A couple of weeks ago I posted on my Facebook page, "Sometimes, it is not easy to do the right thing...Do you play by the rules or do you play by the hearts? Sometimes, those things conflict. I would venture to say hearts always should come first. Even Jesus broke the rules for hearts." I made that statement after there was some local conflict in the community over a Little League championship baseball game. Over and over this lesson has been a challenge for me. The lesson of "Hearts." Once again this is not an always rule, which makes it even more difficult to learn. When do you apply it? When do you not? Misusing or misunderstanding it could lead to people running you over, or others not following rules at all and expecting you to cave. Or there are those times you will run over hearts at the expense to get what you want... for the sake of competition. I see it time and time again. We put in the best players to win youth league games instead of letting everyone play. We pick all-stars based off of who the parents are or what they contribute instead of the child's ability. Hopefully, as children get older that stops some...However, some is the operative word. I once heard a High School football coach talk about removing a player out of a position. It was not the best fit for the team, but they were worried about the backlash because the parents were very much part of the school system. That is why I like being President of the Youth Football League. There are no all-stars. Once again we are the ones that typically mess it up for our children.
Back to "Hearts"... I am at this place in life where I hate fluffy bullshit. Give me real. Give me real people around me. Be honest about the place you are in life. Do not play me. Do not try to con me. Do not lie to me. Just be real. I am not at the place where it is ok for Christians to play church. People to hide their nastiness behind organized religion, or people think goodness comes from donating money yet their character displays they are a thief. There are very few pure people in the world. You know those that mess up and own it, or try to make it right. Certainly, those do not hide it or run from it. Facing it is a scary thing but being real is a very freeing thing in life. I talk of Jesus not because of organized religion, but my faith is very real to me and I am very real to it. But the "Church" in the packages that it gives has failed me, and mostly everyone else. It was once said to me, "We would have to teach Jesus church." Think about that. Kind of turns my stomach really. I love being around those raw people. People who display who they are the moment they speak a word. Whether it be crass language or articulate sensitive speech, I love the realness. Over my journey in and with organized religion, I have been kicked out of Bible school for being real, asked to not speak because I was real, asked to not sing because I was real, asked to not love because I was real, asked to hide the truth because I was real, asked to not be in leadership because I was honest, and turn a blind-eye to leaders that steal, lie, manipulate, threaten, all the while organized religion protects it. All Denominates hide it, and then put the stamp of In the Name of Jesus all over it. Two scriptures come to mind Hosea 6:6 and Matthew 9:13. "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering." In Matthew Jesus says, " Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." How many hearts have been sacrificed instead of shown mercy? How many hearts have been sacrificed for a win? How many hearts have been sacrificed in the essence of laws, rules, lies, and manipulations?
I am left daily with the making decisions of how many hearts will this cost. But learning when you spare hearts you can never go wrong, because mercy will find you.
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