Not Wanted

My heart sank as I listened one afternoon this week to an NPR report about girls in a district of India who were given Hindi names meaning “unwanted.” How sad to spend your childhood years being called a name which tells everyone, “Because I’m a girl, I’m not acceptable. My family let me live, but they did not want me.” Today, however, two hundred eight-five of those girls, in a special re-naming ceremony, chose new names for themselves. They chose the names of stars in the Hindi film industry or goddesses or traditional names with happy meanings like prosperous, beautiful, and good.

That reminds me of Scripture in the Bible which describes the land of Israel. “You'll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of God. You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of God's hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. (Isaiah 62:2-4) Names described the deplorable condition of the land and the people, but as they turned back to God, He gave them new names which honored them.

Present-day individuals, too, are tagged with undesirable names. Have you ever heard of someone named “Nerd” or “Wimp” or “Dumbo” or “Loser”? We may even name ourselves: “Victim,” “Failure,” or “Stupid.” Those are unhappy appellations to live with, and before long one begins to believe that they must be true. God has a different way of naming; we are wanted by Him, even chosen to be His beloved. Take the new name He offers!

Mary/Martha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

"God Don't Like Ugly"



"[He] rescues the wretched who've been
thrown out with the trash . . ."

I came across that book title the other day, and had an immediate reaction of disbelief. Actually there is more than one book by that title. One is a well-received novel, another, a book about African-American family values. It is the title that puts me off. What young person browsing through library or bookstore shelves wants to be confronted with “GOD Don't Like Ugly”? A lot of people, old and young alike, have self-esteem that is fragile enough already without a reminder printed in big yellow letters!

It isn't true, anyway. Had God not loved the people of the world even when they were damaged and made “ugly” by sin, there would be no Christmas, no Savior coming to bring salvation. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8) And He still loves us at our most unattractive; our sometimes negative, and selfish behavior doesn't put Him off.  He still draws us, still invites us, “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)

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.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Letting Stuff Go

Sometimes we are responsible for prolonging the pain that someone or something has brought into our lives. We often rehears the sad situation just for the satisfaction of remembering how badly we were treated by the circumstances! There are many things in life, not the tragic losses, but the ordinary disappointments, that we can handle best by just letting them go.

Here is my own example. I lived for twenty years in a very small home that with literal blood, honest sweat, and actual tears I had wrestled into a comfortable place to live. As a single mom, I reared my daughter there, so I was deeply invested in it. My remarriage required a larger home—there was another person now, a bigger one—and so I sold the little house in which I had invested so much. Later, that owner resold the home, and when I drove by, I was astonished. The garage had been remodeled and was now added living space. The ivory painted siding was now white, and black shutters had been added. It looked nothing at all like the home I had reluctantly left!

But appreciating the new look was not all I felt. I began to feel something like resentment or displeasure. "I wish I were the one who had thirty thousand dollars to remodel. Why couldn't I have put in n a nice lawn?” I suffered with those thoughts all the way home!

Sometimes I have the idea to drive down that street and pass by my former home—just to look—and then I remind myself that it would only be to my hurt. There is nothing to be gained by seeing what someone has accomplished that I was unable to do. It only creates discontent and added regret.

So then, the way to treat some of the minor griefs that come to us along our daily paths is to let stuff go. Some baggage need not be carried!
 
MaryMartha
 
Art from http://sxc.hu/

Enthusiasm

An employer was urging his workers to be enthusiastic. “Customers want to see you demonstrate enthusiasm as you assist them when they come into this business.” A good suggestion, don't you think?

The word has an interesting etymology. It comes from the Greek éntheos meaning God-possessed or in God. Now I'm certainly not implying that those who are not enthusiastic are not in God, but showing enthusiasm is a great way to demonstrate that we are indeed in Him! Scripture has many admonitions to be grateful, to be full of joy, to have hope and confidence. These are well-expressed by what we recognize as enthusiasm.

It is not easy to be enthusiastic about working with people that are difficult, at a distasteful job, or in troubling circumstances. But God hasn't required that for everything we are to give thanks, only in everything to give thanks. The Apostle Paul did not claim to like every situation in which he found himself, or to be fond of every person with whom he worked! He only said that he had learned to be content. The Psalmist wrote about “songs in the night” and “the valley of the shadow of death.” Obviously then, enthusiasm--”God-inness”--is not dependent on our always being comfortable and enjoying pleasant surroundings. Keeping a positive outlook is one way we can show that our hope and security is in God, and that our good cheer does not depend on the weather outside or the indoor “climate” of our interaction with others around us.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Last Leaf

If I had my choice—which , of course, I don't—I would choose my final season to occur in October—not that I plan for that any time soon! This is my favorite month. I was born in May, a suitable season for life and growth, and it seems to me that the end of life would be appropriate in autumn, the season of harvest and rejoicing.

