In politically correct thinking, diversity has been an important word to describe the need to include all types of people in the political process and in ensuring equal human rights for all, regardless of race, gender, creed, or (and here is where many of faith or conservative values take issue) sexual orientation. As a result, to many, "diversity" has become a kind of dirty word, a word with a negative connotation. I would like to retrieve it and give it the positive connotation it deserves, but for a better reason than to be politically correct.
What is the very first picture we are given of God in Scripture? Creator. In John 1 we are told that our Savior, Jesus, is in fact the Creator, the one who spoke all things into existence. Creativity is central, foundational, to who God is and our understanding of Him. And anyone who has a creative bone in their body will tell you that diversity and creativity go hand-in-hand. It doesn't take the mind of a brain surgeon to see and appreciate the incredible diversity that is evident in God's creation. It simply boggles the mind to think that of all the countless billions upon billions of snowflakes that have ever fallen, no two have ever been alike. In every realm and sphere of nature, of this universe (or "multiverse" as some are now calling it), one is met with mind-boggling creativity and diversity!
Just having the privilege of being the father of 9 children is enough to help me appreciate both the creativity and diversity of our Creator. Aren't you glad that God isn't into cloning? I couldn't imagine anything more boring than to live in a world filled with people just like me!
And yet, though we appreciate and celebrate creativity/diversity, there is a fear that can grip us when we encounter people or situations that are too different than what we are familiar with. At such times we need to remind ourselves of the Creator-God whom we worship, who loves diversity. He loves to do things differently than how He did it in the past. Have you noticed the many different ways in which Jesus healed people? No cookie-cutter approach there! Why did he appear to the two on the road to Emmaus "in a different form" than what they were familiar with (Mark 16:12)? Why did he choose Paul to be an apostle way after his choosing of the twelve (I'm sure Paul would have liked to have been in on the inner circle of the disciples while Jesus was still alive!)?
The reason this is such an important reality to me is because I've had to come to terms with the fact that God is working in me in a very different and unique way than He is in others. I used to want to be mentored by another more mature believer who could have helped me in my own spiritual maturation. But God never supplied such a mentor for me. I've searched for a church where I could grow and develop spiritually, but that has also eluded me. Where I do find comfort is in the examples of Moses and Paul, two men whom God was able to develop spiritually quite apart from the "normal" means. I can identify with the years that they both spent in the wilderness trying to figure what in the world God was up to in their lives. And I especially appreciate looking over the list of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 and noticing that the only thing they all had in common was that God did a unique work in each of them - there were no two experiences alike. That's why they ended up in the faith hall of fame!
So I want to encourage any of you out there who may be struggling, as I have been, in understanding what God is up to in our lives. His ways are certainly not our ways, that is a certainty! Instead of trying to look like others or fit in with the crowd (yes, even if it's a spiritual crowd), let's remind ourselves that we serve and worship a creative God who takes real delight in diversity. Let that stimulate our faith and drive away the fear that would rob us of His joy, which indeed, will be our strength.
"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones . . .
"See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD [YHWH],
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD [YHWH].
(Isaiah 54:16-17)
Sunday, January 10, 2016
kairos time
I can't remember if I've talked about the difference between "kronos" time and "kairos" time in this blog, but it's an important enough reality that it's worth repeating if I have. These are two Greek words used in the New Testament. Kronos refers to time as we normally think about it. It is the passage of time that can be measured by a clock or a calendar. Kairos, on the other hand, refers to a special time - the right time, a critical time, God's timing. You may be familiar with the Scripture, "at the right time (kairos) Christ died for the ungodly". But why is it important to know the difference between these two kinds of time? Here's one good reason. We will never develop patience if we are more focused on kronos time then kairos time, and without patience we will never see the fulfillment of God's promises to us. The author of Hebrews tells us that it takes both "faith and patience to inherit the promises (6:12)." Once we understand the importance of God's timing it becomes much easier to exercise patience. It is this awareness that has helped me so much over this past year as I have sought to draw near to God. At times I tend to doubt or get discouraged, thinking, "I've done my part to pray and seek Him out - why has He not responded and fulfilled His side of the bargain ('Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.")?" When these thoughts rise up within me I have to remind myself, " . . . in due time (kairos) He will raise you up (I Pet. 5:6)."
