Distress

MON., JUNE 19, 1983, 5:47 AM
FARM, STUDY

In contrast with recent mornings this one commenced early and with a feeling of distress. It took a walk around the pasture to quiet that feeling… with some resolve to prevent what you feared had happened. You had Me involved, so let Us talk this morning, o son, about distress and its relationship to faith and life.

There is an interesting way in which these three are interrelated. In a human life faith and distress are often counter forces or feelings. A strong faith tends to prevent distress or certainly to deter it. Counter to this, distress comes when faith ebbs… or poses a test of faith. In this morning’s incident you had faith in Me, but much less faith in the integrity of your fence. Also you have a knowledge of Me, and you know that I give you tests and challenges from time to time, and this could have been one of these. That is, faith in Me does not guarantee you a life without distressing incidents… like cattle roaming beyond their bounds.

The test is in feeling distress but not losing a sense of My continuing relationship. Distress can pull you to feel that actions in the world are occurring independently of Me. I have retreated, am no longer involved, and the distress seems worse because of this perception, which is false, of course.

Your response to yesterday’s sermon was appropriate… and related, in a way, to this morning’s theme. When you are aware and properly appreciative you realize that I am involved in EVERY aspect of life. Just as every thing with appearance… from yourself, to a calf, to a tree, to moving clouds… is actually energy, so I am involved in all of that diverse energy.

Theological students read, discuss, and write papers about Me in relation to this world of “solid objects” and of appearances. This is energy, and it also can bring distress. And yet I am there in their midst, urging them to the faith and understanding that there is no “where” that I am not. I may not be obtrusive, and I may wait for you to perceive Me, but I am the fundamental energy of matter, movement, and, importantly, of love.

When tragedies occur, and they will here in the earth, I am there… not to prevent the tragedy (though I do so, now and again), but to encourage love, compassion, concern, courage, and tenderness among those who are directly or indirectly involved. As one human steps forth to help another, effectively or not, there am I, urging and abetting this display of energy.

My servant Bill writes, exhibiting distress that there is no new pulpit and congregation to profit from his unique mixture of faith and cynicism. He also expresses doubt about these Teachings, but also love for you, a source of conflict which is another form of distress. Am I with him in his struggle to continue his ministry as a service to his congregation and to Me? You bet. He knows that, but how he longs for a different set of circumstances. Faith and distress… hopelessly intertwined. (Where there is faith there always is hope!)