IF IT'S NOT BROKEN DON'T BREAK IT

It's easy for me to be negative about work and about others' participation in it.  I think the worst of them - - that they are taking the laziest route, that they are seeking only to advance their careers, that they have motives other than they ought to have.

In truth what do I know about another's motivation unless they tell me what it is?  I end up speaking unhealthy things which do not improve the situation but rather harms it.

I should refrain from speaking harmful things, and speak helpful things.

God wants to build a fruitful world, not a broken, crippled one.  I want to help what God does, not harm it.

FAMILY TREES

Once I was diagramming family trees while waiting for Lizzie to finish at Publix.  It's amazing how complex they grow over just 3 or 4 generations into the past, or into the future.  It's like a tree: you are now, the trunk.  Below, in the past, are the roots: your parents, grand parents, etc.  Above is the future:  your children, grand children, etc.


I would like to understand how the roots grow ever bigger below into small rootlets, yet all reach back to a single couple:  Adam and Eve.  Even if you hate the idea of God and creation, it still reduces down that way:  to a single couple, or at least a very few couples.

 

IT STARTS WITH A MACHETE

Matt Dhann wrote, “What new paths for our minds do we need to blaze?”

The old roads are paved and easy to travel. To make a new road we have to hack out the brush, chop down the trees, blast out the rock, bring in the foundation gravel.  It's a long process.

But first you machete out the brush. If you keep traveling the path, the brush doesn't grow back. The more traveled the path is the more obvious the path becomes. It gets more defined when you drive jeeps and logging trucks over it.

When you've built an inn in the forest you need a more serious road, not just a track. From a dirt road it can grow to be a paved road, to a multi-lane road, to a major road, to a highway, to an Interstate. If the way becomes important enough there eventually will also be railroads and airlines.

It all starts with the knowledge there is a new way to go and the decision to pick up the machete.

START WHERE THE INFORMATION IS

I wondered today if the part of God's attention toward creation and us is not a very small part of what God pays attention to?  We think that it is all he has to do. 

But, in fact, whatever part of his "time" he spends on us is 100 % of all we have.  We have our being in him, not he in us.  How can we hope to comprehend the boundaries of God? 

We are self-important about what we say we know about the universe.  We say how big stars are and  how hot they are and what they are made of from observation of an infinitesimal speck of light passing through a man-made spectrometer.  We start with what we have been given on earth (helium gas and a prism) and presume the same rules apply uniformly thru out the universe.

Unlike the stars, which hardly give anything, God has given us the Bible.  It provides us much more information than stars. Certainly more than a few bands of light on a spectrometer.

THE SUPERNATURAL

Life as I am experiencing it has an intimate connection to the spiritual world.  Jesus said something like “As I am in the Father, so are you in me; as the Father is in me so am I in  you”  (Look at John 17 and preceding).  He was physically in the world: we could have seen, herd  him and touched him..  Yet he talked with the Father.  He said “my Father and I are one”.

So that should be true between Jesus and us today - - we are in him and he in us.  We should treat our daily living as if we are also somehow also presently in heaven.  What if a veil could be pulled back and we could see the spiritual beings about as it was done for Elisha's servant when he saw the heavenly army? (2 Kings 6:16)

How do I adopt an attitude of living my physical life and realizing, experiencing that I am at the same time living the spiritual life?

I'll bet we have been tricked into thinking that the physical is now, and the spiritual comes later.  Or we think that any spiritual event is unusual in the physical course of events.  What if the spiritual is coursing along at all times but we have made ourselves blind and unhearing toward it?  If everyone else chooses to be blind should we follow meekly along and be blind too?

What do I do to see?  What do I do to listen?

 -- Keep looking to see spiritual things
 -- Keep listening to hear spiritual things.
 -- Keep reading the Bible and rehearse the passages that support spiritual intimacies.
 -- Realize that “the Kingdom is at hand” means it is AT HAND.  It is here now.  It is a natural thing.
 -- Realize your “natural” perceptions could well have a supernatural component.
 -- Embrace your “natural” perceptions and ask God to show you what he wants you to supernaturally know.

THE OLD SELF DOUBT

For some reason the other night, I remembered the time a teacher (who I can see, but not remember the name) said to my mother that I “had a flare for writing”. I did with that statement as I have done with so many other similar affirming statements about me: I blew it off. I said to my self, “she's just saying that to flatter. She doesn't really mean it. She's saying what she wishes, not what is.”

Once I remembered that event I said “Why do I always disallow or minimize the good things that are said about me?” It is a bad habit. I ought rather to appreciate the positive things. I ought to try to own them and build on them. I ought to improve myself in that way that is spoken. I ought to believe that I am “that way” and that I can do “that”.

