JAMES: POETIC? PONTIFICATING? PONDERING! MUSING! (draft)

January verse James 1:22 
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (prompts: b a d)

JAMES

Where do you sit?
At receptions, family events, classes, formals, company picnics, weddings, or school events?
Where do you sit?


Why are we placed (seated) where we are, when not allowed to choose?
Why do we sit where we sit, when allowed to choose?

Extroversion? Introversion?
Expected? Not expected? 
Personal sight or hearing issues?
A noisy kid people hate to see coming?
Several kids that will have lots of questions for Mom and Dad?

How we are felt about by the hosts?
Front and wanted? Back and not high on the list?


(Pause for this story:
I attended a meeting with a group I knew but had never participated with.
As I entered, I noticed the friend and other like-friends sat together, in the back. 
The site was startling.
All were born early, in the South, and were Black. 
They were not told to sit there.
So, why did they?
Perhaps they remembered their place before times changed or chose based on previous experiences, while the others either preferred them back there, didn't care or recognize where they sat, or understood the group's comfortableness with their choice because sometimes you don't even try to test the change/new way of thinking/politically lawful upgrades, and/or just know unspoken feelings or unspoken understanding of feelings by those who have no qualms with you. End of story.)


Some sit in front by necessity,
Near the spot chosen for their task/performance/leadership of the event.
They need to be "next" or keep things in order from the front row.

Some sit in the back to view the whole room, this and that, and to miss nothing.
Keeping guard?

Where do you sit?
Why?

Some know where they 'should',
based on their status, liked, disliked, or treatment at other times.

Joe, "I know our table is at the back. She never forgot that one time I xxx 25 years ago."
Her: Yes, your place setting at the reception is Table 24, near the last table #25 at the back door. You
remember that time you...?"
Even when there are no place settings, Joe knows where he is expected to sit.

Are the young, well-dressed, beautiful, handsome, better body-built welcomed up
To sit as close to the front as they choose?
Often, though, the eldest are seated front and center.
Respect. Honor. Deserving of surviving life! 
Maybe the ones who travel the furthest,
Makes the best grades, or 
Compassionately those who need help with making better grades.

Why do we sit where we sit?
Why are we seated where we are seated?

Bottom line:  ???
Motivation for the seating arrangements:
James 1 -
Lust for superiority via placing oneself in a higher seat or placing others in a higher seat to get brownie points?
James 2 - 
Our works show our faith.
Faith says, "We're all equal in God's eyes."
Works may show, "Sit over there. You don't deserve to sit with us." OR "Sit anywhere you like (no matter who you are or aren't").

James 3 -
(?)Blessings and cursings (?) ???????
​"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Hallelujah. Bless you. You are beautiful. Sit here by me."
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Hallelujah.  Eeewww - your clothes, hair, shoes, suit! Sit o-v-e-r THERE (unspoken "far away")! ???????

James 4 - 
Are we guilty of making a difference, 
Even when others don't know we're making a difference? - motivation, inner motives.
We need to recognize the need to be afflicted and then, BE AFFLICTED.
(Pause for a story: Years ago, I watched a kid get a spanking, then the kid continued to do whatever he got the spanking for. He presented himself for the spanking, and went back to what he was doing, unchanged...as if the spanking was solely to appease the spanker. Kid: "I let her spank me. She's happy. I can go back to what I was doing." End of story.)
(?)Vs 9 and 10 - When we see or are told the error of our ways, we should be afflicted (troubled), sad, mournful, and change (repent) and humble ourselves...
...and not be like a kid who thinks the chastisement is solely to appease the disciplinarian,
...or like a puppy that, when put in a box, jumps right back out the box over and over again, not realizing that he's supposed to STAY IN THE BOX!   THEREFORE, when we become aware of handling people differently because of our opinions of them, we need to stop separating people who we think are lesser than ourselves. It's not so much about place/seating, as it is about the motivation of the one who does the placing/seating. 
James 5 - 
                                                                                           ​