIGAL SON.” Let me just tell the story in a quick fashion. Jesus (Jewish) is speaking to Pharisees and others (Jewish) and tells them about a father and his two sons (I assume they are Jewish). One son comes to his father and wants “his inheritance” early. He goes off spends it all on “high-style” living. He finds himself out of work and out of money…so he goes to work with PIGS, feeding them and eating what they eat.
HE COMES ”TO HIS SENSES” AND REALIZES HE CAN GO HOME AND DO THIS FOR HIS FATHER. THIS WOULD BE THE TRAGIC SITUATION. THIS WOULD BE A CRISIS. GOING HOME, HE FINDS A WELCOME AND GIFTS GIVEN TO HIM. THOSE GIFTS ARE PART OF THE INHERITANCE THAT IS OWED TO THE OLDER SON, WHO GETS ANGRY. CRISIS…TRAGEDY. One son feels the LOVE of the father. The older son feels ANGER for his father. You might say he was not being treated the same. IT’S NOT FAIR!
Would either of the sons felt the same love-hate after this incident, then they would have felt before or because of this tragedy/crisis. I think…this: We do not necessarily have to go through a crisis to experience a deeper love/hate. BUT in going through an experience of tragedy/crisis we might be able to see a much deeper or more intense love exhibited. These incidents are simply “vehicles” that get us to a place of seeing deep and intense love/hate faster. THEY BRING US TO POINTS OF INTENSE UNDERSTANDING. Is it possible that we will never realize the deep love of another, because we don’t go through these types of experiences?
The younger boy went out and spent everything and came to the “end of his rope.” When we come through an experience such as a tragedy/crisis we need to see the lessons we can learn.
WE MAY COUNT IT A PRIVILEGE TO GO THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES, (although we may not like it–hurt, pain, anxiety, etc.) BECAUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE FIND GROWTH AND LIFE. MAYBE I AM RIGHT AND MAYBE I’M WRONG. MAYBE I’M A LITTLE OF BOTH.
You may comment below if you desire.
On My Father’s Business,
Love, Dean
What an amazing question to ponder! Even though I knew my answer right away, I still, after voting, stopped to think about how much my views have changed before and after my mom’s passing. An odd sense of confirmation that love is so powerful.
By: Jen, a priorfatgirl on November 1, 2009
at 9:32 am
I agree that in my own life, I’ve come to a deeper understanding in many areas due to “crisis” I’ve experienced…I believe that I am stronger as a result and while there were times I hated, absolutely hated that I, not someone else, had to go through that “crisis” I can look back now and see how I’ve grown as a result…and I have made sure to never forget what I learned as to not take that growth for granted. Love you daddy, your daughter
By: Kirsten Shabaz on November 1, 2009
at 11:25 am
When it comes to any crisis in our live our affections are always tested and ultimately revealed by the choices and decisions that are made post crisis.
Job was encouraged to curse God and die in the midst of his crisis but he didn’t because his love for God was greater than his love for things, health and children.
Peter thought his love for Christ was greater than it was before he denied Jesus three times when pressed by the crisis. Thankfully he repented but it was the crisis that revealed his true affections. It was not until after he repented and realized his need to love his Lord above all else. Due to the crisis he saw God’s love and it transformed his affections to the point of his own death.
When a couple splits up due to the loss of a child their true affection are revealed. The Wetterlings have stuck it out because their love for each other was greater than their loss of Jacob. Does it make it easy? No, but the crisis revealed their real hearts.
It does not take a crisis to make us love more deeply but it does take a crisis to reveal how deep our love truely is verses what we say or think it is. It takes a crisis for us to be honest with ourselves about our affections. Do we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength if so we will obey all that He commands no matter how difficult things get on earth.
A friend once told me this interesting phrase in light of God’s use of the term “all.” All means all and that is all that all means.
So when the crisis strikes do we love God enough to obediently abide by His word or do we love other lesser things more? None of us are as righteous as Job I’m sure but may we quickly respond as Peter did with a heart of repentance once our true affections are revealed and then may we remain as faithful to our Lord as he was till our final day on this planet. May we live for eternity.
By: Derrick Skoglund on November 2, 2009
at 12:29 pm
Sorry the last line I meant to say let us life for Christ with eternity in mind.
By: Derrick Skoglund on November 2, 2009
at 12:31 pm
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Easier said than done. I think that a person’s response depends on the world view they hold. We may all have friends and/or family that we can find support and counsel from and that is a good thing but the big question is what or who do we run to in the moments of silence when friends and family aren’t around? Some may find drugs, alcohol, food etc. Some may become introverted or overcompensate in some way to numb the pain or ignore the issue entirely. Everyone has different ways of dealing with trials but we must decide on what or who we will rely on and how we will come out on the other end. Back when my wife and I were in the process of adopting our daughter we were confronted with the very real possibility of her being permanently stuck in the political mire of her homeland. The final result would be that she would become “unadoptable” making her chances of survival slim to none. We had spent so much time visiting her and bonding with her that in our hearts she was our daughter and we loved her with all our being. But because of things that were out of our control we were witnessing our daughter’s chances of coming home disappear. We felt helpless. We had no control or influence on what was happening. I began to commit the sin of worry which was the result of me not trusting the One that I claimed to rely upon. Jesus Christ. My initial response was to fret. My wife and I prayed incessantly. We asked for His intervention. We asked for peace. It was hard to consider this moment joy. After a week or so had passed I found myself asking for something that I found both difficult and easy to ask. I asked that first and foremost that He be glorified. If he wanted her to come home to be with us, Awesome! Praise the Lord! He is glorified. But if it was His desire that she remain where she was than I wanted to consider this joy and though all the heartache and pain I wanted to be okay with His will. In the end, I wanted God to be glorified.
Our dear sweet Emma did come home to us, but only by the grace of God was this accomplished. I learned a very important lesson during the course of the adoption. TRUST HIM. SEEK HIM. It was hard and not very fun. Looking back I do consider it joy seeing how the Lord did what He did. My desire is that I would chase Him down when I am confronted with another trial. We al willl have loss. We will all have 9-11′s. We will all have trials. May we all desire to respond like Job or Paul: Considering it pure joy and praising Him for loving us enough to bring us through the fire so that we may become more like Him every day regardless of what we want.
J
By: jason on November 2, 2009
at 7:21 pm
[...] My uncle Dean, who recently started a blog, is taking a poll. We’ll have to wait & see what he does with the results of this poll but its only 1 question so if you get a chance, click over and answer…and then stick around and read some of his posts. Click here! [...]
By: Craving McDonalds - Thighs Thinner on December 15, 2009
at 7:10 am