For those of you who have seen the film Braveheart, you may remember the scene at the beginning of one of the battles where William Wallace is instructing his men on the proper timing for raising the long, pointed stakes that are intended to impale the first onslaught of their enemy's cavalry. William's rag-tag army seemed desperately out-manned and out-gunned by the far superior, professional forces of the English. But William was depending on the element of surprise and proper timing to overcome those odds. If those spears or stakes were raised too soon, the English cavalry would simply veer off and come at them again from a different direction. But if William's men were patient enough to wait until the horses were almost upon them, and then raise those spears, the mounted knights would not be able to stop their momentum and their doom would be ensured. In the early days of the use of guns, when the guns could not shoot very far and were not very accurate, you may have heard the expression, "Don't shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes" - same idea as Wallace's with the spears. The tendency, in the heat of the battle when the adrenaline is flowing, is to jump the gun and thereby lose your advantage. It takes well-trained soldiers to wait until that critical moment (kairos) to spring the trap on the enemy. In Braveheart, as the heavily armed cavalry is gaining speed and quickly closing the gap, you hear Wallace shouting out to his men, "Not yet! Not yet!" Your own heart is racing as you observe this very tense scene, wondering and hoping if these men will get the timing right and be able to successfully halt this terrible onslaught.
I think this can give us a clue as to why it is so important to wait for God's timing. The most often used title for God in the Scriptures is not Savior or Redeemer, but rather "the Lord of Hosts (Armies)". He has a divine strategy for overcoming our enemy and it behooves us to develop a keen ear to his commands. If we fail to hear His voice at the critical (kairos) time we will lose our advantage over the enemy. It is one thing to know the will of God but it is just as critical to know when to carry out that act of obedience. Jesus knew that he had come into the world to die for our sins, but more than once he would say to his disciples, "my time (kairos) is not yet," and he would evade those who sought to kill him. But when the time was right, he submitted to his captors willingly. How did he know the right time? He lived his whole life doing that simple (but not easy) thing James tells all of us to do - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." The closer you are to the Father the more clearly you will hear His voice and discern the right timing in the carrying out of His commands.
Because of a prophetic word I'd received years ago (see my July 14 and 29 blog) I was hoping this Fall would be a breakthrough time for me, because it was in the middle of the Jewish (sacred) calendar year, which begins in the Spring with Passover. But nothing noteworthy happened this Fall, so obviously I was not hearing the Father's voice clearly in that regard. I could pout about it and let discouragement get me down. Or I could continue to exercise patience and perseverance in my pursuit of God, knowing that no one who puts their trust in Him, and continues to seek Him, will ever be put to shame or let down. Did Jesus ever promise that following him would be easy, or that the Father would answer our prayers when we wanted them answered? It has been said that anything that comes too quickly or easily is either not worth very much or will not be properly valued. There are a few things that we will go through "hell and high water" for in the physical realm. Why should we be surprised if it's not the same in the spiritual realm? Are we willing to pursue Him, and wait on Him for the right (kairos) timing to carry out His will in our lives?
This is what the LORD [YHWH] says -
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel -
to him who was despised and abhorred . . .
the servant of rulers . . .
"In the time of my favor [kairos time] I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you . . .
