CARD CARRYING CRAZY

 When you are in the business world for years, you have stories stored away to share.  Today's story comes from decades ago and the one who gave me this laugh---he is gone on.  I had MANY characters as clients (I suppose characters attract characters), but this one ALWAYS made me laugh.  He had a business and dropped by to visit every month when he brought his "stuff" to the office.  One such visit, he told me he was "Card Carrying Crazy" which excused him from a lot of trouble.  I laughed and told him we were all crazy.  He then whipped out his billfold and produced a card proving his craziness.  YEARS ago he had what we then called a "nervous breakdown" and was hospitalized to recover.  Somehow he convinced whoever was in charge to give him a card saying he had been hospitalized in this psychiatric facility and was released.  For ONCE, I was speechless.  He told me this certified he was certifiable.  WHO could argue?  A nervous giggle might have escaped, but I did not know what to say.  Congratulations---I am sorry---how wonderful---tell me more ---good for you.  What in the world do you say?  You say little--listen carefully--and acknowledge  the secret that is being shared does not change how you regard the teller.

 

A sweet friend loaned me a book recently that I thought I would slowly read and ponder.  She warned me it was not easy to read.  It is FILLED with wisdom and things to ponder.  I am still reading and I am certain more blogs will come from it.

 One of the first things I garnered is how we all want to be seen and heard.  We have talked before about the invisible among us.  You might ask--how could anyone be invisible?  We look right through them and never even acknowledge their existence.  This in effect makes them invisible. 

Why would my client produce this card and tell me this story?  He wanted my acknowledgement of those gut wrenching days he survived.  He wanted me to know the pain of having to check out of the world for a time to recover when he was pushed over the ledge.  He wanted me to hear him.  He was waiting and watching for my reaction---for you see he also had a degree of shame associated with that time.  (The book I am reading also deals with shame)  Would I still acknowledge him, treat him the same once the truth was out of the bag.  He could not forgive himself, he could not leave that shame behind, our relationship could go no further until he knew how I would react to his history.  Would I still enjoy his good company, would I still laugh at his jokes,---would I still respect him?  BIG questions which come with sharing our truths.

The author of the book has a chapter titled "Dis-grace".  It is filled with stories such as the one I told above of our fellow man wanting to be acknowledged.  As our relationship with The Father deepens we begin to realize he really loves us "NO MATTER WHAT".  We are human and have limitations on our love.  I have fallen out of love with someone before---my love has limitations.  What's that old saying, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."  I am not sure I am capable of loving someone no matter what --perhaps my children if anyone has that limitless love from me.  BUT---God loves us --no matter what.  WOW!  I will sum it all up with this quote from the book ~

"The 'no matter whatness' of God dissolves the toxicity of shame and fills us with tender mercy."

PRAISE GOD!

"For I am sure that neither death nor life,

nor angels

 nor rulers,

nor things present

nor things to come,

nor powers, 

nor height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the 

love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39