Thank You God For Making Me Uniquely Me (Inspired By Thomas Merton’s Scrutiny Of Trees)
An Excerpt From “New Seeds of Contemplation” by Thomas Merton
(Paragraph breaks added)
A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him.
It “consents,” so to speak, to His creative love. It is expressing an idea which is in God and which is not distinct from the essence of God, and therefore a tree imitates God by being a tree.
The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him. If it tried to be like something else which it was never intended to be, it would be less like God and therefore it would give Him less glory.
No two created beings are exactly alike. And their individuality is no imperfection. On the contrary, the perfection of each created thing is not merely in its conformity to an abstract type but in its own individual identity with itself.
This particular tree will give glory to God by spreading out its roots in the earth and raising its branches into the air and the light in a way that no other tree before or after it ever did or will do.
Therefore each particular being, in its individuality, its concrete nature and entity, with all its own characteristics and its private qualities and its own inviolable identity, gives glory to God by being precisely what He wants it to be here and now, in the circumstances ordained for it by His Love and His infinite Art.
For The Record — God Saw That The Trees Were Good
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12
Paul’s Lesson On Divine Sovereignty And Providence
The Apostle Paul schooled the so-called educated of Athens in the theology of Divine Sovereignty and Providence.
Note how the excerpt from Thomas Merton on the divinely ordained uniqueness of the individual harmonizes beautifully with this passage, especially vv. 26-28. (chillbumps!)
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘ For we are indeed his offspring.’”
Acts 17:23-28
Why The Fuss About Individuals And Thanking God For Making Me Uniquely Me?
Because the trained Marxists, the paramilitary group running the Democrat Party, along with prominent Democrats who are known Communists and Socialists (Bernie Sanders, the obamas, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Kamala Harris, James Clyburn, Dianne Feinstein, etc.) spew their nonsense about “groups” of people—never about individuals.
Take “racism” for instance, one of the left’s favorite topics. Democrats like to claim that “the U.S. is racist.” Notice the grouping of all American citizens into “U.S.” Anyone with half of a cerebellum knows that every individual in the U.S. is absolutely NOT a racist. But, in order to keep their argument vacuous, the left addresses an unsubstantial “group” to avoid the many individual exceptions to their all-inclusive mantras.
Same way with police officers. CNN propagandists are actually saying that “black people fear for their lives every time they step out on the streets” because of “police brutality.” What? Well, there have certainly been a LOT of black people on the streets of every major U.S. city since June. Not only that, they have been in the faces of police officers, shouting, cursing, and spitting. Call me simple, but it doesn’t appear that black people fear for their lives every time they step out on the streets?
Here again, the point is the “group” language. The left is unwilling to acknowledge the truth. That is, there certainly are a few bad policemen, but the vast majority of policemen are good, decent, people. Instead, leftists lump them into a “group” called “police” and label the group “bad.”
The bottom line is, to the left, it is always about the group, the masses, the collective, the union, the party, the means of production, globalism, the identity politic, etc., never about the individual. And that is totally by design.
Categorizing “groups”, i.e. identity politics, of people is a mainstay of Marxist ideology. Nazism, Communism, and Socialism are all morphisms of Marxism. And all of them are totalitarian in nature. Big Government needs a big group in order to exist. Listen for the classic Marxist terms for groups of people such as “masses”, “workers”, and “collective”.
Notice that leftist policies aimed at the masses, workers, etc, i.e. the have-nots, always use this group appeal—Medicare for All, Universal Basic Income, Common Core, Net Neutrality, etc. The sense of fairness engendered in these semantically loaded phrases appeals to the Laws of Nature (or Laws of Human Nature) that normal people possess.
Make no mistake though. “All”, “universal,” etc., applies ONLY to the poverty-stricken masses in a socialist economy. For example:
Medicare For All = cheap, bare-bones Medicare for ALL workers, masses, etc. Think VA under the obama admin to the hundredth degree; However, the ultra wealthy are not part of this destitute “ALL”. On the contrary, those in power will have concierge doctors and private health care. (You Molotov cocktail chuckers didn’t think you would actually get the same stuff as the elitists, did you?)
Thanking God For Our Individuality
Diametrically opposed to “groups” in Marxist type governments, Scripture teaches that the vitality of the individual is of preeminent importance to God. Thomas Merton’s contemplative scrutiny of trees makes this crucial point clearly. Each person is made in the image of God. Each person has a soul.
As a counter to propagandist “group” speak, this prayer thanks and praises God for our individuality.
In establishing the American nation, the Founders recognized the importance of individual rights in a freedom-based republic. So much so that the preamble of the Declaration of Independence (Freedom!) declares this truth:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
From the electoral college to the three branches of government, from property rights to the amendments, America’s founding documents stress again and again the paramount importance of the individual, each and every individual.