(Isaiah 49:7-8)
For those of you who have seen the film Braveheart, you may remember the scene at the beginning of one of the battles where William Wallace is instructing his men on the proper timing for raising the long, pointed stakes that are intended to impale the first onslaught of their enemy's cavalry. William's rag-tag army seemed desperately out-manned and out-gunned by the far superior, professional forces of the English. But William was depending on the element of surprise and proper timing to overcome those odds. If those spears or stakes were raised too soon, the English cavalry would simply veer off and come at them again from a different direction. But if William's men were patient enough to wait until the horses were almost upon them, and then raise those spears, the mounted knights would not be able to stop their momentum and their doom would be ensured. In the early days of the use of guns, when the guns could not shoot very far and were not very accurate, you may have heard the expression, "Don't shoot until you can see the whites of their eyes" - same idea as Wallace's with the spears. The tendency, in the heat of the battle when the adrenaline is flowing, is to jump the gun and thereby lose your advantage. It takes well-trained soldiers to wait until that critical moment (kairos) to spring the trap on the enemy. In Braveheart, as the heavily armed cavalry is gaining speed and quickly closing the gap, you hear Wallace shouting out to his men, "Not yet! Not yet!" Your own heart is racing as you observe this very tense scene, wondering and hoping if these men will get the timing right and be able to successfully halt this terrible onslaught.
I think this can give us a clue as to why it is so important to wait for God's timing. The most often used title for God in the Scriptures is not Savior or Redeemer, but rather "the Lord of Hosts (Armies)". He has a divine strategy for overcoming our enemy and it behooves us to develop a keen ear to his commands. If we fail to hear His voice at the critical (kairos) time we will lose our advantage over the enemy. It is one thing to know the will of God but it is just as critical to know when to carry out that act of obedience. Jesus knew that he had come into the world to die for our sins, but more than once he would say to his disciples, "my time (kairos) is not yet," and he would evade those who sought to kill him. But when the time was right, he submitted to his captors willingly. How did he know the right time? He lived his whole life doing that simple (but not easy) thing James tells all of us to do - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." The closer you are to the Father the more clearly you will hear His voice and discern the right timing in the carrying out of His commands.
Because of a prophetic word I'd received years ago (see my July 14 and 29 blog) I was hoping this Fall would be a breakthrough time for me, because it was in the middle of the Jewish (sacred) calendar year, which begins in the Spring with Passover. But nothing noteworthy happened this Fall, so obviously I was not hearing the Father's voice clearly in that regard. I could pout about it and let discouragement get me down. Or I could continue to exercise patience and perseverance in my pursuit of God, knowing that no one who puts their trust in Him, and continues to seek Him, will ever be put to shame or let down. Did Jesus ever promise that following him would be easy, or that the Father would answer our prayers when we wanted them answered? It has been said that anything that comes too quickly or easily is either not worth very much or will not be properly valued. There are a few things that we will go through "hell and high water" for in the physical realm. Why should we be surprised if it's not the same in the spiritual realm? Are we willing to pursue Him, and wait on Him for the right (kairos) timing to carry out His will in our lives?
This is what the LORD [YHWH] says -
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel -
to him who was despised and abhorred . . .
the servant of rulers . . .
"In the time of my favor [kairos time] I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you . . .
(Isaiah 49:7-8)
Friday, January 1, 2016
traumatized ducks
Life is difficult. Have you noticed? For some, it goes beyond difficult to traumatic. We've heard a lot about soldiers returning from combat who experience "post traumatic stress disorder", PTSD. A sister-in-law of mine recently went to a workshop to understand better how PTSD is a very real reality among the civilian population, not just in the military. That's because in the spiritual realm we are all soldiers in a life and death battle against an enemy who doesn't fight fair, who delights in turning families and churches into war zones. In the very places where there should be healing and restoration, all too often we find tension, distrust, criticism, even out and out attacks and tearing down of others. Some seem able to survive such conflict relatively unscathed, but many with more sensitive natures show all the same symptoms of a soldier who's been traumatized by the horrors of the battlefield.
