Friday, 25 February 2011
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Is Anyone Out There?
Or, "if a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? Lately I find myself checking and rechecking my site to see if anyone has visited or commented on a post or pulse. The reason I am writing this is that for hours and days on end, there is no traffic. I was talking to the Lord about this today and got the distinct message that I was doing the "numbering" thing.
Also, I thought of John the Baptist....a voice crying in the wilderness: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord"' I wonder how often he stopped to listen to his echo and wondered if anyone else had heard him. Of course we read how that later there were multitudes coming to be baptized in the Jordan as a result of his preaching...then Jesus also came. So his message was relevant. God was calling all men everywhere to repent and prepare their hearts to receive the Lord.
Now, my message (blogs and pulses) are nowhere near the magnitude of John's message, but I still wonder why some bloggers get such tremendous amounts of comments and are counted as popular and to be listened to; and I seldom rate very high. (Actually, aside from traffic count, I don't know where ratings are. I probably would consider it a fluke if there were any indication of my success.)
Most of us, if we obey the Lord's command to go out and make disciples, do very little reaping. It is better that the Lord Himself take over at that point. We are apt to mess things up in trying to make a new convert a disciple. In our zeal we would probably concentrate too much on "religious" things and too little on taking them by the hand to meet Jesus face to face. On the other hand, sowing, and watering are necessary; and it's kind of neat that we get to do those things...Once in a while the Lord may trust us to be present at the harvest. It seems so simple! They are so ready that they practically fall into our hand. Duh!! All the necessary work has been done in the heart. God has chosen them and called them and privileged us to be present at the new birth!
Well I may have gone too far afield from my original intent for this....but maybe not. I am one who needs to keep being steered back on course, getting my perspective straight. My quest (quest4god) is purported to be for more of God, not to become famous. Maybe someone reading this can identify with my problem and is being helped too.
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Comments (25)
I'm out here, fighting against the void. Screaming against the wind, looking for my Savior to rescue me from this darkness. The darkness is all around me, I can not see. All I see is the light in the distance, and so, I follow it.
Yep. I went through the numbering thing recently (again) in a pretty serious way. As a good friend of mine pointed out to me at the time re: Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 6 re: doing their works to be seen by men:
"You know the context of these people. You do not wish to be with them!"
This is one of my besetting sins. All sin is deadly to our souls. As John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you."
As soon as I get consumed by numbers, the joy of the Lord withers. I must be consumed by Christ or I will wither and die and be of no use to Him and His Kingdom.
P.S. - It does seem there has been less activity on Xanga lately. There are still people who do come to visit my site via google searches, etc. That's always been the great bulk of my visitors/readers and continues to be so. Plus I also know that though I've still been writing, I've really been not been so engaged w/ people around here very much now.
P.P.S. I think I've shared this w/ you and know I have on my blog. I like Proverbs 30:8-9 re: the attitude I should have in receiving comments/views - 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
God knows how many/how few comments I need, and I have to trust Him with that. I do want people to read what I write b/c I think it is good for their souls, but ultimately I need to trust Him in this, and to remember that my work in Him is not in vain.
@Winsa@xanga - I know there are people out there....I comment every day on their writings. Sometimes it just gets to me that I'm largely ignored.. But I do what you just did, yell for help. Thanks be to God that we can distinguish the true light of the world and not be deceived by the devil disguising himself as an angel of light.
@naphtali_deer@xanga - I don't like having to admit to vanity or that I am seeking recognition by men. Surely I know better, don't I? I like being used to stimulate thought and to encourage others. This is a good test to see which is stronger, my self-seeking or my God-seeking.
It is nice to have stimulating conversation, though. I am alone so much of the time as it is.
I hadn't been seeing any posts by you lately, only pulses. I always read your pulses for inspiration, but I don't comment on pulses, for the most part.
@JstNotherDay@xanga - The pulses....yes they are my way of passing on things that inspire me, and I know that the number of views doesn't show up there. Actually, we all seem to have that small number of friends who regularly check on us. I am thankful for those I have and try to reciprocate by keeping tabs on them. I'm glad you came by today. For what it's worth, I mean to post more often again now that I'm back from my trip.
Be encouraged! God bless, ~ Pete
"Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you..." Isaiah 43:4 (ref. my Xanga post of 2/21/2011 AD)
yeah, waay out - here
- to my shame, must admit I'd forgotten the deep pang (now revisited) i felt when 1st reading of your loss of long held joy - the amazement of how Joy remains - - if Willingness be, i am here, sir - a more auditory inclined fellow...
