Ever know someone with “a chip on their shoulder”? One story has that phrase originating from the idea of two boys picking a fight with each other, the one putting a wood chip on his shoulder and daring the other to knock the chip off, thus initiating the knock-down-drag-out.
The problem with chips on shoulders is that they tend to fall off on their own, starting fights when none were intended. For example: Continue reading ““What we have here is a failure to communicate…””
I follow my actor-brother-in-law, Doug Jones, on Instagram and Facebook. We rarely get to see his face, but he has been nonetheless amazing as Pan in Pan’s Labyrinth, the fish/man Abe Sapion in Hellboy, the Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four, and Chochise in Falling Skies, to name just a few. And we just found out that he is going to be (yet another) alien in the up and coming Star Trek spin-off Discovery.
Of course, I’m old school, with the original Kirk and Spock and Bones and Scottie and all that. But far be it from me to consider myself a snobbish connoisseur of fine sci-fi—I also enjoyed Galaxy Quest, and the “famous” quote from Captain Jason Nesmith, “never give up, never surrender!”
So, okay, I’ve not yet donned any cosplay nor stood in line for hours to talk to a personal hero of the silver screen. Heck, I hang out with Doug and Laurie on fam-jams anyway, and they ARE heroes in my book!
I also appreciate the actors in the Hebrews 11 “Heroes of the Faith” line up—it reads like something out of one of Doug’s movie credits. Allow me to review (from my human perspective):
Gideon, cowering in the barn trying to hide his grain, and who needed a fleece (twice) to convince him of God’s answer.
Moses, who’s recorded conversation with God (as if standing in front of the burning bush wasn’t enough) is replete with “but God!?!”
Sarah and Abraham, who both thought God needed a little help, (since that always turns out well…)
Amazingly, God chooses to interpret their history differently:
“Their weakness was turned to strength.”
Say what? How is it that God somehow overlooks, not only their failures, but also the consequences of those failures, and chooses instead to record in the New Testament rendition (for all eternity, no less) their successes?
Like it or not, “oops” is part of a Christian’s vernacular, and “I’m sorry” should roll off the tongue more and more easily as time goes on. One important thing that can be said for these heroes of the faith is that they never gave up. They may have given in a few times, but they never gave up.
In that, Captain Kirk has nothing on Captain Nesmith.
Hebrews 11:34 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Oct 23, 2015 – I give to God my “right” to see the outcome of my life’s effectiveness, the outcome of my parenting, my job performance, my marriage, my church involvement.
This personal declaration may seem a little bizarre, especially since our business culture thinks in term of goals, outcomes, evaluations, etc. I’m a practical person, maybe tending to the pragmatic at times. Don’t misunderstand, strategy is not a bad thing, since it helps keep the wheels of our economy greased, I suppose. Time/cost analysis, how to get from Point A to Point B in the most efficient way, and all that.
It’s just that God’s point B is generally not the same as ours.
Three hundred men holding pots and firebrands was not Continue reading “What about my rights? (and other whinings)”
At some point into King Saul’s tenure, things were not looking too good for the Hebrew nation, which, BTW, was nothing new up to that point in their embattled but miraculous history. Come to think of it, it has been typical of their existence ever since.
The good news was that the prophet of the Lord, Samuel, the same guy who had in recent memory anointed Saul as king over God’s nation of Israel, said that his plan was to show up in town seven days hence, and that Saul was to wait for him there. The bad news was that the very powerful enemy (one of several) was now r-e-a-l-l-y ticked off at the still-fledgling nation, and was mustering an army against them. As might be expected, Saul’s men were getting more than a little nervous, and began breaking ranks, slipping away into the hills and surrounding places, which was understandably a bit disconcerting for the king of Israel, (who struggled with his own self-image issues anyway—can anyone relate?)
But wait! There was even worse news! Samuel, whose job it was to offer prayers and sacrifices to the God of Israel and bless them for success in battle, hadn’t shown up like he said he would! He was late, or maybe he just wasn’t coming after all!