But What About Slavery?
Don’t let anyone mislead you. The Founders were true to the ideal of individual freedom. Little known to most people, delegates to the First Continental Congress created what they called The Continental Association:
To obtain redress of these grievances, which threaten destruction to the lives, liberty, and property of his majesty’s subjects…
In this document, dated October 20, 1774, the abolition of the slave trade was clearly outlined. The natural trajectory of this would be the abolition of slavery. However, as war broke out with England, etc., certain compromises had to be made in order to win the American Revolution. Slavery was one of them. Nonetheless, the ideal of individual freedom laid firmly planted in the American founding, though independence, i.e. freedom, from England had to be secured, for all people, in the first place.
Upcoming Prayer Related To Thanking God For Making Me Me
In an upcoming prayer (to be posted), we ask God to train our ears to stay attune to Demo-Marxist “collective” talk in order that we may reject the lie, and teach those we love to do the same. (Demo-Marxists MUST be stopped at all costs. God can do it!)
Prayer
Sovereign Lord,
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:20-22).
We praise You and acknowledge that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:-17), for You are faithful. “Of Your own will You brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of Your creation” (James 1:18).
For You, our blessed Creator God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Who is worthy of such a thing? Honestly, no one. But by Your deep and abiding grace You have made us heirs with Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Holy God, with a humble heart and contrite spirit, I thank You for making me uniquely me. By Your grace, You revealed Jesus to me, granting salvation and life eternal. You allotted me to live at this time and place.
And Your “firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Timothy 2:19). As surely as You called “Zaccheus!” (Luke 19:5) so also You see me and say “your name here”!
Jesus said that not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the Father’s knowledge. And that I am of more value than many sparrows. Therefore, I have nothing to fear. God knows me so well that “even the hairs of my hear are all numbered” (Matthew 19:29-31).
“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers – the moon and the stars you set in place – what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4, NLT). Yet God, You, the Creator of the universe, do think about us, unique individuals, Designer’s originals. Made in Your image.
Thank You for the gifts of writing and wisdom given to Thomas Merton. Though he lives in the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), the fruit of his earthly life still sustains and nourishes our earthly life. His meditation on trees has profoundly taught me that I am a valuable individual in Your sight, made in Your Image, created in love, given a distinct purpose, in order to bring You glory.
God, You have fearfully and wonderfully woven the double helix of my DNA. All of its information has been ordained by You! All that matters now is Jesus Christ, the Author of my life (Acts 3:15)!
Whether…
I am white, brown, black, blue, or purple!
I am male or female.
I am a muscular oak tree or a scrawny pine.
I am a sequoia or a bonsai.
None of it matters. No identity or label defines me. Only the identifying label of my “life hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
What matters is Jesus Christ, the Author of my life!
Whatever I am, I consent to Your creative love. I express an idea that is in You and therefore imitate You by being who You made me to be. The more I am myself, the more I am like You.
Therefore God, I will NEVER apologize for being me. I will never feel guilty or fragile or superior or any other adjective the left wants to paint on me. Because if I try to be something that I was not intended to be, I would be less like You, and therefore give You less glory. Oh Lord, the left is not worth that! Satan is not worth that!
Furthermore, I want to please You God. Not people! Never people. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
I worship you Lord God, my Father in heaven! I will NEVER bow or kowtow to some satanic group of Demo-Marxists!
God, let my life glorify You always! Thank You for making me uniquely me!
And thank You for making all people, each and every individual, uniquely them!
Lord God, You know the people who continually put others down. They have strayed so far from You, and have become like their father satan. They literally detest themselves.
So we lift up leftists, Marxists, democrats, antifa, blmorg, all of them. We pray the peace of Jesus to enter their hearts. We pray the peace of Jesus to enter the hearts of their families and acquaintances. Cleanse their minds of the hatred and crass indoctrination.
And we pray, in obedience to You, for the souls of these people. Help us truly forgive them for the cruel, unjust, destructive acts they have committed against fellow citizens. Help us to forgive them completely so that our hatred doesn’t tie us to them in any way. Forgiveness does not release them from their culpability, nor does it make them right, but in Your ways which are higher than ours, it sets us free.
We commit all of these Democrat party officials, agitators, donors, schemers, media, foot soldiers, all of them, to You LORD God and ask that they be brought to justice for their evil against men, women, and children throughout the nation. We ask that these Marxist Democrat oppressors have their eyes and hearts opened to receive You Lord.
Continue to disappoint and hinder their evil and malicious plans. Fill their lives with constant frustration, obstruction, adversity, and gridlock until they get right with You.
Thank You for the forgiveness of sin. Thank You that NO sin has evaded the cross, but Jesus died once “to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God” (Romans 6:10).
