Update: A couple of posting ago I talked about how a nice ride with Daddy may be an alternate form of disciple.
Evelyn informed me today that Matthew knocked one of his teeth loose today and screamed for about an hour. The car ride on the way to the dentist was what stopped his screaming.
I love it when theory is borne out by data.
Previous post: Tough Love Vs. Spankings
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Picky Eaters II
"He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet." Proverbs 27:7 (NIV)
The gist I get when I read the modern (NIV) translation is this: when your tummy if full, even the yummiest thing that you could think of (honeycomb) is undesirable. UGH... no thank you. But when you are hungry, you will eat ANYthing - even food that you would normally consider to be yucky is a welcome treat.
This is an interesting observation by the Proverb writer. Maybe a child-rearing application. Ok...next Proverb.
That is about all I got from the NIV.
Then I switched to the 1611 "authorized" version* and I read:
"The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." Proverbs 27:7 (KJV)
The gist that I get here is that a soul that is hungry is able to experience the sweetness of God's goodness even in life's bitterness (this is certainly our family's testimony this year). Romans
8:28 comes to mind.
I have found that when I read the Psalms and Proverbs in the KJV, the spiritual application is more readily apparent. It seems that "modern" versions naturalize the sayings. The verse is about physical hunger... or is it? I find myself doing more contemplating and thinking about the deeper meanings when I read the KJV (I am not ready to abandon my "modern" translations yet, but this is very interesting to me).
When I read the KJV here, I wonder what would make a soul full. I wonder if it is little and therefore not able to hold very much. I think about church people that can get full by just spending 20 minutes in God's Word once a week on Sunday morning.
I think about people that get antsy when the Bible study goes 5 minutes into overtime. Is the soul full? I think about people who argue over hymns versus drums. Is the soul so full that it cannot eat at the table of "strange food?" Is the music bitter because the soul is full?
I want to be hungry. I AM hungry. I never get enough to eat on Sunday mornings. I have had to learn to feed myself (is that a sign of growth?). There was one church that I attended during my single years where Sunday mornings was a feast. By the time you got through with an hour and a half Sunday School Bible study and a 40 to 60 minute sermon, you felt so bloated that you had to spend the rest of the afternoon walking it off. Then when 6:00 rolled around, you were delighted to be back at the trough - only to wallow off bloated again by 7:30 or 8:00. It was decadent. Except that there was one really mean Sunday School teacher...but even in her meanness, she spoke the truth. It was sometimes bitter - but it was always good. It was healthy.
I want to have a hungry soul for God. I do not want to be that picky eater that turns his nose up when God offers something bitter. Sometimes it is the bitter thing that makes us stronger or healthier. Sometimes the bitterness turns into a blessing. Our bitterness this year was the death of our baby girl. There is still grief that is triggered by random things. But, God has taken that bitterness and turned it into countless blessings. I will write that book someday.
We know now, more that ever, that words are the Psalmist are true. He makes all things beautiful in His time and His goodness endures forever.
God give me a hunger for everything on your table - both the bitter and the sweet.
* authorized by the king of England, not the King of kings. A little aside for my "KJV only" buddies.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Picky Eaters
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27:7
One of our former neighbors, a very wise woman with half a dozen kids, gave us some advice for dealing with our picky eater.
"Hunger is the best sauce," she would say.
We strive to provide our children a very low sugar and otherwise healthy diet. I don't know if its is good genetics, healthy eating, or just the grace of God, but we have only been to the doctor twice that I can remember. Thats in 10 years - for all five kids. We pray a lot and we feed them lots of apples and homemade nutrient rich whole wheat bread.
But what do you do with the kid that doesn't want to get with the program? We got the junk food out of the house (a recent guest was appalled at our lack of "snacks" in the pantry - she had to show her husband- "look at this... can you BELIEVE?" borderline child abuse).
We stopped snacking between meals (most days).
