A Slow-Motion Child!!!

 Bloggers, remember when I wrote a letter once and I said that empty words bothered me? Well, there is a good reason for that because I like to be honest and truthful about what I say and write about. There will not be any bubbles or other deceitful material coming out of wrong orifice in my case. I love telling the truth as much as possible because I do not want anything coming back on me and biting me in the rear-end. That would not only be regretful but be a discredit to me and my reputation. So, I have to start my letters or stories on the right track because the readers deserve that much from the Bloggers. Further, we all are familiar with the adage that states, "To say that I love you is not enough. Show me what is this love that you are talking about? And that is what I mean about empty words bother me. Let me show an example from an early grade school experience that I had when I first started school here in my hometown about what that adage means. At this point in my life, I was seven years old and a late starter for school because of my birthdate. This was not the only obstacle and drawback to my early life, I couldn't understand nor speak English, much less write this language. Therefore, my first-grade teacher flunked me and in my report card in the section given for teacher's comment on Behavior, she wrote the following, "A slow-motion child, works reads and plays slowly. Just give him time and he will get there." Now that is love in motion and practice. I didn't come to this realization until only a year ago when my daughter had a friend of hers in the School District office in San Marcos pull-up my school records and they found this comment by my first-grade teacher. Today I see this as a prophetic message because I did struggle to learn the American System and especially its educational one. However, my point for writing this Blog is to again clarify to some people that are attempting to understand what Success in life is, especially in America and as Christian, looks like. And again, as it was clearly evident in my case in 1957, I was placed in the slowest Learning Track heading for success by the Ruling Class at that time. Nevertheless, my first-grade teacher dealt with me and taught me enough at that point to keep me moving forward regardless the track that I was on. And she was right by Seeing that when I was given my pace to learn that I would finally catch up to those on faster moving tracks. That is not to boast, but to give God the credit for whatever I was able to accomplish in my life notwithstanding all my personal hang-ups and F... Ups! Generally speaking, it was my sinful and rebellious nature that caused me to short circuit my physical and material Godly success. However, God was merciful and generous to give me enough to be content with for now. Again, I said all that to say that success for the non-Christian is measured differently by them than by the Christians. I say and believe that as long as a Christian is obedient to God that person has no limits to how successful God wants to make them. There are many factors involved here as well as conditions for how God makes us successful, we all know that. But I ask God for success all the time. And I believe that I will succeed as long as I don't give up trying to be and do better than before. I don't try to horde Gold or Properties or treasures for my pleasure. To me God is all I need because I found out that if I try to live for Him and acknowledge what He can do for others, others will then see in me that serving God is more than worth it. Yesterday I was talking to a friend, and he is 53 years old, and he has been serving God for four years now. He works in house construction and is very good at it. But he lives like I do, and he almost adheres to my life habits of isolation and, but he is married. Something happened in his life that set him back financially because he is educated. I feel that it was the life of crime that is prevalent in the Mexican barrios. Nonetheless, he is happy and full of joy and likes doing good for his family and the wildlife. He told me that Ferel Cats were the culprits to saving his life from the use of hard drugs and finally surrendering to Jesus Christ. Hence, I asked him, "How did the cats save your life?" And he said, "Ruben, one night I came home late and there was a kitten in the front yard, and it looked hungry. So, I went in the house where we had hardly any food ourselves and I brought some food for the cats outside. Then on another night there were more cats and so I began to feed them. And then a love for these cats began to grow in me for them. But by this time, I was stealing too much of the family's food, and it was leaving me short-changed not only to buy food for the family and the cats but leaving me without enough money to buy my drugs. Therefore, I decided to seek full-time work and ended in the construction business just to feed these cats. Now..., Ruben, I have more that 20 cats hanging around the house and they know when I get home because they all come out of an old barn nearby and are twirling around my feet happily. And so, Ruben, I work full time now, and I get enough to make it because of those cats. They are the reason that I quit drugs and crime, and I even surrendered to Jesus Christ and serve Him because of these hungry cats. But Ruben, I ask God everyday day that I don't want to be successful materially speaking. I want to stay poor the way that I am because that way I will not get lazy, and I want to be dependent on God." After that conversation I said to him, "There is nothing wrong with being materially successful as long as you don't allow success to be a Trap for you like Gold is too many people." And that is what I mean about how some people view God, Life, and Success in life. We are all different. But nevertheless, I say to people, Christians need to demonstrate success that God gives because it honors and glorifies Him. I don't only believe positive, but I believe and know I have faith in God to believe what God says, and what God's character expects of us as believers. I was slow motion moving at one time early in my life, however, when God the Holy Spirit, the Battery and Generator of my spirit, turned on my car engine, I was gone pulling "G's" like crazy on the ground. That is why I said, empty words bother me. Let's be honest and real because God is watching and listening to us every day and night. The Prophet Hosea states in chapter 10: 4 that Kings and Politicians are great at making empty oaths and promises and agreements. Therefore, lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a ploughed field. Let us not be like those two-faced people. Man, I love the Old Testament Prophets so much. And Hosea says that these weeds and thorns and thistles covered the ancient rebellious Israelites Idols and Sacred stones which they build to the gods of their success. Later Hosea states that the Golden Calf the Israelites worshipped, and the Israelites, were taken captive by the Assyrians. We need to just keep things like that in their proper perspective. Please turn to God for your success and not to the World and its Idols. There are severe consequences for turning against God and His Commandments. More power to my 53-year-old Mexican American friend, his family that he loves dearly, and his cats and trees and deer too. Nonetheless, I hope God prospers him financially with more material wealth for his family's sake. So Let Us Sleep On That for now until next time. Thanks again. And isn't it true though that ancient pagan cities and monuments are still being found today under heavy and dense canopy jungles? God is Truthful and Honest and not a Word that comes from His mouth falls to the ground. Peace to all animal lovers and nature lovers out there.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Respectfully,                                                                                                                                              Ruben N. Gutierrez