A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgement

"For He is coming..."

Psalm 98:9

So I was just sitting there yesterday, enjoying Psalm 98... It's a lovely psalm, of singing and praise... of salvation and righteousness and mercy and faithfulness...

And then suddenly, the psalm opens up, with words like joyful and rejoice.  "Sing to the Lord with the harp... with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King."  And I just rode the wave of worship.

And then the psalm took another turn; one that made me smile.  "Let the sea roar, and all its fullness... Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord..."  It echoed my thoughts from just a few days ago, about all of God's creation praising Him.

And then, the psalm surprised me, with verse 9.  It's the "why" of the psalm ~ "For He is coming to judge the earth."  For a second, I thought, "Judgement, how can that be something to celebrate?"  I mean, who wants to be judged?

But then I thought, "We're talking about God here."  That makes all the difference.  No, I don't want to judged by anyone in my life.  I don't even want to be judged by myself.  But He is the perfect combination of mercy and justice.  He knows our thoughts, and our actions, but He also knows our hearts. 

In addition, He is our defender.  He sees the wrong done to His children, and He will take action.  He will punish those who need punishing, and forgive those who confess and repent.  It's a beautiful combination.  And it's a reason to sing.

~ "I said in my heart, 

'God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

     For there is a time for every purpose and every work.' " ~

Ecclesiastes 3:17

~

Following the Rules

"we have an Advocate"

1 John 2:1

Interesting scenario at my girl's volleyball tournament today.  Something completely new to us, and most of the other parents, too.

It was early in the girls' second match.  We had missed the first one because my son's baseball game went into extra innings, so we had barely arrived and settled into our seats as the match began.

And then, just a couple of plays later, the match stopped.  Our girls, at the instruction of their coach, lined up on the service line as he filed an official protest on the game.

I'm not entirely sure what had led up to this, but the reason seemed to have to do with several bad calls in a row, including in the first match.  I did see one call, which was out-of-bounds, even though the line judge called it in.  The ref ignored her completely, and made the call himself, I guess.

So our girls stood and waited next to their coach, and the other team stood and waited, and the parents sat and waited, while the referee made a phone call to his superior to find out what to do.  A few minutes later, the supervisor appeared on scene to iron the whole thing out.

Eventually the situation was resolved by simply replacing that ref with another one, but the whole thing got me to thinking.

First of all, I was grateful to God for the coach we have.  I didn't know what was going on today, but I trusted him.  I know that he knows volleyball, and I know that he's got our girls' backs.  He's not a hothead, by any stretch of the imagination, so I could trust that he must have felt strongly that it was in the girls' best interest to make a stand.

But I was also very aware of role of referees in our lives ~ judges, if you will.  I mean, we are going to have to abide by rules, in a lot of areas of our lives:  traffic rules, company rules, and yes, the rules of the game.  But how a judge interprets those rules can change everything.  And we can be at their mercy, if they are unfair, or even wrong in how they apply their judgement.

The Bible tells us that He is our Judge, and our Mediator, too.  I'm grateful that He is completely worthy of our trust, and that He can only be fair.  He is justice and mercy and wisdom, and He is always with us.  And we need Him.  The errors in judgement are ours, and they are frequent, but He is forgiving and understanding, and I find a great deal of peace in that knowledge.

~ "if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, 

  Jesus Christ the righteous." ~

1 John 2:1

~

Nothing a little Static Guard won't fix

"take heed to yourselves"

Exodus 19:12

I had a kind of uncomfortable situation today.  But I was the only one who knew.

I was at Bible study, wearing a dress that I only wear a couple of times a year.  It's a lovely dress, but I don't have much cause to wear dresses, and the weather has to be right.

Anyhow, I wore this dress, and got about 15 compliments on it, which of course is nice to hear.  But what those folks don't know is that I was having a serious "static cling" problem.  I guess the air's been a little dry lately!  It's a knee-length dress, and I kept feeling it creeping slightly upwards.  Not a good thing, especially when I had to do a little public-speaking today.

But at one point, when I was chatting a little with someone, and I looked down while surreptitiously trying to adjust my dress, I realized that it was only the lining that was clinging in a funny way.  The outer part of the dress ~ the part everyone could see ~ was fine.  So although I was distracted by it, I was relieved that no one else would be.  It was just my problem.

Isn't that what we all pray for?  That our problems and issues would be hidden from the world?  We all have things that God is working on in us, but isn't it so much easier when whatever that is is not apparent to everyone else?

I think that's generally the case.  Let's face it, God's working on everyone around us, too.  Which means they're pretty darn focused on their own issues.   Oh sure, sometimes it's painfully obvious how God is growing us, but I think it's less often than we think.  It's been said, "You wouldn't worry so much about what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they do."

I guess we just relax, and keep our eyes on our own problems, focusing on conforming to His image.  And don't worry too much about what others may be thinking.  Just worry about what He's thinking.

~ "O God, You know my foolishness;

     and my sins are not hidden from You" ~

Psalm 69:5

~

Two Lessons from Bobsleigh

"on a fast downhill slide"

2 Peter 2:1

Yes, bobsleigh.  I know we here in the U.S. generally call it bobsled, but pretty much everywhere else in the world, it's called the bobsleigh.  And that's the name in the official Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing.  (There's supposed to be a few accent marks in there, but I don't know how to make my computer do that.  My apologies.)

My family had fun, in Salt Lake City, trying to remember to refer to the events as bobsleigh a deux or bobsleigh a quattre.  (There's supposed to be a few accent marks in there, too... I guess my computer doesn't speak French.)

