"You Knew I Was a Snake"

A fable that is told with many variations:

The Farmer and the Snake

One winter day, a farmer found a snake by the roadside, stiff and motionless with cold.

"If you put me inside your shirt," the snake said, "your body will make me warm and I won't freeze to death."

"Oh, I know your kind," replied the farmer. "If I pick you up, you will bite me."

"Oh no," the snake objected. "Why would I do such a thing, if you are good enough to help me?"

So the farmer had compassion on the snake, and taking it up, he put it inside his shirt. The warmth quickly revived the snake, and resuming its natural instincts, it bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. "Oh," cried the farmer with his last breath, "why did you bite me? You promised you wouldn't."

"Ah," said the snake. "So I did. But you knew I was a snake when you picked me up."

I have been thinking about this tale and the lessons it may teach (several of them). What do you get from it?

MaryMartha

Things Mama Taught Me: Follow the Directions

Maybe I was nine or ten, I'm not sure, when my mother thought it was time for me to learn some baking skills. She wrote down the ingredients and the directions to follow for my first creation: cornbread. Even a grade-schooler with minimal skills could mix flour and yellow cornmeal with salt and sugar and baking soda. The buttermilk I added was real—the tart liquid left after churning butter—and the "shortening" was probably lard or bacon grease. The batter was poured into a couple of Pyrex pie plates, brown-ringed from years of use, and baked until golden brown on top. Every week for a long time—until I graduated to sour cream chocolate cake—I made cornbread for our Saturday evening supper, the leftovers from which we ate on Sunday morning, crumbled into a bowl and topped with sugar and milk like cereal. Just like modern mothers, Mama knew about "planned-overs."

"When in doubt, read the directions!" We have to say that because there exist those individuals who rush into a venture without considering what resources they will need or what procedure to follow. Sometimes that turns out all right; how hard can those "cornbread" experiences be? On the other hand, if we have not learned to follow the recipe for making simple "cornbread," it's not likely we're going to succeed when it comes time to make the more complicated "chocolate cake."

Experienced cooks can depart from the printed page. When making a pie crust, Mama told me to add water to the dough until it "felt right." She knew just when that was and made the best pies in the county. Me? I follow the directions on the package that tell me to unroll it into the pie pan.

Just about every cookbook that is a collection of favorite recipes has one for a happy home or a good marriage or a friendly day or well-preserved children: 2 cups understanding, 1 cup kind words, etc. How about following these directions?

Recipe for Reality

Mix well:
1 cup Stress
2 heaping cups Limited Time
¾ cup Hope
2 tablespoons Frustration
1 tablespoon Guilt

Add as necessary:
Tears
Sweat

Knead thoroughly with:
3 cups Faith

Cover with Prayer and let rise.

Place in oven heated with Trials and Tribulations.

Remove after due season.

Spread with the Sweetness of Grace and
Serve while warm with God's Love
     to family, friends, and strangers alike.

Want to make some?

MaryMartha

Making Adjustments

How come, now that fall is here, 70° seems just a bit chilly? I remember some afternoons months ago when we remarked how warm and wonderful the 70° day was! How could the same temperature feel so different?

It's a matter of relativity, our comparing one thing with something else. When we have had many days of 90 or 100°, 70 feels lusciously cool! But after enduring wintry blasts of 20 or 30°, 70 feels quite toasty! We become somewhat adjusted to seasonal weather, and the change in temperature strikes us as something remarkable.

There are many things in life that require our just accepting them. Some irritants are beyond our ability to change. How often we have to pray the Serenity Prayer!

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

As important as "adjusting" is, there are some dangers. Do you remember the often-told myth (and it is just a myth) about putting a frog in a pot of boiling water? If suddenly plunged into the heated water, he will quickly jump out. However, if you place the frog into cool water and gradually increase the temperature, say two degrees a minute, he will sit there placidly, finally dozing off and never awakening while he is boiled to death.

