WHEN THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER MATTER...
AND WHEN THE THINGS THAT DO MATTER DON'T MATTER ANYMORE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON? LOVE NEVER FAILS...
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth:
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON? WHAT IS LOVE? LOVE OVERCOMES...
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world
ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Flowers? Chocolate? Candy? Gifts?
OR IS LOVE WORDS? DEEDS? ACTION? LIFE? LOVE IS LOVE?
WHAT IS LIFE? HOW EASY IT IS TO LOOSE FOCUS...
GOD'S PLAN TAKES US THROUGH MANY STRANGE TWIST...
WHAT REALLY MATTERS?
WE MUST OVERCOME THIS NEGATIVE, ANGRY, MEAN SPIRITED, OFFENDED
SPIRIT --- WE MUST FORGIVE TO BE AN OVERCOMER...
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WHAT REALLY MATTERS?
When I was a chaplain at a hospital I saw some heart breaking issues.
A MAN WAS IN A COAL MINE EXPLOSION... The safety team at the coal mines worked in
desperation trying to save his life. They was giving him CPR and loaded him in an ambulance
and headed to hospital. One of the men at the coal mine called his wife and told he was
seriously injured and for her to head to the hospital.
The man was unloaded into the trauma unit and the doctors saw there was no hope. NONE.
His body lay in the room and there was blood everywhere. The explosion was massive, and the
men told they had little hope but they worked with him until they turned the case over to
the trauma team.
One man and I stood at the door of the ER and waited for his wife. She speed her Mercedes
in the ER doors and jumped out. The man waiting with me had blood all over him. We hugged the
lady, she knew this was serious. She was crying and screaming. We took her into the little chapel
and told her the doctor would soon be in to speak with her and that things were really bad.
She started telling me her story. They got up at 4:30 am and he got ready for work and she
would normally been making him breakfast and packing his lunch. They had a huge argument and
they were fussing back and forth. She refused to pack his lunch and gave him no breakfast. As
he walked out of the door she told him, she hated him and hoped he would die.
The lady ask me if I could pray and bring him back just for a few minutes. She needed to
talk to him and tell him how much she loved him. In tears, I just listened and held her.
The Doctor came in the room and told her, YOUR HUSBAND IS DEAD AND THERE WAS
NOTHING WE COULD DO TO SAVE HIM. She begged the doctor, PLEASE, GIVE ME 5
MINUTES WHERE HE CAN HEAR ME! I have a home in Florida I will give you for 5 minutes.
The doctor hugged the woman and said: I AM SO SORRY, THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO.
The doctor recommended the lady not to see her husband's body. SHE INSISTED, YOU
DON'T UNDERSTAND I HAVE TO SEE HIM.
The team build a tent around his body and laid sheets and built up an area around his
head to try to hide the damage of the explosion. His face was the only exposed part of his
body. As hard as we tried to keep the blood hidden, it would surface to the sheets.
The lady, the nurse and I went into the trauma room and the lady was screaming.
I AM SORRY, HONEY. I AM SO SORRY THAT I WAS SO ANGRY WITH YOU AND
THAT I NEVER FIXED YOUR BREAKFAST OR YOUR LUNCH. PLEASE, PLEASE FORGIVE
ME. I AM SO SORRY. She rubbed his face for a long time and friends came and picked
her up and took her home. HER REGRET WAS TERRIBLE. She loved her husband. They
had everything and now it was gone.
WHAT WAS SHE THINKING THEN? WHAT WAS SHE THINKING THEN? A few hours,
a few minutes can change everything? WHAT REALLY MATTERS?
LOVE? LOVE? Yes, she loved him. She was angry, he was angry and their last
moments together became very painful.
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON? I AM RIGHT! I AM ALWAYS RIGHT!
There is a LITERARY DEVICE or tool called REPETITION...
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death.
I am right! There is a car waiting at the red light. The light turns green. Here comes a 18 wheeler
with 50 tons of a payload. I have the green light, I have the right of way. The trucker does not see
the light, he never touches his brakes. Am I going to GO AHEAD AND PULL OUT?
