Disturbed

I know, I know...that's a strange title for a post, but I think that's just what describes me right now. Have you ever prayed for some one's life to be rattled, disrupted, or interrupted? I "randomly" got online tonight, actually Tammy got online, to a friend of mine's website while we were hanging out after Emerson went to bed. She asked if I had seen it in a while, and I hadn't, so we went to it and looked at it. As we looked at the site we noticed some new work he had done. I won't tell you what business he's in, but he's been wildly successful in California in his specialty. Well, it seems now that he's "branching out" and getting other work. That's where the disturbance comes in.

Here's my quandary: While we were growing up, he and I were really good friends, the kind who kept each other accountable, asked hard questions, and sometimes allowed the other to slack. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it's true, and we were teenagers so that may give you more understanding. I vividly remember one day this friend of mine saying to me "you know those words you make up to 'not cuss' are just as bad as the cuss words you say. It's what's in your heart that matters." I remember arguing like anyone would do when they were busted for doing and saying something they knew was wrong...and eventually I filed it away to be remembered at a later date. Now, years removed, relationship virtually nonexistent, I see him in a place that disturbs me. I mean it is 10 til 1 in the morning and I'm here writing this post...I just can't sleep! I just prayed for a disruption so big in his life that he has no choice but to turn to God. That's disturbing in and of itself. You see, I know him well enough to know he's chasing the dollar...and in the industry that he seems to be dabbling with, there's lots of it, unfortunately. So I just prayed for some disruption of the money, the relationship that he's in, etc... And then I had this weird thought: If it got really bad for him, would I be willing to bring him into my home so that he could recover? And that's disturbing...

So my final thought is this...How much do we really love people when we say we do? Are we willing to help them out of sin or just point it out? It seems that Jesus dealt with this, and so did the Pharisees for that matter...one was pointing it out, and one was lifting a head, and giving a hand. Here's where I'll end, I'm committing here in this setting to do what it takes, if it came to that, (and yes, the odds are small that he would call me) to help him come back to the feet of Jesus. In the midst of being disturbed by the position of my friend I have realized something. I'm just as disturbed about the idea of investing the kind of time and energy in people that it takes to get out of sin. I've seen it first hand and let me say, Satan is good at what he does. And yes, he fights tooth and nail not to lose a warrior for his side...

Signing off hopefully...
God, thank you for disturbing me tonight!
Disturbed