I thought of this adjusting business when I recently re-read Romans 12:2. "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]." It's possible for us to be lulled into a stupor by over-adjusting to the moral climate around us. There are some things that are dangerous simply to accept; they are not just irritants but are wrong when measured against the Word of God. These we must guard against. Or be boiled to death.

MaryMartha

The Serenity Prayer is commonly attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, c.1934.

Scripture quotation taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Unceasing Prayer

"Pray without ceasing," I have read in the Scripture a great many times. I often wondered just how one does that, but as I've have gained some experience in both life and prayer, I have a better understanding.

Here are a few ways:

The newspaper or the online newsreader reports a terrible accident where a teenager was killed instantly. O God, comfort that dear family. How terrible to lose a bright, talented young person. Let them turn to you in their sorrow.

A scruffy-looking man standing at a busy intersection holds up a hand-printed sign. OUT OF WORK - NEED FOOD – PLEASE HELP. How do I know this is for real (because so many times it's not)? Lord, help this man find work he can do. Help him turn to the agencies who can offer him guidance. Meanwhile, should I give a dollar? (Sometimes I do, often I don't.)

There's a woman standing in the line ahead of me. One pant leg hangs empty. O God, thank you for my legs! She seems to be coping. Help her continue to find her way through life.

I hear someone depreciating the boss or their elected representative or the President. Help our leaders seek what is good and right. Most of them are trying to do the best they can. Help us do our part.

Sirens wail—police cars or fire trucks or ambulances. Someone's in trouble. Someone's in danger or is hurt. Help them. Guide and protect those who are hurrying to aid them.

A child is screaming in the post office or the grocery store or the church hallway. The cries seem to be expressing anger and frustration, or hunger or sleepiness, rather than pain. Help that mother/dad realize what they need to do for the baby. Help the child to receive those calming measures.

A driver is speeding carelessly. Shall I pray for safety for him and others on the road? Or shall I ask for him to be caught? Lord, you know . . .

I leave the building where I work and step out into a brisk fall afternoon. Thank you, Lord, for such a glorious day!

As you can see, prayer need not be confined to that quiet time in the morning or the before-bed routine. There are countless moments during the day when prayer is called for. And it may often be the case that you are the only one praying for that situation.

. . . More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me day and night.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

-- "The Passing of Arthur"
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1809-1892

MaryMartha

The quote is taken from The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 3rd ed., 1980

True Colors

Fall "fell" quietly during the night while I was fast asleep, I think, so this is the first full day of fall. With temperatures in the 60's, we are already experiencing some seasonal weather. Crisp brown leaves are falling onto the porch, the ivy on the trellises is turning red, and I noticed today that the elm trees have some yellowing beginning to show under the green.

You did know that the brown or red or yellow is already there, didn't you? When the leaves stop producing the chlorophyll that makes them appear green, we can see what color they really are. As the warm days get shorter and the nights get longer and cooler, the growing season winds down. Chemicals with long names continue their activity or even increase it, and thus we see the varied autumn yellows and golds, browns, red, orange and almost purple.

People too "show their true colors," we say, when they display what they are really like or what they are really thinking. That is not always the same as what they have been saying! Often at a time of particular need or even crisis, a person's true colors shine through. When we see what another is capable of in a tight situation, we are sometimes quite surprised. And sometimes we are dismayed. When it's you or me in that critical moment, we may be amazed at our own personal resources. Or disappointed.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "Into each life some rain must fall," meaning we will all endure some difficult, dreary times when gusts of adversity blow and our hopes fail and fall like dry brown leaves. Autumn comes to us all, not only as a season of the year, but as a season of life—not just once, but many times as one cycle of our growth winds down but before a new one begins. Remember that it is often in this "down time" that we show our true colors.

MaryMartha

Things Mama Taught Me: Air Out Your Soul

My mother believed in soul-care long before people were talking very much about the concept. She regularly engaged in activities which she declared "aired out her soul." When we lived in the country, she rode one of the horses. She sang loudly while she washed milk cans in the dairy barn. She played hymns on the old upright piano. These things pushed aside whatever difficulties were pressing in that day and brought fresh courage. They kept her soul from becoming stale. They aired it out!