I am RIGHT! DEAD RIGHT...
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON? WE MUST LEARN CREATIVE USE OF CONFLICT...
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE SYMPTOMS --- GET A CLEAR DIAGNOSIS---
TO DEVELOP A PROGNOSIS---
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother
hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou
art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
CATHERINE JOHNSON WROTE "LUCKY IN LOVE." (Gary Brackett)
SHE INTERVIEWED MARRIED COUPLES...
SHE TELLS WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HAPPILY MARRIED COUPLES?
DISAGREE WITHOUT DRAWING BLOOD...
Johnson said LOVE thrives in an atmosphere where couples agree to disagree but
refuse to attack, destroy or lose respect for each other.
To develop a healthy relationship we must not only see SHORT TERM, BUT LONG TERM
CONSEQUENCES... WE WILL DISAGREE WITHOUT DRAWING BLOOD...
DISAGREEMENT MUST NEVER DEVELOP INTO A RAZOR BLADE TONGUE THAT
CUTS UP AND DESTROYS IN A PERSONAL ATTACK OF HOPE AND LIFE.
Be kind, gentle, forgiving, giving, patient...
IN LOVE COMMITTED TO UNITY...
IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON?
COME LET US REASON, WE CAN BE DIFFERENT AND STILL LOVING...
THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF CHICKENS ON THE LOT...
THERE IS US, THEN THERE IS THEM...???
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Roosters, hens, Rhode Island Reds, Dominick, white, black,
IN THE POT, IN THE DUMPLINGS THERE IS ONLY ONE KIND OF CHICKEN...
LOVE KNOWS: TO WALK AWAY AND QUIT REVEALS THE HIDDEN HEART....
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us,
they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be
made manifest that they were not all of us.
THERE ARE ROOTS THAT GROW DEEP AND ARE NOT SEEN BY THE EMOTIONS AND
5 SENSES...
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way;
but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
ROOT: below the surface, not visible to the eyes
Roots absorb and store up for later.
BITTERNESS: hard to bear, COLD, resentful, hurt, painful, misunderstanding, angry, ...
ALL LOVE AS WELL AS THE GATES OF HEAVEN SWING ON THE HINGE OF
FORGIVENESS...
Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
IF THERE IS POWER IN AGREEMENT? IS THERE POWER IN DISAGREEMENT?
OUT OF THE NEGATIVE GROWS FAITH...
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time
the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou
be cast into prison.
JOB had 3 friends? Hurt? JOB PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS...
Elijah had a woman, JEZEBEL that vowed to KILL HIM: she could not touch him..
JOHN on the ISLE OF PATMOS
DO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT?
THE GREATEST LESSON OF HURT IN THE BIBLE IS FOULD STARTING IN
GENESIS 37... 12 KIDS AND 4 MOTHERS IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME...
THEY COULD NOT SPEAK PEACABLE TO THE DREAMER:
TWO DREAMS: ---SHEVES ---STARS
LOVE AND GOD'S PLANS MUST STAY FOCUSED...
THE PAIN OF SUFFERING AND MISUNDERSTANDING?
Joseph brought some of this on himself... not humble... THE COAT OF MANY COLORS...
THE SYMBOL OF BLESSINGS AND FAVOR...
HATRED, PIT, THE RESCUE, THE SLAVE TRAIN, POTIPHAR, HIS WIFE, PRISON...
LET US NOT FOCUS ON THE HURT AND PAIN AND BITTERNESS...
FOCUS ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD...
SOMETIMES THE WORSE THING IS THE BEST THING IF IT BRINGS US CLOSER TO GOD...
GOD HELP US SEE WHAT REALLY MATTERS, AND TO RELEASE WHAT DOES NOT MATTER....
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:
for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie
not against the truth.
Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
CONCLUSION: Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
LOVE NEVER FAILS... FORGIVE... IS THIS THE HILL I WANT TO DIE ON?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