I didn't see bobsleigh in Utah, but I did in Vancouver.  And it was one of the most enlightening sports to attend.  By that I mean, it's so much different seeing it in person, than on TV, and I never would have known that. 

To be honest, it might be better seeing it on TV.  After all, with a camera at every turn, you're seeing a pretty good shot of the whole race.  When you're at the event, there are video screens to look at until the bobsleigh comes into view, but it's kinda hard to look at them.  First of all, you're there, in person, so it's just not instinctive to be looking at a screen.  But also, you want to see it in person.  You feel a little like, "If I wanted to see it on a screen, I could have stayed home!"  So you find yourself looking at an empty track, not wanting to take your eyes off of it, waiting for the action to come to you. 

So here are my two lessons from bobsleigh. 

First of all, I was very surprised by two things:  how loud the bobsleighs are, thundering past you on the track, and how incredibly fast they are going.  Somewhere around 80, 85 mph.  I mean, they just fly by.  I don't know how many times we said that to each other, "Man, I just can't believe how fast they're going!"

It's a reminder to me that we simply cannot understand some things, until we experience them.  You watch something from afar, like someone's life, or their decisions, and you think you understand all there is to understand.  But you don't.  Their life is louder or faster than you can tell from where you are standing.  And they're doing the best they can.  Judge not.

Lesson #2 is about teamwork.  Cooperation.  Partnership.  And I learned that in the picture-taking.  The sleighs are going so fast, that we got several pictures of empty track...

like this...

... and this...

... and this.

before finally getting a picture with a bobsleigh in it.

like this...

... and this...

... and this.

And the way we finally achieved that, my sister and I, is by working together.  She held the camera at the ready, looking forward, finger on the button.  I looked off to the left, to where the sleighs were coming from.  And as soon as I saw it come into view, I would say, "Now!"  Through trial and error, we finally figured out exactly when I needed to speak up, in order for her to get the picture. 

And why was that?  Because the bobsleighs are going by faster than you can believe!

It was her camera, but she was able to share some great pictures with me, because I helped her take them.  Do unto others, and they will do unto you. 

See?  There's always something new to learn.  

~ "That all may learn and be encouraged" ~

1 Corinthians 14:31

~

The world's standard

"it is a testing"

Ezekiel 21:13

My daughter is taking a practice SAT test on Saturday.  And not surprisingly, she's not all that thrilled by the prospect.  I mean, four hours of test-taking, even with breaks, is hard.  And tiring.  And boring.

Even though we homeschool, she has taken standardized tests before.  And she's always done very well.  She's smart, and she works hard, and that is a pretty good combination.

But even so, I hate that she has to take it.  Usually when I "force" my kids to do something they don't want to do, like a particular class or subject, or an unpleasant task, I explain why.  I tell them what this experience is going to do for them; about how this or that muscle (or their brain!) is going to benefit - "you're going to learn/ be better/ be stronger for having done this thing."

And I know the same thing is true of the SAT.  Everything God brings to our lives makes us stronger.  But I also know that my child is going to be judged on the basis of this test.  That's what I dislike about it.  I don't believe in One Size Fits All.  Or even, as some clothing tags now say, "One Size Fits Most".

I mean, it's an okay guideline for clothes, but not for basing conclusions about a person or their abilities, ya know?

I know colleges need some way to compare apples to apples.  And I know they look at more than SAT scores.  And I'm not worried at all about her performance on tests, practice or otherwise.  But I'm reminded once again of how thankful I am for how well God knows me.  That He knows my heart, my good intentions and my ulterior motives.  And He comes to no conclusions that are not 100% accurate.  Because He's God.  And all He ever wants is for me to walk in obedience to Him, and be the best me I can be.

And yes, sometimes we have to toe the line in this world ~ march to the beat of the same drummer that everyone else is, simply to get along.  But He will never judge us by any other standard than His.  And His is the only test that matters.

~ "without faith it is impossible to please Him,

for he who comes to God must believe that He is,

and that He rewards

 those who diligently seek Him." ~

Hebrews 11:6

~

The View From My Window

"the window of my house"

Proverbs 7:6

Okay, so I made an interesting decor choice over the Christmas season.  And it led to an interesting realization.

I have a basic "regularity" when it comes to decorating my house.  Certain decorations always go in certain places, because that's where it makes sense, or that's the only place where it will fit.  It's a fairly small house, after all.

The nativity scene goes up on the piano where it will be safe from the cat (and the kids, when that mattered).  The ornament balls hang from the plate rail in the dining room.  The international Santas go on the mantel in the living room.  Et cetera.

But I also felt the urge to do something different this year.  So I looked at a few things online, and flipped through a few magazines looking for ideas.  {And I incorporated a few ideas I got from my sister's house last year!  Thanks, B!}

And one of the things I decided is that I wanted to swap out my curtain in the living room for something Christmassy.  So I looked through my Christmas fabrics, and found a couple pieces to incorporate into my decorating, but nothing big enough for a curtain. 

And then it occurred to me that I owned just what I needed ~ a tablecloth.  A red and green plaid tablecloth, hanging from the curtain rod, with a red and green ribbon cinching it during the day.  And it was perfect ~ just what I'd been picturing.