Still - a picky eater. In my mind, I am going to send him away hungry. Then he will be hungry enough to eat monkey brains at the next meal. ... but then I cave... I gave him my yummy homemade roll last night because that was all he was eating. I really wanted that roll - it was the last one, but he was so pitiful. I hope that held him over until breakfast. He didn't complain, but he had LOTS of watermelon for dessert.
He has gotten better over the years. He knows that he can't have anything except what is being served to the rest of the family, so he has (on occasion) ventured out and discovered a new thing or two that he could (would) eat.
We started on the little kids while they were too young to complain. They will eat anything - they never got to choose.
Maybe hunger is the best sauce.
One of our former neighbors, a very wise woman with half a dozen kids, gave us some advice for dealing with our picky eater.
"Hunger is the best sauce," she would say.
We strive to provide our children a very low sugar and otherwise healthy diet. I don't know if its is good genetics, healthy eating, or just the grace of God, but we have only been to the doctor twice that I can remember. Thats in 10 years - for all five kids. We pray a lot and we feed them lots of apples and homemade nutrient rich whole wheat bread.
But what do you do with the kid that doesn't want to get with the program? We got the junk food out of the house (a recent guest was appalled at our lack of "snacks" in the pantry - she had to show her husband- "look at this... can you BELIEVE?" borderline child abuse).
We stopped snacking between meals (most days).
Still - a picky eater. In my mind, I am going to send him away hungry. Then he will be hungry enough to eat monkey brains at the next meal. ... but then I cave... I gave him my yummy homemade roll last night because that was all he was eating. I really wanted that roll - it was the last one, but he was so pitiful. I hope that held him over until breakfast. He didn't complain, but he had LOTS of watermelon for dessert.
He has gotten better over the years. He knows that he can't have anything except what is being served to the rest of the family, so he has (on occasion) ventured out and discovered a new thing or two that he could (would) eat.
We started on the little kids while they were too young to complain. They will eat anything - they never got to choose.
Maybe hunger is the best sauce.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tough love versus spankings
Most of America's populace think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have "those moments."
One that I have found effective is for me to just take the child for a ride in the car and talk
Some say it is the vibration from the car, others say it is the time away from distractions such as TV, video games, computer, IPod, etc.
Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together.
I have included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique
Check the speed!
I think this will work with grandchildren, nephews, and nieces as well.
**my dad sent this to me.... source unknown.
One that I have found effective is for me to just take the child for a ride in the car and talk
Some say it is the vibration from the car, others say it is the time away from distractions such as TV, video games, computer, IPod, etc.
Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together.
I have included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique
Check the speed!
I think this will work with grandchildren, nephews, and nieces as well.
**my dad sent this to me.... source unknown.
Friday, June 20, 2008
She needs her Daddy
I saw this story about some young girls that made a pact to get pregnant. Its really amazing.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html?fark
I wonder how many of them have a good relationship with their father. If I were betting, I would guess zero.
Girls with good relationships with their Daddy do not have an emotional need to go out and get pregnant or to even go out and let some boy "love on them."
I think that a healthy relationship with Daddy will go a long way towards helping girls (and boys) stay out of all kinds of trouble.
Children (and adult children) crave acceptance. What better gift can you give a child than the love of a father.
Isn't that we are all looking for ultimately? Isn't that the message of the gospels?
Your Heavenly Father loves you and he wants to be with you. He would give anything, even his own life, for the sake of his children.
I wish that these girls had that kind of Daddy.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html?fark
I wonder how many of them have a good relationship with their father. If I were betting, I would guess zero.
Girls with good relationships with their Daddy do not have an emotional need to go out and get pregnant or to even go out and let some boy "love on them."
I think that a healthy relationship with Daddy will go a long way towards helping girls (and boys) stay out of all kinds of trouble.
Children (and adult children) crave acceptance. What better gift can you give a child than the love of a father.
Isn't that we are all looking for ultimately? Isn't that the message of the gospels?
Your Heavenly Father loves you and he wants to be with you. He would give anything, even his own life, for the sake of his children.
I wish that these girls had that kind of Daddy.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Meaningless
I read Ecclesiastics this morning. "meaningless, meaningless... everything under the sun is meaningless..."
