What happens when we drink? And what defines drunkenness?

Legally, the alcohol level becomes the definition ...yet, it varies from state to state.

The outward characteristics and how it affects each person also varies from individual to individual.   But typically if we question whether someone is drunk or not, has to do with behavior or the lack of ability to act in a way that is perceived as normal (whatever that is). 

The reason that laws do exist, is the result of facts that we all know exist.

Drinking too much can cause us to lose control in various aspects, and it appears that since we lose control ...we must ask, what does control us?

We tend to like to share with others and influence them ...and we may come "under the influence". We may like it when something "goes viral" on the internet, sharing it around the world.

But what about something becoming a viral infection?

The horrific report I saw on the Flesh-eating virus affects more than making one's skin crawl ...yet it doesn't actually "eat", but causes destruction of skin and muscle by releasing toxins.

No less horrific ...it does appear to viciously consume you.   But more on that later.  

As I've said before, I've worked with many psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and counselors ...but there was one particular time that comes to mind where I was not at work. Though I was off-duty, my mind was not.

I overheard a conversation about a physical ailment, that was aggravated by stress.  I know this to be commonly true ...but without the stress of my own work, I was one of the more relaxed ones in the room, and able to let many thoughts entertain themselves.

In this particular case, the person was told to stay away from anyone who caused them stress.

Now that would not be logical, practical, nor even workable for me.  I often am the cause of my own stress, and I can't realistically stay away from myself.

I had a dream that seemed like a bizarre cross between the movies, "The Sixth Sense", and a movie I saw based on Mitch Albom's book entitled, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven".

I was being ignored by seemingly everyone, so it was sort of like "The Sixth Sense".  I never saw the movie, but often we have friends who extensively describe movies so much in detail that you don't really need to see the movie, or don't want to.

So it was like I was still there, but only I had knowledge of my presence.

I was riding my bicycle past my favorite mulberry tree.  We had intensive rain, and I wondered how the berries were doing.  I looked over at the tree, and saw a group of people sitting beneath the tree.  This is where the "Five People You Meet ...." came to mind.   Under the tree were a group of people who apparently I had a positive impact on their lives, and they would be very happy to have me join them beneath the branches of my favorite tree ( and perhaps branch out with them).

It was certainly in contrast to those who'd been ignoring me.

http://theevolutionofconfusion.blogspot.com/

And the thought was that my life would be in the cool shade of the tree, by those who would not cause my life any stress. They would all receive me with happiness. But though I was drawn towards my favorite tree, and towards those who were eagerly awaiting me, I firmly resisted going towards the tree.

I could not ignore the fact that there would be others who were not happy. 

There is a higher purpose to a life that does not just seek out happiness, but is bound by accountability and responsibility ...the bigger picture which includes a thing called love.

Love is more often a restraint of feelings, than being enthralled by them.

Love isn't always happy, nor does it always see the path of least resistance.  It often includes uncomfortable feelings, and it is not stress free.   If I have a heart attack, at least my heart will be involved.  I guess it could happen while having a heartless attack also.

Yes, I know the difference between feelings of the heart, and a cardiac function.

But I also know the difference between a script for a movie and what may unfold before each of our daily lives.

Perhaps happiness could come from doing what is right, and from a degree of satisfaction that we are pleasing God.

And I'm glad Jesus never resolved to avoid those whom we consider as causing stress to our lives.

Increasing numbers of people don't believe in God. Do we feel they have good reasons?

They may be understandable reasons ...but aren't most of those reasons a result of lack of understanding?  I know I find it uncomfortable when I don't understand things that are important to me.  

Back to the flesh-eating virus, and how it consumes you. There are things we are outwardly fearful of, and there are things we may not realize are consuming us.

Galations 5:19 states, "The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:  adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings ..." 

It seems that when we do something wrong, the Holy Spirit would be prompting us to deal with it. But if we refuse to acknowledge something, bitterness and anger grow like a flesh-eating virus, destroying us from the inside, and all these things can become manifest.

 Why? 

It would seem clear that by moving away from what God clearly would have us do, that we are soon prey to whatever else we can potentially do.

One of our children asked why the Bible groups rebellion with witchcraft ...and of course, my attempt at an answer can be less than adequate, but I said that the pattern of control that it has upon you is similar in that anything unchecked can grow rapidly, whether we immediately see evidence of it or not. 

I Kings 19:12 ...

" ...and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks ...but the Lord was not in the wind ...and after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake ...and after the earthquake,a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire ...and after the fire, a still small voice."

That still small voice should speak volumes ...but today that gentle, soft voice compels us to redirect our path to the straight and narrow, yet we are so windy that we quickly fire back with our own comments ...and it is earthshaking to me how we have changed God's standards to our own standards.

We promote what our own feelings say ...instead of what God says.

We try to ignore truth. If someone speaks it, we quickly accuse them of being guilty of that very thing they are trying to help us correct, not accepting any hint of enlightenment that we ourselves might be wrong.

So that soft, quiet leading of the Holy Spirit is not acknowledged.

If we do not acknowledge that leading, we can not be led to understand the depth of God's love, nor the fullness of what Jesus set forth for us to grasp.

But it is particularly troublesome when others try to make it less popular to hold onto the truths of the Bible, and more attractive to gain the support of others who may be sporting the spirit of victimization; the claim of being subjected to bias and prejudice and intolerance with the "I'm not going to take it any more!" cry of injustice.

But be sure of this ...truth will never disappear.  We will always have the option of choice.  It is a terrible thing to be a victim.  Yet, if we become victims, in that sense, it is of ourselves.

So what would you say?

??????????????????????????????????????????

                                 ??????????????