The only problem is, that I had a tablecloth in my home, being used as a curtain, albeit in a window that can't be seen from the front.  But not exactly Martha Stewart, you know what I mean?  Not that I have an inordinate amount of pride in my home, but my mother has set a very high standard.  Her home is beautifully decorated.  Not magazine-perfect, or too fancy to be comfortable, but she is creative in her design.  So I was afraid that using a tablecloth for a curtain would get a good-natured eye roll out of her.

But I brought it up anyway, joking about this silly solution I had found.  And my sister ~ also a bit of an aesthete ~ spoke up, telling me that she has a tablecloth performing the same function in her home. And then ~ get this ~ I walked upstairs to my mother's sewing room, and guess what I saw.  A tablecloth hanging in her window.  I realize I'd known it all along, but I'd completely forgotten it was there.

I was judging myself on the basis of my belief that I'd be judged by someone else ~ even good-naturedly.  I thought that someone in my life would not approve of something I had done.  How often does that happen to you?

There are things we do that we shouldn't do.  And hopefully there are people in our lives who will tell us so.  But there are also things we do that others tell us we shouldn't do, even though it's just their opinion.  It's important to know the difference. 

Give heed to the people in your life that you trust to hold you accountable.  Have friends who are wise, and go to them.  More than that, go to God.  Pray and read the Bible and ask Him for wisdom.  He promises to give that liberally, you know.  And when you do feel He has given you guidance, move ahead confidently.  Don't worry about what others think.

And even if it's just hanging a lovely tablecloth in your window for Christmas, be who you are.  He is your only Judge.

~ "For the Lord is our Judge,

 The Lord is our Lawgiver,

  The Lord is our King" ~

Isaiah 33:22

~

The Audacity of Presumption

"he knows nothing yet"

 1 Corinthians 8:2

I belong to a homeschool support group, which I love.  They organize field trips and social events for the kids.  And the "chat rooms" (if that's what they are; I don't really know what that means) are great for conversations, advice, and information of all kinds.

But recently, I saw an odd comment on there.  I don't know what the topic of conversation was ~ notes come automatically to my email, and I just delete them if they don't concern me.  Apparently, the thread had to do with someone in our group who had cancer.  I missed that one, I guess.  Must have been about someone I don't know, so I deleted it without looking.  {But now that I know, I'm praying for them!}

Anyhow, the comment I did see went something like this:  "If I had cancer, I would use the diet outlined in the R-- Cancer Book.  I would only do surgery if the tumor were causing a problem.  I would not use chemo."  And there were a few other comments along those lines. 

And as I read it, all I could think was how much audacity it takes to say, "If I'm ever in X situation, I will definitely X."  Really, how could you possibly know what you'd do?

It's like that old saying:  "Never presume to judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes." 

Or as the Bible puts it, "let us not judge one another anymore."  (Romans 14:13)

It's so easy to imagine, sometimes, how we think we'd handle a certain situation.  But not only do we not know how we'd react in an unfamiliar situation, we can't even know how we'd act in a situation we have been in before.  Circumstances change, and we change.

Really, what I think it comes down to is: "eyes on your own paper".  Do your own work, live your own life.   Support others, and learn from their wisdom the best you can.   And judge not, lest ye be judged.

~ "How much better to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding 

is to be chosen rather than silver." ~

Proverbs 16:16

~

A Lesson from a Clam

"bring hidden things to light"

Job 28:11

I was out with some friends last night, at a planning meeting for an upcoming event, and after we were done with the agenda, we got to chatting.  Of course. 

The topic turned to the different things people find revolting (one person can't stand spiders, another is not fazed by them, etc.) so naturally I shared my family's experience with dissecting a clam yesterday, and how my poor girl was even more icked out by it because she's allergic to them, so it kinda doubled her nervousness.

But then someone asked curiously, "So, is there anything in there?"  I knew what she meant:  of course there is something in between a clam's shells, but is there anything identifiable?  Is what's in there really more than just a blob?

So I shared how interesting it was.  I mentioned some of this yesterday, but there was the foot, and the siphons, which are where water enters and exits.  There are two sets of gills, which are quite distinguishable from the rest, actually.  There are the muscles, where it attaches to the shells.  There is the mantle, which becomes the shell, little by little.  The rings on a clam's shell are actually growth rings, that indicate its age.  I didn't know that before.   And then, of course, there is its heart and digestive tract. 

My friend ~ and I, frankly ~ assumed that all that was inside a clam's shell was a pinkish, squishy globule.  But there's more there than meets the eye. 

Therein lies the lesson.  "More than meets the eye".  A reminder that we know so much less than we think we know. 

I saw a friend last night, at Bible study.  A sweet, wise, very gentle friend, whom I've known for years.  We made eye contact as we were walking towards each other.  We weren't headed to talk; we each had something to do, we were just gonna pass each other on the way.  And I don't know what she was thinking about at the time, but as she made eye contact with me, she was positively glaring.  She looked upset with me.  But then we passed each other and as we did, she smiled a little and said hi. 

She had just been deep in thought.  Difficult thought, as I found out later.  But if I didn't know her as well as I do, it would have been easy to assume that she's a grumpy person.  I might have avoided her if I didn't know that her "resting" face is sometimes dour looking, even though she's a lovely person.  She laughs frequently, with a lovely smile, and she's a very caring woman who goes out of her way to show love.

Reminder #1:  There's more there than what meets the eye. 
Reminder #2:  Only He knows. 
Reminder #3:  Don't judge, don't judge, don't judge.

Oh, and #4?  Check out a clam when you get a chance.  God's done some amazing work in there.

~ "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,

the One who is able to save and destroy.