I don't often think about them airing my soul, but I too seek restorative activities:

* Being where there are lots of trees and an expanse of green grass is refreshing for me; if there's a stream or lake, so much the better.

* Looking up into a star-filled sky at night, if I can get away from the city lights, is quieting.

* Taking prayerful and meditative walks restores my soul. I don't have Nickie any longer, the terrier of undetermined heritage, but the long walks on which she took me were good for both of us! I hope some day to repeat that particular exercise.

* Getting my hands into the dirt to make something grow causes my inner growth too.

* Playing the piano is very relaxing, as long as I never do it for anyone but myself! So is singing in the shower and while fixing breakfast. ("Sing like no one's listening!")

Discover for yourself what airs out your own soul. Do it often.

MaryMartha

You Say . . . God Says

-- “The news is bad. I'm afraid of what’s in the future.” Jesus said, Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. (John 14:1 NLT) Do we believe our Lord when He said He was leaving us with peace? Or do we choose to follow the thinking of those around us whose "hearts are failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth"? (Luke 21:26 NKJV) And this is even though we have not yet seen heaven, earth, and sea shaken as the Scripture predicts. It's not a bad thing for Christians to be up-to-date on national and world events—but if the price of awareness is fear, let us be less informed!

-- "Why is this happening to me? I just don't understand these difficult circumstances." If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 NIV) While we often quote this Scripture when we are seeking guidance, that is not really the context in which it appears. James writes in the preceding verses about the various trials that come to believers, and instructs us to let that testing of our faith work patience into us. It's up to us then, when we find ourselves in a hard situation, to ask God if He is wanting to teach us something.

-- "I don’t have enough money"—or adequate housing, or a car that runs. Paul writes, And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NLT) Yes, but what about the bill I couldn’t pay and the time the phone company disconnected me? What about the days I was hungry and there wasn’t anything to eat? We often have only myopic spiritual vision, seeing only what is right in front of us and up close. However, I have been serving God for quite a few years now, and as I look back over the "big picture" of my life, I have to say in wonder, "God, you have taken such good care of me! You have indeed supplied my needs." Yes, there may have been some lean times, and there could be others ahead. But viewing the past from where I stand now, I have every reason to thank God for His faithfulness!

-- "I’m tired (or even terrified) of being alone." Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, "God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:5, 6 MSG) This is a difficult situation. Many a person—whether young or older—has determined, "I have to have a husband/wife," or "I simply cannot live by myself." If the matter has been thoroughly committed to God, and following a usual course of action has not brought another person, it is wise to wait with as much contentment as can be called forth! Certainly it is unwise (and even unsafe) to determinedly push into a situation where God has not clearly opened the way.

-- "I’m just scared that I'm not smart enough to make the decisions I face." Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT) One of the specific jobs of the Holy Spirit is to be a Guide to God's children. "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. . . But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 14:26; 16:13 NIV) Surely the "all things" He teaches and the "all truth" He speaks include help for our decisions.

-- "Everything’s out of control. The world has gone crazy with money, sex, and power." God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life." But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. (Romans 11:2-5 NASB) Don't succumb to the "poor me" attitude or think in terms of "us poor, put-upon Christians"! Look up! Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture marked NASB is from the New American Standard Bible, used by permission of The Lockman Foundation, www.lockman.org

A New Point of View

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (KJV) I spoke with a fellow Christian who told me, "I thought being a new creature meant my old habits and hang-ups were gone, and I wouldn't have to deal with them any more." If only that were true, how much easier life would be!

There is no denying that many people experiencing Christ's salvation have a radical change in their attitudes, appetites, and ambitions. But there is no guarantee that well-established behaviors are going to suddenly vanish. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I discipline my body [which is, after all, the point at which a great deal of failure begins] and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (I Corinthians 9:27 NKJV) Forgiveness is freely offered; a right relationship with God is the point His plan. But Paul found living righteously was not automatic.

