Serendipities

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There’s (little) things that show responses to

requests that we have made, of you, our God.

I just thought how the kind of things you do

might be adjusted by the things we’ve got,

which might, in turn, affect our very view

of how we see, relating you to what

does happen round about us here with who

the God within our head thinks of us lot.

We might think (for we have propensities

to do this - ’less we listen to your word

to us, and choose to look up, (from our knees)

that is, from asking self: “What have you heard?

How do you understand this? What’s the point?

And how have you responded, once anoint-

ed by the “judge & ruler” of this joint? -

The One to whom you must soon give account.)..

We might think that you are a bit like us,

and that could be a fact, and say what’s true.

But still we have the trouble & the fuss

of working out which bits? And what to do?

We often ask such small things, from small minds,

not caring to see how the whole she-bang

is meant to work together, then we’ll find

small answers to requests from where we hang

about, and learn to learn from you (instead

of getting you to listen up to us!).

Your love leads you to help us - lift our heads,

& note all that is serendipitous.

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God’s word to Israel, through his prophets: “You thought I was like you!” 

…

so that's how you saw me, and that's why you tried to make me like you.”

e.g.

• 
  
• Jeremiah regarding making a god from a tree in the forest, (or from bits of mineral, vegetable, or …)” 

(You shrunk me down to your level, and used the likeness that was supposed to be there (I told you it was there) between you and me, not to help you grow up to be like your Father in heaven, but to try to shrink me down to be like you. You’re so peevish, you thought I was peevish. You’re so legalistic, you thought I was legalistic. You’re so controlling, you thought I must be controlling. You’re so task oriented and loveless, you thought I must be like you. Shrinking this whole Universe of amazing possibilities down to the small task that can fit in your small mind at the moment. Instead of using the scriptures to get a sense of the themes and motives that get God going, and learning to adopt those for yourself, you use the scriptures to find a record of the themes and motives that get you going, and shrink the Grand Narrative to a self serving story to gain and maintain your power structures, and give you a sense of importance & comfort.)

Jesus: “You teachers of the Lore of God, and you Pharisees, who honour the Lore of God, you do the minutae, like tithing your garden herbs, but miss the large themes of the Grand Narrative. Go and learn what is meant by the Justice and Mercy/Love of God”.

commanded in the Torah: 2Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments….10You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.” Deuteronomy 8:2,10 NRSVUE) paraphrased: “When you enter your own land, you must bless the Lord, else you will start to think that you have got here by yourself, and become arrogant and self righteous.”

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most excellent* WAY forward

 

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Attend to thoughts and prompts that come my way!

That’s what I’ll do tomorrow (& tonight).

“Please help me God.” is all that I can say.

Then use the help he gives, that comes alright.

And His spirit, or breath helps me to want

to also say a “Thank you” for what aid

is given and received. No special font

makes it acceptable. I’m unafraid.

I know you seek for more than what’s achieved

by any means, technologies, or likes.

You look for attitudes and what’s believed 

or trusted in. My God, you love what hikes

us on, & up, so that together we 

enjoy the journey as we move along

and interact together so we be 

like friends who sing together some great song.

Which they make up from countryside they pass

embedded with their stories gathered in

and manufactured by the journey’s fast

& slow bits, that’s how things have always been.

“Attend to thoughts and prompts that come my way..”

my path, the journey, & the track we take.

“The point is not the path”, I want to say,

“just static, standing there, without an ache.

The point is in the journey's taken on it, and friendships grown as movement is embraced,

and celebrated. God, when you’re on it

our journey’s holy points are faced & traced.”

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*  Luke 1:1-4; 1Cor12:28-13:13

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Attending

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Ol’ Time is working on humanity

so inexorably, and this gives us

(b’coz of limitations) currency

that can be recognised without much fuss.

And then my banking habits, spending sprees,

become important aspects in the game

and fun of learning real things, now we see

presented to us, by ol’ “Whatsizname”.

Creative love ’im-self, ’er-self, who would

have offspring ‘coz that’s what this life’s about,

the pow'r of multi-plying trades as should

be helpful to the universe. To shout! -

by whispering, “I’ll cover this for you.”

As friends have done, throughout all time so far.

It’s not so much your words, as what you do;

to pay the price for someone else, and laugh

with them at jokes, and share with them the night,

the evening, and morning coming next

to be around in dark, but also light,

continue sharing ev’ry day, in texts.

The method isn’t all there is to know.

Re-ality’s important - what we share

(and it's closeness to what this life will show)

is fruited in our acts. Buyer beware!

And now I am excited more, and more!

We play this game of life here, ev’ryday.

By ev’ry choice we make, and reasons for

the making of them, all of this we pay.

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Attention!

(The process can be trusted)

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Well, here I am today, alive, awake,

arrived at that big day at end of year.

My school work’s finished, and the jobs I’ve been 

giving my attention to, have come some way.

Today I pick a truck up, and then take

a journey interstate in it, appear,

(that’s if I make it) with my lady keen,

at house of friend, pack truck, tomorrow say

“Goodbye” to grandchild’s house (where two have baked),

truck household goods to third state, not so near,

and on the way, attend a friend’s wedding,

with fam’ly get-together, drive more, hey!

If we get there, unload the truck, and make

our way home. Mate might just have plumbed the rear 

of our small house where sewage has been seen

and we’ll continue fixing place to stay

for friends and fam’ly who would like to shake

things up, and have some space to live to cheer

folk on, as one & three year olds who’re weaned

can move on & grow up, and learn to pay

attention to important things, like cake;

and celebrate each birthday, and each year,

one moment sad, then happy, gentle, mean;

and let the process grow us in the way

that love has done, so silently, each night,

when we give up our conscious selves, close tight

our little eyes, and open selves to light

like plants to sun, and air and water sprite.

