Posts in Category: down to earth believer
“The Sweetest Dream that Labor Knows”
“There was never a sound beside the wood but one,
And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground.
What was it it whispered? I know not well myself;
Perhaps it was something about the heat of the sun,
Something perhaps, about the lack of sound—
And that was why it whispered and did not speak.
It was not dream of the gift of idle hours,
Or easy gold at the hand of fay or elf:
Anything more than the truth would have seemed too weak
To the earnest love that laid the swale in rows,
Not without feeble-pointed spikes of flowers
(Pale orchises), and scared a bright green snake.
The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows.
My long scythe whispered and left the hay to make.” (Robert Frost, “Mowing”)
On this Labor Day, I have been thinking about work. I haven’t been doing a lot of work, just thinking about it.
I think it was Studs Terkel who said that work is an act of violence. Sometimes that is so. However, Robert Frost has a different take on work. I don’t know precisely what the next to the last line of this poem means. Often, Frost’s poems mean more than they say. But I suspect that the poet is saying that the actual doing of the work is the thing that is sweet.
Now, I grew up on a farm. In fact, I have sometimes used a handheld scythe to mow hay next to the fence where it wasn’t safe to use the tractor and power mower. It was hard, sweaty, muscle-cramping work. So was much of the work on the farm.
However, once in a while, I felt a great satisfaction in work accomplished. The work I did on our own farm was not for pay. Dad felt that providing me with a house, food, and clothing was pay enough. He was right. But sometimes, that pleasure of finishing a task—or even being in the midst of it—was payment in and of itself.
I still feel that way sometimes. Sharon needed some help with washing the windows a while ago, and also some help getting the curtains back up. There was pleasure in doing so. I feel a similar pleasure when I write. Writing is work, but it is good work.
To take pleasure in work is not always an easy thing to do. But there is pleasure to be taken. And we should also take pleasure in appreciating the hard work of others. The pleasure of work is no substitute for adequate pay, but it is a nice perk.
“Regrets: The Good, the Bad, and the Just Plain Ugly”
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:12-16, English Standard Version)
Paul was a person who had a past. Specifically, he had murdered Christians. He later became on, and often mentioned his persecution of the early church. Yes, Paul had a few regrets. But based on the Scripture that leads off this post, I would say that, even though he had regrets, Paul was determined not to let those regrets have him.
I struggle with regrets all the time. So, in addition to rereading this passage from Philippians, I decided to do a bit of online “research”. My first stop was a popularly written, helpful article in Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201205/the-psychology-regret, accessed 09-05-2021).
Interestingly, the author of this article pointed out that regrets can be good. As a recovering addict, I was especially struck by the following sentence, under the positive functions of regret: “Regret is a major reason why addicts get into recovery.” Yes indeed!
However, the article also points out that regret can be very bad. They can destroy us emotionally. One guy, who almost always played the same number in the lottery, did not do so one day. That was the day his usual number was the winner. He ended up with so much regret that he took his own life.
Most of us are probably not suicidal in our regrets, but our regrets can seriously compromise our ability to live in and to enjoy the present. If you know someone who is filled with regret, you know someone who is not any fun to be around. Regrets make a person uglier than they need to be.
Part of the tag line for Andy Stanley’s “Your Move” podcasts is that he wants to help us “make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.” That is a wonderful goal!
So, here is my goal for this and every day: I am going to make good decisions today, so that I am not birthing new regrets for tomorrow. Can’t do anything about the past, except learn from it. But I can, by God’s grace, do a lot about the present and the future.
No regrets!
“On Reading Larger Chunks of Scripture”
I like the YouVersion app on my phone a lot. I particularly use it to listen to Scripture while I’m walking the dog or doing other things. I also like their verse-of-the-day. However, sometimes I long for some context for their verse (or few verses, in some cases).
