I stop at the same convenience store every morning to get my caffeinated beverage of choice. As I parked the other day, I noticed a car leaving with three men inside. One of them was just a minute or two away from getting a little surprise; on the roof of the car was a large styrofoam cup of coffee. It was too late for me to get the attention of anyone in the car, but I thought about what was likely to happen. Someone would say, “Hey, what’d I do with my —” just before coffee poured down the back window. Or maybe it would stay up there until the car made a stop, only then tumbling forward onto the windshield as if to say, “Remember me?” Would the man in the car laugh? Would he be mad? Would the other guys tease him?
It’s a sad thing to get what you need and then lose it. Or to have your big moment arrive, only to find you’re not prepared. One day when my daughter was about five, her preschool group made their own t-shirts. Lindsey drew a big horse head on her shirt—she was extremely fond of horses at the time. There was a large word balloon coming out of the horse’s mouth and he was saying, “Hello…uh…uh…well, never mind.” I instantly fell in love with this shirt and I still plan to get it framed to hang on my wall. That hapless horse had waited forever to get his moment in the spotlight and then…he had nothing to say.
Ever ask God for something and then, when you actually get what you’ve asked for, you don’t know what to do with it? I have. Several years ago, I asked God to help me love other people. And when it began to happen, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t say, “Uh…uh…never mind.” And I didn’t want to lose it, like a cup of coffee on a car roof. The only choice was to use it.
And—to borrow a line from Robert Frost—that has made all the difference.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Pardon the intrusion…
I was sixteen and eager to use my brand-new driver’s license at any opportunity. So when my mother asked me to go buy a gallon of milk, I didn’t whine; I took the money from her hand and set out, going to the store by the longest route possible. I was listening to the radio, cruising like a movie star, enjoying the still-new feeling of driving without anyone else in the car. After about fifteen minutes, I came to a stop sign and carefully braked. That’s when a strange man opened the door and got into my car. I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw two other guys in a car behind me. The fellow sitting in my passenger seat instructed me to drive out to the reservoir. Panicked, I did just what he said. Every time I came to a stop sign, the guys in the car behind would roll up and hit my bumper. I remember glancing at myself in the mirror and noticing how pale and scared I looked.
When I parked near the reservoir, the guy in my car asked for my wallet. I pleaded for him to let me go to the store and he could have the change from the money my mom had given me. For some reason he agreed. They followed me to the store, then took the money and left.
Back home, my mother’s “Where in the world have you been?” quickly turned to concern when she heard what had happened. I began locking the doors when I drove. I was angry and frightened of the guy who’d robbed me. But I moved on. That’s why it was a surprise when he popped into my head a few days ago. Occasionally I am convicted by Jesus’ statement that I cannot be forgiven unless I first forgive. So I will go through my past, trying to think of people I’ve never forgiven. After decades, I was suddenly reminded of the guy in my car. And I realized I’d had the car door locked—with him inside—for all these years. It was time to let him out.
We can give up driving, choosing instead to be driven…driven by hate or fear or guilt or doubt. Gas is expensive, though. It might be time to lighten the load. You won’t believe how much your mileage improves.
When I parked near the reservoir, the guy in my car asked for my wallet. I pleaded for him to let me go to the store and he could have the change from the money my mom had given me. For some reason he agreed. They followed me to the store, then took the money and left.
Back home, my mother’s “Where in the world have you been?” quickly turned to concern when she heard what had happened. I began locking the doors when I drove. I was angry and frightened of the guy who’d robbed me. But I moved on. That’s why it was a surprise when he popped into my head a few days ago. Occasionally I am convicted by Jesus’ statement that I cannot be forgiven unless I first forgive. So I will go through my past, trying to think of people I’ve never forgiven. After decades, I was suddenly reminded of the guy in my car. And I realized I’d had the car door locked—with him inside—for all these years. It was time to let him out.
