Sometimes, I can’t win

for losing. Or something like that. So the service is over this morning and I shake hands with the people that joined our fellowship and start down to shake hands and talk to everyone. See a guy in my class (wasn’t there today) waving me down and walk over. He just has to speak with me, right now. Okay. So we head out to a private place and he’s struggling with speaking to me. I tell him that when I have something difficult to say, I just say it straight up and let the chips fall where they may.

He continues to hem and haw, saying how hard this is, etc., finally I say, just tell me what’s on your mind. And he proceeds to tell me that I offended someone close to him (his wife) with something I said in class a couple of weeks ago (divorce, a joke) and therefore, he’s offended. I hope my facial expressions didn’t betray me too much when I told him, hey, no problem, it took guts to tell me this, I’ll think about it and get back with you. So he proceeds to tell me that I don’t need to think about it, I need to talk to God about it. Alrighty then.

I explain that when I say I’ll think about something, I mean that I will pray and meditate about it. He continues, oh yeah, well you need to read the scripture on stumbling blocks, you are being a stumbling block and oh, I love you man, this is hard, you are great, etc.

Can I quit this job? Probably not, but this song from Jonny Lang just kept spinning through my head:

ONLY A MAN
—————–
I used to live my life in fear
Was worried all the time
From waking up to laying down
I had no peace of mind

The world became a darkened place
A struggle without end
Although bitter times those were
The days that I began to understand
I was only a man

I grew up singing songs in church
With questions in my mind
And turned my back and ran away
From God who gave me life

Then one night His presence fell
I wept and shook and then
I fell down and cried, Dear Jesus
Rescue me again, I understand
I am only a man

And He said
What will it be now?
Will you choose Me
Or keep swimming upstream now?

I’ve been inside your head
hearing you scream out
Well here I am and take my hand
I’ll take out
All of the pain, and all of the fear (all of the fear)

I’ll give you my burdens (I’ll give you peace)
All of my desires (I’ll give you what you need)
And what about these chains, o Lord (I’ll set you free)
But they’re so heavy (Lay them at My feet)
I’ll lay them at your feet

Just promise you won’t leave (I’ll never leave)
So where do I go from here, Lord (Just follow Me, just follow Me)
I’ll follow You wherever You lead, wherever You lead
Wherever You lead.