Now, in defense of the good folks who administer the app, they do give you the option of reading the whole chapter in which their verse/s occur. So, this is not really such a serious matter. People are busy. It is better to read and meditate upon a single verse or a few verses of scripture, rather than to do nothing. I get that.
Still, there are times when I especially need some context for the verse/s for the day. For example, today’s verse is:
“That is why the LORD says,
‘Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.’” (Joel 2:12, New Living Translation)
“That is why” leads off verse 12 in this translation. It provokes the question “What is why?”
The preceding verses in Joel 2 speak of the desolation and destruction that an army is about to bring on Judah and Jerusalem. Scholars debate whether this is a literal locust plague or a metaphor for an invasion of a foreign army. In any case, the most shocking thing for God’s people is the name of the general who is leading the invasion: It is their own God, the LORD, Yahweh!
And yet, there is hope for God’s people. There is still time to make peace with their God.
At least two observations come out of reading Joel 2:12 in its larger context. First, God does, in fact, punish his own people. This is a wonderful antidote for getting cocky about having God on our side or being on God’s side ourselves. And we are all prone to this. There are no exceptions! Liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, men and women—you fill in the blank. Before we are too sure that Joel 2:1-11 applies to “those people” (whoever they are), we had better take a long look in the mirror.
Secondly, God does not want to destroy us or even punish us. Instead, God wants us to turn back to God. This is not simply a matter of behavior modification, although it certainly involves that. Notice that God inspires Joel to call people to heart-repentance. In fact, giving God our hearts precedes weeping and fasting.
And one final comment about Joel 2:12, as well as a general strategy for reading the Bible: While Joel 2:12 is good as a stand-alone, it is even better when it marches alongside the other verses. This is true of the entire Bible.
“A Very Serious Teeter-Totter!”
A good friend of mine, in an accountability-support phone call yesterday made some intriguing comments about his core values. He spoke of courage and discipline, which are balanced by wisdom and compassion. He pictures these qualities as if they are a teeter-totter. For him, learning is the fulcrum.
I am not sure precisely what he means, but those words and the image of the teeter-totter has been marinating in my brain for the past twenty-four hours. Here is the current flavor of my thoughts about these qualities and the fulcrum.
Let me take a stab at the first two core values—courage and discipline. My first observation would be this: I don’t really know what these words mean, and I’m not sure that I want to know what they mean. Courage and discipline sound scary and costly to me.
I googled “courage” and found this definition at https://www.google.com/search?q=define+courage&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS844US844&oq=define+courage&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l9.3232j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
“cour·age
noun
- the ability to do something that frightens one.
‘she called on all her courage to face the ordeal’
- strength in the face of pain or grief.
‘he fought his illness with great courage’”
I suspect that the first step in cultivating courage is admitting that I’m afraid. And I am very much afraid to admit that. I would sooner admit that I am angry than to admit that I am afraid. (Typical man!)
Perhaps I could begin with some small fears and work my way up. Okay. Let me begin right now!
I am afraid of . . . Wow! I’m having a difficult time thinking of any little fears. All the ones that come to mind seem big. Hummm . . .
Perhaps I should just move on to discipline. To paraphrase a saying of Jesus, “If they persecute you in one word, flee to another.”
Discipline! I don’t like that word either. But perhaps, discipline is courage in the small things. Maybe discipline prepares me to develop some courage.
I use these blog posts, not just to write, but to grow. So, here is what I am going to pledge to you, myself, and God: Today, I will make disciplined choices about what I eat. I will eat only healthy foods today. That is about as much discipline as I can probably muster. I will let you know how I did tomorrow in my post.
“Remembering Who’s in Charge Here”
“Psa. 93:1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.
Psa. 93:3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the LORD on high is mighty!
Psa. 93:5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore.” (Psalm 93, English Standard Version)
Like everyone else, I was hoping that covid was mostly behind us. I did not believe that it was, but, as I say, I was hoping.
So, who’s in charge here? If that sounds more like an accusation than a question, that sounds about right.
