Meditations and Musings
Meditations and Musings
These verses from Proverbs have captured my thinking, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.” I want my words to help and heal. As believers, we have been given the wisdom of the ages. We have been given the truth and the mystery of life. I want my words and advice to be full of this God given gift. Full of power, grace, and life giving strength.
My wife recently had oral surgery. One of the benefits of her pain was that she was given the power of the clicker. She was able to choose what we watched on TV. A friend of hers recommended a series and so we began to watch it. It is one of those series where there are about 8 regular cast members and the amount of drama those 8 people muster up is simply amazing. Relationship drama, work drama, car accident drama, coma drama, murder drama, abusive drama, food poisoning drama, drug dealer drama, drama, drama, drama and I would imagine, if we keep watching it, there will be more drama. What is amazing is that all of this drama happens in the life of these eight people in the span of about a year. They even had an accidental killing of a very bad man but they covered that up but, dramatic music please, there is a twin brother who is looking for his dead brother. Dunt, dunt, dunt, duh. Here is what I became enamored with as we watched each of these life changing things take place...everyone always had the exact right thing to say in each situation. They brought the right comfort. They said the right word of encouragement or challenge. They never stammered or struggled for some good advice. They never walked away thinking about something better they could have said. They hugged just at the right time, they showed up at someone’s house at the exact time, they gave the perfect gift, and they never seemed to have any conflicts when help was needed. They could just leave work at any time. If they were needed at the hospital, then they went. If someone needed them to sit with them for days, then that is what they did. Money was never an object and pies and dinners showed up in the blink of an eye. It is the perfect world of support and care.
So I sit there and compare it to my world and my desire to help others. I seem to show up at the wrong moment. People are in the middle of something and my presence is more of a nuisance than a comfort. I stumble over what to say and usually think of the perfect verse when I leave. Oft times, when something is needed it is impossible to drop what I am doing. If I do bring a pie, it is one they have told me in the past that they are not fond of. I remember, as a kid, going to funeral and going up to the husband at the casket and saying, “I am sorry”. He gave me a very loud, five minute lecture, about how his wife was far better off and as Christians we are not sorry but are trusting. I wanted to climb in with his wife. I seem to step into those situations all the time. Even if I say the right thing, it is the wrong thing. I am just awkward. Wedding receiving lines are my kryptonite. Do you shake hands, hug, or simply nod. Usually I am caught in between and end up stepping on feet. Also baptisms are awkward. What is the proper thing to say? God bless you, congratulations, or way to be obedient? Oh, and I am pretty terrible on the phone. I have left some of the dumbest sounding messages known to mankind.
But I keep trying. I keep searching the Word of God looking for wisdom to share and loving how simply and beautifully the Word says things. I keep asking God to use me. It would be easier to hide in my room but that is not what God has called us to do. Maybe you are awkward to. You have tasted your shoe too many times. Persevere with me. Pray that God uses our awkward attempts at loving others to glorify himself. Keep saturating yourself with the Word of God and asking the Spirit of God to bring it out at the right time. Keep baking pies and seeking to show up when God prompts you and even though it does not look like the TV script, God will encourage others. And the one day when you say just the right thing, at the right time, and God uses it mightily, send me a picture of apples of gold in settings of silver so that we can rejoice together.
These verses from Proverbs have captured my thinking, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.” I want my words to help and heal. As believers, we have been given the wisdom of the ages. We have been given the truth and the mystery of life. I want my words and advice to be full of this God given gift. Full of power, grace, and life giving strength.
My wife recently had oral surgery. One of the benefits of her pain was that she was given the power of the clicker. She was able to choose what we watched on TV. A friend of hers recommended a series and so we began to watch it. It is one of those series where there are about 8 regular cast members and the amount of drama those 8 people muster up is simply amazing. Relationship drama, work drama, car accident drama, coma drama, murder drama, abusive drama, food poisoning drama, drug dealer drama, drama, drama, drama and I would imagine, if we keep watching it, there will be more drama. What is amazing is that all of this drama happens in the life of these eight people in the span of about a year. They even had an accidental killing of a very bad man but they covered that up but, dramatic music please, there is a twin brother who is looking for his dead brother. Dunt, dunt, dunt, duh. Here is what I became enamored with as we watched each of these life changing things take place...everyone always had the exact right thing to say in each situation. They brought the right comfort. They said the right word of encouragement or challenge. They never stammered or struggled for some good advice. They never walked away thinking about something better they could have said. They hugged just at the right time, they showed up at someone’s house at the exact time, they gave the perfect gift, and they never seemed to have any conflicts when help was needed. They could just leave work at any time. If they were needed at the hospital, then they went. If someone needed them to sit with them for days, then that is what they did. Money was never an object and pies and dinners showed up in the blink of an eye. It is the perfect world of support and care.
So I sit there and compare it to my world and my desire to help others. I seem to show up at the wrong moment. People are in the middle of something and my presence is more of a nuisance than a comfort. I stumble over what to say and usually think of the perfect verse when I leave. Oft times, when something is needed it is impossible to drop what I am doing. If I do bring a pie, it is one they have told me in the past that they are not fond of. I remember, as a kid, going to funeral and going up to the husband at the casket and saying, “I am sorry”. He gave me a very loud, five minute lecture, about how his wife was far better off and as Christians we are not sorry but are trusting. I wanted to climb in with his wife. I seem to step into those situations all the time. Even if I say the right thing, it is the wrong thing. I am just awkward. Wedding receiving lines are my kryptonite. Do you shake hands, hug, or simply nod. Usually I am caught in between and end up stepping on feet. Also baptisms are awkward. What is the proper thing to say? God bless you, congratulations, or way to be obedient? Oh, and I am pretty terrible on the phone. I have left some of the dumbest sounding messages known to mankind.
But I keep trying. I keep searching the Word of God looking for wisdom to share and loving how simply and beautifully the Word says things. I keep asking God to use me. It would be easier to hide in my room but that is not what God has called us to do. Maybe you are awkward to. You have tasted your shoe too many times. Persevere with me. Pray that God uses our awkward attempts at loving others to glorify himself. Keep saturating yourself with the Word of God and asking the Spirit of God to bring it out at the right time. Keep baking pies and seeking to show up when God prompts you and even though it does not look like the TV script, God will encourage others. And the one day when you say just the right thing, at the right time, and God uses it mightily, send me a picture of apples of gold in settings of silver so that we can rejoice together.
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