I, too, am alone so much of the time. consider this a yell.
i have skype as well as the link atop my page (header)
Yep, I used to care about the count...spend waaaay to much time over it.. Now it doesn't matter. It's for me to share whatever is going on in my life and 'catch up' with others.
@quest4god - The Lord has definitely intended for us to have friendships and to support one another, however, Christ is to be our first and our best Friend. When we're feeling that loneliness, instead of lamenting it, we need to see it as His ordained means to open our ears to hear His voice calling us, "If anyone thirst, come to Me and drink! And out of your heart will flow rivers of living water!" It is good to draw near to Him. He is our perfect portion - all-satisfying for our every need! Psalm 145.
@naphtali_deer@xanga - Thanks for the reminder! Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. I love my friends!
@stephensmustang@xanga - Silly isn't it? It's not how many, but how much they realy care that counts.(friends, that is)
@pamilvr@xanga - Thank you! I also can be a listening ear for my friends.
@Evangelist_Guy@xanga - Thanks. I went and checked on your post....very good!
It's sometimes hard to resist the "numbering thing," eh? I often find myself doing something similar in many aspects of my life. Then I must remember that I'm supposed to be living my life for God and that's all that really matters.
@Masked_Melody@xanga - Yes you are right. I think it's a ploy of the enemy. As long as we are thinking about ourselves, we aren't attentive to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. I do repent of it and want to want only Him to be glorified!
My Xanga site has more traffic than My Revelife one. I writer to a wider audience in Xanga--I am trying to influence those who used to go to Church. lol Of course, I am not going to church now myself. Some witness. I write mostly to a Christian audience in Revelife and not that often. I really don't have much to say as a Christian--I am just your average retired guy--not a big student of Scripture like some. Obviously, my attendance is light, but it is nice that you visit when I post.
It is easy to get caught up in the numbers, but we have to revisit why we post in the first place. In Xanga, I post for the fun of it. In Revelife, I feel the pressure of being Christian in appearance. There are lots of heavy hitters in Xanga who are outstanding Christians and great intellects. I really don't have anything to say to them.
If you enjoy posting, it doesn't really matter who shows up, if any.
blessings
frank
@FRANK - Thanks for your input. I consider you an entertaining blogger whereas mine are a bit too intent on making a point, I guess. I can't really differentiate between Revelife readers (if there are any) and Xanga readers. I don't even know why my daughter originally encouraged me to work from Revelife. But of course you and so many others here have pointed out that the fun in blogging is blogging...the comments, I guess are the whipped cream on top.
I used to be a rabble rouser in order to draw traffic. And some of my posts got over 300 comments. But people get sick of that sort of thing after a while and so did I.
Finally, I deleted over 300 "friends" and went to work on establishing a readership based on relationship. That is, I go to the sites of people who come to mine and I leave comments. If we just stay home how can anyone know we are around. And home is hardly the wilderness.
Xanga is a wilderness, truly. It needs us.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace@xanga - Thanks for your encouragement! Yours is one of the sites that I recall seeing a boatload of comments on. I think you do have something worthwhile to say, and I'm glad to hear that you haven't the stomach for some of those extreme posts that are out there. I have been glad to be subbed/friended to you. Keeping to the high road isn't as popular but it's where I am aiming.
I think you got an answer to your question! :) nice to meet you!
@guestbrief@xanga - Same here! It is fun to hear from others - even though our answers and thoughts come from different backgrounds and may not be the same. I have learned a great deal from friends and subs here on Xanga/Revelife. Hope to have profitable interchange with you and come to "know" your online presence at least. This post came from my occasional feelings of being invisible....today I listened to a video on just that very problem on another's blog. (just now I tried to find it to rec it to you, but I couldn't)
@guestbrief@xanga - OH!!! It was YOUR blog that I saw it on!
Well, thanks for the video! I needed it! Sometimes we older folk lose track of things...
I stopped by to read after having a conversation with you in the comment section of another bog and to simply wish you a good week end.
@tymedancer@xanga - I am glad you stopped by! I haven't been writing too much here of late, so I can't expect a lot of traffic. I certainly thank you for your well-wishes, and I hope your weekend is glorious too. Please visit anytime.