As a Christian, I believe that God is ultimately in charge of this and all planets and of all other aspects of the universe. However, that doesn’t mean that God is responsible for everything. He has given his creation free will. Our choices matter, and God does not, in my opinion, override all the bad decisions we make. Whether we choose to wear masks or not, get vaccinated or not, socially distance of not—these things matter. Yes, God is charge here. But then, so are we, at least to some degree. God sometimes intervenes. These interventions are called “miracles”. However, God generally lets things play out as they will.
But we need to counterbalance human responsibility with God’s sovereignty. As the psalmist reminds us, God is ultimately on the throne—not the Taliban, not the Democrats, not the Republicans. Not covid either! God! And while the raging waves can and do lift their voices (Psalm 93:3), God gets the last word.
“Getting in Tune and Staying in Tune”
I long to make beautiful music, but it’s hard to stay in tune.
This matter of staying in tune is on my mind because of a Hazelden Publishing reading that I did recently. Here is part of the reading:
“Meditation for the Day
You should strive for a union between your purposes in life and the purposes of the Divine Principle directing the universe. There is no bond of union on earth to compare with the union between a human soul and God. Priceless beyond all earth’s rewards is that union. In merging your heart and mind with the heart and mind of the Higher Power, a oneness of purpose results, which only those who experience it can even dimly realize. That oneness of purpose puts you in harmony with God and with all others who are trying to do His will.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may become attuned to the will of God. I pray that I may be in harmony with the music of the spheres.” (From Twenty-Four Hours a Day © 1975 by Hazelden Foundation.)
This reading led me to think about keeping in tune with God’s will. How can I get in tune? And how often do I need to get a tune-up?
So, I began with the literal. How long does it take musical instruments to get out of tune? I asked Professor Google. The answer wasn’t easy to find, nor was there a consensus, but here is one interesting comment that I found. One musician who responded to the question wrote this:
“At a smaller size, I reckon that the persian (sic) hammered dulcimer, otherwise known as the santoor, is very tough to tune. If played vigorously by a professional, it needs quite a bit of tuning after every piece played.”
It has to be tuned after every vigorously played piece! Yes! That would also be me! I require almost constant tuning. I get out of tune and out of sorts very quickly. I am a santoor kind of person.
So, how do I get in tune? Here is a list of things that seem to help me get in tune:
- Reading the Bible.
- Reading other good books.
- Listening to good music of all kinds.
- Nature.
- Exercise.
- Talking with my wife.
- Laughter.
- Friends.
- Spending time with our little dog.
- Doing something thoughtful for others.
- Gratitude.
Some of these things may be on your list, but you need to come up with your own list of what works for you. When you’re having a rough day or simply waking up grumpy, you may want to say to yourself, time to tune up! This is especially true if, like me, you are a santoor.
“Keeping your Heel Behind You”
“What a title! What on earth does it mean?!?”
I was hoping that you would ask that. Let me explain.
“The reward for humility and fear of the LORD
is riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4, English Standard Version)
The word translated “reward” here is the Hebrew word that may be transliterated “ʿēqeḇ”. As Christine Roy Yoder points out, “‘Reward’ is related to the Hebrew word for ‘heel’ or ‘hind quarters’ and, like the English expression ‘on the heels of,’ it refers to the ends or consequences of something . . . .”[1]
So, here’s the deal: the verse is not primarily about riches, honor, and life. Those are the consequences of humility and reverence for the LORD. In fact, they are biproducts. What is the really important product and process are humility and fear of the LORD.
We all get out of sync sometimes. We all, at least occasionally, get focused on results to the exclusion (or, to say the least, to detriment) of the process. We all forget that good things usually come at the heels of good character. We all want to “get results.” Our society is very outcome driven. But outcome doesn’t come out of nothing. It comes from good processes and good character.