Leo Buscaglia has written a lovely children's book, The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, which tells a story for readers of all ages. It goes something like this:

Freddie and hundreds of other leaves shared life on a tall tree in the park where children played and old people came to sit in the shade and families spread out picnics on checkered tablecloths. But Spring breezes passed as did Summer sun and rain. It was October, and one night everything was covered with a thin layer of white which melted in the morning. Freddie's wise friend explained that the frost signaled the end of summer and the arrival of Fall.

Soon all the leaves began to turn other colors besides green: deep yellow, purple, bright orange or red. And then the breezes that earlier had caused them to dance now pulled on their stems until they were swept away from the tree and dropped softly to the ground.  "What's happening?" they all wondered.

The big old leaf explained that this happens to leaves in the Fall; it's time for them to change their home. "Some people call it to die," he said.

"I'm afraid to die," Freddie admitted to his friend. "I don't know what's down there."

"We all fear what we do not know. You were not afraid when Spring became summer or when Summer became Fall. You do not need to be afraid of this new season."

"Then what is the reason for all this? Why were we here if we are only going to fall and die?"

"It's been about purpose," Freddie's friend explained. "It's been about happy times in the sunlight and under the moon's glow. It's been for old people and children and families under our shade. It's been about colors in the Fall. That's enough."

For a little while, Freddie was all alone on the branch, and then the snow fell and he drifted quietly down and landed softly on the white ground. It didn't hurt at all. And for the first time, he could see the whole tree. He knew that he had been a part of its strong, lasting life. And it made him proud!

The leaf analogy can be carried only so far; it fails when it comes to resurrection and eternal life. But I find that it sweetly addresses the autumn season of life, and the confidence we have that all is well for us!

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Let It Go

I heard a catchy tune on the radio the other day, but the words were significant enough for me to grab a pen and jot down the gist of each of the verses. (Not the song Tim McGraw made famous.)

What somebody said? Let it go. You love but they don't love you back? Let it go. Those politicians—you hear what they say but you don't know what they mean? Let it go. A family feud? Let it go. You're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about it? Let it go.

A very large part of the things we fret about and carry around as a constant burden are things we cannot change. If those last few words say it all—you're tired and worried and there's nothing you can do about the situation?—just let it go! There are enough things where we can make a difference to demand our attention; we don't need to take on situations over which we have no control!

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.

--Reinhold Niebuhr, theologian, ca 1934.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Staying with It

Whew!

It is HOT in Kansas! Some lawns are turning a crispy brown, a few trees are shedding leaves prematurely, and wide cracks are appearing in soil banks. Some of us were discussing the heat, but we agreed that this was nothing like the summer of '80. That was the summer I moved here, and though the large city from which I came was very hot, I was almost convinced I'd made a mistake. That year we had temperatures of 100° or higher for 46 days, 18 of them in a row! By contrast, the summer of 2010 has had a dozen or so, with probably just a few more on the way. The schools were not yet air-conditioned then, and the little house in which I lived did not for awhile have AC either!

But what I'd have missed if I had not stayed with it! I established firm family ties which before had been shaky. I reared my family in a comparatively safe environment. I found exceptional professional people: doctor, dentist, attorney, auto mechanic, and pastor. I met and married the love of my life. I embarked on a satisfying career, lasting even into retirement years. I am fully convinced that God is involved in the choices we make, often more intimately involved than we realize. "The LORD directs the steps of the godly [not godlike, but God-fearing]. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) I've found it so.

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.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Re-Framing

I have been listening to a CD on which the gospel singer declares that she had questions with answers she couldn't understand. I think that is probably true for all of us, and sometimes the questions don't seem to have answers at all. As we struggle with the things that perplex us, a wonderfully helpful verse from the Bible is this: "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." (Romasns12:2) Difficulty itself does not necessarily set us free, but reframing it—changing how we think about it—does liberate us. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

If you are in a hard place now, where can you find the truth that will change how you think and set you free? Many of us are convinced that the Word of God is ultimate truth, but often our traditional views and personal opinions cloud our understanding of it.

