Do you think it's wrong to...

[sparrow]

not enjoy this life to it's fullest?

I mean, God put all this wonderful stuff here...

but I am not a traveler.
I've never been anywhere.

I have weird hang-ups.
I'm an introvert and a major homebody.

My sister is in Cancun right now, walking on warm beaches and horseback riding and playing in the warm water and experiencing all of these wonderful things.

I would like to. But... like I said, I just.. I'm a homebody.
I have a "thing" about being too far from my homebase for too long.

I kinda always just think.."well, it's ok. I don't mind being this way. I know that God will let me enjoy His creation fully, SOMEDAY" (meaning when I'm on the other side of this life.)

And I think, well sheesh, what's the big deal anyway?
With so much suffering in the world, what does it matter if we get to enjoy all God has put here for us anyway?
Maybe it's just a TASTE of what is to come.
So maybe I shouldn't be that bothered by it.

(and NO! I am not talking about "oh you shouldn't go on vacation, it's evil!" LOL! not at all!) I just sometimes wonder if my hang-ups are disrespecting God somehow. Like... He's given us all of these wonders to enjoy, and here I am sorta stuck in my house.

I am HAPPY! I am FINE with being who I am.
But I do sometimes wonder.
Is it REALLY ok to just be me?
Or is thinking that I'll have all eternity to explore His creation the wrong way to be thinking?


Man.
I really think about stuff A LOT.
I think I walk down WAY too many paths.

ACK!!!

SEE!!! I explore so much that I'm too exhausted to explore in the physical world. LOL!!! 

[jabcat]

I know what you mean.  Sometimes I've felt guilty for "not liking this life so much"...needing to be thankful, happy for what God's given me, etc.  But then I think of Paul talking about to be absent from here is to be present with Christ, and how he longed for that...but saw his staying here as his service/responsibility to Christ.

The Osteen fellow's wife wrote a book called "Love Your Life"...I only saw the title of it on the bookstand, but somehow I think I'd need to see some pretty good explanations within it to be convinced it was truly Biblical and in line with what (I understand) our hearts and eyes are to be fixed upon  .

Re-reading your post, I think you're right.  This is but a TASTE of what's to come, to be enjoyed and be given thanks for...but when it's all said and done, only a hint of "what's in store for those that love Him".  I heard a sermon in mainstream once, that has always stuck with me.  It said that life is like a railway, in fact 2 railways running side by side.  One rail is good, joy, enjoyment, the other is pain, trials, suffering.  We are never completely on one without the other running right there alongside.  It's how we learn, grow, and are blessed.  Perhaps part of our being lowered into this state, the learning good from evil, learning to appreciate God's majesty and goodness when contrasted against the pain and sorrow?

[sparrow]

I know what you mean.  Sometimes I've felt guilty for "not liking this life so much"...needing to be thankful, happy for what God's given me, etc.  But then I think of Paul talking about to be absent from here is to be present with Christ, and how he longed for that...but saw his staying here as his service/responsibility to Christ.

The Osteen fellow's wife wrote a book called "Love Your Life"...I only saw the title of it on the bookstand, but somehow I think I'd need to see some pretty good explanations within it to be convinced it was truly Biblical and in line with what (I understand) our hearts and eyes are to fixed upon  .

thanks jabcat! See, that resonates with me.
I have faith that the beautiful things of this world are a taste.
I'm ok... with being patient.
I mean, I have FAITH that the beautiful things, the lovely things, the wondrous things, the things of LOVE are not going anywhere. So maybe that is why I'm just not that worried about missing out on a lot of it NOW.
I know that those things are not going away and many, many, many more wonderful things, He has in store.
I do enjoy a lot of His beautiful creation just in my backyard.
I CHERISH my backyard!   
But I'm a homebody.
and that's ok.
It's weird, because you think I'd be jealous of those who aren't homebodies and who actually are seeing beautiful clear water and beautiful exotic animals up close, etc. But I'm really not jealous at all. I kind of live through them in a way, thinking... "ohhh yipeeee! look what God has in store.." lol. It's like, I know one day, there will be nothing that I cannot explore and marvel at. I know it!

ya'll I'm such a weirdo. 

[Redlettervoice]

Did your sister "want" you to go?  If you need to go to be a GIFT
to her while she is there, you might consider it?  Remember what
God told Joshua, "I will be with thee "whithersoever" thou goest."

[sparrow]

Did your sister "want" you to go?  If you need to go to be a GIFT
to her while she is there, you might consider it?  Remember what
God told Joshua, "I will be with thee "whithersoever" thou goest."

oh no, not at all! 
This was a nice little trip planned with her husband.
They have been through a LOT together.
This was for the two of them.

If she has WANTED me to go.... she knows how I am as far as traveling.
But if I HAD to go travel because someone needed me, then that is a different story.
I would go. whether I wanted to get on that plane or not... I'd just have to ask Him for strength and just do it.

[WhiteWings]

I am HAPPY! I am FINE with being who I am.

Ok mods... time to lock this thread! The answer is given!
Seriously now: Don't fix what isn't broken.