Animals can also be traumatized. This Fall we were given 5 ducks to take care of. The only facility we had for them was with our chickens, so that's where they ended up. They had been raised in someone's backyard where I think there may have been a few chickens around as well. It's always somewhat traumatic, though, to move an animal (or a person) away from the familiar environment they grew up in to a new and unfamiliar place. But what made this transition even more traumatic for these ducks was that all of a sudden they were thrown together with 25 chickens who already had their pecking order figured out. So these newcomer ducks were forced to the bottom of this societal order, even if they were birds of a different feather. And yes, birds of a feather do indeed flock together, whether it's to pick on the new guys or if it's to flee from the persecution from the "higher uppers".These poor ducks would spend the whole day huddling together in a corner of the chicken coop, refusing to go outside unless I chased them out, which I did. Of course, when the chickens saw me chasing the ducks to get them to go outside, they were more then happy to join in the chase and would set up a gauntlet for the ducks to have to run through before they made their escape outside. And when it was dark, I would have to chase them back into the coop because if left to themselves they would have spent the night huddled in the corner of the chicken yard. I never saw them eat while the chickens were around the feeder (which was all the time), so I guess they scrounged food at night when the chickens went to bed.
Well, I thought that eventually things would settle down and everyone would learn to get along okay. But when weeks passed with no seeming improvement, I decided I'd better set up a different arrangement where these ducks could be on their own without having to live under the harassment of 25 chickens. So I moved them to the barn where they could share the pasture with 2 cows we recently got, which turned out to be the right move. The cows were inquisitive and curious at first with the ducks, but made their peace much quicker then the chickens had. But the ducks still haven't gotten over their nervousness and will run away as fast as they can, quacking all the while, if you try to get too close to them. Fortunately, they're finally getting used to the idea of going outside without having to be chased out. But one time when I did chase them out, they didn't stop running, and made a beeline for the fence which divides the pasture from the chicken yard. And then I witnessed a most amazing sight! Two of the ducks took to flight. Now I have seen some chickens fly a short distance, high enough to get over a five foot fence. One of these ducks did a chicken style flight. It was of short duration and not very high. But the other one - wow! - it just kept climbing higher and higher, about 20 feet up in the air, It easily flew over into the chicken yard where I guess it thought that maybe now it would be granted special privileges for showing such an awesome display of aerial skill.
There has only been one more display of this feat by the same duck, but it now seems to be content to stay more grounded. But I suspect Flying Ace has gotten a new lease on life, like those spent hens. She (or he, I don't know its gender) has discovered that she was created for more than just waddling along the ground. When the time is right I have no doubt that she will again take to flight with greater confidence and maybe even with a tinge of joy, don't you think?
Were we created for more than "waddling along the ground." nervously trying to keep our distance from everything that threatens us?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD [YHWH] is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who wait on the LORD [YHWH]
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
Animals can also be traumatized. This Fall we were given 5 ducks to take care of. The only facility we had for them was with our chickens, so that's where they ended up. They had been raised in someone's backyard where I think there may have been a few chickens around as well. It's always somewhat traumatic, though, to move an animal (or a person) away from the familiar environment they grew up in to a new and unfamiliar place. But what made this transition even more traumatic for these ducks was that all of a sudden they were thrown together with 25 chickens who already had their pecking order figured out. So these newcomer ducks were forced to the bottom of this societal order, even if they were birds of a different feather. And yes, birds of a feather do indeed flock together, whether it's to pick on the new guys or if it's to flee from the persecution from the "higher uppers".These poor ducks would spend the whole day huddling together in a corner of the chicken coop, refusing to go outside unless I chased them out, which I did. Of course, when the chickens saw me chasing the ducks to get them to go outside, they were more then happy to join in the chase and would set up a gauntlet for the ducks to have to run through before they made their escape outside. And when it was dark, I would have to chase them back into the coop because if left to themselves they would have spent the night huddled in the corner of the chicken yard. I never saw them eat while the chickens were around the feeder (which was all the time), so I guess they scrounged food at night when the chickens went to bed.