4 A Popular Notion: Jesus said whatever I ask for, the Heavenly Father will give to me. So I'm going to ask for a Lexus and a new tri-level house.

8 What the Word Teaches: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures." (James 4:3 NIV)

4 A Popular Notion: Didn't God say He would supply all my need? Well, I actually do need a _______ [new car, new house, new clothes, new spouse—you fill in the blank.]

8 What the Word Teaches: Yes, but the Apostle Paul—a remarkable Christian, after all—tells us, "Actually, I don't have the sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now how to be quite content. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little." (from Philippians 4:11, 12)

4 A Popular Notion: If I serve the Lord, I will have fewer troubles. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

8 What the Word Teaches: Jesus also said, "Here on earth you will have many trails and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

4 A Popular Notion: God obviously is pleased with my life because I have good health and financial success.

8 What the Word Teaches: It's quite possible to enjoy some of God's gifts without really having His blessing! Examples are Samson, Baalam, and any who "speak with the tongues of mean and of angels and have not love." (See I Corinthians 13)

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) This does not mean that every act and thought of ours is predetermined, and we have only to live mechanically what has already been established. What it does mean is that God has orchestrated our lives in such a way that we will come face to face with His reality. Quite often this comes to us through pain or loss, disappointment, difficulty or perplexity because it is when we are searching for answers that we look up—and there is God! Would we actually want to wish away the critical events that have caused us to search for Him? Although they may have seemed almost unbearable at the time, we can ask God to change the way we think and then we can see how fruitful those times really were!

MaryMartha

Unless otherwise indicated, all 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. Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Antidotes

Sometimes we need an antidote for something we have contacted or ingested: poison ivy or a bee sting, a medication to which we are allergic or just too much pizza! Doctors know, and many mothers too, know what will soothe the itchy skin or the upset stomach.

I have found a spiritual antidote as well. When I have contacted too much negative talk or encountered too many discouraging circumstances or remembered too many painful memories, the Word of God helps make things right.

But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. . . Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. . . So I tried to
understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. . . Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 2:2-5, 13-14, 16-19, 21, 23-26)

This antidote works even better than calamine lotion or Tums!

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.

What's Really Going On

There is sometimes a big difference between what happens and what is really going on. While reading the Old Testament story of Moses' leadership again, I came across these verses. "Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.'Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?' they asked. 'Hasn't he also spoken through us?' And the LORD heard this." (Numbers 12:1, 2)

Was the real problem Moses' "foreign" wife or his superior authority? The two had been thoroughly mixed up. It seems from the wording that their vocal criticism was about Moses' wife, while what they complained about to each other was his complete ignoring of their own abilities. Aaron was Moses' brother and Miriam, his sister, but more than this, they were priest and prophetess.

This incident follows the great change of government effected by Moses choosing of the seventy elders. The Spirit that was in Moses rested on them as well; this was made visible when they began to prophesy. Some commentators believe animosity arose then in Aaron and Miriam against Moses' wife (probably Zipporah, not a second wife). She may have had more influence on the assignments than they did, albeit through her father's intervention. Moses had not recognized their rights!

Criticism was only the outward evidence. What was really going on was pride, fear, anger, dissatisfaction, intolerance, and jealousy. Remember that the next time someone sends a barb of un-constructive criticism your way.

MaryMartha

Scripture 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.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

I Know I'm Heard

Several recent events featured in online news items have provoked a huge response from readers. Many sites offer an opportunity for comments, and they receive literally thousands upon thousands. A few are sane and well-reasoned arguments, a great many have little substance, and some are ferocious, vulgar and rude. Then other readers comment on those comments, often resorting to name-calling and unprintable adjectives, represented by a series of symbols and a few well-placed letters so that anyone can tell what is meant without the words being kicked out by an automatic censoring system. I imagine said system can also check for libelous statements or threats. Surely no actual person is going to read all those 12,521 comments. (I'm not making that up.)

That's just it. Why rush to make one's opinion known when no one who really matters cares? There seems to be frenzied effort on the part of many to express what they think, even if it merely repeats what someone else has said. From my limited point of view, there is no discussion, no information added, no new ideas put forth, not even succinct summary offered—just repetitious rantings.

I like knowing that I have Someone who always listens to me. I may not present a good argument to God, but He listens anyway. I may even have a complaint, but I don't have to yell for Him to hear it. There are a great many prayers in the Scripture, asking God to hear. But a few declare that He does indeed hear. One of those verses gives Jesus' own words. Because He is our way to the Father, we can say as He did, "I know that You always hear me."

