Again and Again

Years have long gone now but those days will never be forgotten. On yesterday I was reading in Proverbs 23 and was reminded of a time in my childhood.

Proverbs 23:29  Who hath woe(trouble)? who hath sorrow(misery)? who hath contentions(quarrels)? who hath babbling(complaint)? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes(bloodshot eyes)?

Proverbs 23:30  They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

My uncle had an alcohol problem; I can still remember what the bottle looked like these many years later. It was called Old Crow and had a picture of a Black Crow on the bottle. Alcohol was never allowed in our home but for my aunt and cousins it was a nightmare. Thanksgiving and Christmas when families should be together enjoying each other they would be at our home because of fear. That ought not to be! But it was at the end of the chapter that I saw this

Proverbs 23:35  They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

We can all identify with alcohol and what it has done and caused in the lives of others I am sure but it’s the last 10 words that really caught my attention. It’s all about “me”  “when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.“ It matters not what damage it has caused them to do to others or who they have hurt because of their problem all that is cared about is they will do it again and again and again. Not only are we being taught here to stay away from alcohol but I believe it goes much deeper. When we get so caught up in something that it hurts and destroys others we need to stop and take a look at what we are doing. It could be our temper; oh, we feel sorry after we have exploded but we know it will happen again and again. Know why? Because we are trying to fix the problem ourselves; if we could do that it wouldn’t keep happening over and over again. It matters not whether it is Gossip, Anger, Alcohol, Drugs, Pornography, Selfishness, lying, cheating, stealing or whatever it is you can’t control yourself from doing, you need help. You see our problems leave scars and memories that if not handled will be passed on to the ones we love the most. My uncle felt sorry for what he had done and always apologized but the problem was that he always went seeking it again which brought on more hurt and then another apology and another and another but no getting to the root of the real problem. That is why we need to know what our problems are; if you don’t just ask your family then we need to let God work in our hearts. A year or so back I got alone with each of my children and when it was just us two I asked them “have I ever said or did anything that has hurt you? I told them I would not try to defend myself but I didn’t want to go to my grave and never have the opportunity to ask forgiveness. The answers I got were amazing…. For they said that I was the best of the best; just kidding! I only wish that was true. If we never face our problems then they will continue to be a problem. Hope you have a blessed weekend and go to Church somewhere this Sunday.

P.S. My wife and I will be gone next week to North Carolina to a camp meeting. We will get to spend a few days together just her and I; I am excited for she is the love of my life. We will return sometime Friday and I will write again on Tuesday July 5 may God bless you each and enjoy the Fourth wave your flag and be proud to be an American for God has surely blessed this nation and pray that we the people will continue to let Him.