Realization After Morning Prayer: "I Shall Not Be Moved "

(Edited/Updated)






(Lyrics at the end of the post) 



So, while praying this morning, I realized some things.

I prayed for healing, unity, peace - and also for anything I might be missing in this situation - was I wrong?  

Why did so many other Christians follow Trump, who appears to me to be a spirtual-deceptive, man-made, graven-image idol armed with propaganda?


Then this song popped in my head, out of nowhere, in the quiet - the Johnny Cash version :)



I didn't mention the whole story of how this happened, when I originally posted this post yesterday, because it sounded so hokey and cheesy, and I was already questioning my sanity because so many Christians and others around me support Trump lol.

However, it IS a true story, nonetheless :)
  

As I mentioned in THIS post about John Prine's death, I was once lucky enough to have Johnny Cash sing several songs to me, live,  when I was 12 years old, in an old Ford truck, while the film crew set up the shot. 

He sang many songs  - not only John Prine's "Paradise," as I mentioned in that prior post, but also "I Shall Not Be Moved." :)

This version, in particular, reminds me of that day - just him and a guitar, Ben Marley and Me  - and the film crew trying to get the shot set up and the lighting just right :)

It was so comforting - he was like a spiritual Dad to me, during that time in my life :)



Also, this hymn was sung during civil rights marches in the 1960s :)


No, God doesn't "talk to me" when I pray (I wish) lol - but it's amazing what insights you glean, when you let things get quiet and pray or meditate :)

However, I DO believe loved ones that have passed on can still let us know they're near sometimes, though, in various ways - and that sometimes, your spirit/soul gives you a little prompt, grieving, or swift kick in the pants lol :)

Not sure if this was one of those times or just subconscious self-comforting?

Regardless, it doesn't really matter - because the song and that memory popped in my head at exactly the right time :)

Because not only was it comforting, but it at least felt like a sort of spiritual confirmation of having the right spiritual perspective, being on the right spiritual path :)

So what other insights did I glean during prayer and meditation today? 

Well, first of all, already known was that clearly, I'm from an extremely dysfunctional family lol.



However, in my family, whenever I pointed out the emperors/empresses weren't wearing clothes - sometimes too aggressively in a panic - but even with sugar on top, I was gaslighted as being the crazy one,  for not seeing things the way they wanted me to,  and got the shit kicked out of me for it, and they made themselves the victims saying I was gaslighting them - and I ended up believing them, for a long time.



As a result, when I see groups of people following another crazy, socially irresponsible, dangerous emperor or empress not wearing clothes, but everyone's pretending they are - I admit - I get a little panicky and start to believe I'M the problem, I'M the crazy one, because so many people can't see what I see.

Thus, I sometimes relentlessly go over and over all the documented facts again and again - which is often perceived as me aggressively having to be right (and not helping the crazy fear lol)  - but what I'm actually doing is going over the facts myself again and again, out of panic that I'm a nut lol ;)




Thus, I apologize for doing so - and I'm sorry it feels that way on the receiving end, I can see where it might.

But please remember, I'm not trying to nail you or anyone to the wall - in fact, it's not even necessarily you that I'm trying to prove wrong (although it depends on whether or not I think you're intentionally lying to my face lol).

Regardless, the intensity comes from me, trying to prove to myself, whether or not I'm crazy, for having the perspective that I have, because of prior experience.

Does that make sense?

Just know "nailing you to the wall" is not my intent - it's really not because I "have to be right" - it's really that I'm panicked that if I'm wrong, that automatically means I'M "crazy," because of my family experience:)



However, simply the act of being wrong, or seeing things from a different perspective, in and of itself, doesn't necessarily mean anyone is crazy.


In fact, that really depends on our definitions of morality, or our levels of the severity of immorality - or perhaps what levels of immorality we think are being ignored versus others - doesn't it?



Regardless, though I may still doubt myself, my perspective, my ability, or even my sanity lol - what I never doubt is a clear difference between right and wrong. 

Because in this case, there's no gray area - I'm very sure of what's right and wrong. 

In fact, even if Trump flooded the world with Kool-Aid, built an ark to save only his own supporters, and you could only get on if you pledged your loyalty to him, and I was the only one left  - I still would not hop on, I would not budge an inch.

 
I shall not be moved :)

(Mark just read this and said he would then blow up the ark to save humanity from the monsters, but I think he's joking. I hope lol.  But we must never forget he was an Army ranger. )

Regardless,  I'm sorry - but from my perspective, nearly everything Trump says, does, and supports is politically motivated, selfish, and morally wrong - and that is never justified - never. 

To include Trump's verbal defense of just one political side, in the Kyle Rittenhouse situation, as "self-defense" - despite the fact that Kyle Rittenhouse shot Joe Rosenbaum before he was chased by the crowd - is morally wrong.


Or his stating to Fox News' Laura Ingraham, this morning, that police officers who kill people"choke" and "miss a 3-foot putt" - meaning what, exactly?   

First of all - puhleease, like you've ever been in that situation as a cop or a soldier to even know.  

Secondly, what the BLEEP does that even mean?  

That they should've shot better and killed Jacob rather than just paralyze him or ?  

They should've shot George Floyd rather than choke him to death?  

Why even bother with due process of law, judge and jury, then, if we're going to allow police and untrained civilians to become judge and jury? 

Oh, that's right - because it's constitutional law.



This is NOT calling for unity - this is divisive, fanning the flames of more fear, more hatred, more violence, and more polarization.

Absolutely and thoroughly bereft of conscience, devoid of morality, spiritually dead and disgusting - and there IS no justification for it. 




Because unless you literally don't have a choice ...


(i.e., military orders or immediate threat of actual harm/death to you or someone you love or destruction of property - and I'm sorry, but Kyle still had a choice - both not to carry an assault rifle illegally, untrained and unauthorized into another neighborhood OR shooting first victim - again, before he was chased - simply because he yelled at him to shoot him or leave and threw a plastic bag.)



... there IS no such thing as committing evil for a greater good.



That is a lie, quite literally from the Father of Lies, that we all just tell ourselves and each other, to justify our own selfishness and evil.

Thanks - back to prayer - and singing "I Shall Not Be Moved" with JC :)

Because I KNOW JC would be disgusted/horrified with what's going on, right along with me - as well as with what Franklin Graham has done to his father (Billy Graham's) ministry and legacy.




Glory hallelujah, I shall not be moved
Anchored in Jehovah, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the waters
I shall not be moved

In His love abiding, I shall not be moved
And in Him confiding, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved

I shall not be, I shall not be moved
I shall not be, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the waters
I shall not be moved

Though all Hell assail me, I shall not be moved
Jesus will not fail me, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved

Though the tempest rages, I shall not be moved
On the rock of ages, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved

I shall not be, I shall not be moved
I shall not be, I shall not be moved
Just like the tree that's planted by the water
I shall not be moved

________________



PS - Speaking of my husband (above), he just walked our dog, and there's some guy, who I don't even think lives here, who's been sitting outside in the middle of the parking lot (not even in a space) for about 20 minutes  - with a big red Trump flag a-flyin' from his antennae. 

 Maybe he's waiting on someone or a contractor, but he's been  sitting in the middle of the parking lot, not even in a parking spot, for at least 20 minutes. 

My husband walked by, dropped his head, shook it, and started laughing.

Trumper "Demonstrator":  (Follows him, pulling up behind him):  "What the F are you laughing at?" 

Mark:  "Ugh - I hate to tell you this, but your boy's going to jail eventually. It's just a matter of time. This is all just desperate deflection and distraction. " 

"Oh, and by the way? I thought you should know, your red communist flag is missing something - the sickle." 

Trumper "Demonstrator" "FU, you don't know what you're talking about, are you a real American? You're anti-America

My husband just walked away, still laughing. 

I'm so proud of him for saying what he had to say about the Trump flag in his face and  then just walking away!

(And yet, I admit, I'm LMAO, too, at what he said.) 

However, that guy is STILL out there, in the parking lot, as I write this, ranting lol!

When my husband just told me about it - I said nothing, just looked out the window at him, still ranting up at my husband, who was now inside with me, I thought to myself: 

"Oh, but I beg to differ, Sir - my husband was an Army ranger - what have YOU done for this country besides wave your little red communist cult flag in other people's parking lots, trying to provoke arguments, in loyalty to your graven-image idol instead of Jesus? 

Trump and America are NOT synonymous, they are two separate entities - and being anti-Trump does NOT mean we're anti-America.
 

And by the way, Mr. America - your little parking lot "demonstration" would have a much bigger impact - IF YOU WEREN'T DRIVING A TOYOTA! LOL!

Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure that's not an iPhone, that's a Samsung, and those clothes you're wearing?  Made in China (as was likely that Trump flag lol). 

But please, continue to stand there and rant, not-so-poetically - in broken, redneck English - about how much you love Trump and "AMUHRca"- when everything you're wearing and own wasn't even made here or by an American company - it amuses us :)

____________________________

BONUS


Another JC song - written by Johnny himself :)

This one didn't just pop in my head during prayer, nor did he sing it in the truck that day - I just thought of it now, while writing about him, and then what my husband said to the Trump "demonstrator" in our parking lot :)


This one was written by Johnny himself ...

"God's Gonna Cut You Down" ... Johnny Cash

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

Well, my goodness gracious, let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee

He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John, go do my will!"

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Well, you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man

But as sure as God made black and white
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light

You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down