Who packed the pegs?

A husband in graduate school with three small children in tow—that was life for six years at Indiana University.  We lived in married student housing—what Bob dubbed “the finest in institutional living”—he went to school and worked as a teaching assistant while I muddled through part time as a nurse, sometimes nightshift so that babysitting was minimal, which meant sometimes sleep was also.   Graduate student families are poor, by definition, but again, that depends on whose definition.  Our bedroom was so small, Bob said that if you walked in and fainted, you’d have at least 60% chance of landing on the bed. 

I somehow convinced the man that family camping would be a good thing.  Indiana has beautiful state parks, and I was able to purchase an old canvas elephant of a tent from some other students.  Needed some loving repair, but that was done, and we were off on our first camping adventure, again, dubbed by my dearest as a “poor man’s holiday”. 

The Jones family flag!

That was the first of many, and as the girls grew, our tents became more sophisticated, and our equipment base expanded.  We even made our own family flag to hang up on the line at our spot, so the girls could easily find their way back from wherever (you know, like the pit toilets.)

Regardless of how sophisticated we got, however, one piece of equipment was always essential—somebody had better make sure we packed the tent pegs!  We’ve camped out in some storms and let me tell you, tent pegs are more than a little important. 

So I totally get this when the prophet Zechariah refers to the coming savior as just that—

“From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle,…”

It’s about Truth.  For example, the Bible is not a book that can be understood with my limited, ego-centric intellect.  I must have a partnership with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to understand what God is speaking to me, and how He is trying to reveal Himself to me, personally, individually.

But even with that in mind, I must never start from the quantity of my questions, but from the quality of my heart with God.  I position myself for understanding by having a heart desiring to hear (and obey), even if it’s uncomfortable.  It’s about truth-seeking as opposed to self-seeking.

Corollary to that, just because I don’t readily see an answer does not mean an answer does not exist.  As frustrating as learning to use this new Mac may be at times, I don’t simply throw it away in disgust.  (BTW, this also applies to WordPress blogging, just sayin’…)  I seek out the expertise of others, and there are many.

Lastly, discounting the message due to the inadequacies of the messenger is not good logic.  Or as Bob says, when it comes to truth “you don’t deduct points for style”. 

Truth is my tent peg, and His name is Jesus.  Otherwise, I’ll just be flapping in the storms of life….

(PS, if you’re interested in Bob’s more artistic site, here’s a plug for it: Pneumythology )

Zech 10:4 Tyndale House Publishers Inc (2008-06-01). The One Year Bible NLT (One Year Bible: Nlt Book 2