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer.

Even the news.

MaryMartha

Words of hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", by Joseph Scriven, 1855

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Peek-a-Boo!

Very young children, usually somewhat under a year, are not able to comprehend the permanence of objects. "Out of sight, out of mind." Mother or an older child can cover their own face or the baby's eyes and then pop back into view, saying, "Peek-a-boo! I see you!" to the surprise and delight of the baby. As far as he or she was concerned, the playmate had gone away and now suddenly they have returned!

Sometimes we grownups act that way with some hard reality or disappointing circumstance. If we don't look directly at it—covering it up or closing our eyes—maybe it will go away. "Out of sight, out of mind!"

It isn't true. Minor problems may disappear all right: the big dog in the yard will wander off somewhere else soon, the traffic jam will unsnarl, the headache will clear up. But major issues like a lack of communication with your spouse, a summons to jury duty, or a leak in the water heater are going to need some attention.

The crowds who followed Jesus sometimes played the hiding game. He told them,

"Here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you . . . Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? . . . The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

"Out of sight, out of mind," they thought. And then Jesus turned to the disciples.

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:50-69)

Yes, sometimes we are confronted by a difficult truth, something we don't understand and find hard to accept. But let us not close our eyes or turn away. Instead, let's reply, "Lord, to whom else could I go? You have the words of eternal life."

MaryMartha

Scripture 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.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu

Changes

Today at a divisional meeting of the organization which employs me, my supervisor announced some reorganization of our workgroups. Hoping to reassure us she said, "And this won't change"—but then she added, "until it does." Doesn't this confirm what people in general believe: There is nothing as certain as change!

Changes are happening in our lives all the time, so gradually that we don't even pay attention on an everyday basis. We are aging just a little bit at a time, we are adjusting to a new family member or the loss of an older one, or we are challenged to learn a new job or leisure skill. It sometimes happens that all of a sudden we realize a great change has taken place almost without our being aware. "I'm nearly retirement age!" we marvel, or "I can't believe Grandma G has been gone a year," or "I thought I would never learn this, but it's simple now." We usually can accept this kind of change as being part of life. Living things change.

Often we find it harder to deal with the changes that come suddenly, with little or no prior warning. They may be quite small, really, but they upset our routine, require us to redirect our energies, and tax our composure. A detour requires us to change our usual route while a road is being repaired. A change in office or workstation means adjusting to other surroundings and perhaps other employees. The church's small group of which we are a member begins to meet at a different time. We break a finger or a tooth, pay more for postage stamps, or someone rearranges the furniture. Can we accept these too as being part of life? Facing these changes with equanimity helps us grow into the kind of persons who can face the greater challenges.

"Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me!" ("Abide with Me," Henry F. Lyte, 1847)

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Who Would Be God?

Years ago, when I made an ill-informed choice and landed in some distressing circumstances, I blamed God! In fact, I was pretty mad at Him. "How could this happen to me?" I stormed. "How could you let me make such a huge mistake?"

God is very calm when He answers such questions. "If you couldn't make a mistake," I heard Him say in my heart, "who would be God in your life?" Now I may have been foolish to ask God such a thing, but I am not stupid! I knew for sure that I did not want to manage life by myself. I did not want to be my own God.

Sometimes we are so determined to see our own agenda worked out, that we try to use God to enable that. I believe that God hears us when we pray, and I believe that sometimes He does things in answer to prayer that He would not otherwise do. But that He can be manipulated because we invoke His name is far from true. I believe in miracles too; sometimes there is no explanation for an outcome except such Divine intervention. But to expect God to unhinge the regular working of the Universe because there is something I want is likewise false.

s If we could re-route tornadoes and floods and earthquakes at will, who would be God?

s If we could always prevent broken bones and car breakdowns and layoffs in the lives of those we love, who would be God?

s If we could provide bountiful crops and a cure for cancer and blissful marriages, who would be God?

s If we had the power to end world hunger, threats of terrorism, and illiteracy, who would be God?

Sometimes it's quite easy to see that our circumstances, pleasant or otherwise, are the direct result of choices we have made. But it is not always that clear. Sometimes simple cause-and-effect doesn't apply, but we still want desperately to believe there is an existential reason for everything. So when good happens, people say, "I—or you or they—must be living right." When bad things happen, we wonder, "What did I/we/they do to deserve this?"