But you ~ who are you

     to judge your neighbor?" ~

James 4:12

~

You can only find it if it's been lost

"my money has been restored"

Genesis 42:28

I found something in the pocket of my jeans the other day.  Just a few dollars.  It's summer (as you probably know) so I haven't been wearing my jeans every day.  Or really, any day...

It's so exciting to find money you'd forgotten about, isn't it?  It's only happened a couple of other times in my life.  I think I just keep better track of my money than that.  But when it happens, you get a little jolt of excitement, ya know?  It kinda feels like it's a gift; as if it wasn't your money to begin with.  Which it was. 

So I'm all excited to have found a gift in my pocket, when I start thinking about one of my pet peeves when it comes to the Apple of my Eye.  And I'm sure you can guess what that is.

He leaves stuff in his pockets.

Over 23 years of marriage, many are the times when I find something shredded in the washing machine, or on the floor of the laundry room, or rattling around in the dryer.  Drives me crazy.

You might ask ~ because people have ~ why I don't just check his pockets before I put his pants in the washer.  There are two reasons.

First, he doesn't really do it all that frequently.  Like, just often enough to make me roll my eyes and think, "again?"  But not often enough that I ever gotten in the habit of checking. 

And the second reason I don't check his pockets for him is:  I don't want to.  After all, who knows what might be in there?  Used Kleenex?  Chewed gum (but in a wrapper, of course)?  Snips and snails and puppy dog tails?

Money is good.  Snips and snails are not.  But the crime is the same.  Forgetfulness.  Thoughtlessness.  Whatever you want to call it.  Just because I forgot something "better" doesn't mean I'm off the hook.  As a matter of fact, it could be argued mine was worse, because I neglected something valuable.

Again I'm reminded that when I point a finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at me.

~ "For with what judgement you judge,

you will be judged;

and with the measure you use,

it will be measured back to you." ~

Matthew 7:2

~

Someone we all know

"you will be judged"

Matthew 7:2

I have a friend, maybe you know her too.  And I'm sorry to say I've been getting a little irritated with her lately.  I've been praying for patience and sensitivity. 

It's just that.... well, she's very self-involved.  Every time we talk, the conversation is all about her.  When I see her, she never wants to know what's going on in my life.  Oh, I may get in a little about myself, but I know she's thinking about everything from her point of view.

She also talks a lot.  I'm not really a talker.  {Perhaps you've noticed; I'm a writer.}  This isn't to say I don't enjoy conversing, but I have my limits.  And apparently I reach mine before she reaches hers. 

She can be annoyingly melodramatic, too.  So often she's without perspective.  Things go wrong in her life and she acts like it's the end of the world. 

And don't get me started on her sarcasm.  Biting, sometimes.  I know she thinks she's kidding, but it doesn't always come off that way, y'know?

And I've seen her interacting with her family ~ it's not pretty sometimes.  These are the people she supposedly loves, but she is abrupt with them; interrupts them and treats them as if they are unimportant. 

She's also rather short-tempered.  A word or a seemingly small incident in her life can set her off ~ and then look out for that sarcasm.

She can be thoughtless when it comes to written communication.  I've sent her emails asking her questions, and never gotten a reply.  Or maybe I'll just let her know I'm thinking about her, and she doesn't even respond or acknowledge. 

So I guess that, in conclusion, I -- excuse me, let me just check something. 

Oh.  My mistake.  That was a mirror. 

Never mind.

~ "Hypocrite!

   First remove the plank from your own eye,

and they you will see clearly

      to remove the speck from your brother's eye." ~

Matthew 7:5

~

Do I see what you see?

"your eyes shall look and fail"

Deuteronomy 28:32

I saw a very good friend of mine yesterday at church.  At least, I think I did...

We were coming in the front door, and heading to the left, which is where the sanctuary is, but off to the right, where the children's classrooms are, I saw someone waving.  I recognized that it was my friend, Meghan, so I waved back and kept walking.

And as I continued down the corridor to the sanctuary, I thought, "I hope that really was Meghan, and I hope I was the one she was waving at.  Otherwise I looked a little silly just now..."

You see, I haven't been wearing my contact lenses lately.  Finances are a little tight, so I decided that was something I could do without until our budget stabilizes a little bit.  And besides, I have glasses, so I can just wear those. 

Except I never do.  'Cause they're kind of a hassle.  They can be uncomfortable, they need frequent cleaning, I can't wear them when I'm outside or driving because I can't wear my sunglasses over them, and I need my sunglasses. 

So at any given time, things in the distance look a little blurry to me.  But it doesn't bother me too much, because my eyes aren't too bad, and with a little squinting, all is good. 

I know; I'm gonna pay for this behavior in a few years, when I have crow's feet...

But here's what I got to thinking about:  if that was Meghan, and she was waving at me, she was doing so with the assumption that I could see her as clearly as she could see me.  Because really, don't we all assume that others can see what we see, and see them as clearly as we see them? 

But even with glasses and contacts, people see differently.  Not everyone is 20/20.  And it's true spiritually, too.  I can leave church having heard the same sermon as my sweetie, and yet something different stood out to each of us.  Or maybe there was something I heard that he doesn't even remember.  We're all at different places in our spiritual walk, and we see situations in accordance with our understanding and experience. 

It's hard to remember that sometimes.  We wonder why someone we love is not in sync with us, or why they can't see what is completely obvious to our eyes. 

It's because vision is not the same.   History, maturity, appreciation, insight, wisdom and Biblical knowledge ~ they all color our perspective, and it's a mistake to assume that others see what we do.