Bottom Line: Eat, drink, and enjoy your work. Finding satisfaction in your work is a blessing from God. Do good to others. Fear God and keep His commandments - this is our whole duty.
Wisdom: meaningless (but better than foolishness)
Foolishness: meaningless
Poverty: meaningless
Wealth: meaningless
Toil: meaningless
Advancement: meaningless
Hedonistic pleasure: meaningless (The American Dream (my dream) is meaningless? I am sure this is correct, but I feel the need to do my own research here. I'm thinking a 7 day cruise to who cares where...leave the kids at home...bring the wife of course...would be VERY meaningful at this point in my life. Perhaps I missed something in the Hebrew context. Maybe there is verb tense that ALL the English translators have missed. A misplace jot?)
So everything under the sun (even the beach) is meaningless.
One Jewish source that I have read summarized the book as follows (paraphrase):
Everything under the sun is meaningless, therefore we should put all our efforts towards that which is above the sun.
I kind of like that. An eternal perspective - because all of these things that we worry about will burn.
Our temporal life is but a vapor. What are we doing with this vapor that that will be of eternal benefit?
Bottom Line: Eat, drink, and enjoy your work. Finding satisfaction in your work is a blessing from God. Do good to others. Fear God and keep His commandments - this is our whole duty.
Wisdom: meaningless (but better than foolishness)
Foolishness: meaningless
Poverty: meaningless
Wealth: meaningless
Toil: meaningless
Advancement: meaningless
Hedonistic pleasure: meaningless (The American Dream (my dream) is meaningless? I am sure this is correct, but I feel the need to do my own research here. I'm thinking a 7 day cruise to who cares where...leave the kids at home...bring the wife of course...would be VERY meaningful at this point in my life. Perhaps I missed something in the Hebrew context. Maybe there is verb tense that ALL the English translators have missed. A misplace jot?)
So everything under the sun (even the beach) is meaningless.
One Jewish source that I have read summarized the book as follows (paraphrase):
Everything under the sun is meaningless, therefore we should put all our efforts towards that which is above the sun.
I kind of like that. An eternal perspective - because all of these things that we worry about will burn.
Our temporal life is but a vapor. What are we doing with this vapor that that will be of eternal benefit?
Monday, June 16, 2008
Freedom!
I am a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. I make my Ga Tech students read his material. Last Friday I was listening to his show. Friday is the day that people call in and scream "WE'RE DEBT FREE!" Some of them are lying though - they still have a house payment. A house payment doesn't count as debt on freedom Friday. That's fine with me. I am waiting to call the show myself.
I have vertical bars (a bar graph) on my white board that represent our debts. When we first moved we had some credit card bills (moving expenses) that took a few months to clear. Then we had some medical bills that took a few months to clear.
Now I am looking at my bars... most of them have gone away.
We have a house payment. I wish we didn't. Maybe we won't in a few years.
We have a student loan.
That's it.
Dave doesn't like the student loan.
I want to call Dave and scream "We're debt free except the house and the student loan but thats ok because my savings account is paying three times the interest that the student loan costs."
1.8%.
Would a rational person pay off a 1.8% loan? The math just doesn't work out for the rational person. The rational person puts all their spare cash into a "sinking fund" and then uses the interest on this sinking fund to pay off the student loan. It turns out that you only have to put a little more than half what you owe into savings and then let compound interest do its magic. You still have your savings account when you are done because the interest on the savings account has been enough to pay the loan.
The rational person balks at Dave's advice.
What about the spiritual person?
Would a spiritual person pay off a 1.8% loan?
A spiritual person owes no debt but a debt of love. A spiritual person does not become servant to a lender after they have been set free from their bondage of sin and death. A spiritual person does not go in to debt at all because that is presuming upon the future. A spiritual person believes that God will provide in supernatural ways if he will stay out of debt....
... but on the other hand... the spiritual person is a good steward of God's resources. If super cheap debt is available for a constructive purpose, does the spiritual person pass on the opportunity? Does the good steward pay off cheap debt when they would be better off by keeping their cash and letting it work harder than 1.8% (tax free) for them?
