Category Archives: God’s character

Slammed

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Bucket ListIn recent years, a popular trend for people my age has been to make a bucket list, an inventory of everything one hopes to do before dying. For example: travel to Paris, take piano lessons, conquer a fear of flying, learn a new language.

I don’t have a bucket list but do have the flip side of that, a mental record of all the things I hope not to do, things like trying to run through a plate glass window. Regretfully, I checked that off yesterday.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have a reason. I’d accidentally left my debit card sticking out of the ATM machine at the bank and 30 minutes later realized it. Racing back with the hope it would still be there, my heart sank when it wasn’t.

And that’s where the I-hope-not list got checked. Racing toward the glass double doors of the bank, I paid no attention to the recent remodeling that had made a set of double doors into one door and one panel of glass. When I bolted into the panel, it didn’t open even an an inch.

Immediately I got the chance to experience item #2 on the I-hope-not list: a split lip.

Come on in...

As soon as the stars cleared, I walked through the real door and into the bank, embarrassed by what had happened. But unbeknownst to me, my lip was dripping blood, and the teller’s face showed alarm. But she handed me my card without comment, so I smiled (ouch), and headed for the car’s visor-mirror (ugh).

Sometimes we rush through life at such break-neck speeds we don’t see what God is trying to show us. Maybe it’s a piece of guidance he wants to give or a new idea, possibly an important chiding or a practical interpretation of Scripture. If he considers it valuable enough and we still can’t see it, he might let us run right into it.

We may even end up with the spiritual version of a split lip, a blast of circumstances that hurts deeply. The reason behind them may not be visible, but being forced to endure them can be tantamount to a blast of unanticipated pain that shocks the system and leaves damage behind. But how can we prepare for what’s invisible?

We trust the One behind it.

Once we commit our lives to the Lord, whatever comes after that is part of his grand plan whether we see it coming or not. We can be sure we’ll encounter both the good and the bad, the honorable and dishonorable, split profits and split lips. The reality is, if it happens, we needed it.

Slammed...

My split lip is unsightly, but eventually it’ll heal and disappear. As a result of my I-hope-not experience, I’m fairly sure I’ll never miss “seeing” that invisible sheet of glass again, which is why a split lip can actually be a good thing.

But then again, I just might decide to stick with the bank’s drive-through.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him.” (1 Peter 1:8)

Fire!

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Back when I was a child, school teachers taught us about the origin of fire and how cave men (who descended from apes) figured out how to rub sticks together to make it. Eventually they used fire to stay warm, roast meat, light darkness, and in other ways make life better.

The Bible taught that the first people, Adam and Eve, didn’t descend from apes at all but were created by God. Most likely they were given a knowledge of tools and, through God’s instruction, knew what fire was and how to start one. I’m not sure they had much use for it at first, though, since Eden’s climate was perfect. (They were happily naked, and extra warmth apparently wasn’t needed.) As for cooking, fresh fruits and vegetables were delectable without being roasted, so meal prep didn’t need fire, either.

Once sin occurred, however, fire came in handy. Animal sacrifice became the norm, necessitating burnt offerings. And since they’d been given permission to eat meat by that time, they also needed fire to cook it.

As I’m writing this, I’m appreciating fire in a different way, enjoying the dancing flames in our fireplace. They’re warming the room and creating a lovely ambiance. But fire can also get out of control, doing major damage to people, places, and things.

Tree surgery

Last weekend we used fire in a Christmas season tradition when we burned our tree. The children gingerly extracted ornaments through prickly branches while Hans and I removed the lights. When the “snippers” and a saw came out, small fry fascination grew. And when Hans lit the heap of branches he’d stuffed into the fireplace, the kids went speechless.

A couple of times, as fiery branches toppled out onto the hearth, Hans and I had to move fast to regain control. But all in all it was a spectacular display.

Wild fire!

Fire produces high heat, and high heat can do wonderful things: sterilize a needle, bake a chicken, light a scented candle, power a furnace, or roast a marshmallow. But like all positive things, if allowed to escalate, it can hurt and destroy.

God has given many good gifts to mankind, and every one of them can be taken to unhealthy, harmful extremes. In his hands, though, fire (as in a “fiery trial) can refine us, cleanse us, give birth to a passion, or be a symbol of God’s presence. In special cases, he uses fire as judgment, calling himself “a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29) His judgment is always righteous, perfectly meted out to the situation, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Interestingly, though, God has also given us water powerful enough to squelch any fire: the living water of Jesus, i.e. salvation. And when we receive this gift, the Spirit comes to dwell within us.

BTW, that same Spirit arrived to the very first believers as (guess what) a fire.

 ”Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit.” (John 7:38)

Mountains from Molehills

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Emerald has been a by-the-book baby. At 2½ months, she has smiled through all manner of schedules and a wide variety of loud commotion. Always even-tempered, she’s amazed us with her calm demeanor through restaurant meals, shopping trips, and doctor’s appointments. And she’s been endlessly patient with lots of cousin-cuddles, kisses, and head-pats.

Tonight, however, her sunny disposition disappeared, and nothing satisfied her. Birgitta and I took turns trying to quiet her in what seemed like an interminable effort to get her to sleep, though in reality it lasted only 2 hours.

Birgitta had gone through Emerald’s regular bath and bedtime routine, after which she’d fallen asleep and been put into her bassinet as usual. This child has slept beautifully through-the-night 3 times in the past week alone, once for a 10½ stretch.

Wailing Emerald

So it surprised us when she began fidgeting in her bed immediately, eventually bringing herself up to a full roar. Birgitta picked her up and tried each of the usual soothers: pacing, bouncing on the exercise ball, rocking, patting, and shush-shush-shushing. Nothing worked.

I tried too, but Emerald refused to be calmed, stiffening her legs and flailing her arms while continuing with earsplitting screams. My theory was that whatever had first bothered her (a burp, an intestinal bubble, a sudden noise) was long gone, and she kept hollering just because she had started and couldn’t stop.

Although adults don’t usually open their mouths and yell full-power like babies do, we sometimes wish we could. We object to something undesirable as loud as we dare, and when the facts don’t quickly change, we get carried away with our responses.

But just like Emerald no longer remembered why she was crying, we can work ourselves into the same kind of frenzy for no good reason too, making a mountain out of a molehill.

It isn’t that God doesn’t want us to cry. I can think of 3 good reasons when he does:

  • when we’re mourning over our own sin
  • when we’re sharing in another person’s sorrow
  • when we’re calling out to him from a place of deep deficiency

In these instances our sobbing has positive purposes, which causes the Lord to rush in and minister to the need at hand.

Asleep at last...

Tonight Birgitta and I came to Emerald’s aid, despite believing she had no good reason to scream. But she’s just a baby, so we gave her the benefit of the doubt. Eventually she wore herself out and fell asleep by default.

We’re still puzzled over why she cried so hard for so long, but thankfully God is never puzzled over our crying, always knowing which good reason is behind it.

And in his great love for us, he’s often willing to comfort us even when we’re crying hard for no good reason at all.

“Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy.” (Psalm 69:32-33)