Patience, understanding, and communication.... and a willingness to see things from others' points of view.   There's always more to see.

~ "Let each of you look out 

 not only for his own interests,

but also for the interests of others" ~

Philippians 2:4

~

Because He said so

 "Peter said to Him, "You shall never... !"

John 13:8

Can you believe Peter??  This is God he's talking to!  And he's telling Him not to do something!

I'll say this:  Peter had chutzpah.  

Now, if the point was just that we shouldn't tell God what to do or not do, we wouldn't need to go any further, and we wouldn't need to explore the rest of that sentence. 

But as you might know, Peter's protest had to do with Jesus washing his feet.  His first response to Jesus' actions was, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"  After that came, "You shall never wash my feet!"

And when Jesus told him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me," then Peter went with, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

Three different responses to what Jesus was doing.  But none of them were right.

If Peter was so incensed at the idea of Jesus washing his feet; if he felt it was backwards or inappropriate, then why hadn't he washed Jesus' feet upon their arrival?

And why hadn't Peter even washed his own feet?  It was the tradition in that culture, and it was needed. 

We're awfully quick to criticize, sometimes, what other people are doing, while we're doing nothing.  Or while we're doing nothing but criticizing.

We have no idea what God has called others to.  We don't know what obedience looks like for them.  Criticism is easy.  Action is hard.

And don't second-guess God.

~ "For I have given you an example, 

that you should do as I have done" ~

John 13:15

~

He's got the whole world in His hands

"useful for the Master"

2 Timothy 2:20

I just finished reading a good-sized article about Alexander the Great.  I didn't really know much about him.  Haven't much thought about him since studying world history, I guess. 

I think that he was a very controversial figure ~ at least to me.  I don't really know how history views him.  To each his own, I guess.... But in my mind, I couldn't decide if he should be admired for his military genius in conquering so much of the world, or criticized as a jerk who pillaged and plundered to his heart's content. 

Well after reading the article, I'm kinda leanin' to the jerk side, to be honest.  He came across as recklessly ambitious, and arrogant to me.  Supposedly, he once said, "Sleep alone makes me conscious that I am mortal," and when told that the universe contains an untold number of worlds, Alexander broke down and cried, saying, "There are so many worlds and I have not yet conquered even one."

Now, you could say that he was the product of his times.  I try to keep things like that in mind.  Things were different in Alexander's day.  One opinion I read was, "His life was not about money for himself, but about his growing curiosity, engaging and fulfilling his intellect, his consciousness..."

Like I said:  To each his own. All each of us can do is gather facts, and then come to a conclusion.

But no matter what conclusion we come to when we evaluate others, we have to acknowledge the other side.  In other words, I might not admire Alexander the Great, but I have to acknowledge his accomplishments.  I can't argue with his leadership abilities, or his endurance, his military prowess or his bravery. 

At the same time, look at someone like Thomas Jefferson.  Or George Washington.  Undeniably admirable.  And yet they owned slaves. 

I think that maybe there are no completely "bad" people, just as there are no perfectly "good" people.  God can use everyone, so there's no one so useless that God can't make good out of their bad, and no one so good that God doesn't have to compensate for their weaknesses.   We just can't always see that.

I just love knowing that He's sovereign, don't you?

~ "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, 

like the rivers of water;

he turns it wherever He wishes" ~

Proverbs 21:1

~

Seeing and being seen

"he went and washed, and came back seeing"

John 9:7

The 9th chapter of John is a miracle chapter.  One of those events that changed a life, amazes and astounds us, and frustrated the heck out of the Pharisees.  The Pharisees, in this case, responded to their frustration by accusing Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, accusing the blind man of not having ever been blind, and accusing his parents of... well they didn't really accuse them of anything, but they questioned them about the whole situation as if they'd done something wrong. 

But the thing that was most interesting to me about this story, is not the Pharisees, or even the blind man, it was the "bystanders".

I know there's more than one instance of Jesus healing someone who was blind, so for clarity, this is the instance where Jesus made mud out of the dirt, and put it on the blind man's eyes.  Then He directed him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, and when the man did as he was told, he found he could see.

And when he came back from the pool, and his neighbors saw him, they said to each other, "Is this not he who sat and begged?"  Some said it was the same man; others said he was just someone who looked like him.  And the blind man had to tell them: "I am he."

Now, to be honest, I'm slightly perplexed by this reaction.  How can they not know him?  All that was different about him was his eyes!  Now granted, that's a big change, but still, it was the only thing that had changed.

So I think one of two things is happening here.  First of all, the people were judging him, in a way.  If I died my hair a starkly different color, but carried on with all my regular routine, the people in my life would still know it was me.  I'm the same height, I'd be wearing clothes they'd seen me in before, my voice sounds the same; whatever.  My hair would be a pretty drastic change, but the only change.

The people that know me, know a lot about, and the color of my hair is just one part of me.  I think the blind man's neighbors were content to just know that one, main fact about him:  he was blind.  They had labeled him ~ which always gives us some sort of contentment or satisfaction ~ and moved on with their lives.  They didn't need, or care, to know anything more, like the sound of his voice, or the way he smiled, or the color of his robe.

Everyone is the sum of their parts.  Only God knows all of us, and all of every one of us, and the best we can do for one another ~ the most love we can show to those we love ~ is to know and understand them the best we can, and love them in and out and through their flaws and strengths.