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the hood!

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Our Father, mother, sister, brother, you

are whom we have our being from, and to..

Our smaller sibbling, weaker, overlooked,

whom we can now include, and read a book

to, hear their stories of the day, and say.

You’re loved within this fam-i-ly always.

“Today” - that is the time where love’s strong work

is done (Joy's fun joins in) -will never shirk.

Once I was shaken up, and felt confused.

I heard a word come from a bub who mused,

and tried to share his state of mind and fears

without the words that come - throughout the years,

A two year old begins the use of words,

and gets the gist. But sometimes they’re like turds

expelled into the air, but may be waste -

as things are getting processed.. “Do not taste!”

They come from in the mouth, just like a kiss, but sometimes vomits come from things amiss,

and must just be let out - then cleaned up straight.

Direction/ placement can ameliorate.

And that’s my job within our family:

to help ameliorate some probs I see,

or feel to have arriving here just now,

and honour those around, somewhere, some how.

For in this Universe, of heaven's and earth,

somehow we can learn love, if we’ve been birthed

here from above, the home of God who is

the first to love - all Fatherhood is his!

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Notes:

Christ's Apostle (Ambassador) Paul, writing to a group of Jesus followers in Ephesus, a long way from Israel in the Roman Empire:

“7-13 And I was made a minister of that Gospel by the grace he gave me, and by the power with which he equipped me. Yes, to me, less than the least of all Christians, has God given this grace, to enable me to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to make plain to all men the meaning of that secret which he who created everything in Christ has kept hidden from the creation until now. The purpose is that all the angelic powers should now see the complex wisdom of God’s plan being worked out through the Church, in conformity to that timeless purpose which he centred in Jesus, our Lord. It is in this same Jesus, because we have faith in him, that we dare, even with confidence, to approach God. In view of these tremendous issues, I beg you not to lose heart because I am now suffering for my part in bringing you the Gospel. Indeed, you should be honoured.

14-19 When I think of the greatness of this great plan I fall on my knees before God the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name), and I pray that out of the glorious richness of his resources he will enable you to know the strength of the spirit’s inner re-inforcement—that Christ may actually live in your hearts by your faith. And I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves, may be able to grasp (with all Christians) how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ—and to know for yourselves that love so far beyond our comprehension. May you be filled though all your being with God himself!

20-21 Now to him who by his power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or imagine—to him be glory in the Church through Jesus Christ for ever and ever, amen!” Eph 3:7-21

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invigorating co-creating!

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Now is the time to put words to my joy

the joy of changing this world here of yours

and making it to serve, as did your boy..

..to serve your purposes, and kids, because

this makes you happy, that’s what lovers do.

They try to serve the one they love & find

what ways they can to bring to birth, renew

the hopes and wishes in their loved one’s mind.

You said for us to rule this world and take

dominion, as none but your children could,

in spirit (motives, methods) that you’d make

your own - so you’re enfleshed in us - real good!

“In love” is how we’d use each other’s gifts,

by working with each other for good ends,

you said if that occured, the outcome lifts

& nothing’s then impossible to friends*.

I think I’ve seen your prophecy come true:

with your own motivations in our souls

and spirit thus combined, we joined with  you

and you are joining with us, like a shoal

sometimes, of fish, might turn together and

look like a bigger animal and play

a game with bigger predators. They band 

together, and do bigger things that way.

And ev’ry sphere of life’s a bit like this.

The physical enfleshes your hopes  here.

Your spirit’s like a person: hers or his

own hopes and dreams would through us, here, appear!

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*  The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. (Genesis 11:6 NIVUK)

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the diff. ..

There is a very "open" sporting club in town, which I have much relished affiliating with - when I am in town (for mental, physical, and social reasons). But as the club's coach (from an Eastern culture) opens his wings, and does an amazing job of lifting the tone, the capacity, and the prowess of the club, he initiates an interaction with me, on a social-game night, focussed on my "unprofessional clothing", then taking my questioning as a sign of insubordination. I stay calm. I wave goodbye to him, as often I have done before, across the club meeting, at the end. But I need to process this further.

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Oh God I’m here and somewhat smarting for

he chipped me in a public place and then

his culture leads him to miss some things or

to emphasise some others or to spend

his focus or attention on what we

Australians (or it might be just my clan)

have never cared that much for, or don’t see

them as of much importance. That there man.

And yet he is my brother under you

“Our father - who’s in Heaven (so Earth too)..”

But he had not seemed like this. This seems new!

This is a shock - but there’ll be quite a few 

if we’re to have community that’s real.

I smart, and that’s ok I s’pose. It’s growth.

And this disclosure is my chance to have

a growth mindset, as well as open up.

“Ephatha!” was the word to dumb & deaf

man, and I (often) am a bit bereft

of wise and open words - “taken” or “left”,

while open still to wisdom's way that’s  deft.

So I will take this into me with you

in mind, as well as open at my heart

to your true word from heaven that came due-

ly, at the right time. Your creative art

is sculpture: making golden apples in

a setting of a silver background, which

is fitting, and has beauty. You have bin

done taking time to give more than “your pitch”.

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Furthering love ...

 

Love spoken is no match 

(though it may spark- 

"bespoke”n it may catch 

a lover's heart):

the acting out with strength 

over a time 

is what signals at length 

reason & rime

of ancient mariner 

who walks the seas 

or deserts (barren-er)- 

whom love doth please.

But Love is best supplied 

to Earth below 

through humans who've denied 

their Ego show,

and let the Universe 

blow breath & wind;

give life, not just rehearse

where humans sinned.

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