Blow Fish Or Edible Fish?

I was writing this morning, in ink, which is something I rarely do anymore, but it just felt so good!  However, when I took a break and went out into the sunshine, I noticed I had tattooed myself with my messy ink pen. A closer look showed that it was clearly a picture of a Blow Fish.  Spines and all.  It made me think about something I was reluctant to write about,  and reminded me that I am not just writing for my own pleasure, but to edify, or teach.  And that reminded me that there has been something on my mind since the funeral of my friend last week.

There was a man, a minister, who gave the eulogy, and it was clear from his speech he was very comfortable in entertaining the ears of the crowd.  However, about half way through, he lost half of his audience because of one statement he made.

Yes, he covered the point of resurrection, salvation, etc.  But once he got into high gear and started quoting the Bible, he turned to Romans 8:28.  Very good scripture, about how all things work together for those who love God and are the called according to his purpose.  He could have blessed these grieving souls with that, but he chose to continue on and take the entire passage out of context, and preach his own gospel.  What he took out of context was the part about those who love God.  The gospel he added was "God doesn't love all of you. Only the ones who love Him."

My hair stood on end, but I kept silent.  The crowd, however, was not so forgiving.  There were quiet "no's' rumbling through the audience, a few loud "NO's" and then I saw some people exit the room.  He tried to recover, but he would not recant his statement.  Shortly thereafter the "gathering" broke up.  I think I could hear my friend saying from beyond, "Slap that man!"

I did not stay for the meal.  I did not want to disrupt the family with some outburst.  I wanted to make the day as easy for them as I could, and I felt that my presence would probably somehow bring about some discourse that would not be edifying, so to speak.  My daughter, however, because my friend was her aunt, was expected to attend, and off she went dutifully.

I heard from her later that a controversy broke out at the dinner.  Apparently, she was not the instigator, but she was the one who stood up to speak the whole truth.  She told me that she presented, in contrast to the minister's view, the fact that John 3:16 states that God LOVED THE WHOLE WORLD!  She also brought up a scripture she had heard but couldn't remember where it was, and promised some of the dissenting crew she would get back to them with the scripture.  And that one was the one where Paul tells us that God loved us BEFORE we were His, and that is why he sent his son to die for the world.  I was amazed at the maturity of this young woman, and had to pinch myself to be sure this was my baby girl I was hearing.  Then I gloated a little.  In short, I became as much of a Blow Fish as that Minister had been.  Until today, I had thought about this, but had not been convicted enough of my own fault, and focusing on the fault of the Minister, to sit down and take in the ramifications of all that went on that day.

I looked up the scripture, in Romans 5:6 - 8, where he says that God loves us even if we are not believers.  I wondered how on earth that scripture had stuck in my little girls head for so long.  We haven't studied the Bible together in several years, since she became an adult.  And then it occurred to me.  My daughter was not a Blow Fish that day, she was an edible fish, a tangible tool in the hands of God to speak His word in truth, with out fear of repercussion, even though that is what happened.  She did not back down, she stood her ground.  And she spoke the whole truth.

I have heard it said that a partial truth is a lie.  I believe this to be true, and that is what that Minister spoke to the people that day.  He barred the sheep from entering the fold.  He put restrictions on their salvation that even God did not do.  But then so did I.  Because I did not stand up to speak the truth.  However, God provided for Himself, someone who He knew would do the job.

When we become so consumed with Self, either thinking we are more, as in the case of the minister, or less than what we actually are, as in my case, we make ourselves unusable in the hands of God.  We are not called to bar the gates of heaven to any one, we are not called to judge.  We are not called to teach hatred and separation.  We are called to love like Christ and live like Christ. Even to those who hate, cause division, and wreck peoples lives.  We are called to stand up and be the hands and feet of Him who loved us first.

I am regretting my 'Blow Fish" actions.  I am regretting that I was not willing to let God use me, but I am rejoicing that He provided someone who had the guts to do it.  She gets the blessing that I so easily passed over by being silent.  I can't make any promises, for that would be foolishness, but I can say that I can hope that in the future I will be attentive to hear my Master call me to be the edible fish, not just some big blow hard fish.

Romans 5: 6 - 8   "For when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Copyright © 2011 by Susan Linn-Gomez. All Rights Reserved.