Of course, we can all think of bad things that happen to good people. The biblical proverbs, like all proverbs, speak of general truths. They are wonderful rules of thumb, not iron-clad promises. The human authors who wrote these proverbs down (as well as the God who is their ultimate Author) were well aware that things did not always work out well for the person with good, godly character. Such proverbs as the one recorded in Proverbs 16:8 reveal that much:
“Better is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.”
This proverb suggests that there are times and situations where righteousness does not lead to having a lot, and where injustice leads to great wealth. Nevertheless, it is better to have a little along with a godly character.
So, the process is not a mechanical do-this-and-you’ll-get-that approach to spirituality. Rather, humility and fear of the LORD are about character, about who we are. I am inclined to say that a person’s character is the process.
The question that I need to ask myself is this: Am I focused on the results or on the character that can produce, and generally does produce, the results? Turning this around and concentrating on the second half of the proverb—the riches, honor and life—is like turning around your foot 180 degrees and trying to walk straight.
I asked my wife, who is a nurse, what the medical term was for a person whose ankle is turned all the way around, so that the heel is facing forward. She did not hesitate with her reply. “You call that a broken ankle.”
[1] Christine Roy Yoder, Proverbs, Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries (Nashville: Abingdon, 2009), 223.
“Whom Am I Imitating?”
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” (Ephesians 5:1, (New Living Translation)
I am a chameleon. In order to please others, I try to blend in.
No, that’s not true. I am not trying to please others. I am trying to get them to please me.
But it is true that I am a chameleon. I try to fit in so well that I will stand out.
Contradictory? Yes. But unfortunately, it is true.
But I need to be careful as to whom I am imitating and in what ways I am imitating them.
Above all, since I am a Christ-follower—or at least, aspire to be one—I need to imitate Christ, who came to show us what God was like with human skin on. “Following Jesus” doesn’t simply mean hanging out with Him. Following means imitating him.
So, what was Jesus like? Well, he seems to have loved all kinds of people, he modeled humble service, he put God first, he taught wonderful things about the Kingdom of God. He also did miracles, howbeit often with great reluctance.
I don’t think that I have the gift of doing miracles, but who knows? However, those other things that Jesus did are things that I could do, at least, in theory. They are not easy, but they are possible.
One thing that Jesus did that I often refuse to notice is that Jesus noticed. He noticed when his disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. He noticed when his disciples were shooing away parents who were bringing their little ones to Jesus. (Jesus didn’t like that, even a little!) Jesus noticed a poor widow who had put a small coin in the offering box. (Jesus was very impressed with that!) Jesus noticed when his disciples needed their stinky feet washed.
Jesus noticed? He noticed that we were all lost and didn’t even have the sense to ask for directions. He noticed that we had all messed up our own lives and the lives of others. His ministry of noticing eventually took him to the cross.
Where is my imitative noticing taking me, I wonder?
DTEB, “Playing with God”
Recently, my daily affirmation was about working with God. “Today, by God’s grace, I am working with my Heavenly Father on myself, my relationships, and other assorted little tasks. I am enjoying working with God. It is the best way to get better acquainted.”
One of my twelve-step sponsors made a provocative comment (as he often does about my reports and affirmations) about my idea that working “. . . is the best way to get acquainted with God.” My sponsor replied, “So is playing with God.”
I had never really thought about playing with God. Playing at being God—yes. Unfortunately, I have often been unclear about the distinction between me and deity. But playing with God? Hummm . . .
However, I have to admit that playfulness is part of any good human intimate relationship. Whether it’s married couples or good friends, there is a playfulness about relationships. Why not in our relationship with God?
I suppose that there are at least two reasons (in addition to my sad attempts to act like God) why I was reluctant to think in terms of playing with God.
First, the expression “playing with” can be used pejoratively. It can be used for everything from teasing someone (“He’s just playing with you”) to having intimate physical relations with someone without any real love or commitment (“He’s just playing with you”).
