God's Normal Way of Beating Me Upside The Head

 There's the old joke about the farmer and his wife going to town with a cart hitched to a mule. After a little while, the mule quit going, so the farmer had to call out "Giddyap!" The mule started on down the road.  After a little while longer, the same thing happens. When the mule quit the third time, the farmer gets down, picks up a 2 x 4 from the back of the cart, and goes up to the mule, popping him right on the top of the head.

The wife screams "WHY DID YOU DO THAT??!!" The farmer answered: "Sometimes my mule quits paying attention to my voice, and I have to catch his attention by beating him upside the head!"

My latest upside the head beating was a simple post by my close spiritual friend Stephanie Pittock. God has given this woman MUCH to be patient about in her much-shorter-than-mine life. [At least she does not, currently, have to put up with Buffalo blizzards, right Steph?] I routinely read In Touch ministries's daily devotional, because I have long loved the Word as explained by Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley has 30 Life Principles, based on a simple concept, which is also listed as one of the principles (principle 2): Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

So, what Stephanie did was to post yesterday's daily devotional on Facebook and specifically tag me. One of the blessings of faith partners is that God and the Spirit use them to tickle your ears in the right way and pay deep attention to something you otherwise might be superficially reviewing. I took His lead by her hand and went over the devotionals on Following God's Schedule and Developing Patience word by word a couple of times each (well, maybe more times than that. When I get in the zone I'm in the zone, and only God knows how long I am in there and what I am doing). I have copied the verses for those devotionals here, taken from The Message translation posted on The Bible Gateway

James 1 The Message (MSG)

 I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! Faith Under Pressure
 ^2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Romans 11:33-36 The Message (MSG)

 ^33-36Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out.

   Is there anyone around who can explain God?
   Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
   Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
      that God has to ask his advice?

   Everything comes from him;
   Everything happens through him;
   Everything ends up in him.
   Always glory! Always praise!
      Yes. Yes. Yes.
FOR THIS BLOG: I think it's enough to present the verses and that introduction. Otherwise I will REALLY start rambling and go way too long. I will pick up from here, hopefully tomorrow.