Now, for the other explanation that came to my mind for why his neighbors didn't recognize him.  But first ~ a question:  Have you ever been camping?  And I mean, "roughing it" ?

My family camps the old-fashioned way.  We sleep in a tent, cook on a fire for some meals, and on my dad's Coleman stove for other meals.   We sleep on the ground, or on air mattresses that are not much better....  And we wash our hair with a big bucket of ice-cold river water.  Although, we generally leave it sitting in the sun until it's somewhat warmer.

There are flush toilets and running water within walking distance.  But you know what's missing from those bathrooms?  Other than electricity?  Mirrors.

But there are really nice bathrooms up at the General Store.  So when we drive up there to supplement our groceries a little bit, we stop off to use the facilities.  And let me tell you, when you walk into the ladies room, before you even head for the stall you came in to use, you can't help but take a glance at the mirror, and you think, "oh my goodness, I had no idea..."

This man went to wash in the pool of Siloam.  He was bent down, splashing water on his eyes and on his face, washing off the mud that Jesus had put on him.  And when his eyes were open and the splashing stilled, I think he saw his own image forming in the water, and he took a good long look at what he had never seen before.  And maybe then he stood up, and looked down, and brushed off his beard, and straightened his robe.  Maybe walked back with joy in his eyes and a glow on his face. 

I think what happened was that his eyes weren't the only thing new about him.  And I love that.  People should be able to see the difference in us, shouldn't they?  In Exodus 34, Moses face shone so, after being with God, that the people couldn't even look at Him.  How do we look, after spending time in His word, or in prayer?  What are we like, in appearance or attitude, after being changed by Him?

What do we see in others, and what do they see in us?

~ "Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!'

And he worshiped Him" ~

John 9:38

~

A Lesson from Lance Armstrong

"God, I thank You that I am not like other men..."

Luke 18:11

An interesting thing happened in baseball last month.  It was time for the annual Hall of Fame voting.  There were dozens of players up for nomination, and while no one expected all of them to be voted in, no one also expected that none of them would be voted in.   

It was rather momentous.  None of the names on the ballot got enough votes for them to be included.  And it was seen by pretty much everyone to be an indictment of the "steroid generation" of baseball.   And it doesn't mean that none of those men will make it in on one of their other chances.  I think every player is automatically on the ballot starting five years after he retires.  And they stay on for more than one year ~ I can't remember how long.  So some of those men might make it in in the next few years.

But I think the people who were voting were making a statement about how they feel about the impact of steroids on the game, and whether or not those who used them cheated.

And I think we can see what that statement was.

At about the same time, another statement was being made about steroids in athletics.  That was the statement by Lance Armstrong.  His admission.  His admission of cheating, and of lying.

We all wanted to be amazed and impressed by Lance Armstrong.  He had beaten the enemy that frightens us all ~ cancer.  And he had not only beaten it, but come back strong.  Professional-athlete-strong.  Champion-professional-athlete-strong.  He gave hope, and courage and inspiration, and we all wanted to believe he had done so with integrity.

I have a friend who suffered more than most when she heard of his admission.   Many years ago, she had a friend ~ a cyclist ~ who had died suddenly.  Too young.  He had asthma, but the medication for his asthma was a banned substance, so he didn't take it.  He wanted to cycle clean. 


If he had used performance enhancing drugs, would he have been as good as Lance Armstrong?  Maybe, maybe not.  If he had taken his asthma medication, would he still be alive?  Maybe, maybe not.  We'll never know.

So my friend was angry when she realized the truth about Armstrong.  Angry that her friend had died, making what he felt was the right decision, living honestly, while Armstrong had gone on to great things, cheating.  And even though her friend had died twenty years ago, she had to deal with it in her heart all over again.

But then she heard Armstrong's explanation. And he talked about having had cancer, and how frightening that had been.  How it changed his outlook on life, and made his drive to succeed even greater.  And how maybe he had made poor decisions because of the emotional impact that that traumatic time in his life had had on him.

And it made her realize that as disappointed as she was, she was in no position to judge.  The death of her friend was a traumatic event in her life, and she had made decisions because of it.  And some of those may have been bad decisions.

We are all a product of our lives.  Our background, our parents' choices, the circumstances life throws at us... 

I can look at others' lives, but no one else is raising my children.  No one else is married to my husband.  No one else has walked the path I'm on, or come face to face with the same choices I have.  And you and everyone else in my life can say the same thing.

We find people we can look down on, sometimes, to build ourselves up.  Or we come to conclusions about others based on limited information, and our own view of life.   But we've got enough to do just trying to live our own lives as He expects.  And aren't we all grateful for mercy.

~ "Lord of hosts,

     You judge righteously" ~

Jeremiah 11:20

~

Hidden motives

"you justify yourselves before men,

  but God knows your hearts"

Luke 16:15

The ark of God was being brought to David, in the city of Jerusalem.  And on the way there, the oxen who pulled it stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the ark, and "took hold of it".  God struck him down, and he died there by the ark. 

This was always a verse that created more questions than answers in my head.  I used to wonder how God could be so cruel, when all Uzzah did was touch the ark, and only with the good intentions of steadying it.  {story in 2 Samuel 6}

I used to be bothered that when an angel came to Mary, telling her she would have a Son, and her response was, "How can this be?  I do not know man."  And when an angel came to Zacharius, telling him he would be the father of John the Baptist, his response was, "How can I know this?  I and my wife are old."   Both replied with almost identical questions, and apparent impediments to what the angel was predicting.  But Mary's response was met with a comforting explanation, and Zacharius' was met with punishment.  {story in Luke 1}

I used to be bothered by God's treatment of Saul.  God had hand-picked Saul to be king, albeit at the insistence of the Israelites.  And all Saul did wrong was make a burnt offering, disobeying Samuel's instructions to wait for him.  But he was afraid of the people losing their nerve.  It was just one incident of disobedience.  {story in 1 Samuel 13}

The difference?  God knew what was in their hearts.  While the circumstances seem to justify their words, or their actions, the condition of their hearts determined His response. 

