Being a Sponge on Sundays

Being a sponge on Sundays

I have often mentioned on this blog that I consider myself a sponge. I absorb people’s words and take them to heart. I also believe my self somewhat as an empath where I can tell people’s moods before they say their feelings. I can size up a situation pretty quickly. I like to think that I got these mutant abilities with Sis.

Sis was language delayed, and could not talk very well. When she learned to speak, the Dude and I became her interpreter for the world. Next then our parents, but we were often asked to tell others what Sis said. I think with learning her language; I also learned to read people’s body language and facial expressions.

However, I recently noticed (as in yesterday) that I am not a sponge on Sundays during church. Our Pastor gets up and starts his sermon, and automatically I start thinking oh this sermon is for this person. Or I get a voice that says remember what whosit did to you. You were mad and upset about it, let’s fixate on that instead of listening to the words that God needs me to hear.

I often remind myself that I need to focus.

God ordained our Pastor to teach us on Sundays, and often I need to hear what he has to say.

Self-reflection is hard with poor eyesight. I may have mentioned this before, but I have astigmatism, without my glasses, my world constantly seems tilty and swaying. If I’m watching tv we always watch it with, and if I take off my glasses I can see, but I can’t read far away nor can I make out details. I often put on makeup, and I’ve learned to do it without my glasses, so it looks nice, but the hardest aspect was when I did wing liner. My eyeliner would always look better on one eye than the other. Often I wouldn’t notice until after I put on my glasses and decided that well today this is the look.

Okay, I’ve rambled a little, what I am trying to say when I go to Church I need to be a sponge and not cast blame on others. I need to examine the plank in my eye before I accuse my neighbor of having a toothpick in their eye. And this self-reflection needs to happen with my glasses on. So I can best see what is happening.

Jesus commanded us not to judge others, treat others how you want to be treated and if your neighbor has a twig in their eye make sure you remove the log from your eye first. I struggle with this daily because my job requires me to make quick judgments and assumptions, I sometimes forget that this superpower is only a work superpower. I judge people before knowing their story and then make assumptions. However, I’m learning that this is wrong. Even last week for a situation at work, I had made assumptions and then realized that these assumptions were false. And now the situation is worst.

I am learning to listen for God’s voice and let him lead situations. Just like in church I need to remind myself to focus. I need to tell myself to hear and use the tools God has given me to examine the situation thoroughly.

TTFN and God Bless and Keep You:)
Matthew 7:1-7
7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[b]
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[c] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[d] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[e] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.