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Gentle I


         Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)
         After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. (Genesis 15:1)
           The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not  be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
                If Bill Gates volunteered to pay your bills for the next year, how would you think about your finances? If your favorite hero or superhero were to have your back, where would you go? What would you do? Years ago, I read a Faustian novel with a woman as the Faust character. When I got done reading it, I was angry. Here was this woman who made a deal with the devil, and she was the CEO of a corporation, and here was I, with God on my side, working as a clerk in a library. Yes, it’s embarrassing, but there was a sense in which I had it right. If God was on my side, then what? 
            And then, when things didn’t go just as I wanted, what was my reaction? Of course, I wouldn’t have said so, but … I felt I was on my own. When I’m not sure which way I should go, where is God? He is right there, and I don’t think I’m the only one who needs to be reminded.
               Going back to the question of what would you do if you knew someone had your back, you probably wouldn’t feel the need to protect yourself. If someone threatened you financially or physically, you wouldn’t need to protect yourself. You wouldn’t need to shout or threaten. You could just step back and say, “Talk to my friend.” You could be gentle.
               According to Max Lucado, gentle comes from a Greek term that describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. When I think of the word gentle, I think of a picture that I can’t find online, or a little boy either squatting or standing before a draft horse of some sort, one of the really big boys. One hoof-strike, even half-hearted and lazy, and the boy’s skull would be crushed. And yet, the horse stands there, not using all of the strength it has to the best of his ability. 
                I think I’ll continue this topic tomorrow.

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