Hardly…
God’s sense of timing is not like ours. To quote a good friend, Jon McKinney, “God is rarely early, but He’s never late.” This was a test, this was only a test. Unfortunately, Saul bombed it.
In fact, most of this life is a test as well. In this episode, God was exposing an inherit flaw in Saul’s character—Saul was more concerned about himself, his safety, his victory and honor among the people (remember that old inferiority complex?) than he was about trusting God and honoring Him through patient obedience. If only Saul had remembered his history lesson about his predecessor named Gideon (see earlier blog on that one, or better yet, read it in the Bible, Judges, chapter 7), he would have realized that God does not depend on numbers, but on our faith and His own grace and power.
And how do I respond when my circumstances are telling me that God is somehow late, or worse, that He is breaking His promise? Part of our faith is demonstrated by how we interpret our circumstances in light of our relationship with God. Part of our love for God is revealed by desiring to honor Him through our obedience in the midst of those circumstances. It’s not about “my” victory, but about His ability; not “my” reputation, but His.
Thx for readin’—dawnlizjones
(“…one of these things is not like the other….”)
I have noticed that if I am going to be outside in the garden, I must apply myself to the task of becoming “acclimated”. Heat, sweat, cold, rain, bugs—they are all part of the “outside” experience, and I will make appropriate (and sometimes creative and/or humorous) adjustments and provisions according my level of commitment.
I have layered on the clothing to go out in the early pre-dawn hours, even before the birds wake up, when it’s only in the 40’s or so. This means long johns (to preserve my heat) and steaming hot tea in a pump thermos (to preserve the tea’s heat). I have used so much bug spray that I’m thankful I am no longer of childbearing age. I have set up a fan in the corner of the patio and even purchased an adjustable umbrella for when it’s hot, and when that isn’t enough, can be seen festooning said umbrella with kitchen towels draped strategically to provide shade from the inconvenient angle of the sun. There is just something healing and healthy for me when it comes to spending sizable quantities of time out of doors, and I consider it a bit of an adventure to finds ways to fulfill this need.
One weekend I was visiting my daughters in New York City. One of them had graciously found a studio apartment for myself and her sister, Jessica, who had flown in from Los Angeles. This delightful little domicile was located within one of the tiniest of NYC buildings, which means it was only seven or eight stories high. (In my town, the tallest building is maybe four stories, and is itself dwarfed only by the local grain elevator.) I was very thankful for the accommodations, and mildly amused that it was right next to a similar building that sported a huge “Hell’s Angels” sign outside—no one in their right mind would bother us that night! At any rate, since Jessie is not a morning person, I was determined to find a slice of time to myself in the quiet of dawn. But does such a thing exist in the “city that never sleeps?” Early in the morning, my Bible and I found ourselves determinately mounting the several flights of stairs to the rooftop, a place, I have come to learn, which is frequented by the veteran city dwellers due to the lack of space elsewhere. Sitting at a table that faced the Empire State Building, I could feel the occasional rumble of the subway far below, but even so the relative quiet and solitude was blissful. That is, until it started to rain. Not a typical Midwestern downpour, mind you, but a New York City drizzle, just enough to dampen my expectations, as well as my T-shirt. Looking around for suitable protection (mostly for the book more than for myself), I found an old blanket and threw it over myself, just enough so I could stay up on that peaceful outdoor rooftop a few minutes longer.
Creative resiliency is also an important aspect of our relationship with God. When we embark on our journey with Christ, He forewarns us that a certain “acclimation” is to be expected:
Being outside isn’t always easy. In Missouri, they say that if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change. But it is well worth the effort to be surrounded by God’s creation, and even more so be surrounded by God’s graceful plan for our lives.
So grab your cap, and your can of Deet, and let’s get going!
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
INSPIRATION with an ATTITUDE 