A Rose is a Rose

I heard this song years ago, but had almost forgotten about it until God brought it before me today. I really needed this word from Him, and I sense there are others who need it to. These are the words to a song entitled "A Rose is a Rose" written by Wayne Kirkpatrick and recorded by Susan Ashton:

You're at a stand still
You're at an impass
Your mountain of dreams
Seems harder to climb

By those who have made you
Feel like an outcast
Cause you dare to be different
So they're drawing a line

They say you're a fool
They feed you resistance
They tell you you'll never go very far
But they'll be the same ones
That stand in the distance
Alone in the shadow
Of your shining star

Chorus:
Just keep on the same road
And keep on your toes
And just keep your heart steady as she goes
And let them call you what they will
It don't matter
A rose by any name is still a rose

The kindness of strangers
It seems like a fable
But they've yet to see
What I see in you

But you can make it
If you are able
To believe in yourself
The way I do

(chorus)

Cause a deal is a deal
In the heart of a dream
And a spade is a spade
If you know what I mean
And a rose is a rose is a rose

To deal with the scoffers
Well, it's part of the bargain
They heckle from back rows
And they bark at the moon

Their flowers are fading
In time's bitter garden
But yours is only
Beginning to bloom

So keep on the same road
And keep on your toes
And just keep your heart steady as she goes
And let them call you what they will
Just remember
A rose by any name is still a rose

Being in the corporate world is so hard. Some days I feel so out of place that I want to come home and crawl under the covers. Some days I just don't think I can go back. My job, in and of itself, is great. I enjoy it. Even my co-workers are nice, and we all get along. But we are not of the same ilk. We do not value and pursue the same things. Since there are more of them than there are of me, I often feel like a kid on the playground who's not invited to play with the others. Funny how I never really experienced that as a child, but as an adult that feeling is more real that I'd like to admit. While I do not want to be a part of their world, it is still tiring to feel so out of place all the time. And sometimes it can wear pretty thin.

Many times I have wished I could quit my job and move to a monastery type place and just sit in the presence of God for a good long while. No more phone calls. No more business deals. No more malls or shoe shopping. Just me and God. Then slowly a few family/friends at a time could come in. We'd pray and just bask in the glory of God. Reflect on His word and share what He has spoken to us.

Last night He told me to read Luke 12. I wasn't sure what Luke 12 was about specifically, so I turned there. Here are a few things He wanted me to realize from that chapter:
1. Jesus also experienced a sense of overwhelming by the crowds (v 1)
2. Be more concerned with what effect God will have on you than what effect man will have on you (v 4-5)
3. Don't be afraid or discouraged. God is right there. He sees you, and you are not alone or out of His reach. (v 6-7)
4. Although it may be scary and may make you feel like an outcast, God expects us to acknowledge Him in our lives, no matter what (v 8-9)
5. Do not waste time focusing on money, power or anything else of this world - it is worthless (v 21)
6. Don't worry about anything, big or small. Again, anything and everything of this world is temporary. Make God your priority! (v 22-31)
7. Not only should you not worry about things of this world, take what you do have and give it away or use it to help someone else (v 33-34)
8. Live every minute as if Jesus is in the clouds, on His way back for the 2nd coming. (v 35-47)
9. Be careful what you wish/ask for. The more you have, the more expected of you (v48)
10. Don't expect to "fit in" with the world. Jesus came not to bring peace, but to bring division. If you are living for Him, expect to suffer from severed and strained relationships with those who do not believe (v 49-53)

Life is hard. It's not fair. And a lot of times it flat out sucks. Satan uses our alienation from the world to amplify feelings of loneliness or insecurity. He takes what may be a crack in the sidewalk and makes it appear to be an impassable chasm. We live in a realm of distortion. Life here on earth is not comfortable. It's not supposed to be. Remember, people of the world are living it up now because this is as close as they will ever get to heaven. On the flip side, it is as close to hell as we'll ever get. We live with discomfort now because it points us to our Eternal Relief. Our partying days have not yet begun.

Hang in there. God is but a whisper away. He sees all, knows all and loves all. We are not alone, and this life is not for naught. We are here for a reason. So while we might want to quit our jobs and sit in a monastery somewhere, God has a different purpose for us. Times will come when we become weary, and that's okay. Even Jesus needed to step away, revive and regroup before facing the crowds again.

Crawl into your Father's lap and get a good night's sleep. It'll make all the difference in the world.