Psalm 100 ~ Serve the Lord with gladness.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and not we ourselves
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.





Serve the Lord with Gladness.

October is when the outdoors returns to us. Gardeners are happy. Athletes are happy. Weekend warriors are happy. People sit in the yard.

And today all this perfection had an irritant to me. An injustice. Usually this shakes right off. It was a threat given, a long time ago, of nuisance they do. It's something I share with the people near me. In fact, people 4 and 12 blocks away from me have asked me about. Other people have experienced this as well. And usually I shake this off and have joy. Today, I just was riddled with, "It's not fair."

Let's call this couple -  Impetigo and Bedreaded.

When I ask prayers over this astonishingly unkind couple at the many Bible Studies we have done - it's asked if they go to Church. I think so. Then later we are asked if they attend Church in English as they are English speakers. I think so. Let me add the list of their gross self-centeredness is so long, I have to quell Edward in public and he has to stop me. We can get on a rant. Honestly.





I wondered how God felt to be housed in completely touchy irritation - me.To me all the beauty of October felt really irked inside me. As if the perfection of the day was taken - again. One more of their cruddy perpetrations - foisted in a sneaky way.

It's 2 people who deliberately set themselves first and set out to do any low thing to make themselves feel important. Local Government remembers them. Small animals are endangered for their amusement. They laugh.

Their whining is so tremendous the sheer tragedy of death of two children evolves around their feelings - not of the loss.

And hands to touch in inappropriate places unwanted - Impetigo  has - and two married women I know of. Total crashing narcissism.

Unfortunately for me, I encountered low selfishness done upon me by these two people today. I was ruddy and damn angry. I stomped around doing chores remembering these individuals have had a brick in their window as a gift long ago. And with this, I want to say the perfect thing. So the perfect thing. Establish Justice. Jump over tall buildings in a single bound.






Also, the truth is they make Local Government remember them from loud public displays of incredible selfishness. This is not solvable.

And of all the incredible favors and things asked of my family by these local people - I happened upon something asked of me. I was so mad I was genuinely furious. I asked Father God, "How do You stand irritated people? Being housed in them?" So as I passed this favor asked for "rudely" about 10 years ago, I smiled for not doing this. It was asked in a shame-you-way in front of other people. And I really did not remember, at the time, what they were referring to and they ended up being quite embarrassed. I smiled at how the sour note had been turned on the one giving out sour. I remembered God. It was an easy favor.

I had been contemplating about 10 ways to get even. It's so tempting. When our daughter died an off the rails nurse chewed me out until she was literally spitting. Our daughter died of multiple chromosome disorder being born 3 weeks early. It was purely someone very distressed about mental issues. I told the doctor what the nurse said and found there were other complaints and because this was so outrageous,  would I please turn her in. I had Permission!!!!!!!! Permission for Justice. Revenge. And I got quiet and the doctor, who had been so kind to me and to Edward during the loss of our daughter, asked me what I was thinking. I thought if I pick up revenge - given I'm grieving the loss of our only daughter - and I have permission - I might never put down Revenge again. And do I want to do things that are low? And be lowly in actions? I felt wonderful to be free from my revenge. It might have been the only time I had something I could give in a time of depletion and grief.

So today, finding this, I got hold of the 10 year favor and finished this in about 4 minutes. Never having to show them or have them know. Doing an act of Mercy finished off the all day slow burn irritation.


Do we owe people our kindness when they are harsh?

No. Absolutely not. I have as little to do with Impetigo and Bedreaded as possible.



Speaking up is Good. Edward once joked with me, before our marriage, that he thought rudely of something. We were trying to schedule our last pre-marriage counseling and I couldn't get him to apologize. I called him back and said Father Mike would be talking to him. At the end of the day Edward said it was the worst day ever contemplating what to say to Father Mike.

We still find this funny. But Speaking up to solve an irritation. To solve what is solvable is important. To solve what is solvable. To work to justice when Justice is obtainable.





Father God, Abba,

Thank You for the help to find away to move away from irritation. God's perfect solution of mercy to be private. Not given to the repeat offender and yet a mercy is done.

I am so grateful again for the gifts You have given me. For the people I love and see all the time. For help given in comfort and in tenderness. God is Love. His Perfect Gifts. Thank You, my Father.

Let's take October to find ever gift and blessing we are given.

Blessings of our Freedom. Blessings of our Family. Blessings of His Love given to us on this earth. Blessings of the good we can do for others.

To the people all around the world we could sum up our prayers as more Heaven on earth. Thanking God for what He has provided of Heaven on earth. Seeing good people go out of their way to help others.

Thank You Thank You, Father God.

In Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †