Hi there and blessings to you. Thanks for coming to read this post today.

If you know anything about the Duggars (19 Kids and Counting) and watch their show, you have been reading quite a bit about them this week, mainly the eldest son of 19 siblings Josh Duggar.

You may have feelings, thoughts, opinions and/or judgements towards what you have been reading. If you have not heard anything or know what I am talking about, you’re not going to find out anything here.

Mainly what I am writing here are the thoughts and emotions, not judgements and opinions, I experienced over the past week in relation to what I have read.

Hope in a Hopeless world

It started with an article I stumbled on facebook, truth be told, I am not a fan of facebook, but that is a conversation for another time. I saw words like “molestation,” “cult,” “inexcusable behavior,” “cancel,” “advertisers pulled,” “apology.”

And I thought to myself what about “grace,” what about “mercy,” what about “forgiveness.”

Then these sayings and bible verses came to mind.

[Tweet ““If you live in a glass house, don’t throw stones””]

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7 New Living Translation

This unforgiving Internet world, where people sit behind their computers and demand the right to judge a person’s life and even have say in their fate, gives me the feel of a mob waiting to stone the next sinner.

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What also amazes me is how quickly people change their sides of the track. One minute you are a fan, then the minute you hear about their imperfections you demand for the show to be canceled. I have never been one to desire to be a part of the crowd. Crowds get you into trouble. It was a crowd that forced Pilot’s hand on nailing Jesus to the cross.

I want to be among those who hold out a hand of forgiveness, like what Jesus would have done. Stand in the frontlines between the sinner and the stone, and say STOP! FORGIVE!

stoning

To sum up what I feel in one word, I feel grief. I didn’t know how to fully label the feelings I was feeling until I read this article from Arabah Joy.

I felt grief that this sin took place in the first place, but as well as that feeling of grief, I felt confused and surprised- how could this have happened despite all the parents efforts to raise their children away from this kind of thinking.

I felt concerned and worried that my efforts as a parent to avoid this kind of thinking in my children, might not stand a chance against the prince of this world.

I felt sad that Josh Duggar’s whole life has unraveled into a tangled mess because of the unkind hearts who choose to release this information, which despite what some may think we are not entitled to have. Sad that he had to leave his job, and that this distracts from him fulfilling His Godly purpose in this world

I am sorry that the show may be canceled and I won’t get to enjoy watching this family glorify the Lord and family life on t.v anymore, but yet nonsense shows like ”Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” will remain on the air.

I am disappointed that people are going to use this as some kind of argument against homeschooling, and the Quiverfull and Conservative Christian lifestyle.

The Duggars choose to live their lives, as they believed God called them to live. Though much may not agree, or understand this lifestyle. I can say that they have been an example to those who wish to intentionally live their lives for God.

They never claimed to be perfect or without sin and I never expected them to be. It takes real courage to openly speak up for God in this world and then bring cameras into their unconventional home all these years and open up themselves to scrutiny, as well as people actively seeking to find their weakness to broadcast them to the world as frauds. What courage. I certainly couldn’t do it.

Josh Duggar, 12 years ago committed a horrible sin, but not unforgivable. Jesus has forgiven far worst, even when the sinner did not want His forgiveness and even when the sinner committed that sin over and over again.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember…
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer..AND
Lazarus was dead!

CAST THE FIRST STONE

The Duggars have not let me down, they did exactly what I have expected them to do, what I expect every human to do-fall short of perfection.
So I have learned to lower my expectations of man and put my hope and trust in the Lord.

“I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.” Psalm 146:3

This song has been in my thoughts all week and I want to share it with you.

My HOPE IS IN YOU LORD….

Thank You for Reading.