mikao's world

plank eye

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrites, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
- Matthew 7:1-5

This past week in my class I’ve had the opportunity to view a lot of biblically based films, with many many on the life of Moses (The Ten Commandments 1923, The Ten Commandments 1956, Hanna-Barbera’s Moses, Prince of Egypt), and many also on the life of Jesus (From the Manger to the Cross, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Jesus Film). And what stuck with me most was Jesus stating the above passage in the Sermon on the Mount in a couple of the films. It really stuck out to me.

This past year I’ve been very judgmental to a few people in particular. Why? I am not sure. There is no way to justify one’s judgmentalness. All I can do is ask for forgiveness.

I know that this summer for me is going to be a very stretching time. Earlier this week I got told I got accepted and are scheduled to have the same job I had last summer. I have never done the same thing for more than one summer. I always go somewhere new, somewhere with new possibilities and usually where no one knows me. While, yes, I did apply for a job there again, and yes, I did expect to get it, finding out I got the position has still left me with conflicted thoughts. I’m working through them, and I would love to blog about them, but also I don’t want to share my thoughts with just anyone who might stumble across this page… although I would like to share them with some of you, I don't feel i can with all of humanity.

But, I can tell you that I know God is working in my life. He’s helping me through some things. I don’t know what he has in store for this summer exactly, and I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I am also looking forward to it.

I had a great summer last year, and I am hoping for the same this summer. But it will be a very very different experience in many regards I think. I’m going to be stretched. I want to be stretched. I want my world to be shaken. And I hope pray that I can handle it with God’s wonderful grace.

God, help me remove the plank from my own eye.

Walk with me quiet, walk with me slow…
Walk with me empty, walk with me strong
The hush of our voices, when the day seems so long
It is like a balm, it is like a jewel
It unravels all I thought I knew
- Caedmon’s Call, “Walk With Me”