Called, Chosen and Predestined. React Well because, as they say, you are not undone by what happens to you. How did you react?

Shame, lust , existence, lack of acceptance, contentedness and thankfulness., depreciation., outer life and inner life. God gave many mansions and sufficient honor to all of his creation. There are enough mansions in Heaven and honor to go around. Cain and Abel were offered the same opportunity of sonship. Jacob wrestled with God and heard eventually while Cain did not. Solomon heard for a while but forgot to stay in the place of abidance. Shame is not natural and Abel would not have known this tendency. It is a factor of a lack of acceptance for the good that God has placed in you. It could be that someone has persuaded certain individuals that God was not telling them the truth about the goodness given to all. Jabez is an example of someone who was chosen, warped by abuse or named according to a parent’s desire that he should not know his goodness. Then there are some who never hear and some who hear and do not believe. There are some people who are just “contrary”. But Jesus was gracious. His wisdom of grace for all is found in many books of wisdom written in the present era. Lack of acceptance of one’s self is not natural. In shame, you have an outer and inner life. The inner life is in constant denial of one’s inner virtues and value. It is caught up in continual striving after what was given at birth without effort, certificate or award of any kind. The outer life, when in shame, is caught up in hiding the inner life; the life of self-devaluation. There is a social aspect obviously. Lust is the absence of not only self-acceptance and appreciation in the inner-life but thankfulness and contentedness. Nothing is ever good enough. A whole paradigm of life can be developed over many generations on the non-verbal cues and behaviours that begin in the home and can become generational or organisational. If you don’t know, you don’t know and you can’t find the answer in a book. It’s subtle and cultural. You don’t know because you were raised and socialised with a culture that said you are God’s child. Read Proverbs 1 and Psalms 82. Your life is spent choosing to react in acceptance of that belief; that you are good. Many will try to dissuade you. They may tell you to take the easier course with less training. It is better to get a C in the academic course instead of a B in the applied version. Trust their suggestions to take the academic version. Paul the Apostle reacted this way. He was born a Jew. Read Romans 8. If you are living in the duality caused by the shame seeded by a lack of self-acceptance, your behaviour and shopping is caught up in what is socially seen and valued outwardly. The newest screwdriver kit gives you a greater sense of respect than the screw-driver you bought last year simply because the girl at the gas bar chocolatier has an appetite for the "new". Has she ever called for lunch? She is seeking every body's attention; all of it really, and the little soldiers and all at attention, as if it is living water and she has a boyfriend. But, you feel her appreciating anything new in your work locker. It could be that people who are able to play an instrument or who can sketch reasonably well shop on the basis of intrinsic qualities not always appreciated by the lust generated by the fear of the lack of social (outward life) acceptance where the only virtue in that outward life is “new”. It might be new but what about the item's intrinsic value? This is a very good question when shopping for an android. It might be that the android with smaller biceps is the better choice in the long run whether you just intend to get pregnant in addition to having a meaningful relationship that lasts longer than six months. The android with regular size arms can probably pull the cart with your burden of make-ups, perfumes and soaps just as efficiently. The chemical reactions generated by lust (not really love; is it?) at first sight sags after six months.  Eat some carrots( six of one or half a dozen of another)  and know God still loves you both. Then, you need to figure out if you like his favourite bible verse and whether your sporting interests are worth really getting to know each other. Well, after six months and sharing so many Friday nights predicated on an android touch, you might as well grow and stay together, adding at least 20 minutes of church on Sunday where you can get a free lecture on how to apply 1st Corinthians 13. It is of importance for the mature shopper blessed with a knowledge of acceptance and one’s own inner worth. This is a very excellent question! It was asked once by the woman upon whom the character Maleficent was modelled. She did not read enough to answer the question, was a farmer's wife and sterile and never forgave God while attempting to inject her bitterness in others so that her only offspring, called bitterness, would live on in her unfortunate and unseeing victims. She could have adopted and understood Hannah and her prayer another way. Sometimes you wish you could choose your birthdate. But, only God knows. Whether it is possible is a very good question. Keep asking.