Perhaps our family should have bought a mobile home for cash and paid off all student loans and then saved up for a house before we bought it.... maybe God would have blessed us in ways that we could not even imagine.
... or maybe God gives us wisdom and the ability to do math so that we can make good decisions and not just roboticly follow the over-simplified systems of popular financial advisers.
I want to be the spiritual person...I really do want to be that guy... but my rational brain is telling me that walking in the spirit is a little more complicated than following Dave's baby steps. But the heart (our thinker) is deceitful and wicked...
What do you think?
Is Dave right? Is ALL debt dumb?
I have vertical bars (a bar graph) on my white board that represent our debts. When we first moved we had some credit card bills (moving expenses) that took a few months to clear. Then we had some medical bills that took a few months to clear.
Now I am looking at my bars... most of them have gone away.
We have a house payment. I wish we didn't. Maybe we won't in a few years.
We have a student loan.
That's it.
Dave doesn't like the student loan.
I want to call Dave and scream "We're debt free except the house and the student loan but thats ok because my savings account is paying three times the interest that the student loan costs."
1.8%.
Would a rational person pay off a 1.8% loan? The math just doesn't work out for the rational person. The rational person puts all their spare cash into a "sinking fund" and then uses the interest on this sinking fund to pay off the student loan. It turns out that you only have to put a little more than half what you owe into savings and then let compound interest do its magic. You still have your savings account when you are done because the interest on the savings account has been enough to pay the loan.
The rational person balks at Dave's advice.
What about the spiritual person?
Would a spiritual person pay off a 1.8% loan?
A spiritual person owes no debt but a debt of love. A spiritual person does not become servant to a lender after they have been set free from their bondage of sin and death. A spiritual person does not go in to debt at all because that is presuming upon the future. A spiritual person believes that God will provide in supernatural ways if he will stay out of debt....
... but on the other hand... the spiritual person is a good steward of God's resources. If super cheap debt is available for a constructive purpose, does the spiritual person pass on the opportunity? Does the good steward pay off cheap debt when they would be better off by keeping their cash and letting it work harder than 1.8% (tax free) for them?
Perhaps our family should have bought a mobile home for cash and paid off all student loans and then saved up for a house before we bought it.... maybe God would have blessed us in ways that we could not even imagine.
... or maybe God gives us wisdom and the ability to do math so that we can make good decisions and not just roboticly follow the over-simplified systems of popular financial advisers.
I want to be the spiritual person...I really do want to be that guy... but my rational brain is telling me that walking in the spirit is a little more complicated than following Dave's baby steps. But the heart (our thinker) is deceitful and wicked...
What do you think?
Is Dave right? Is ALL debt dumb?
Amendment
Every family has rules.
We have certain expectations of our children and we seek to continually reinforce those expectations.
But, some things you just can't anticipate. You have those moments when you realize that you have never in your life dreamed that you would use that particular combination of words in the same sentence.
This weekend our girls were playing with beads and making all kinds of wonderful creations. They have the beads that you put on strings and another kind of beads that you put on a grid in a pretty pattern then use Mommy's iron to make all the pretty beads stick together. I think that the girls get more use out of Mommy's iron than she does... but that's a painful story for later...
Anyway... our precious girls and their cousin spend the morning making delightful creations by melting the plastic beads with Mommie's hot iron. All is well...until the 3 year old has the bright idea that these beads are just the right size for cramming up her nose. How fun is that? You put several beads up your nose, show your friends....get a nice laugh.. and then out they come... right? You can imagine the fun.
Then the screaming starts.
Mommy can't get it. I get a call in my basement lair, "Dr. Marchman... you are needed in surgery." I don't think people "get it" that a PhD is not the same as an MD... but I practice on my own kids anyway... just to add to the confusion in their minds... maybe Dad IS a doctor....
She is laid out on the bathroom counter. The bead is WAAAAY up her nose. Tweezers. Too big. Think..... something small and tweezer like... back down to the basement lair.... tiny tools for working on tiny electronics...that should work.....doesn't work. Think.. think think...