"New creation" means, most of all, that the once-dead spiritual being has been brought to life. One of the evidences of this is in the mind. "We have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:16, 17 NLT) At salvation, the new life has only begun; that is why we call it "the second birth." We begin then to live with more than just the human point of view, and to become mature in Christ, this new point of view must continue to expand throughout our whole faith journey.

God transforms us into new persons by changing the way we think. "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:1, 2 MSG)

MaryMartha

Scripture marked NKJV taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Comforters

My mother used to make comforters, two or more for every bed occupied by the six of us children. I remember the flannel, usually in somber stripes, being laid out on the big dining room table. On top of this, Mama laid a thick layer of batting and covered that with a second flannel. The edges were stitched on the sewing machine, and the whole was tied in a neat, squared-off pattern with colored yarn. We saw no particular value in handmade items, because that was all we knew. In those days, it would never have occurred to us to purchase a quilt or comforter. Now I would gladly exchange my bright floral bed covering stitched in a flowing pattern for one of those old tied comforters, just because they are so—comforting!

The very word "comfort" brings to my mind being secure, even enclosed—like being wrapped up in the comforter my mother had made. "Are you comfortable?" someone asks us, and yes, we feel an atmosphere of warmth and safety and ease. "I'm not comfortable with that," we protest in some situation, and it may be because we feel uncertain or exposed. A parent offers the safety of their arms to the child who is injured, or a friend puts an arm around us when we are hurting; they are giving comfort.

God too provides comfort. In fact, one of the Trinity is specifically assigned the job description of "Comforter." Various Bible translations give descriptive names for this person: Friend, Advocate, Encourager, Counselor, Helper, Strengthener, Standby. The Greek paraklētos literally means "called to one's side," capable and ready to give aid. However, God does not comfort us just so we can be comfortable, but so that we become comforters too—friends, encouragers, helpers, ready to give aid.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you." (II Corinthians 1:3-6)

Our experiences of difficulty are not wasted, for when God gives us strength and encouragement, He then can use us to help another person who is weak or discouraged. The movie script writers were not the first to come up with the idea of "paying it forward"!

MaryMartha

The movie reference is to the 2000 feature, "Pay It Forward," based on the novel of the same name. A student's project to "change the world" involves not paying back the person who has helped you, but instead paying it forward to other people.

The Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

What's the Use?

One of Job's so-called comforters was a young man named Elihu. He deferred to the older men, letting them speak first. Round after round, they chastised Job for what surely must be some sin, in order for him to be suffering so greatly. Finally, Elihu could not contain himself any longer. In fact, he said his belly was full of words, ready to burst like a wineskin without a vent. (Beware the danger of talking when you simply cannot keep your thoughts to yourself!)

Job had complained that the righteous suffer along with the wicked—that hardly seems fair—and sometimes the godly even suffer while the wicked prosper! Elihu carried Job's words a bit far, insinuating that Job thought serving God was a vain endeavor. "He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’ and ‘What’s in it for me? What’s the use of living a righteous life?’ " (Job 34:9; 35:3) Even so, Job would not be the only one who has ever said, "This holy stuff doesn't work. What's the use? I'm wasting my time."

No, this is missing the point. We are not trying to make something work. We are not wasting our time just because things are difficult. According to one Scripture paraphrase I recall (maybe the old "Living Bible," forerunner of the New Living Translation), the Psalmist sang, "He helps me do what honors Him the most." (Psalm 23:3) That is the point.

Seeking to honor the Lord is the most helpful way I have found for directing my daily path. Trying to make the life of faith work is frustrating—and doesn’t work. Trying to be good enough to please the perfect Divine One is never a sure thing—and doesn't work. Trying to find the benefit to me of living a righteous life is self-centered, maybe even hypocritical—and doesn’t work. Letting Him help me do what honors Him the most—works.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Nothing Useless

"Balm in Gilead," a very old traditional spiritual, has some "wandering verses," in it; that is, lines that may be found in some versions of other well-known songs.

Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work's in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

If you cannot preach like Peter,
If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus
And say, "He died for all."

It is easy, as the hymn suggests, to become discouraged by the little we are able to accomplish for the Kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul wrote, ”So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (I Corinthians 15:58 NLT)

* What little words or acts of kindness would you be certain to give if you knew they were important to God?
* What big thing might you attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?

It's true! Nothing we do for Him is useless. Everything counts. "And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:42 NLT)

We often quote the Scripture, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." But do you realize that refers to the use of our gifts? "And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (II Timothy 1:6, 7 MSG) Although true in the broader sense as well, it specifically reminds us not to be timid about working for the Lord. Nothing is useless!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Be Afraid or Not—Our Choice

I have come to suspect that some of the people around me would like for me to be afraid—if not very afraid! Do they think that if others join them in considering what terrible things may happen before we get out of this world, that gives some credibility to their own fears? Or if enough people worry long and loudly about perceived calamity that will somehow ward it off? All the fuss will neither cause nor prevent the adverse circumstances which they fear.

Unless I am missing something, Jesus told His followers only once to be afraid. Recorded in Matthew and in Luke, He said, “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear." (Luke 12:4, 5 NLT) The rest of the time, over and over and over again, He told them, "Don't be afraid" or "Fear not." His last discourse with the disciples included the words, "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27 NLT) The message could not be clearer.

Yes, there things in our world that can very well cause fear. But the Psalmist was firm in his choice of trust rather than fear. "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." Then he was able to declare, "In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? . . . In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56: 3, 4, 11 NKJV) One might suppose that this song was composed on a peaceful hillside as David watched his sheep. No, he has taken refuge from King Saul who is after him. He is in the enemy camp of the Philistines, and they have discovered who he is! Shouldn't you be afraid, David? "No, I will not be afraid."

First we decide, "When I am afraid, I will trust God." Then we work that out, day by day. We hear a scrap of news that strikes fear to the heart. We get an e-mail that warns of some dire "probability." The conversation we hear is negative and full of fear. Rather than going into an immediate defense mode, I suggest we stop and calmly repeat to ourselves, "In God I have put my trust. I will not be afraid." (And it wouldn't hurt to say it out loud too!) If media reports scare you, don't watch/listen. If forwarded e-mails are frightening, don't open them. If your acquaintances speak of fearful things, move on. Better to be a bit uninformed than fearful and angry. Guard your heart.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Things Mama Taught Me: "Don't Be Quick to Judge"

My mother was not quick to judge the motives of other people. She censured actions when necessary, but she knew that a person's deepest desires and intents could not be readily discerned. "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) She often quoted a few lines from a poem by the English poet and philanthropist, Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-1864).

Judge not the workings of his brain
And of his heart thou canst not see;
What looks to thy dim eyes a stain
In God's pure light may only be
A scar, brought from some well-won field,
Where thou would'st only faint and yield.

In plainer language, Mama was saying, "You can't really tell what a person is thinking or believing. You don't know what they've been through to make them what they are. It's quite possible you would not have done as well as they have, so don't be too quick to judge!"

About judging, Jesus said, "Don't!" “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (Matthew 7:1, 2) The Apostle Paul wrote these cautions to the church at Rome, "You may think you can condemn such people, [all kinds of evildoers listed in previous verses] but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things . . . Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval . . . So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." (Romans 2:1; 14:4; 13)

And that's all that Mama would say about that!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

The rest of Procter's poem is well worth reading (3 more stanzas). It is found in "The Poems of Adelaide A. Procter," a volume from the New York Public Library digitized by Google, and located at
http://www.archive.org/details/poemsadelaideap01procgoog
Another of her poems, perhaps more famous, is also there, "The Lost Chord."