~ Uzzah's death was not in response to his action, but his arrogance in disobeying.

~ Zacharius' punishment was not for his words, but for his attitude. 

~ Saul's punishment was not because he made an offering to God, but because He minimized the role of God's priest, Samuel.  Saul thought that he, as king, held all the cards.

Words, actions, thoughts, motives... The fact of the matter is, that I am a sinner.  So there's a fair chance that it's not just my deeds that are sinful, but my thoughts and intents, too. 

And what makes it even worse is that I can't even examine my own heart to see if it's sincere.  I need Him to do that.  Psalm 26:2 says, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart."

The accounts in the Bible are not given to me so that I have a reason to judge His decisions; it's to give me illustrations and examples from which I can learn.  I need to be less skeptical about His actions, and more about mine.

~ "Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven" ~

Lamentations 3:41

~

Benjamin, Winston and Harry

"that you not be judged"

Matthew 7:1

I'm thinking about dead people today. 

Well, not all of them. 

Specifically, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin and King Henry V of England.

photo credit: englishmonarchs.co.uk

photo credit: biography.com

photo credit: biography.com

I love it when different trains of thought come together at the depot and get me pondering something deeper.  And that's what happened today. 

First:  I'm reading a magazine article about Winston Churchill.  He died before I was born, so I never had a chance to really come to my own conclusion about the man.  History has done the job for me.  My reading for history classes when I was in school, and a few additional things like this article form the sum total of evidence on which I have based my opinion of him ~ an opinion that is very favorable.  He was a hero during World War II; courageous, bold, and with an intuition that kept him ~ unlike Neville Chamberlain ~ from being fooled about Hitler's intentions.

But this article is teaching me things I never knew ~ somewhat negative things.  For instance, the idea that the same characteristics that made him successful also worked against him.  Which I think is true for most of us.  Boldness is an invaluable quality, but there's a time for it.  Being bold when it isn't necessary is sometimes just being overbearing.  Being cautious and untrustworthy about Hitler is a good thing.  Being always untrustworthy is a bad thing.  So there were times when Churchill wasn't a hero, necessarily.  Which is okay.  That just clarifies that he's human, of which I had a hunch anyway.

Then this morning, during school, Amazing Boy and I had reason to discuss both Benjamin Franklin and Henry V.

Franklin, as you might guess, we discussed while he was studying U.S. History.  His textbook informed him that Franklin was a Deist, and my boy expressed disappointment to find that out.  I didn't even know my son knew what Deism was, much less had a negative opinion of it.  So we talked a little about it, and while I'm hardly an expert on the belief, I clarified for him that being a Deist doesn't mean believing that God created the world and then turned His back on it.  I think a better way to put it is that Deists believed that God created the world, but doesn't intervene in it.  This is particularly true of Deists in the 17th and 18th centuries.  Franklin and his ilk lived in a time when there was resistance to organized religion, and the belief that God created man, and gave man the ability to reason ~ what else was needed? 

We discussed Henry V in the less obvious subject of Poetry.  Today's selection was the St Crispin's Day Speech from Shakespeare's Henry V.  It was a speech that Henry gave to his men before the Battle of Agincourt, during the Hundred Years' War.  He and his men were badly outnumbered by the French, but won the battle, after Henry's inspiring speech.

So rather than my just reading the poem to my boy, I found an online clip of Kenneth Branagh's 1985 film, to allow him to hear the poem read more dramatically than I could pull off.  But after it was done, my son expressed puzzlement at the idea of the men being almost eager to go into battle.  We talked about that fact that neither he nor I could imagine the mindset of someone who is headed into war, but also about the fact that this was an event that took place hundreds of years ago and frankly, people thought differently then.

That was the common denominator in my mind today.  These men ~ Churchill, Franklin and King Henry V ~ were each a product of the time in which they lived.  It seems easy to criticize how they thought, or what they did, but it's also very presumptuous.   I can't possibly understand completely who they were.  And it reminds me again about the danger of judging others. 

And I wonder if perhaps the reason that God told us not to judge others is that He knew that we would always be wrong... 

~ "in lowliness of mind

  let each esteem others better than himself" ~

Philippians 2:3

~

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

"what do you think?"

Matthew 21:28

A friend of mine was judging me the other day.  At least I think she was.  She didn't say anything, but she was thinking it.  At least I think she was.

I was telling her about a decision I'd made regarding my kids.  Her kids are younger than mine, so she hasn't yet been in my position on this issue.  And yet she was judging me for my decision!

At least, I think she was...

*sigh*   Why do we do that?  Why are we so sure that others are judging us, when really it's just in our own minds? 

Why do we think people are thinking negative thoughts about us, when maybe they're not even thinking about us at all?

Is it because we are thinking poorly of ourselves?

Or is it because we are guilty of judging others, so we assume it's happening in return?

Which is worse, thinking too much about myself, or thinking too much about what people think of me? 

I think maybe I need to think more about what God thinks. 

Don't you think?