Thank You that no one is born a “victim” of injustice. Acts 17:23 says it plainly. All are equal in Your sight. You have given all people the power to overcome if they will only accept it by faith. Wisdom. Grace. Forgiveness. Redemption. Rebirth. Renewal. Regeneration. All are available for the asking.
We ask that You be with us during this time of increasing hatred toward Christians and Jews. Based on Your Word we understand that it is Jesus Whom these people have rejected. Please have mercy on them in their extreme ignorance.
Father, the freedoms upon which our nation was founded are continually threatened by vile leftists. Look upon their threats, fear mongering, insults, slander, vitriol, small-mindedness, and intolerance, and “grant to your servants to continue to speak Your Word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29). Give us courage to push back and to push back big.
Help us to confidently “make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Thank You for making me uniquely me. Most of all, thank You for loving me.
In the Bless Name of Jesus, the One and Only, Amen.
Five trees bring glory to God, year-in and year-out, as they stand attention over 7,992 of our American military dead at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium.
Are The Marxist-Democrats, Socialists, And Pinko Commies Really A Threat In America?
Yes! Yes! And yes! The burning, looting, murdering, mayhem in major cities is a Marxist revolution, or “class war,” disguised as a race war. In a class war, only two “groups” emerge–an extremely poverty-ridden majority and an extremely wealthy and powerful upper crust.
Look at these excerpts taken from The Rush Limbaugh Show where Rush discussed an article by Danielle Pletk, a female intellectual “Never Trumper” who sees clearly what the left is doing.
In direct confrontation with Marxist-Democrats, she explains why her 2020 Presidential vote will go to President Donald Trump. Her concerns are things that all Americans need to acknowledge before giving a single cherished vote to the radical left.
Rush Explains Who Danielle Pletk Is And Why What She Says Is Significant
RUSH: Danielle Pletk, American Enterprise Institute, Never Trumper, intellectual extraordinaire, is afraid of the same thing. She, six months ago, wouldn’t have ever thought about voting for Trump. Today she’s saying she’s going to because of this fear. I’ll detail all of this as the program unfolds. And even with all that we’re just barely scratching the surface.
RUSH: Now, Danielle Pletka. I’ve admired Danielle Pletka ever since I first heard of her. She’s brilliant. She’s at the American Enterprise Institute. She is a classic conservative, fearless. But she became a Never Trumper like all of these inside the Beltway conservative intellectuals. And she’s very proud of it. And of course the Never Trumpers were proud and happy to have her in their group.
But she has decided that this is a choice that — there isn’t a choice. You’ve got to vote Trump no matter what you think of him, no matter what your fears about Trump are. The alternative to Trump losing is the end of a Democratic America, meaning multiple party, even the two-party system.
She was on Fox & Friends this morning. Brian Kilmeade said, “You say you never considered voting for Trump in 2016, but you may be forced to vote for him this time because of the Democrat Party’s lurch left. Now, Joe Biden is making himself out to be a moderate supported by his left wing. How do you know what the real Joe Biden administration’s gonna be?
Must Read
Danielle Pletk On Voting Trump, The Democrat Party’s Lurch Left, And The Severe Uncertainty of a “Biden Administration”
“What is there to be afraid of? I fear that former vice president Joe Biden would be a figurehead president, incapable of focus or leadership, who would run a teleprompter presidency with the words drafted by his party’s hard-left ideologues.”
“I fear that a Congress with Democrats controlling both houses — almost certainly ensured by a Biden victory in November — would begin an assault on the institutions of government that preserve the nation’s small ‘d’ democracy. That could include the abolition of the filibuster, creating an executive-legislative monolith of unlimited political power; an increase in the number of Supreme Court seats to ensure a liberal supermajority; passage of devastating economic measures such as the Green New Deal; nationalized health care; the dismantling of U.S. borders and the introduction of socialist-inspired measures that will wreck an economy still recovering from the pandemic shutdown.”
I fear the grip of Manhattan-San Francisco progressive mores that increasingly permeate my daily newspapers, my children’s curriculums and my local government. I fear the virtue-signaling bullies who increasingly try to dominate or silence public discourse — and encourage my children to think that their being White is intrinsically evil, that America’s founding is akin to original sin.”
“I fear the growing self-censorship that guides many people’s every utterance –” meaning you’re more afraid to tell people what you really think without fear over who might hear you. “– and the leftist vigilantes who view every personal choice — from recipes to hairdos — through their twisted prisms of politics and culture. An entirely Democratic-run Washington, urged on by progressives’ media allies, would no doubt only accelerate these trends.”
Summary
The Marxist threat is very real. Listen for their group, collective, masses, etc., ideology. Even the more thoughtful Never-Trumpers know the intrinsic value of the individual, and individual freedom, for themselves, and more importantly, for their children.