There is spiritual wisdom in asking God if He wants to teach us something through the situation in our lives or in the world, but He does not owe us explanations for everything. Father Cavanaugh explains to Rudy (in the "movified" story of an aspiring football player, 1993), "In thirty-five years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard, incontrovertible facts: there is a God and I'm not Him."

We're not God. And aren't you glad?

MaryMartha


Related posts:
What Job Learned about Reasons (here)
Is There a Reason for Everything? (here)
Reconciling (here)

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Reading a Good Book--or The Good Book

Today I checked out from our local library a graphic novel. No, perhaps not what you are thinking: a story full of explicit sex and/or gratuitous violence and vulgar language. The new meaning of "graphic novel" is an illustrated story in comic-book style. They are not all equal, just as novels that have no pictures are not all equal. There are so many in the bookstores and libraries now that I wanted to see if a graphic novel was worth my time. I have the preconceived opinion that nothing will beat words, but we'll see.

"Graphic" doesn't mean what it used to mean. Our language has undergone lots of other significant changes over the years, so it is no surprise that numerous committees and even some individuals have spent years translating and/or paraphrasing the Bible, attempting to make it more easily understood and thus more relevant. I'm hoping we don't go so far as "The poor in spirit . . . the merciful . . . the pure of heart are really rockin'." But if teens don't get the term "blessed" and think "happy" isn't what they want, maybe someone will come up with a version that speaks to them.

Actually, with a little searching just now, I found that someone has done just that. Rob Lacey has written "The Word on the Street," published in the UK in 2004. One would not use it for careful reading or study, but many consider it very attractive to introduce youthful newcomers to the Bible. A bit of his style from Genesis:

"First off, nothing . . . No light, no time, no substance, no matter. Second off: God says the word, and WHAP! Stuff everywhere!"`

From the Big Ten Rules:

No. 1: "I'm your god . . . I get total priority. You won't have any other gods distracting you or taking your attention away from me. I'm the only God. No other god's worth squat."

And a wise one-liner from Solomon: "Don't talk to a mirror and expect to lip read the answers to life." (Did you recognize Proverbs 3:7?)

There is also a graphic Bible for teens and young adults, or even younger children who are good readers. I should have known! And yes, the Library has some books of the Bible in graphic form. I'll read them next!

The big black King James Version of the Bible is not one of the Trinity (or part of a Holy Quaternity, either). If the Word is presented accurately in teen-speak or modern English or colored cartoon-style drawings, is that not a good thing? The Apostle Paul said he wasn't too concerned about the motive people had for preaching the Gospel—good, bad, or indifferent—just so it was preached. (Philippians 1:18) Might he suggest today that the words with which it is presented don't matter as much as the message?

"Let the reader understand."

MaryMartha

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E. G. R. People

We all have them—the people around us who are not really toxic and poison the surrounding atmosphere, but those who are just tiresome. There is
Extra Grace Required
when we deal with them. Perhaps they talk too much, or they always interrupt when you're busy, or their requests sound too much like demands. They may have only one topic to discuss: their children, or football, or the stock market, or their diet—whatever you’re not all that interested in. Or they ask about your children and team and investments and diet—things you don't really want to discuss. Maybe they always want a ride somewhere, or they have an annoying habit of pencil-tapping, or they snap the gum they're chewing. You get the idea. Unless you are a hermit and never see another person, you know just who in your life I am talking about. [What a strange picture that brings to my mind! A hermit in a cave who has a computer and reads blogs!]

With our advanced technologies, many photos are retouched so that people and places are not exactly as they appear. We'd be surprised, I'm sure, if we were to meet some celebrities or personally visit some scenes; they would be so different! In day-to-day contact all the "warts" of our fellow-humans' personalization are clearly visible.
Extra Grace Required
to get along with them!

Most of the references to grace in the New Testament are to the grace of God, the grace of Christ Jesus, and the Spirit of grace. A few places remind us that we also are to extend grace. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold [varied, many-sided] grace of God." (Ephesians 4:29; I Peter 4:6 NASB)

Certainly, when Christ called each of us to follow Him, there was
Extra Grace Required
that had already been freely given! Let's pass it on!

MaryMartha

Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible, used by permission of The Lockman Foundation, www.lockman.org

Things Mama Taught Me: "Whistling Girls and Crowing Hens . . . "

Imagine Adam's surprise when he discovered that he could make a shrill, though not unpleasant, sound if he held his mouth just right and blew! He must have been as delighted as youngsters are nowadays when they acquire this new noise-making ability!

