who is to blame for all the things that go wrong
      there are a host of persons and things
            that we assign
            that we point to
            that we accuse

it does not solve much
      but sometimes we think it makes us feel better
            it eases our minds
            it relieves us of responsibility
            it identifies something other than ourselves

we are often caught up in the blame game
      we shake our heads and shrug our shoulders
            we say ain't it awful
            we go with the gossip
            we absolve ourselves

perhaps instead of blaming we could do more blessing
      searching for positives and ways of moving forward
            blame never won a battle
            blame never assuaged a hunger
            blame never built a bridge

      and whose responsibility is it
            for the courage that is needed
            for the effort that is required
            for the healing that is possible

                                                                          ---rus

                           DESTINATION JUST AHEAD
But doubting themselves and God, the Israelites retreat.
                                        Numbers 14
    
    1All the congregation lifted up their voices and wept that
night.  2The children of Israel complained against Moses
and Aaron, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or if
only we had died in this wilderness!  3Why has the Lord
brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives
and children should become victims?  Would it not be better
for us to return to Egypt?"  4So they said to one another,
"Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."
    5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the
assembly of Israel.  6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb
the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied
out the land, tore their clothes; 7and they spoke to all the
congregation, saying:  "The land we passed through to spy
out is an exceedingly good land.  8 If the Lord delights in us,
then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land
which flows with milk and honey.'  9Only do not rebel
against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they
are our bread; their protection has departed from them,
and the Lord is with us.  Do not fear them."  10But all the
congregation said to stone them with stones.
    Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of
meeting before all the children of Israel.  11Then the Lord
said to Moses:  "How long will these people reject Me?
And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs
which I have performed among them?  12 I will strike them
with the pestilence and disinherit them, and make of you
a nation greater and mightier than they."
    13Moses said to the Lord: "The Egyptians will hear it.
15 If You kill these people as one man, then the nations which
have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, 16'Because the
Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He
swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.' 
    17"And now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great,
just as you have spoken saying,  18'The Lord is longsuffering
and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression;
but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'
19Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the
greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this
people, from Egypt even until now."
           _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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