A Culture of Entitlement

Things are very different for me than when my parents and grandparents were growing up. We have, over the years in our country, developed a culture of entitlement. We expect our government, funded by wage-earners' taxes, to provide personal financial benefits to large groups of ordinary citizens who meet eligibility conditions specified by law. Some important examples are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, most Veterans' Administration programs, federal employee and military retirement programs, and agricultural price support programs. Now we are hearing about corporate bailouts and health care for everyone.

Not that I oppose these! No way! My point is that we have learned to take for granted what our ancestors did without—and please don't read any other message into this. When our elders were old enough to retire, they usually did not. If they lost the farm because prices hit the bottom, that was very sad but unavoidable. When they grew really old and feeble, their family cared for them, and if there was no one, they went to the county poor farm. When they were sick or even dying but had no money, they did not ordinarily see a specialist of any kind; they just died.

It is easy in our present culture to depend on sources that we can regulate to some degree and therefore make the claim, "I am entitled . . . " We want insurance in the broadest sense, substituting it for the assurance which can come only through our reliance on God as our ultimate Source. We are just as likely then to attribute whatever security we enjoy to some apparent source: our income, our savings or investments, our insurance package, the government. "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth . . ." (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18 NIV) "Look here, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.' ” (James 4:13-15 NLT)

As children of God we are "entitled" to the benefits He gives—which are considerable! As for what we can depend on from strictly human sources, we mostly have to take what comes. Some of the personality disorders have as one of their symptoms an unrealistic, exaggerated, or rigidly held sense of entitlement. So we'll be mentally healthier if we don't get too carried away with the prevailing insistence on everything I can possibly get for myself with the least amount of effort. Rather, let's keep an attitude of gratitude!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Homeless

One evening, a few days ago, I passed by a large fenced-in building where a dozen or fifteen men and women were waiting outside the gates. Having already had supper, I'm guessing, at the free meal center across the street, these people were gathering at a place where they could spend the night, safe and sheltered.

I thought how grateful I am for a home where I can go after a busy day. I open the door to a space that I can call my own. Inside, it is warm or cool, depending on what I need. There is something of my own choosing to eat. It is not crowded or noisy. No one tells me when to turn off the light. I know exactly who slept in the bed last night, and who used the shower. I am truly fortunate, and I feel compassion for those who have less than I do.

That would include Jesus—for the time that He lived here. "As they [Jesus and the disciples] were walking along, someone said to Jesus, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' But Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.' ” (Luke 9:57-58) Just imagine! Jesus. Homeless.

We cannot fathom what it meant for Jesus to abandon Heaven and take on human form. How strange that He would be born, not in a suitable palace or even in a comfortable village home, but rather in a cattle pen! He left the indescribable presence of His Father and the adoration of angels to come to an unfriendly, and finally murderous, environment. Few hymns express the wonder of the Incarnation more clearly than a few verses of Charles Wesley's, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Although properly a Christmas hymn, it is worthy of our contemplation at any time.

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb!
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus our Immanuel here.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich." (II Corinthians 8:9)

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Labor Day

This is Labor Day, celebrated with a three-day weekend in the U.S. I learned as a child that it was intended to recognize the importance of American workers, but that made no sense to me. A day off to honor working people? On the farm we worked just the same as every other day. (Well, that's not quite true. We didn't go to school, but back then school didn't start until after Labor Day, anyway.) So I think it would be nice to honor people who do work on Labor Day and most other holidays. Among them:

* Farmers, ranchers, dairymen, veterinarians and all who tend to animals' needs
* Police officers and other safety/law enforcement personnel
* Firefighters
* Nurses, doctors, lab technicians, and other hospital attendants including cooks and cleaning staff
* Military men and women
* Ambulance drivers and emergency medical technicians
* Disaster relief workers
* Hotel and motel employees
* Restaurateurs and their cooks and wait staff
* Service station and convenience store employees
* Transportation workers for airlines, railroads, shipping companies, and taxi services
* Movie theater attendants, along with workers at many other entertainment centers
* Trash pickup workers
* Retail store employees, including grocery stores
* Shelter and food service workers at sites which aid the needy
* Church staffs, when called upon

Let's hear it for the laborers who make holidays safer, happier, more fun, for the rest of us! [Insert loud clapping and cheering here]

P.S. And don't forget the mothers who are in labor, giving birth today!

