that right there could drive a sane man bizzerk.

[Note: This post has been in "draft" mode for a while. I started it on 10/25/07. The past week discussed has turned into a month.]

This past week has been one of the most trying weeks of my life. I don't really want to go into it here, but these are some thoughts I have wanted to share from during that time.

Even since before this past week, something I have been thinking a lot about is God's view of the post-fall human life. Ever since Adam and Eve were booted out of the garden, the human race has been subject to a world infused with sin. The effects of humans acting within their sinful human nature are pervasive in every aspect of life. Just go to cnn.com and you can see articles informing you that teachers are having sex with students, students are being shot at school events, or people are smuggling young girls into prostitution rings. These are things that I think would make anyone cringe and I know that my grandmother would chime up to point out the moral depravity of our world. But as the old saying goes, nothing's new under the sun. All it takes is a look back to Exodus to read about God's feelings toward Sodom and Gomorrah because of the actions of the people to realize that the sinful nature isn't evolving to become more sinful...sin, if you give in to its false promises, will take you to a place you never thought you'd be. All that to say, God has had patience and grace with humans for a long time. Good thing his grace is unending, or we all would have been done for a long time ago.

That being said, when you see the effects of the fall personally...first hand..., it tends to smack you in the face. The sorrow and the immense pain that follows when you see the effects of what we humans call "life" are hard to handle.

There are times in my life when I see clear as a bell why God instructs us as he does. There is no faith in trusting his word. It's obvious. But usually these times come because I have seen the effects of NOT doing as he instructs, first hand. They are painful but I learn a lot. (Not only from my actions, but also from observing and feeling the effects of other's actions.)

The problem is that as the time fades, the pain from the stabs of sin is lessened as the wounds heal. The clarity fades into confusion. It is so hard to remember lessons learned.

However, I will say that with this particular lesson in my life right now, I don't think I will be forgetting any time soon. The effects of deep wounds received from loved ones take a long time to heal.