I am tempted to doubt, to say “What if I am not 'that'?” Well, If I'm not “that” I won't be able to do “it”.

But it is more honorable to discover “it” while being positive, trying and hoping. How can it be honorable by never starting the thing because I think “What if I'm not”? How can it be honorable never try 100% and only give 75%? 50%? 5%?

[[ Lord please help me to put away from me my disbelief in myself. Please help me to appropriate the “good works which you have before ordained that I should walk in them” Help me to recognize the “goodness and mercy which shall follow me all the days of my life.” After all, I am dwelling “in the house of the Lord forever”. How bad can the be - - rather, how excellent that is. ]]

WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE NEIGHBORS?

When an individual regards the Bible as the word of God - - and reads it - - he is forever become a different person. And those individuals are catalysts of change for everyone about them. Even those who do not regard the Bible as special are unavoidably influenced for change by those who do. You can not live alongside a group of people and not be changed by them.

Those cultures that have seriously regarded the Bible were changed at their roots by it. And as a result of that every other culture beside them were changed. Eventually the world was forever changed.

Even the ones who hold the view that there is no god have been solidly and unquestionably influenced by the book about Him - - the Bible. The influence spread from Israel to Rome to Europe and hence throughout the world. If the no-god believers were to attempt to reverse the influence the Bible has already had they would have to undo thousands of years of history, and explain why they did.

BACKSTAGE

The admirable qualities of Biblical characters are often hidden behind the words of certain Biblical passages. Nehemiah is a good example as can be seen in Nehemiah 2:

He was proven. After being brought as a slave to a foreign land he worked diligently within his new circumstances. He eventually worked his way up to being the King's cup-bearer (or wine steward, or wine servant).

He earned a high level of trust, for the wine servant had close contact to the king. The king and his security team knew Nehemiah would neither stab nor attempt to poison the king.

He was familiar and on conversational terms with the king. When he perceived Nehemiah was sad the king cared enough to be concerned -- and the king was interested in Nehemiah's welfare.

The king also realized Nehemiah was a capable leader in his own right. He knew Nehemiah could conceive, organize and guide the reconstruction of Jerusalem, so he sent him off to accomplish it.

The Bible does not state these facts directly to us, we have to imagine them through reading the story, by hearing the words and viewing the actions. There's a lot to be learned backstage.

GETTING RICHER THROUGH DEBT

I get a "quote of the day" via email; today's quote was: "Some debts are fun when you are acquiring them, but none are fun when you set about retiring them."

This relates directly to my previous post: Running Into Debt.  But there is one debt that is enriching and encouraging to retire, and that's our debt to appreciate and act on God's gift to us through Jesus Christ.  What we do to "retire" that debt makes us richer in character and oddly can increase our other kinds of wealth.

WE CAN DO MORE

In Nehemiah one we notice that he was the Cup Bearer to the king.  I'm not exactly sure what this position entailed but it certainly meant that he was close to, and trusted by, the king.  It must have taken years of background history for him to become established at the Cup Bearer's position. 

He was close enough that the king noticed Nehemiah was troubled and sad (chapter two).  For you, this is like President Obama personally being concerned  about you, and wanting to know why you are troubled.  It would mean you had that kind of high-flying job, which almost everyone else doesn't. 

The whole book ends up with Nehemiah going back to Israel and rebuilding the wall, making the defenseless defensible.  But he was a CUP BEARER, for crying out loud!  He had no credentials for being a General, or Governor, or Architect, or Contractor.

What this shows us is that we can do a lot more than others believe we can do, or that we ourselves think we can to.

RUNNING INTO CREDITORS

I get an email from a source that provides a "motivational quote of the day".  I absolutely disagree with Today's quote

"Running into debt isn't so bad. It's running into creditors that hurts."

If you get into debt, you put yourself there. You have creditors because you put yourself into their hands.  You borrowed because you felt you wanted something now rather than putting yourself to the discipline of working and saving for it.  It will hurt when you must put off other desirable things because now the bank is standing at the head of the pay line. What hurts worse is when you do not honestly deal with your creditors and have law enforcement guiding you to the pay line. A good man (or a good woman, for that matter) always stands behind his commitments.

It is hard to find honor in letting someone cosign for your debt, for then you are introducing risk into their lives.  You are dragging them into your pay line.  There may be cases where this is acceptable, but I'll bet more are not acceptable than are.

