Sure Glad It's Not MY Job!

I'm glad it's not MY job because I'd do a poor job, indeed. I dare say I'd never even get the plane out of the hanger...forget about getting airborne! Especially on a day like today (that sounds so cliche, doesn't it). Oh there are times when I'm soaring above it all...you know what I'm talking about. A day when you not only solve your own problems so well you say to yourself 'what problems?', but you easily, and happily, tackle the issues of those around you. Yep-a "take on the world" kind of day. Ah yes. Can almost smell it. Can you? No? Well then maybe your day was like mine. Nothing catastrophic took place. No flat tires or blown rods. No car jacking or local stop-&-rob heist. Not even a disagreement with a friend or loved one. No one cut me off in traffic, causing me to narrowly escape death as I swerved to miss him/her. The sun was even shining-here-on the Oregon coast. Yet almost each moment felt like one of THOSE moments from the moment I got up. Heart downcast, irritated, genuine bad attitude. As if I was adequately drowning in my self-constructed, self-filled pool of despair, I decided to feel guilty about my, well, feelings. I'm provided for and loved. What for the love of water chestnuts do I have to be so miserable about? NOTHING! Naturally, the realization that I do not, in fact, have anything to be unhappy about, and the subsequent feelings of guilt, only compounded the problem. So much so that at one point I felt (another one of those "f" words) as if I'd spiral down into......oh enough of this. I had a bad attitude the moment I opened my eyes. Shame on me!
Seriously, though, it all starts with the "f" word doesn't it? Oh now stop it! Not THAT word. Not in THIS blog. Another "f" word which can sometimes be just as destructive as the one heard daily almost everywhere. Feelings....feel...felt...what a burden we put upon ourselves and those around us based on how or what we feel. Let's take a look at these invisible little rascals, shall we?
First let me say what I'm NOT saying: I'm not saying feelings are bad, sinister manifestations of our alter egos which must be avoided at all costs (WHOA! It almost sounds as if I know something of what I'm talking about). I like feelings. God created feelings. When they are bad, though, don't they blaze a trail of destruction across our minds, hearts and lives? On those days when I feel on top of it all then I rarely think about the other side of life. How many of us do? We're at the top of our game and all is well. We're gonna enjoy the moment! Let us start to feel depressed, anxious, fearful, angry or hopeless, and suddenly these feelings consume us and we become what they proclaim (to some degree). Our feelings are deceptive, however, and I'm sure glad it's not my job to discern truth from falsehood on my own. The person who feels worthless and hopeless is, in reality, not worthless and doesn't have to remain hopeless. No human being is worthless and there will always be someone in a more dire situation than our own. Therefore there is always hope. The feelings do not mirror the reality. Likewise the individual who feels right with God, who feels spiritual or religious or whatever you want to call it, yet never opens their arms to comfort a hurting soul in torment, never offers a hand to someone in need, is just as deceived by his/her feelings. Furthermore, the man or woman who feels right with God and worthy of heaven, for instance, because he/she DOES lend the helping hand and the consoling embrace, may be equally in the dark about his/her state before the Creator of heaven and Earth. "But I give much to the poor! To this charity or that. I treat others as I want to be treated and I don't desire to harm anyone", you say. I recall a story of a young man who found himself in such a state. He obeyed all the laws, never treated anyone unfairly, gave abundantly to poor folks and charities. While part of him believed he'd done everything right to "be rewarded" in the afterlife (he figured he'd earned it), there was a part of him which still questioned his eternal position. He decided to discuss the matter knowledgeable teacher. Upon doing so the scholar recounted the need for following rules, giving to the poor, etc. Perplexed the young man proclaimed his faithfulness to these things from his boyhood. The teacher looked at him and told him there was but one thing left to do....sell ALL he had, give it ALL away, and "follow me". Even though the teacher was respected and obviously had answers to many troubling questions, the young man walked away downcast. He felt he was already good enough. He thought he'd done the job.
I'm sure glad it's not my job to get me eternally into the presence of the Living God. I'm glad because, on days like today, I'd never make it. What if it were up to me? What if it were mt job? I mean, let's just suppose it. I take my last breath this afternoon while I'm losing my temper with the driver who's been tailgating me for 5 miles. Maybe I skate past that little outburst but suffer a fatal heart attack or stroke while thinking mean, nasty thoughts about the telemarketer who just called me...again, or the clerk who over charged me...again. Wouldn't it be wonderful to show up at the pearly gates having just emerged from some temper tantrum or other act of nastiness? "Oh God knows I'm not perfect...he'll understand", you may say. Well, you're partially correct. God does understand that I'm not perfect and that you're not perfect. He understands so perfectly that He elected NOT to give us the job of getting ourselves to heaven. He knew in the beginning and knows now that we'll blow it every time. He decided to give the responsibility of getting us into eternity with Him, to, well, Himself...in the person of Jesus Christ. It's His job, not mine. Not yours. Of course one thing we ARE required to do and that's accept the finished job. We can continue to go it alone...trying to be good enough and do good enough and so on. We can do that and, when we cross over out of this life into the next, our report will show the job was NOT completed to the satisfaction of the CEO. No happy retirement then. Only forever alone in a dark eternity with no hope, no one, and forever tormented with regret. Accept the finished work of Jesus on our behalf and when we enter that big boardroom, studio, stage, movie set, machine shop in the sky, we'll get a thumb's up form the Big Guy and He'll say "well done, good and faithful servant". I so want to hear the Creator of the universe and beyond say that to me. Don't you? Wouldn't it be too cool?
I'm sure glad it's not my job to get me there. I'm sure glad the job is done. Thanks, JC. You rock!