mind your p's & q's ... a few thoughts

"Mind your P's & Q's" ... so funny how growing up that was used to remind us that we were to mind our own business ~ I had read some time ago that originated from when travelers (mind you this is back to when travel was by horse & carriage) would stop to get refreshed, and change the horses the tavern owner or barkeep would tell the customers' to mind their p's & q's ~ referring to the pints & quarts that the ale was sold in ... not so much so that they could settle their bill when they were done but more to keep them from getting drunk and doing &/or saying something they shouldn't.  

I thought that was a funny thing to grow up hearing "mind your p's & q's" referring to not telling others what we heard (or over heard) in various situations then to read where it originated stuck in my brain.
I share that because this morning so many things have been running through my mind ~ and how we have been told to mind our own business growing up & yet we crave connection with one another so much so that we join online communities to get that feeling of being heard, or understood, or agreed with in some manner.  Even if it is only a connection through joint interest in a game.   Then when that thought settles itself down I can't escape the fact that God Himself wanted, desired, craved fellowship and that is why He created man ~ so that we would have fellowship with Him.  He desired true connection with His creation & so He gave us all a Free Will to chose Him freely.  Once we learn that He Loves Us it can be so much easier to chose to  Love Him back. 
(a bit of a change of thought but I think it can be tied in...)
1 Corinthians 1:9, 10 states: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement."
I often refer to just verse 9 ~ it is so amazing to me that we have all been called to fellowship with Jesus & that it was God the Father himself that has called us to this fellowship. (fellowship with God!!!)  but as I continue reading ~I know this was directed at the church in Corinth, but that does not mean it isn't valid for all of the body of Christ ~ to realize that when we have contentions among ourselves within our communities that there is a problem.  As the bride of Christ we need to be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement" ... to me this means that we need to all get to the same understanding that we are not of this world but just passing through until we go to our heavenly home.  In the process of passing through we need to worship God and have fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord.  When our focus is on HIM we can mind our "p's & q's" more easily.  
Keep pressing on in the path He has laid out for you ... doing the work He has placed before you often we don't understand the path we travel on but when we press forward & keep standing firm on the Word of God we are rewarded with glimpses of what it all means to one day be standing fully in HIS GLORY forever without end ... oh what a day that will be :)   so don't forget to mind your "p's & q's ~ Press on & don't Quit!!!!  from my heart to yours :)