Just my thought

[sparrow]

I am HAPPY! I am FINE with being who I am.

Ok mods... time to lock this thread! The answer is given!
Seriously now: Don't fix what isn't broken.

Just my thought

lol...!
point taken.   

[SPOKENFOR]

Sparrow,

I am just naturally adventurous. I love to travel and meet people. If someone says come and I can afford it or they can afford the plane ticket, I am there. Or, hey, we can drive there too. It does not matter to me, normally, I am ready to go...yee haw.

But, of late,  I noticed I have NO desire to do anything. Nothing interest me really. I know why it does not now, I did not before though.

I am a big lover of nature. I love just sitting and watching and looking at all of God's creations, which is another reason I love to travel, not to mention meeting new people..and just the 'journey' itself excites me..I love to see sit next to the window on an airplane and enjoy the beautiful view of the clouds and sun breaking through. One of the most beautiful things I've seen..

The only thing that excites me the way that LIFE once did now is just being around beautiful nature...mountains, oceans, waterfalls...or just sitting in a field of grass alone with God.

God is literally the only thing that I desire now. ( and a gorgeous view of nature while with God..)

I do not want to even get dressed to go to a store, or clean or take a shower half the time..I hate talking on the phone and I hate talking unless it is about God or something spiritually relating to him.....This love of this world has faded and for that in a way, I am glad.. .....God has been killing me softly and slowly, and I think I am just about dead........  ( not in the natural, I hope not yet.......But, dieing to this world.. )

NOT that anything is wrong with living LIFE, don't get me wrong. But, for me, God has been showing me something powerful through my life circumstances and the many changes I have been going through. Powerful lessons I could not have learned any other way.........

[sven]

not enjoy this life to it's fullest?

I mean, God put all this wonderful stuff here...

I would say it is ok as long as you don't willfully break God's commandments, the bible does not forbid to enjoy one's life.

[Cardinal]

  A friend asked Him one time if it would be alright for her to go to a beach. He told her HE wanted to feel the sand under HER feet, and see the ocean thru HER eyes. So yeah, as long as we put Him first in all things, there is your answer. Blessings....

[martincisneros]

not enjoy this life to it's fullest?

I mean, God put all this wonderful stuff here...

but I am not a traveler.
I've never been anywhere.

I have weird hang-ups.
I'm an introvert and a major homebody.

My sister is in Cancun right now, walking on warm beaches and horseback riding and playing in the warm water and experiencing all of these wonderful things.

I would like to. But... like I said, I just.. I'm a homebody.
I have a "thing" about being too far from my homebase for too long.

I kinda always just think.."well, it's ok. I don't mind being this way. I know that God will let me enjoy His creation fully, SOMEDAY" (meaning when I'm on the other side of this life.)

And I think, well sheesh, what's the big deal anyway?
With so much suffering in the world, what does it matter if we get to enjoy all God has put here for us anyway?
Maybe it's just a TASTE of what is to come.
So maybe I shouldn't be that bothered by it.

(and NO! I am not talking about "oh you shouldn't go on vacation, it's evil!" LOL! not at all!) I just sometimes wonder if my hang-ups are disrespecting God somehow. Like... He's given us all of these wonders to enjoy, and here I am sorta stuck in my house.

I am HAPPY! I am FINE with being who I am.
But I do sometimes wonder.
Is it REALLY ok to just be me?
Or is thinking that I'll have all eternity to explore His creation the wrong way to be thinking?


Man.
I really think about stuff A LOT.
I think I walk down WAY too many paths.

ACK!!!

SEE!!! I explore so much that I'm too exhausted to explore in the physical world. LOL!!! 

Minus the sister in Cancun (far as I know ) and the preoccupation with heaven, it wouldn't have been hard at all for me to have written nearly the same post, -- just without the self doubt and questioning about it 65% of the time.  And the reason for that is because the very Postmillenial view that God's given me with regards to ""end times"" not only puts the roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in the mouths of Christians that embrace it, for taking every thought captive in the world to Jesus Christ, but it also frees one from the "left behind" mentality, not just in the sense of a carnal interpretation of ""rapture"" that many mainstream Christians get into, [being conclusively proven to one's own sanity to be pure nonsense,] but also the aspect of freeing up each person to be the unique Christian God is forming out of them as the world is being "Christianized" (for want of a better word). 

Some of the Apostles, like John and Mary Magdalene wind up living out the rest of their lives in this world and their only martyrdom is to the traditional interpretation of martyrdom to which they've been martyred and therefore can't be killed, but have passed from death to life and become the life, breath, and being of others as their lives are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  Other than continuing in His Word, keeping a good conscience, and avoiding obvious sin, and living the life of love He's called all of us to, I can't see where anyone HAS TO BE/DO anything!  In other words, I believe that the Gospel's conquest of the world is genuinely victorious enough for folks to simply be themselves without "having to" do much.  You're loved and totally free to be you without all of the pressures of having to go anywhere except to Him.  He does want to enjoy this world through you, but it can be at a pace the both of you would enjoy 'cause He's just busy enjoying you!  No pressures and no rush, and although at the end of the day He still gets what He wants, you're generally free to enjoy the journey and to overcome in your own way.  And here's a good closing verse on this post for you and any other homebody that happens to ever read this:

12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Revelation 3:12)

[claypot]

not enjoy this life to it's fullest?

