Speeches of Kings

I am hearing messages all around me. The transmission of these messages seem to be coming from sources outside of me. My body receives the output and re-configures the script and code. Waves of information - cryptic and caught in flux between their distributor and my ear. Before tonight, I fear that I was without the cipher of these messages. Things are a lot more clear at this moment.

To say it started with an egg would be incorrect, however for the sake of not delving into unnecessary backstory that even I haven't bothered to ponder, I will say that it started with an egg. I awoke this morning to find my driver's side window and door in a sticky yellow substance that I was all too familiar with. In my hometown, my car being decorated with toilet paper, eggs, paint, flour, messages, things attached to the undercarriage, etc. are nothing new. My poor car has undergone a beating in the few years we have owned it. For the less permanent pranks, I can attribute these actions to certain individuals I would call my friends. Their intentions are not necessarily malicious, but they do enjoy annoying me, so the pranks are always bittersweet. The more damaging actions (eggs fall into this category) are usually committed by unknown culprits. These pranks are never on any other cars on the street and there are usual multiple locations of damage on the vehicle when it occurs. Obviously there are individuals in this town that do not have my best interest in mind.

Well today, I ended up driving my mom's car to the various early morning errands I had to run while my parents were stuck with cleaning up the mess. I do not enjoy having my parents' time taken up by individuals who are out to make my life more complicated, but that was the way today had to be with my obligations. I inquired to a certain individual if he was the maker of my car's new window coloring. I told this individual that I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I did not believe that they were involved, but because of our history I needed to be reassured from their own words that were not responsible. Hours later I got my response. Rather than a simple answer or an inquiry over the accusation, this individual was insulted that I would ask them, despite our history, and told me that I had been making enemies in our little town. They reassured me that (to them) I was not worth the time or money it would take to prank someone.

After that, today became a very lonely day. I found myself longing for individuals who I had grown close to down at school. My old friends in this town seem so distant to me. This makes sense because for the better part of the past two years we have all been living life in new places with new people. However, I have done what I can to maintain a respect for my old high school friends. We don't have the new memories to relate on, but they are still wonderful people whose lives I truly wish are full of love and success. Not spending time with someone doesn't mean you can't love and respect them. Granted, this isn't the kind of love you would give to a family member or a spouse, but it is love all the same. That love should be kind, gentle, slow to anger, etc. etc. A type of love that I have based my life around courtesy of the life of Christ Jesus.

Where is this going? Tonight I watched the King's Speech. If you are the kind of person who can appreciate a well-made drama with some of the best acting around, I would recommend this movie in a heartbeat. There's something about a good movie (like a good song) that brings me to a place I would not have been able to reach just thinking about things. Especially when I share that time with my family. Geoffrey Rush's character is the kind of friend people need in their lives. The king found himself in a very lonely place and Rush's character decided to not only help the problems on the surface, but to become something so much more powerful to the king. He took the effort to be the king's friend. Now I know friendship talk is not only cliché, but also is a broad topic. Because of this, I want to focus in on one aspect of the friendship that struck me today. Rush's character WANTED to see the king succeed. He made his care so obvious that the king could never honestly second guess Rush's motives. The rest of the world waits for the king to succeed or fail. They have no emotion, rather they want something to happen so they can get an emotion according to what occurred. They weren't rooting for him, they weren't hoping that he succeeded because they enjoyed the man he was, but instead treated him as a distant individual whose actions are fit to be judged.

There's something about going through life and having people that truly wish for your success. This world is too individualistic and cold to feel like you are going through it alone. I would hope that at some point in your life, you don't feel alone dear reader. To know that someone would take joy in your success is an extremely powerful thing.

Now I have to flip gears from talking about how our human friends can love us to focus on a Love even more powerful. What if you honestly believed that God loved you and wanted success in your life? How would your life be different if you approached every day thinking that God wanted you to be happy? To honestly feel like you aren't the only one on your side of the war is a truly inspiring and desperately needed emotion. All too often I forget that God actually DESIRES to know me, to be with me, and to love me. He genuinely wants my friendships to last. He honestly wants those who persecute me to find love. He wants my quarrels to end and wants me to know paradise someday. Sometimes my old life of sin grasps control of my confidence. Sometimes that black spit tries to take apart my soul by saying that I am not worth anything. It tries to tell me that the friends I have made in my life are for show. It lies through its murk to tell me that I compensate by making more friends. I am sick of the lies that have badgered my mind these weeks. I am sick of feeling like I am the only person who wants my own success.

So I'm going to let go of the person I am.

I will trust my success to devices not of this world. I will cast down my proud and lift high my trust in the Lord.

Yeah, it's a little scary at times, but if I have learned anything in this life, it's that my life is closest to perfect when I'm not the one driving. I feel like when I pronounce my life to God, some people mock me. I feel like when I say that I am Christ's, people don't take me seriously, or stop caring about what I say. I've noticed that people talk to me most, when I am selfless, but only to the extent that OTHERS are exalted rather than my Father.

I was given this verse today.
"“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you...Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.:
-Luke 6 27-28 & 36 (NIV)

So I will admit that I, dear reader, am not only imperfect, but that I also sin on a daily basis. I have a hard time forgiving those whom I feel falsely accuse me. I feel guilt for those I feel I have failed. But I also say that God calls me blameless because of the blood of Christ. If I am going to believe that in earnest, than I need to act like it. Surely there is no love greater than that one gave his life for his friends....and his enemies.
You are Loved. And that Love comes from the Father that I may be lucky enough to spread it for His namesake.

- Ian M. Charbonnet