Under the Circumstances

We use the idiom frequently: "Under the circumstances, I had to leave," or "Under the circumstances, we were not able to attend" and so forth. We understand it to mean "in this situation" or "given these conditions": or "such being the case." But it is a strange way to express that, don't you think? Under the circumstances? As if something is on top of us, preventing action that we would otherwise take.

And that is what caught my attention: the idea of something being on top of us, perhaps even weighing us down. A spell of foul weather. The bus running late. The grocery store out of my brand of coffee. The toddler who can't go to daycare with the sniffles, or I don't feel so good myself. All of these things are "circumstances"—situations, conditions, cases that we have to deal with. And sometimes they get us down. We get under them.

"Rejoice in the Lord always," the Apostle Paul wrote, and for emphasis he added, "I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:4, 8)

Yes, the weather is terrible, but it is going to clear tomorrow—or by next week, or whenever. Yes, the bus is late, but when it gets here, I'll get warm again—or cool, as the case may be. Yes, my favorite coffee isn't here, so I'll get this smaller can of Brand B to tide me over—or maybe I'll check at another store. Yes, the baby can't go to Wee Care, so Grandma or one of us will give her a lot of TLC today. Yes, I'm sick but I'm not going to make it harder than it has to be by complaining.

I think sometimes we are afraid to look on the positive, hopeful side of things because we are afraid of being accused of being a Pollyanna. If that seems like a problem, just smile and don't say anything about your reason for doing so! Refuse to be under the circumstances!

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/

On Being Whacked

A couple of nights ago, this area had torrential rain and sizeable hail. My beautiful big-leafed hosta are in shreds. I was bemoaning my loss to a couple of co-workers and one of them told me, "They'll come back. The year we had such a huge hailstorm here, I had my best garden crops ever. In fact, my mother told me it would increase the yields if you take a yardstick to your plants. Don't kill them; just give them a couple of good whacks!"

Oh, really? That sounds like something a great-grandmother told her daughter and she told her daughter and she told her daughter . . . Maybe that idea came from the tough pine trees that withstand storms on mountain terrain, or possibly it has something to do with pollinating certain plants. Anyway, I'm inclined to doubt the scientific validity—unless some of you gardeners out there have convincing evidence.

I do know, however, that it is possible for difficulty to make people sturdy and productive. Jesus said to His disciples at the Passover meal with them, "I have told you these things [about His return to the Father] so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [whackings!]. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

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.

Things Mama Taught Me: "It Will Turn Up"

On the Futility of Stressing

Don't you just hate it when you lose something and a helpful friend or family member asks, "Well, where did you leave it?" Duh! If I knew where I'd left it, I'd go right there and retrieve it!

My mother had an alternative to frantic searching. She would calmly say, "It will turn up." "Turning up" seems to suggest that the lost object had a will of its own, and just would keep staying hidden until it finally decided to let itself be found. The truth is, she understood that frenzied rummaging around sometimes distracts us from the thoughtful consideration that might lead us to discovery. Sure enough, usually whatever I was trying to find did eventually surface, sometimes even in a place where I had already looked.

There just are not very many things in our ordinary lives that are improved by going into panic mode. Some things do require quick action: a fire, a personal threat, a close call on the road. And some things require deliberation: an impending decision, a weighty responsibility. But in none of these is panic useful. The ability to rise to a challenge or to take advantage of an opportunity does not come from fear, but from trust. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7 King James Version) Just as agitated searching may hinder rather help, so unsteady thinking may keep us from the very understanding we desire.

Few situations—regardless of how desperate they make us feel—are improved by our "going bananas." Mama knew that.

MaryMartha

Without Wrinkles

While I was ironing a shirt this morning, I remembered what a wise friend told me a long time ago. I was wondering (whining?) why things were so difficult, and he reminded me that the Scripture says, "Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27) "You know that washing gets rid of spots," he said, "but what about the wrinkles?"

I could already guess where he was heading with his question. Heat and pressure are what iron out the wrinkles. While I've been cleansed by the saving power of Christ, I know there is still work to be done. I have "wrinkles" that need to be ironed out, and it is the heat of everyday life and the pressure of my circumstances that do that.

The shirt looked pretty good when I finished. I hope God can say the same of me!

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.

Too Many Irons in the Fire

I had a restless night recently when my brain simply refused to shut down after I’d gone to bed. I have an “older house” with aging appliances, and the air conditioner had just died. (This is July, in Kansas—enough said.) Help was on the way, just not yet. I needed to make a phone call or two—but the telephone line wasn’t working right either. I had a project deadline to meet, and I felt anxious about that.

As I lay awake, wide-eyed, I remembered the old saying that I’d heard repeated many times by my busy parents. “You have too many irons in the fire.” Well, what does that mean anyway? The short answer is that one has too many things going at once, too many intentions to keep track of, and probably in the end something is not going to be done well or perhaps will fail altogether. Or, one loses sleep.

The saying goes back to the blacksmith’s trade. The smith or his assistant had to maintain good control of the bellows in order to increase the fire’s heat by adding the necessary air. He had to place the irons at just the right tempo, and he had to remove each when it was ready for its turn with anvil and hammer. “Too many irons in the fire” would mean an inefficient smith or one with an unskilled apprentice who wastes time and heat by not knowing what to do or precisely when to do it. The old methods have been replaced by modern forges and new tools and techniques, but we have retained for several hundred years the idea of “too many irons in the fire.”

Thinking about this, I calmed down and began to prioritize my worries. (If one is going to worry, really you shouldn’t try to do all of it at once!) I put the three major items in order of their importance to me, and decided what I would do about the top one first thing tomorrow. And then I went to sleep.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.)

MaryMartha
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Jesus Said, Take My Yoke

When I said, "Take My yoke," you've always assumed that meant you were going to have to shoulder part of My load. Even though I told you My burden is light, you've had all the burden you can carry already and wondered how you could take on some of Mine. And the part about finding rest for your soul? That didn't make sense to you at all.

"I see you laboring under your heavy load. This is what I am really saying to you: Here, let Me help you. Just slip in under this yoke and I'll carry the load with you. I am gentle—I won't scold you or jerk you around if you stumble. I'm going to make this burden-carrying less complicated for you, and I won't mind at all if that means I take the heavier part.

"Remember this: Take My yoke is an invitation, not a command."

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30 NIV

MaryMartha
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