I mean, God put all this wonderful stuff here...

but I am not a traveler.
I've never been anywhere.

I have weird hang-ups.
I'm an introvert and a major homebody.

My sister is in Cancun right now, walking on warm beaches and horseback riding and playing in the warm water and experiencing all of these wonderful things.

I would like to. But... like I said, I just.. I'm a homebody.
I have a "thing" about being too far from my homebase for too long.

I kinda always just think.."well, it's ok. I don't mind being this way. I know that God will let me enjoy His creation fully, SOMEDAY" (meaning when I'm on the other side of this life.)

And I think, well sheesh, what's the big deal anyway?
With so much suffering in the world, what does it matter if we get to enjoy all God has put here for us anyway?
Maybe it's just a TASTE of what is to come.
So maybe I shouldn't be that bothered by it.

(and NO! I am not talking about "oh you shouldn't go on vacation, it's evil!" LOL! not at all!) I just sometimes wonder if my hang-ups are disrespecting God somehow. Like... He's given us all of these wonders to enjoy, and here I am sorta stuck in my house.

I am HAPPY! I am FINE with being who I am.
But I do sometimes wonder.
Is it REALLY ok to just be me?
Or is thinking that I'll have all eternity to explore His creation the wrong way to be thinking?


Man.
I really think about stuff A LOT.
I think I walk down WAY too many paths.

ACK!!!

SEE!!! I explore so much that I'm too exhausted to explore in the physical world. LOL!!! 

Hey Sparrow,

What strikes me in your words is you are who you are. I just wrote to a friend who is always 'trying' to do good to please God. He knows God loves Him but He is always trying to please Him as a good son would do to his father but anyway the point is I wrote to him and said God is going to have to just love me as I am because I don't really feel like trying to perform for Him as I think God might catch on and realize I'm not being real. He replied that it is our duty to try to be good and so on but I replied how Jonah actually ran the other way and yet God used him and Moses used every excuse in the book to not do what God wanted yet he did a lot so I'm thinkin, sis, if God wants us out doing something other than what we are doing, He will make it happen.

I see myself as His work, created in Christ Jesus to do good works so as His work progresses in me I will do just that and so will you.

Don't know if this makes any sense but your words sure do resonate with me.

cp

[Beloved Servant]

...and SPOKENFOR,
Your words resonate with me.

[Paul Hazelwood]

not enjoy this life to it's fullest?

Because of how you described it, your feelings are based on the fun you think someone else is having.   

I do not think it is wrong to not live life to someone elses fullest.    I don't even think it is wrong in any case, because what is living life to it's fullest?   How is that even defined?

What I think is that we often do not think enough of ourselves to appreciate all that we have in any situation.

[Nancy]

Hi ya Sparrow honey,

This could have been written by me.  i was telling my therapist that one of the comments that really riles me is when people say, 'I'm going to live life to the full from now on'!  What does that mean?  In societys' eyes this usually means, i feel, travelling, eating in fancy restaurants, buying designer clothes, having the best of everything really.

Funnily enough my husband doesn't like travelling, so we usually go somewhere near in England.  i have a bit of a hard time coming to terms with this, sometimes i stamp my feet like a big kid who can't get their way, so i feel that maybe God is working on something in me that i have to cut out.  We can't always have what we want, can we!

But i know what you mean.  I feel that when people are talking about all the places they have been i feel a bit left out.

But like WhiteWings said, if it ain't broke don't fix it. 

but it is easy to look at other people' lifes and think that they have got it all together and having more fun and exciting times than you are, whatever that is.

mind you when some calamity happens to people who go to these far flung places, i'm glad that i stick to good ol England.

Godbless Sparrow
Nancy

[peacemaker]

"Wherever I AM, there I WILL BE."

peacemaker

[Beloved Servant]

Isaiah 60

 1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

[sparrow]

Y'know, I think what I was contemplating when I first post this was more about appreciation. This thought just popped in my mind, when my sister emailed me from Mexico. I had no envy, it was just kind of a "wow... she's out there experiencing these exotic beautiful animals and clear warm water and beaches and stuff...God must be pleased that she is out there enjoying His beautiful creation!"

Like I was thinking to myself.. does God know that I appreciate His beautiful creation?
But now thinking about it, I'm sure He knows. Just because I'm not out there immersing myself in it, I think He knows my heart in that I would LOVE to do so, but I am who I am.

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of not wanting my own little personal hangups to keep me from appreciating His creation. But I DO appreciate it. I will work on my "Stuff" but I am who I am and God knows my heart, my longings, and my weaknesses. I think it's enough to KNOW that HE knows and He is holding my hand.

thanks for your feedback you guys.
I appreciate it.

[Beloved Servant]

I could not begin to tell you how much God has opened my eyes through travel.
I have seen HIS EYES all over the world.

[Cardinal]

  Amen, me too, Beloved Servant. Blessings.....