Well, I thought that eventually things would settle down and everyone would learn to get along okay. But when weeks passed with no seeming improvement, I decided I'd better set up a different arrangement where these ducks could be on their own without having to live under the harassment of 25 chickens. So I moved them to the barn where they could share the pasture with 2 cows we recently got, which turned out to be the right move. The cows were inquisitive and curious at first with the ducks, but made their peace much quicker then the chickens had. But the ducks still haven't gotten over their nervousness and will run away as fast as they can, quacking all the while, if you try to get too close to them. Fortunately, they're finally getting used to the idea of going outside without having to be chased out. But one time when I did chase them out, they didn't stop running, and made a beeline for the fence which divides the pasture from the chicken yard. And then I witnessed a most amazing sight! Two of the ducks took to flight. Now I have seen some chickens fly a short distance, high enough to get over a five foot fence. One of these ducks did a chicken style flight. It was of short duration and not very high. But the other one - wow! - it just kept climbing higher and higher, about 20 feet up in the air, It easily flew over into the chicken yard where I guess it thought that maybe now it would be granted special privileges for showing such an awesome display of aerial skill.
There has only been one more display of this feat by the same duck, but it now seems to be content to stay more grounded. But I suspect Flying Ace has gotten a new lease on life, like those spent hens. She (or he, I don't know its gender) has discovered that she was created for more than just waddling along the ground. When the time is right I have no doubt that she will again take to flight with greater confidence and maybe even with a tinge of joy, don't you think?
Were we created for more than "waddling along the ground." nervously trying to keep our distance from everything that threatens us?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD [YHWH] is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who wait on the LORD [YHWH]
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
Sunday, November 15, 2015
spent hens
I know my blogs tend toward the darker, or more somber and serious side of life. But I think I try to point out the "silver lining" around the dark clouds, to give hope where there may seem to be little or no hope. The following is a good example of good coming from something that has little or no appearance of good.
We recently butchered all of our Buff Orpington chickens because they were not being very good layers. As an experiment of sorts we decided to get 25 "spent hens" from a chicken farm nearby that was getting rid of their layers because production was starting to decline. There are quite a few of these confinement chicken barns around here, owned by Amish Mennonites. The farmer I work for owns one and I am often called upon to help out with his chicken chores. To me, it is a travesty to raise any animal in the kind of confined conditions that most farm animals are raised in these days. Although the conditions may technically be called "humane", the fact that egg production begins to fall after only eighteen months is an indicator that these chickens are under unusually stressful conditions. (Normally a healthy hen should be able to maintain egg laying capabilities for at least twice that length of time.) A friend had told us that we could buy chickens, cheap, from one of these operations that were getting ready to ship out their "spent hens", and that these hens could still continue to be productive for about another 6 months. So we decided to give it a try.
Most of these spent hens truly look spent. They are the sorriest hens you'd ever want to see. Most of their beautiful tail feathers are gone, as well as the feathers around their necks and elsewhere, giving them an almost naked appearance. Well, we were able to pick out some of the nicer looking ones of the bunch, but as my sister-in-law commented when she saw them, "they didn't look quite right."
But we were so encouraged when these 25 hens laid 14 or 15 eggs the first day, and since then have laid over 20 eggs in a single day. And this is almost the middle of November when the days are getting shorter and the colder. Normally, egg production drops at this time of the year, but ours was increasing. The phrase, getting a "new lease on life," was certainly applicable to these hens. At first their egg yolks were typically pale like the store-bought kind. But after a couple of weeks of being out in the fresh air and sun, and eating greens from the pasture, their yolks turned a nice, bright orange. It was truly fun to see these confinement raised hens, at first hesitant and uncertain about being outside in the bright sunlight, turn into birds that couldn't wait to get out every morning and begin begin their day with all the sun, fresh air and greens they could get.