Very few debts are "good" debts. Paying a mortgage rather than paying rent comes close. While you are sharing some of your wealth with the bank, with the rest you are slowly gaining title to the house and land.  Car debt sometimes seems to be necessary, but many times it can be avoided (or at least greatly lessened) by buying a used vehicle - - or maybe just repairs, maintenance, or waiting and saving.  School debt is more troublesome.  Will the targeted occupation guarantee an income large enough to justify the debt?  Doctors, Engineers and Lawyers may answer yes, few others can.  Have you applied for scholarships?  Are you willing to work and pay-as-you-go?

A quote like "Avoid debt if at all possible" would be a better quote than the one above, but I guess it wouldn't be as funny.

WHAT'S NEXT

Elijah had been doing a lot of work for God and he was tired.  He was thinking he was all alone in getting it done.  In fact Jezebel was out gunning for him because he had caused the death of all her false prophets.  He told God, "I've been angry like you about all the false prophets and how your people have turned their back on you. Now I'm the only one left."  God in effect said, "Go back. I'm not finished with the work I have for you to do. You do not realize this, but there are seven thousand more like you that have never worshiped the false Gods."

We are like Elijah.  We often think there is not much more that we can do.  But it's not over; there's more to do;  there always is.  There are a few church things to do, but most are personal things and family things.  The only time we will know it's through is when we're face-to-face with Jesus in heaven; then that part of the work is done.

Be patient, the next set of tasks will become apparent soon.


(( We were reading in 1 Kings today, chapters 18 and 19. Lizzie wrote a blog too.  Here is a line to hers: .ELIJAH WAS SUCCESSFUL

LIZZIE HAS CANCER

My wife has breast cancer. A friend just wrote to her today, "My heart breaks knowing your life travel plans just got interrupted with this detour down the road of breast cancer."

Being a man, and ex military, I tend to think of things in different terms. I don't think of it as a "detour". I think of it as "new orders", or "increased responsibilities", or "greater opportunity through engagement in a tougher challenge".

A "detour" speaks of a temporary alternative road to a road which is normally better. This is not an alternative road, this is the road God has directed Lizzie (and I, and the rest of the family) to travel. We thought we were going to California, but all along on God's map the destination was Massachusetts. There is good stuff in California, but there is also good stuff in Massachusetts, perhaps better stuff, wonderful stuff.

The Bible speaks of "the peace that passes all understanding". When I had colon cancer, and now as Lizzie has breast cancer, I think we have this gift, the gift of peace. We don't feel fear, confusion, or apprehension. We know the future, although unexpected, holds good things for us. Maybe they will not be comfortable things, but they will be things through which we have the opportunity to grow. Growth is always more important than comfort and pleasure. Who wants to get to heaven and report to God, "I've had a lot of fun and pleasure, but I haven't grown much."

We will grow. And along the way we will have the fun and pleasure too

The friend who wrote above offers her valuable support. She's been there and done that. For fifteen years she has been on the road through Breast Cancer Country. She, and none around her would have chosen it, but she, and they, are the better for it. It's easy to say, tough to do, but it's still true.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT DANGEROUS PEOPLE

The Philistines sure knew about David.  They didn't want him anywhere around.  As soon as he was set up as King they set up to battle against him.  Apparently some people are influential and dangerous enough that it is worth setting up to take them out, if you can.

Hopefully, in the business world, that means getting them pushed off the CEO's chair, not actually killing them and their supporters.

WE STEP IN THE SAME MUD

Why would you follow someone else?  Why did the people follow David?  Why do people follow or belong to any group?

 -- It is something you want to do.
 -- You like that group of people.
 -- That group presents some advantages for you.
 -- You want to belong to some larger body.
 -- The group provides you some sense of importance.
 -- The group provides you safety.
 -- The group provides you direction.
 -- You do not want to be alone.

There are a dozen or so other reasons we could list.

If you admire a person as a leader you will realize that he/she demonstrates each of the above bullets personally to you:  he/she (like you) wants to do the group activity, he/she likes the group and its members, and so on.  At some point the leader gets his boots muddy with the same mud you are standing in.  From time to time he is there with you, alongside you.

The leader is not thinking, "I want to be a leader".  He/she thinks, "I have this passion I want to accomplish and I need these people and want these people to get it done."

GOING OUT AND COMING IN

David "went out and came in" before the people.  What does this mean?  Was he so prominent that people said, "There's David going away." when he left and, "There's David coming back" when he came back? How does someone get to be known before a set of people?

I don't think it just happens, I think the person has to want to be known. It could be a vein thing like the people that participate in "American Idol" -- they just want to be popular, recognized, famous. Or it could be a power thing like, "I want to be known for doing this and I want people to come to me for it." David could have said, "I want people to come to me for leadership in battle because I believe I'm better at it than almost anyone else." If that was true, he got known because he actually was better, people knew him for it.