MacGyver mode kicks in.... what do we have? We have a tooth pic, a hair pin, a pair of pliers and some dental floss. If I can just turn it around with the tooth pick...so I can see the hole in the bead...we can fish it out....SREEEEEEAAAM. Let me know if anything hurts sweetheart.......
she is actually VERY calm... except when I poke at the bead with a toothpick.
Bend the hairpins into tiny tweezers.... that should work....four different designs.... all failures. The infant snot sucker... doesn't work. Manual snot sucker (me sucking on her nose) YECH... does not work...
We need more light (and I need to clear my palate) ... down to the master bath.... bright surgical lights....mommy holds her head... toothpick (with the flat "handle" end) works this time. The object is rotated...
HOLY COW!!!! Its not a bead!!!
I can see clearly how to get it out, but we do not have the tool we need.
Back down to the basement lair....with the tweezers.....grinder on... sparks flying...must make just the right shape (sorry... they will never pluck eyebrows again)....
... back up to surgery... with just the right tool....
Slowly... slowly... SCREEEEEEEEEEAM... slowly...
GOT IT!
Giggling..."thank you Daddy."
Go put it in the gun and shoot it.
Its a live cap for the boy's cap gun.
So now we have a new rule, an amendment to the Marchman constitution, a new parental expectation:
Do not put any explosive device in your nose or in your sister's nose.
(the last part is preemptive... just in case the boys get any ideas... you said not in MY nose...)
Rule making is a constant battle of wits.
Seriously though, we are striving to train these children not to follow rules, but to follow the rule giver. When they are little, the rule giver is Daddy (or Mommy). We expect (but do not always get) instant, first time obedience. Appropriate discipline comes after the first command, not the second, third, fourth, or a screaming 10th time I told you....(this is our philosophy... not our perfect practice).
As they grow older, we hope to shift their desire to please their father to a desire to please their Heavenly Father. If they will follow Him with all of their hearts, minds, soul, and strength, the rules will take care of themselves and maybe (hopefully) they will develop the wisdom to keep explosive devices out of their nose.
We have certain expectations of our children and we seek to continually reinforce those expectations.
But, some things you just can't anticipate. You have those moments when you realize that you have never in your life dreamed that you would use that particular combination of words in the same sentence.
This weekend our girls were playing with beads and making all kinds of wonderful creations. They have the beads that you put on strings and another kind of beads that you put on a grid in a pretty pattern then use Mommy's iron to make all the pretty beads stick together. I think that the girls get more use out of Mommy's iron than she does... but that's a painful story for later...
Anyway... our precious girls and their cousin spend the morning making delightful creations by melting the plastic beads with Mommie's hot iron. All is well...until the 3 year old has the bright idea that these beads are just the right size for cramming up her nose. How fun is that? You put several beads up your nose, show your friends....get a nice laugh.. and then out they come... right? You can imagine the fun.
Then the screaming starts.
Mommy can't get it. I get a call in my basement lair, "Dr. Marchman... you are needed in surgery." I don't think people "get it" that a PhD is not the same as an MD... but I practice on my own kids anyway... just to add to the confusion in their minds... maybe Dad IS a doctor....
She is laid out on the bathroom counter. The bead is WAAAAY up her nose. Tweezers. Too big. Think..... something small and tweezer like... back down to the basement lair.... tiny tools for working on tiny electronics...that should work.....doesn't work. Think.. think think...
MacGyver mode kicks in.... what do we have? We have a tooth pic, a hair pin, a pair of pliers and some dental floss. If I can just turn it around with the tooth pick...so I can see the hole in the bead...we can fish it out....SREEEEEEAAAM. Let me know if anything hurts sweetheart.......
she is actually VERY calm... except when I poke at the bead with a toothpick.
Bend the hairpins into tiny tweezers.... that should work....four different designs.... all failures. The infant snot sucker... doesn't work. Manual snot sucker (me sucking on her nose) YECH... does not work...