So, to all you "spent hens" out there . . . there is hope! There indeed can be life after "confinement"!
[Yahweh] said to me, "You are my servant . . .
in whom I will display my splendor."
But I said, "I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing . . ."
This is what Yahweh says:
"In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you . . .
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
to say to the captives, 'Come out,'
and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"
. . . But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!"
(Isaiah 49:1-16)
We recently butchered all of our Buff Orpington chickens because they were not being very good layers. As an experiment of sorts we decided to get 25 "spent hens" from a chicken farm nearby that was getting rid of their layers because production was starting to decline. There are quite a few of these confinement chicken barns around here, owned by Amish Mennonites. The farmer I work for owns one and I am often called upon to help out with his chicken chores. To me, it is a travesty to raise any animal in the kind of confined conditions that most farm animals are raised in these days. Although the conditions may technically be called "humane", the fact that egg production begins to fall after only eighteen months is an indicator that these chickens are under unusually stressful conditions. (Normally a healthy hen should be able to maintain egg laying capabilities for at least twice that length of time.) A friend had told us that we could buy chickens, cheap, from one of these operations that were getting ready to ship out their "spent hens", and that these hens could still continue to be productive for about another 6 months. So we decided to give it a try.
Most of these spent hens truly look spent. They are the sorriest hens you'd ever want to see. Most of their beautiful tail feathers are gone, as well as the feathers around their necks and elsewhere, giving them an almost naked appearance. Well, we were able to pick out some of the nicer looking ones of the bunch, but as my sister-in-law commented when she saw them, "they didn't look quite right."
But we were so encouraged when these 25 hens laid 14 or 15 eggs the first day, and since then have laid over 20 eggs in a single day. And this is almost the middle of November when the days are getting shorter and the colder. Normally, egg production drops at this time of the year, but ours was increasing. The phrase, getting a "new lease on life," was certainly applicable to these hens. At first their egg yolks were typically pale like the store-bought kind. But after a couple of weeks of being out in the fresh air and sun, and eating greens from the pasture, their yolks turned a nice, bright orange. It was truly fun to see these confinement raised hens, at first hesitant and uncertain about being outside in the bright sunlight, turn into birds that couldn't wait to get out every morning and begin begin their day with all the sun, fresh air and greens they could get.
So, to all you "spent hens" out there . . . there is hope! There indeed can be life after "confinement"!
[Yahweh] said to me, "You are my servant . . .
in whom I will display my splendor."
But I said, "I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing . . ."
This is what Yahweh says:
"In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you . . .
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
to say to the captives, 'Come out,'
and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"
. . . But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!"
(Isaiah 49:1-16)
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
deliberate neglect
As I was preparing a seedbed yesterday to plant a small nursery of chestnut trees, the thought came to me that this plot of ground represented "deliberate neglect". I had grown vegetables there for several years and then had let it go fallow to give it a sabbath year of rest. Of course it was quite overgrown with weeds and it took a bit of effort to clear the weeds and get it ready for growing the chestnuts. But it was pleasing to see how nice and workable the soil was after allowing nature do her work. Although that patch of land looked untidy and unattractive, nevertheless something very beneficial and restorative was happening all along. Billions of micro-organisms, as well as insects, worms and nematodes had been at work, feeding on the decaying carbon matter as well as on each other, in an intricate give-and-take that characterizes every ecological niche of creation. And it all results in greater soil fertility and a structure that can more easily absorb and hold on to rainwater. The weeds that grew there not only added their above ground foliage to the carbon matter that would end up as humus, but their roots, left to rot below the surface also added nutrients and food for the micro-organisms that thrive below the surface of the soil and also contribute to its overall life and health. All these benefits, and more, from "deliberate neglect"!
What encouraged me the most, though, in considering these things, was to realize that I was seeing a picture or metaphor of how God has been working in my life. I could so easily become discouraged that "nothing is happening", that somehow I've missed God and my best years are behind me. When so much time passes without seeing any fulfillment of promises God has given in the past, doubt and discouragement can begin to eat away at one. It feels very much like deliberate divine neglect.