~ "Commit your works to the Lord, 

and your thoughts will be established" ~

Proverbs 16:3

The higher you stand, the farther you fall

"to whom much is given..."

Luke 12:48

I'm disappointed in a friend of mine.  She made a decision that she shouldn't have made, and though I have forgiven her for the hurt it caused me, I can't seem to rid myself of my disappointment.

And I know other people who have done the same thing, but only this friend has left me with lingering disappointment.  Why?  Because I expected more of her.  She is young, but mature, and wise beyond her years; she has seen other people made the same decision, and she knew it wasn't right and yet somehow she talked herself into thinking it would be okay for her.  I hope it's not judgmental of me to be disappointed in her.  I know it's because I love her, and I hold her in high esteem.   After all, if I had a low opinion of her, then nothing she did would disappoint me, right?

And that's the hard part.  When we expect a lot of someone, it hurts more when they let us down. 

Sometimes my Awesome Girl ~ who's a bit of a perfectionist ~ can't understand why I'm proud of her even though she has turned in a school paper that is less than perfect.  It's because I'm not expecting perfect.  I'm expecting the work of a student who is learning:  some right, some wrong, and steadily improving in a subject or specific material.  This is how we judge people.  If you gave a 6th grader an assignment of 11th grade material, you would not expect it to be done very well.  But if you give a 6th grader as assignment of 2nd grade material, you would expect a very good showing. 

Or it's like a parent punishing their kids, and maybe giving the older one a longer sentence because "you should have known better."

I think that God expects a lot of me.  And maybe you, too.  I've been a child of His, of my own volition, for most of my life.  I have attended church and studied the Bible and made it my goal to live a life that pleases Him.  And of course, I often fall, which He knows I'm going to.  Mistakes happen.  But when I make a poor decision, when I know better, I wonder if that disappoints Him more than someone else making that same decision. 

My thinking on this subject led me to this verse in Luke.  The phrase "to whom much is given, much will be required" is one of those phrases we sometimes hear bandied about, often in terms of money ~ like rich people should donate more to charity.  But in Luke, it has to do with knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It's in a parable, about a servant who misbehaves while his master is away.  The servant who knew his master's will, but did not do his will, will be disciplined more than a similarly-misbehaving servant who did not know his master's will.

I hate the thought that I sometimes disappoint Him, though I know there's really no getting around it.  But somehow it encourages me to know that He expects a lot of me.  Makes me want to try.  And I know that pleases Him.

~ "Blessed is the faithful and wise steward, 

 whom the master will find so, when he comes" ~

Luke 12:42-43

How busy are you?

"as we have opportunity"

Galatians 6:10

Ever seen this photo before?  If not, what do you think is happening in this picture?

I saw the photo in Smithsonian Magazine, but I found it online at a site called dipity.com

The man is James Meredith; the photographer was Jack R. Thornell.  The date was June 6, 1966 and Meredith had just begin the March Against Fear.  It was a solitary march, to protest racism in the United States.  He was going to march from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi ~ 220 miles.  His goal was to encourage black citizens to register and vote ~ to encourage them to not be afraid to exercise their constitutional rights.

Meredith was already well-known.  In 1962 he had been the first black person to enroll at the University of Mississippi, so although he was "marching" alone, there were reporters, photographers some police officers and a few followers who were nearby.

But shortly after he had begun, he was shot in the head, neck, back and legs.  Miraculously, he was not killed.  With the publicity created by his being shot, other civil rights campaigners continued the march, and Meredith was well enough to join them on June 25, the day before the march arrived in Jackson, Mississippi.

But here's the thing:  can you see the agony on that man's face?  It's what makes it such a striking picture ~ the timing of it is what makes it a Pulitzer Prize winner.  If he were lying fully down, as he probably was only a few seconds later, you wouldn't be able to see the expression on his face.   So great job with the camera, right?

But after taking this remarkable shot (with the camera... not the other shot) the photographer jumped back in his car, and drove off quickly to get it in to his boss.   Now, someone must have called an ambulance, but in the time it took for it to come, Meredith said he lay there hollering, "Isn't anyone going to help me?"  And as I look at his face, I just can't imagine the feeling of pain and helplessness.

But even more, I wonder what the photographer must have been feeling.  How do you watch that, snap off a dozen or so pictures, and then drive away, with your job being uppermost in your mind?

Now, to be fair, photographer Jack Thornell greatly regrets his action.  He and Meredith are friends now, and he says it still haunts him that he did nothing.  And I think that's good.  It sounds like he learned a lesson.  But I wonder how many of us need to learn that lesson.  Because the sin he committed there, was just pure selfishness.  And which of us hasn't been guilty of that?   I'm sure he thought there was simply nothing he could do; he was confident that someone would call an ambulance; and he had a job to do. And besides, there was someone with a gun nearby ~ maybe anyone who went near Meredith would also be in danger.

But there was an opening for compassion and encouragement.  There was a chance for someone to hold Meredith's hand and help him feel less alone.  I look at the picture and the agony it shows, and I wonder what kind of man just drives off when he sees that. 

But as horrified as I was by that picture, I was even more horrified to realize that I've done it, too.  Maybe not that dramatic, but I've ignored people in pain or unhappiness or fear, because I had something "important" to do, or because I was afraid, or because I assumed someone else would handle it. 

And they say that an opportunity missed is an opportunity lost.  Well, yes and no.  That opportunity may be gone forever, but there will be another one.  Gotta be ready.

~ "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all" ~

Galatians 6:10