MaryMartha

Things Mama Taught Me: "Always Do Your Best"

All my life I've been troubled by the concept of doing my best, drilled into me by parents with a strong work ethic. Even under the most adverse circumstances and personal stress, I somehow felt that anything less than what I was ultimately capable of producing was inadequate. Never mind that it had required sheer willpower, not to mention almost superhuman effort. If the results were less than what my abilities might have produced, it was not good enough.

Let me clarify with an example. Had I had six weeks instead of three, and had I had access to the research library every day instead of once a week, I would have produced an A on my project. That is not an excuse; it is just acknowledging what I know I am capable of if I have no severe limitations. Is the "A" worth sacrificing competence at my breadwinning job? Or a reasonable amount of time spent with my small child? Or the spirit-sustaining hour of worship on the weekend? Or a few hours' sleep? No, something has to give. I am not able to excel at everything, certainly not in a less than ideal situation.

I do believe in "Always do your best," but that needs the provisional clause, "with where you are and what you have." I have not always known that, but have constantly berated myself for not being wiser, stronger, more disciplined, more discerning. I have only recently gained the insight that all I really need to examine is, "Did I do the best I could with where I was and what I had?" If yes, then whether a marriage, a writing project, or making a flower bed, I can say with confidence and an easy conscience, "I did my best!"

MaryMartha

My Father's World

This is my Father's world,
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

These words from the well-known hymn, "This Is My Father's World," were written by Maltbie D. Babcock, a noted clergyman of the nineteenth century in New York and Maryland. He was fond of walking along the cliffs near his home where he could enjoy a panoramic view of "his Father's world." The poem was published after his death in 1901 at the age of 42, and was set to the music of a traditional English melody.

I am reminded of that hymn when people ask, as they sometimes do, how I think of things to write about each day. Admittedly, I experience a short-lived "writer's block" on occasion, but mostly I enjoy the flow of inspiration from everyday occurrences. Quite likely you do too, you just don't happen to be writing about them!

I believe in the "very present-ness" of God. My mother thought the following lyrics were almost irreverent, seeming to her that they minimized the greatness of God.

My God and I go in the field together;
We walk and talk as good friends should and do;
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;
My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.
From "My God and I," Austris Whithol (20th century, I think)

It doesn't seem to me that this song is so very different from the hymn she found somewhat more acceptable:

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joys we share as were tarry there,
None other has ever known.
From "In the Garden," C. Austin Miles, 1912

Whatever the terminology, each of these songs speaks of an intimate relationship with the Almighty. I think that to relish His friendship is not to lessen His majesty at all. Only a God as great as He could arrange a plan whereby lesser creatures may enjoy communion with someone so totally Other!

He is everywhere—omnipresent, the theologians call it. And what a wonder! He speaks to us everywhere, all the time! It is left to us to prepare our attention to see and hear Him everywhere.

MaryMartha

Things Mama Taught Me: "If It Weren't for Grace . . . "

I remember my mother telling me with deep seriousness that without the intervening grace of God in our lives, any of us were capable of any sinful act, even the most awful crime. As a child, I wondered at that statement. I couldn't murder, could I, or commit a robbery or blaspheme God? Because I loved Jesus from a very early age, I just couldn't comprehend how darkened the human heart could become.

Many times, as an adult, I have taken comfort in the promise, "God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." A way out—that is just what I'm looking for, although I have learned that often the way out is through! However, as with many promises, there is something else to be considered. The preceding verses say, "These things happened to them [the Israelites wandering in the wilderness] as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience." (I Corinthians 10-13) Put in very simple terms, "If you think you are above certain base thoughts or wicked actions, think again. Your temptations are not made of different stuff than anyone else's; it's just that you have the grace of God to get you through it—if you'll avail yourself of it."

