Monthly Archives: June 2012

Turned Upsidedown

Posted on by

Today while running 9 errands against my will, I was muttering to myself about how much I hate to shop when something happened to yank me out of my misery. I got a compliment.

The 20-something check-out girl at Home Depot smiled as she handed me my change and said, “I really love the color of your shirt. That blue looks pretty on you.” Then she turned to her next customer.

As I walked to my car, I thought about how good that felt, 10 seconds of kindness. She’d gone above and beyond the norm while I was operating well below it.

When I had started my errands, all of which were overdue and half of which were complicated enough to fail, I’d been irritated. By the time I got to Home Depot (errand #5) I was scowling. But by #6, two things had happened. My downward spiral was on the up-swing, and I’d been convicted of my poor behavior.

Not only had I ignored the blessing of being able to run errands (having transportation, time, money, etc.), but I’d abdicated quite a few opportunities to be a blessing to others. Focusing on self had prevented the lifting up of others.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the earthly life of Jesus, especially his human side. He sure didn’t have it easy and had unnumbered reasons to dwell on the negatives.

Most likely he was poor, without any luxuries or privileges, and it’s probable he lost his father as a youth. Also, after beginning his ministry, he was continually on the move without a home-base. And daily he dealt with opposition and criticism. Worst of all, though, his own death hung over him like a sledgehammer. Yet he persevered in helping others and in accomplishing the tasks his Father assigned him… with joy.

So, what tasks has God assigned to me? One thing I know he hasn’t assigned is for me to pollute the general public with grumpiness and frowns. How difficult would it be to model my behavior after the check-out girl by bringing good cheer to strangers? Not very.

Then why don’t I? Good question.

Jesus told his disciples he was joyful, and he also gave them the key to owning that same level of joy: obedience. Submitting to him causes us to be surrounded by his love, which in turn fills us with joy. It isn’t complicated. It’s just choosing the right mindset, which is a determination to do things God’s way.

As my day ended, all 9 errands had been successful with the last several being downright joyful. As we used to say when we were kids, “A smile is just a frown turned upsidedown.”

“When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:10-11)

What about The Bean?

Posted on by

The Bean has been a part of our family for many years, has clocked 200,000 miles, and has been repainted six times from a can, with a brush. (“The Bean,” June 26, 2010) Because this tiny car has become a legend in 9 states, admirers have occasionally helped finance its needs. One generous friend from Texas actually bought 4 new tires a couple of years ago, more than doubling the value of the car. (Thank you, Debbie!)

This week, though, all of us got a shock. When Nelson arrived home from 10 months in a Youth With A Mission Bible school in Montana, he pulled into the driveway in (gasp) a minivan! When we waved goodbye last September, he was driving The Bean. It was wearing a new coat of snow-camouflage appropriate to Montana’s snowy climate, ready to climb mountains with its new tires. (“Back, and Better than Ever,” July 14, 2011)

Then, during the school year as Nelson and 50 others studied the Bible from cover to cover in mind-boggling depth, The Bean performed faithfully, transporting students, making airport runs, being the reliable ride it had always been. But more and more its small size became a hindrance. So as license and registration expired, an inexpensive van took its place. The Bean had earned a rest.

This week, though, there’s been mourning in the family camp. Will we ever see The Bean again? “Why didn’t you bring it home?” we all asked Nelson, but of course none of us volunteered to finance new license and registration or pay to update several mechanical issues. In other words, if we really wanted The Bean to come home, we should have put our money where our mouths were.

Scripture says something similar, that we’re to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We can listen to everything the Bible teaches and nod in agreement, but if we’re not acting on its principles, maybe Scripture’s truth has gone in one ear and other the other. After we hear it, God watches closely, hoping we’ll do something practical with what we’ve learned.

Of course it would be easier to study the Bible and then just keep it to ourselves. I’m a pro at that: “Thank you, Father, for such wonderful knowledge.” But if I take it in and lock it up, I’ve missed God’s intention.

When Nelson’s school ended last week, the staff told all the students, “You’ve worked hard these 10 months and learned a great deal, but God didn’t bring you here to stockpile knowledge so you could keep it to yourself. He wants you to do something with it.”

That’s what’s motivated Nelson (and others) to plan on returning to Montana in September for “The Titus Project,” an outreach focused on teaching them how to be teachers of others. And maybe when Nelson gets there, he’ll even be picked up at the airport by someone driving The Bean.

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22)

Go get ’em!

Posted on by

This morning Nelson and I performed surgery in the dining room. It qualified as an ordeal, and both of us are glad it’s over.

Since we live in the woods, bugs and beetles are a part of everyday life, but normally I don’t think of them as creepy. There is one that does qualify, however: the tick. And our woods are full of them.

Ticks can lie on a bush-branch for months without moving, but just let a warm body brush past, and zip! They hop right on. Since they’re not much bigger than a pinhead when they make the leap, they seem harmless. But once on board, their powerful pincher digs in and holds on, allowing them to suck blood much like a mosquito.

Over a period of days the tick grows and can quickly reach jelly-bean size. Today we thwarted a tick’s plan to stay fat, dumb, and happy on our Jack when we gingerly removed it from from his neck.

As Nelson cautiously grabbed hold of the disgusting bug, he was careful to pull slowly. A quick tug could leave the sucking head behind to do further damage. As he worked to firmly ease it out, Jack tried to get away. “Do you think I’m hurting him?” he said.

“I don’t think so. Just keep going.” But our normally patient dog continued to fidget. The tick held on with strength, and we had to give Jack several breaks during the long process.

When Nelson finally succeeded, he put the extracted tick on a paper towel to check for the head, and we saw that its pincher was tightly closed around a chunk of Jack’s skin. (No wonder he’d been squirming!) Nelson had done a stellar job, though, and the head was still attached.

Our next problem was what to do with it. Ticks are rubbery. If struck with a hammer or ground beneath a rock, they’ll walk away unfazed, and we didn’t want it to have a second chance at Jack.

Suddenly Nelson said, “Boy, ticks are just like sin.”

In a flash we were rabbit-trailing about Satan and his desire to attach sin to our lives much like a tick. Any warm body will do, and once it arrives, immediately it takes hold. It’s influence is tiny and even imperceptible at first but steadily grows until one day it dominates us. If left untended, it can suck the life right out of us, especially our spiritual lives.

Nelson and I agreed the best way to terminate Jack’s tick would be to burn it. He wrapped it in the paper towel, took it outside, and lit the whole thing on fire. Though we heard the tick sizzling, after the paper had burned to ash, there it was, still intact. It took a direct, prolonged flame at close range to do him in.

It’s the same with sin. Once we identify it in our lives, the only way to get rid of it is to take extreme measures, doing whatever’s necessary to kill it. That might mean switching jobs, moving, changing schools, trashing a computer. But if we’re willing to get tough, God is willing to pluck sin from our lives.

“I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.” (Psalm 18:37)