We need more light (and I need to clear my palate) ... down to the master bath.... bright surgical lights....mommy holds her head... toothpick (with the flat "handle" end) works this time. The object is rotated...
HOLY COW!!!! Its not a bead!!!
I can see clearly how to get it out, but we do not have the tool we need.
Back down to the basement lair....with the tweezers.....grinder on... sparks flying...must make just the right shape (sorry... they will never pluck eyebrows again)....
... back up to surgery... with just the right tool....
Slowly... slowly... SCREEEEEEEEEEAM... slowly...
GOT IT!
Giggling..."thank you Daddy."
Go put it in the gun and shoot it.
Its a live cap for the boy's cap gun.
So now we have a new rule, an amendment to the Marchman constitution, a new parental expectation:
Do not put any explosive device in your nose or in your sister's nose.
(the last part is preemptive... just in case the boys get any ideas... you said not in MY nose...)
Rule making is a constant battle of wits.
Seriously though, we are striving to train these children not to follow rules, but to follow the rule giver. When they are little, the rule giver is Daddy (or Mommy). We expect (but do not always get) instant, first time obedience. Appropriate discipline comes after the first command, not the second, third, fourth, or a screaming 10th time I told you....(this is our philosophy... not our perfect practice).
As they grow older, we hope to shift their desire to please their father to a desire to please their Heavenly Father. If they will follow Him with all of their hearts, minds, soul, and strength, the rules will take care of themselves and maybe (hopefully) they will develop the wisdom to keep explosive devices out of their nose.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Its All Good
During good times and bad times, my wife will often respond to "how are you doing?" with "its all good."
Sometimes I think she is lying. I can see it in her eyes.
The pastor at church today gave an illustration from Romans 8:28 today. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
He talked about how he LOVES chocolate cake. He went on and on about the wonders and beauty of chocolate cake.
Then he had a table set up with lots of ingredients - flour, sugar, eggs, etc. There were 10 ingredients in his cake recipe. Eight of the ingredients were putrid when eaten by themselves: the raw eggs, the flour, the baking soda, vegetable oil, the coco (or is that cocoa?)... you just could not stand to eat these things. The butter is ok, but it is not all that appealing. Sugar is pretty tasty by itself.
I was not paying super close attention to the direction of the sermon, so I was prepared to yawn at another illustration on diversity and how different people with different backgrounds and gifts can come together to make something wonderful in the body of Christ. How nice.
That was not his point. His point really blew me away and it spoke to me on a very deep level.
Earlier he had asked if we really believe that ALL things work together for good for the believer. How about cancer? miscarriage? divorce? sickness? losing a job? ... yes.. yes...yes.. of course they do... I noted mentally (as it turns out, I had the right answer).
How about our sin? How about the times we disappoint God? Does that work for good in the believer? well... maybe... but not THAT sin... not MY vice(s). That's something bad. In fact, that is something that is hindering God's work. If I could just stop being such a jerk and if I could just dispatch of my personal vices, God's good... maybe God's better or best... could be accomplished in my life.
ALL things.
The wonderfully amazing chocolate cake - the chef's best - is accomplished by using 8 bad things, 1 not so good thing, and only one really good thing. The master chef can take a lot of putrid ingredients and by his skill and knowledge create something heavenly.
How much MORE can God (the master, creator, and sustainer of the entire universe) take all of our putridness, a little mediocrity, and very tiny amount of good and create something heavenly.
I struggle with this.
How can God use MY ingredients?
Does he KNOW me?
He DOES know me. He can and will (continue to) use me.
He is the Master Chef.
When He is done... it is GOOD.
My wife is not lying when she says "its all good," she just has a long term perspective. She has God's perspective.
I am glad she sees me through God's eyes.
Its all good.
Sometimes I think she is lying. I can see it in her eyes.
The pastor at church today gave an illustration from Romans 8:28 today. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
He talked about how he LOVES chocolate cake. He went on and on about the wonders and beauty of chocolate cake.