Is it possible, though, that just like the fallow ground that is overgrown with weeds and is looking anything but productive, that in reality something really is at work, unseen to our human eyes? Although death and decay is rampant in the ecosystem of the soil, that death is actually establishing the very foundation necessary for new life. I call it the oxymoronic nature of truth. To gain life one must give it up.
"Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit . . ."
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, . . . being made conformable unto his death . . ."
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me! . . . Into your hands I commit my spirit."
What encouraged me the most, though, in considering these things, was to realize that I was seeing a picture or metaphor of how God has been working in my life. I could so easily become discouraged that "nothing is happening", that somehow I've missed God and my best years are behind me. When so much time passes without seeing any fulfillment of promises God has given in the past, doubt and discouragement can begin to eat away at one. It feels very much like deliberate divine neglect.
Is it possible, though, that just like the fallow ground that is overgrown with weeds and is looking anything but productive, that in reality something really is at work, unseen to our human eyes? Although death and decay is rampant in the ecosystem of the soil, that death is actually establishing the very foundation necessary for new life. I call it the oxymoronic nature of truth. To gain life one must give it up.
"Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit . . ."
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, . . . being made conformable unto his death . . ."
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me! . . . Into your hands I commit my spirit."
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
listen!
I've really appreciated James' exhortation to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger" and I've been trying to improve along those lines. But I was caught up short recently when I unthinkingly cut my wife off by questioning one of my sons before she had finished saying something she was in the middle of saying. Immediately I could tell that this was very hurtful to her and even though I apologized it took awhile to mend the relationship. What was especially eye-opening to me was that my son told me that I had a habit of doing this, Ouch! Even though I can remember occasions in the past where I've interrupted or cut my wife off I never dreamed that this was actually a regular habit of mine, so much so that my son was calling me on it! I'm so glad he did because I really needed that wake up call!
But, consider this. Why did I need another male to tell me this for me to take it seriously? My wife has told me in the past that I have this tendency and I sort of took it seriously, but not as much as when my son told me the same thing. And it was my older brother, a medical doctor, who made me really take seriously the dysfunction I was experiencing in my marriage, although my wife had been telling me that for years. Why is it that we men have such a hard time seriously listening to our wives, that we don't give their words as much credence as we do the words of our male peers? If there's any place where we ought to be quick to listen and slow to speak it should be with our wives!
I'm convinced that listening to our wives is an important aspect of listening to God. If I have said this before in one of my blogs I don't mind repeating it because this is so important: God has given man two helpers: woman and the Holy Spirit. How well are we listening to them? They both tend to speak more quietly than the louder male authorities that we are so quick to acquiesce to. Like Elijah, we need to be reminded that God's preferred way of speaking is by a "still, small voice" more than by those louder means that males seem to prefer. Even if our wives should raise their voices with us, or fail to meet up to our standards of what we think they should meet up to before we'll take them seriously, ultimately the voice we need to be tuning in to is that of the Father. Are we listening . . . to Him . . . to His helpers . . . both of them?
But, consider this. Why did I need another male to tell me this for me to take it seriously? My wife has told me in the past that I have this tendency and I sort of took it seriously, but not as much as when my son told me the same thing. And it was my older brother, a medical doctor, who made me really take seriously the dysfunction I was experiencing in my marriage, although my wife had been telling me that for years. Why is it that we men have such a hard time seriously listening to our wives, that we don't give their words as much credence as we do the words of our male peers? If there's any place where we ought to be quick to listen and slow to speak it should be with our wives!