Did Eve come running and say, "Oh Adam, teach me how to do that too!" She may have. She didn't have a mother telling her, "Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad ends"! I had such a mother, and I suppose she had such a one too, because these ideas tend to get passed from one generation to the next. I think it had to do with keeping little girls girl-like. (Whatever that means.)

This was the same Mama who could summon boys from their baseball game in the pasture with an ear-splitting whistle she produced by placing her thumb and forefinger to her lips. It never occurred to me to question why this was acceptable and my merry whistling was not. Because it was useful rather than frivolous? Because she was already grownup and wouldn't be harmed by doing something "boyish"? Simply because she was the Mama?

The popular American essayist, Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900), wrote that this is one of many proverbs which we accept without questioning and vaguely respect as the wisdom of our ancestors! It probably has a Puritan origin, he says, speaking as one of Puritan descent. "Very likely the musty saying [is] the product of the average ignorance of an unenlightened time, and ought not to have the respect of a scientific and traveled people." He goes on to say that a crowing hen was not an object of derision, but was instead one of interest and distinction. The owner was proud of her accomplishment and eager to point her out to visitors, especially if she also could produce eggs. A hen that could lay and crow was indeed a rare bird! "Thus the crowing hen was of more value than the silent hen, provided she crowed with discretion, and she was likely to be a favorite and not at all to come to some bad end."

And the whistling girl does not ordinarily come to a bad end either. As a matter of fact, she has an advantage over some others: She can whistle to keep up her courage! Anna, in "The King and I" sings, "Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect and whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect I'm afraid . . . The result of this deception is very strange to tell, for when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well!" (Oscar Hammerstein II) While whistling and other self-confidence boosters can never take the place of trusting God, there is something to be said in favor of a positive outlook.

Thus the whistling girl is of at-least-equal value to the silent girl, provided she whistles with discretion, and she is likely to be a favorite and not at all to come to some bad end!

MaryMartha

"The Whistling Girl" essay from http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/17695/

The music is an image included with the poem "Whistling Sam" found in The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, published 1913; the source is The Gutenberg Project. Ah, could the Sam possibly be Samantha?

Reconciling

I ran across an interesting book the other day, entitled Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes. This is a retelling of the famous Fox and Grapes fable especially for children, wherein the Fox mightily desires the delectable grapes hanging just out of his reach. He is full of convoluted plans for engaging the other animals in reaching the tantalizing prize. But since he considers himself sly, clever, and smart, he rejects their other more practical suggestions. When all his efforts fail, he goes off in a huff, declaring that he wouldn't dream of eating those lousy, rotten, stinkin' grapes which are probably sour anyway!

The Fox's grand expectations were blindsided by cold reality. His independent thinking was confronted by an inescapable new understanding. He had a choice to make: either change his usual cocky attitude and listen to advice, or rationalize why he no longer was going after the delicious-looking grapes.

People as well as fabled foxes sometimes come to a place in life where we find ourselves saying, "This doesn't make sense. This is not how it's supposed to be," or "I don't see why doesn't this work out for me," or even, "I can't believe this is happening. I thought if I lived for God, He would look out for me." We say this because we cannot "reconcile" two very different views. On one hand, we have our customary attitudes, beliefs, and awareness of our selves. On the other hand are the realities or realizations that make us uncomfortable by being inconsistent with our previously-held view! When we cannot fully give up one in preference to the other but try to hold the contradictory ideas simultaneously, we may feel anxious, guilty, embarrassed, or angry. Like the Fox.

I have learned that I am not going to figure everything out. I will not always get my own way—even when I know good and well it's the right way! Not every new idea—even when it has the ring of real truth—will cause me to say, "Oh, that's right. Now I see!" I will have to give up knowing the reason for some things. I cannot define every decision as a choice between black and white. I will not be able to reconcile every duo of opposing ideas, deciding this one is right and this one is not. So what to do?

I will find peace in knowing that life's inconsistencies are not a problem for God. "He [Christ] was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross." (Colossians 1:18-20)

If you can't figure it out, let it go. If it doesn't go your way, well, maybe next time. If you don't know for sure what you think about a certain situation or issue, maybe you don't need to know yet. If you can't see the reason for something, relax; either you'll see the reason after awhile—or you won't. If you think that all your issues will be clearly black or white, you're missing the shades of gray that add perspective to a picture. And if you try to reconcile everything to yourself, you're really going to be frustrated because you're trying to take over Jesus' job!

MaryMartha

You may want to read: "What Job Learned about Reasons" [here]

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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

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."