Then he had a table set up with lots of ingredients - flour, sugar, eggs, etc. There were 10 ingredients in his cake recipe. Eight of the ingredients were putrid when eaten by themselves: the raw eggs, the flour, the baking soda, vegetable oil, the coco (or is that cocoa?)... you just could not stand to eat these things. The butter is ok, but it is not all that appealing. Sugar is pretty tasty by itself.
I was not paying super close attention to the direction of the sermon, so I was prepared to yawn at another illustration on diversity and how different people with different backgrounds and gifts can come together to make something wonderful in the body of Christ. How nice.
That was not his point. His point really blew me away and it spoke to me on a very deep level.
Earlier he had asked if we really believe that ALL things work together for good for the believer. How about cancer? miscarriage? divorce? sickness? losing a job? ... yes.. yes...yes.. of course they do... I noted mentally (as it turns out, I had the right answer).
How about our sin? How about the times we disappoint God? Does that work for good in the believer? well... maybe... but not THAT sin... not MY vice(s). That's something bad. In fact, that is something that is hindering God's work. If I could just stop being such a jerk and if I could just dispatch of my personal vices, God's good... maybe God's better or best... could be accomplished in my life.
ALL things.
The wonderfully amazing chocolate cake - the chef's best - is accomplished by using 8 bad things, 1 not so good thing, and only one really good thing. The master chef can take a lot of putrid ingredients and by his skill and knowledge create something heavenly.
How much MORE can God (the master, creator, and sustainer of the entire universe) take all of our putridness, a little mediocrity, and very tiny amount of good and create something heavenly.
I struggle with this.
How can God use MY ingredients?
Does he KNOW me?
He DOES know me. He can and will (continue to) use me.
He is the Master Chef.
When He is done... it is GOOD.
My wife is not lying when she says "its all good," she just has a long term perspective. She has God's perspective.
I am glad she sees me through God's eyes.
Its all good.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A useful engine
Are you familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine? It is high praise for the mayor of the town to refer to one of the engines as a "useful engine." It is what all the engines aspire to.
I was reading Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" this morning and as usual I was reading the wrong date in the daily devotional. I think it was May 18th or 19th that is talking about being used by God.
How do we best do God's work? The same way that creation best does God's work. It just is. The stars, the ocean, the sun, the moon, the delicate flower... they just are. And God is glorified.
In the same way, we just are. What we are pales in comparison to what we do or what we say. Much of what we do for God is done in our own strength for our own reasons. That doesn't glorify Him. It is only when we are in a right relationship with him that what we do and what we say has any eternal significance. In fact, when we are in a right relationship with God, EVERYTHING we do - even just being - is a testimony to God. We are doing his work every moment. Just as we ponder the stars in awe on a clear night, people will ponder us in awe when we are in a right relationship with Him. Hopefully the stargazer and the Barry-gazer will be pointed in the same direction - to their maker.
I heard on pastor express a similar concept: "It is your job to develop your message... and it is God's job to develop your ministry." Our message is developed by obedience - even when obedience does not make sense.
We can only be a truly useful engine in God's kingdom when we are totally submitted to Him.
I was reading Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" this morning and as usual I was reading the wrong date in the daily devotional. I think it was May 18th or 19th that is talking about being used by God.
How do we best do God's work? The same way that creation best does God's work. It just is. The stars, the ocean, the sun, the moon, the delicate flower... they just are. And God is glorified.
In the same way, we just are. What we are pales in comparison to what we do or what we say. Much of what we do for God is done in our own strength for our own reasons. That doesn't glorify Him. It is only when we are in a right relationship with him that what we do and what we say has any eternal significance. In fact, when we are in a right relationship with God, EVERYTHING we do - even just being - is a testimony to God. We are doing his work every moment. Just as we ponder the stars in awe on a clear night, people will ponder us in awe when we are in a right relationship with Him. Hopefully the stargazer and the Barry-gazer will be pointed in the same direction - to their maker.
I heard on pastor express a similar concept: "It is your job to develop your message... and it is God's job to develop your ministry." Our message is developed by obedience - even when obedience does not make sense.
We can only be a truly useful engine in God's kingdom when we are totally submitted to Him.
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