I'm convinced that listening to our wives is an important aspect of listening to God. If I have said this before in one of my blogs I don't mind repeating it because this is so important: God has given man two helpers: woman and the Holy Spirit. How well are we listening to them? They both tend to speak more quietly than the louder male authorities that we are so quick to acquiesce to. Like Elijah, we need to be reminded that God's preferred way of speaking is by a "still, small voice" more than by those louder means that males seem to prefer. Even if our wives should raise their voices with us, or fail to meet up to our standards of what we think they should meet up to before we'll take them seriously, ultimately the voice we need to be tuning in to is that of the Father. Are we listening . . . to Him . . . to His helpers . . . both of them?
Sunday, October 4, 2015
open letter to Dad
David Roy Jones August 24, 1925 - September 15, 2015
My Dad has experienced the ultimate stripping - the removal of his body of suffering. He has now entered in to his reward. This is the letter that I wrote to him after his death which I read at his memorial service.
Dad, you were many things to many people: a missionary statesman, el fundador de la radioemisora HRVC, "la voz evangelica de Honduras", a friend and servant to the university student missions movement, a faithful husband and father, someone committed to showing hospitality to foreigners (especially foreign students), a good organizer and administrator, and someone who never lost their sense of humor. I think Dr. Seuss had someone like you in mind, Dad, when he wrote about Horton the elephant. Like you, when Horton committed to something, no matter what happened, "he was faithful one hundred percent."
But Dad, I'm not going to put you up on a pedestal. I know you would not feel comfortable there. My appreciation and admiration of you was never diminished, but rather enhanced, by your ability to be transparent and straightforwardly honest about your flaws and failings. You never hid behind a facade of machismo or let the high esteem given you by others go to your head. You were a man of integrity, Dad - the same person at home and in your private life as you were in public.
Your faithfulness at letter-writing meant so much to me, Dad, especially when I left home to go to college and the years after. You were never rattled by my forays into non-traditional spirituality and lifestyle choices. Instead you encouraged open communication and a love that transcended our differences,
Above all these things, Dad, you gave me a foundation - a rock solid foundation, that I could build on and pass on to my own children and grandchildren. I am still testing and exploring that foundation, maybe in ways that you never would. But as you now know with perfect clarity, our Saviour - Yeshua Hamashiac (Jesus Christ) invites us to explore with all thoroughness the intricacies and intimacies of his love.
Thank you, for being my father. I am proud to be your son, I love you and will miss you.
My Dad has experienced the ultimate stripping - the removal of his body of suffering. He has now entered in to his reward. This is the letter that I wrote to him after his death which I read at his memorial service.
Dad, you were many things to many people: a missionary statesman, el fundador de la radioemisora HRVC, "la voz evangelica de Honduras", a friend and servant to the university student missions movement, a faithful husband and father, someone committed to showing hospitality to foreigners (especially foreign students), a good organizer and administrator, and someone who never lost their sense of humor. I think Dr. Seuss had someone like you in mind, Dad, when he wrote about Horton the elephant. Like you, when Horton committed to something, no matter what happened, "he was faithful one hundred percent."
But Dad, I'm not going to put you up on a pedestal. I know you would not feel comfortable there. My appreciation and admiration of you was never diminished, but rather enhanced, by your ability to be transparent and straightforwardly honest about your flaws and failings. You never hid behind a facade of machismo or let the high esteem given you by others go to your head. You were a man of integrity, Dad - the same person at home and in your private life as you were in public.
Your faithfulness at letter-writing meant so much to me, Dad, especially when I left home to go to college and the years after. You were never rattled by my forays into non-traditional spirituality and lifestyle choices. Instead you encouraged open communication and a love that transcended our differences,
Above all these things, Dad, you gave me a foundation - a rock solid foundation, that I could build on and pass on to my own children and grandchildren. I am still testing and exploring that foundation, maybe in ways that you never would. But as you now know with perfect clarity, our Saviour - Yeshua Hamashiac (Jesus Christ) invites us to explore with all thoroughness the intricacies and intimacies of his love.
Thank you, for being my father. I am proud to be your son, I love you and will miss you.
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