The first round of temptation for the Israelites was not all that remarkable. They were just barely out of Egypt; they hadn't even crossed the Red Sea yet. Pharaoh's army was pursuing them, and they became afraid—a pretty natural temptation, I think. But then, instead of asking God to help them through this terrifying situation, they began to blame Moses. "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!' " (Exodus 14:11, 12) Fear segued into anger and then bitterness. Look around you—or perhaps even within—and you will see how easily this happens. Bitterness turns into all kinds of terrible things, even atrocious crimes.

John Bradford, a sixteenth-century English reformer and martyr, witnessed a prisoner (prisoners, some accounts say) being led to execution and, realizing his own dependence on Divine mercy, said, "There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford." His statement survives these hundreds of years later, quoted usually as "There . . . go I.") That's what my mother was telling me: Don't forget what you could have become—if it weren't for grace.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved

Info about Bradford: http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/John-Bradford/1/index.html

Unconditional Love?

We hear a lot of talk about "unconditional love," and it sounds good, actually quite God-like. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) At our most unlovely, God still loved us and gave Himself for us.

But I must ask: Why did Jesus have to die? Why did God give Himself? He loved us, of course, because He is love; love is His very nature. His love pours out on us not just because there has to be an object to receive His love—He probably loved all the other things He had created too: lions and lambs, caterpillars, robins and porpoises.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
(Cecil Frances Alexander 1818-1895)

The difference is that He wanted someone to love Him in return; He wanted relationship. No matter how strong the attachment between an affectionate animal and his owner, it cannot fulfill the intention God had in His heart to fellowship with a being more like Himself—in His own image. Since He desires something in return, He gave Himself so that we would be able to love Him back. If we don't respond, He doesn't stop loving, but He is disappointed that there is not a mutual friendship. Unconditional love? Yes, because it never quits, even when it is rejected. But that is not the same as a kinship, a close personal connection.

In the context of our human relations, we hear that we are expected to love one another unconditionally. We try so hard to do that, and sometimes we are shocked and hurt because we are not able to make a friend of some person. While we do aspire to love like God loves, with a love that never quits, the same condition exists to build relationship: the response of love. We might express it like this, "I will love you no matter what you do to me, but if you want fellowship with me, you will also love."

Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [Comforter, Encourager, Counselor, Friend] who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. . . You know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. . . Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. . . All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them." (John 14:15-17, 21, 23)

So I did not just make up these rules about unconditional love in contrast to conditional relationship. Actually, Jesus did.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

On Owning Stuff

A missionary to Sri Lanka spoke at my church a few days ago. At the close of the service, he gave us a Buddhist monk's bowl to add to the articles on display from the many nations represented in our congregation. A monk had given it to him, stating, "All that I own in the world could be placed in this bowl."

The speaker did not elaborate, but many Buddhist monks own only these few things: their robes, that begging or alms bowl, needle and thread, a razor, and a water strainer. Sometimes we read of people who escape fire or flood with "only the clothes on their backs," but to choose such poverty voluntarily is quite another thing. I'm not advocating that we all do that, but God has actually made us with pretty simple needs—that is, actual needs. The Apostle Paul advises young Timothy, "True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (I Timothy 6:6-10) We have made things complicated for ourselves by our lust for stuff!

It's interesting to me that we spend most of our lives accumulating things—many of which we don't need and may find we don't even really want—only to realize as we get older that now we want to "downsize," and we must start de-accumulating! I am an inveterate "saver," having acquired that specific gene, I think, from my mother! I had way too much stuff because I was convinced that some day I might need it again, but if I had thrown it out or given it away, I might have difficulty replacing it. The Lord gently reproved me, "I gave it to you once. Don't you think if you need it again, I can give it to you again?" Of course, He can and He has!

I have a long way to go yet to dis-possess myself of so much stuff. The begging bowl was a pointed reminder.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.