Of course, if we are merely teasing God or wanting “benefits” (Christians often call them “blessings”) without any real commitment to God, that is not a good way to “play” with God. The expression “playing with fire” comes to mind. Not a good idea!
The second reason why I wasn’t too sure about the idea of playing with God is that I couldn’t think of any portion of Scripture that spoke of us playing with God. At least, I couldn’t think of anything initially. And then it hit me: Proverbs 8:30-31!
These verses are part of an extended praise of personified wisdom.
“then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing (playing) before him always,
rejoicing (playing) in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.”
(English Standard Version. The parts of the verses that are placed in parentheses and italicized represent another possible translation of the Hebrew word.)
Did you notice that wisdom plays with God and also with human beings? And if Wisdom plays with both God and us humans, then guess what? We are the playmates of both Wisdom and God!
Do not misunderstand what I am saying. We have a serious God. And God most definitely deserves to be taken with ultimate seriousness.
But perhaps we need to balance taking God seriously with the idea of a playful God. After all, who would want to spend all of eternity with a God who was never playful? That would be my idea of hell.[1]
[1] Carew and Price have some wonderful observations about the word “play” (or “delight”) in Proverbs 30:30-31. They note that, in these verses, the Hebrew word for “play” or “delight” is in the middle of a chiasm (i.e., an A-B-Bʹ-Aʹ arrangement. (Think of the Dr. Seuss’ book that starts off with the chiasm,
“I am Sam
Sam I am”.
See! Understanding these technical, literary terms is easy-peasy!)
More importantly, Carew and Price point out, “This chiastic arrangement serves to emphasize wisdom’s exuberant joy. . . . As the instrument of and witness to creation, wisdom personified takes exuberant joy in God’s creation.” (New International Dictionary of Old Testament Exegesis and Theology, volume 4, p. 207.) Exuberant joy: yes!
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- God’s Specific Likes about Us April 25, 2025God pulled off a surprise love attack on me this morning. God lured me into the trap in a quite trivial way. I thought I would start my day, not by grading students’ assignments, but by reading and meditating on some Scripture. By the way, I am not saying that reading Scripture is trivial. The […]
- “Strange and Wonderful Creatures” March 28, 2025I did not sleep enough last night. Five hours of sleep may be enough for some, but not for me. However, when I tried for a while to go back to sleep after waking up at 1:00 a.m., I realized that it was not going to happen. I might as well get up and work […]
- “Even Computers Need a Rest Sometimes!” February 11, 2025Jumpy cursor! I was trying to grade student assignments, and my cursor was jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean. I would start typing something, and then I would be on a different line. Here is the sort of non-sentences I was ending up with: be Please see my respolownse video. Of course, what I […]
- “Lives as Well as Lips” February 5, 2025“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise? Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:1-3, English Standard Version) […]
- DTEB, “The Wanna-Wanna Method” January 29, 2025“. . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12b-13, English Standard Version) In a text exchange with a friend, he confessed that he really, really wants to make some bad […]
- “Fun, Cat Videos, and Transformation” December 9, 2024“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, English Standard Version) One of my twelve-step sponsors suggested that I need more fun in my life. He knows me well, but on this one, I was determined to prove him wrong. […]
- “The Enemy is Perfectionism” December 6, 2024“The good is the enemy of the best.” (A common saying.) “The best is the enemy of doing anything at all that is good.” (My take on the saying and my reality.) Some of you have been wondering why I haven’t been posting any of my musings in the past way-too-long. I am tempted to […]
- DTEB, “Getting Christ and Ourselves Back in Focus” November 11, 2024“Col. 3:1 ¶ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden […]
- “Search Me!” October 27, 2024“Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version) I am participating in a Bible study, and this is a prayer […]
- “Christian Speech” October 26, 2024“Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Foulkes, in his excellent commentary on the Book of Ephesians, writes the following, which I quote at some length: “29. Now the […]
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