We can give up driving, choosing instead to be driven…driven by hate or fear or guilt or doubt. Gas is expensive, though. It might be time to lighten the load. You won’t believe how much your mileage improves.
Almost finished…
Being a fan of the eccentric, I’ve long been aware of a house in San Jose, California, called the Winchester House. Sarah Winchester was the widow of William Winchester, of Winchester rifle fame and fortune. Legend has it that Sarah was told by some spiritual advisor that she would never achieve peace unless she built a house…and kept building it…forever. For 38 years, until her death, teams of workmen labored on her home, adding over 160 rooms. Through haste or by design, there are some very odd elements in the house: staircases which lead only to the ceiling; windows that look into other rooms instead of outside; and doors which open outside…three stories above the ground.
It’s easy to make fun of this rambling abode. That Mrs. Winchester must have been loony, huh? And then I realize that my house—the temple of God that is my body—has been under construction for even longer than hers. I’m not referring to my physical body, although I’ve been adding considerable square footage around the middle section. I’m referring to my person, my soul, my inner being. When I look back, I can see that I’ve built a few stairs which led nowhere. I’ve opened some doors that were dead ends. And I’ve put a lot of time and money into some areas that turned out to be uninhabitable.
Am I crazy? I’ll leave that up to you. I prefer to think that I’m just a work in progress, constantly changing, growing, remodeling. The part that makes me believe it’s not crazy is this: I’ve got a master Carpenter on full-time retainer. Oh, sometimes he shakes his head and says, “That’s not what should go in that spot.” But he keeps on building and building, stepping back to examine the job and say, “That looks beautiful!” It’s just a rambling, crazy house right now.
But he says he’s gonna build me a mansion next.
Vine-ripened…
Ketchup goes back to at least the 1600s. (I prefer the “ketchup” spelling to the more feline-referential “catsup”—but, hey, I’m a dog lover.) It appeared in an American cookbook as early as 1801. But did you know there were originally many other kinds of ketchup besides tomato? One could once choose lobster ketchup, mushroom ketchup, walnut ketchup and many other varieties, the uses of which I leave to your imagination. I suspect there’s good reason why you can’t go to the store and buy anchovy ketchup anymore.
Heinz launched their brand of ketchup in 1876 and there haven’t been many improvements since. Perhaps you remember back in 2000 when there was an attempt to foist purple or green ketchup upon us; those efforts came to naught and ketchup retains its crimson sauciness. Yes, I guess if we’ve mastered anything, you could say that we’ve had ketchup all figured out for quite awhile…except for those times when it’s hard to get it to start flowing out of the bottle.
Thus, a couple years ago, both Heinz and Hunt began packaging their ketchup in “upside-down” bottles. It seems like such a simple solution that you have to wonder why it took a couple of centuries. Churches can have things upside down, too, sometimes for hundreds of years. They focus on keeping rules and building impressive edifices and attracting crowds no matter what the cost. But then there are churches who have righted their message, emphasizing hope, grace, love and forgiveness. Such a simple idea; why does it take so long?
I traded in my old container years ago when I learned that God was not my adversary. When I came to know how much He loved me, it turned my world upside down…and it made that love flow much easier from me. Maybe you’re still stuck there: fearing God, never feeling good enough, always bearing that load of guilt. There’s a much better way. Catch up.
Heinz launched their brand of ketchup in 1876 and there haven’t been many improvements since. Perhaps you remember back in 2000 when there was an attempt to foist purple or green ketchup upon us; those efforts came to naught and ketchup retains its crimson sauciness. Yes, I guess if we’ve mastered anything, you could say that we’ve had ketchup all figured out for quite awhile…except for those times when it’s hard to get it to start flowing out of the bottle.
Thus, a couple years ago, both Heinz and Hunt began packaging their ketchup in “upside-down” bottles. It seems like such a simple solution that you have to wonder why it took a couple of centuries. Churches can have things upside down, too, sometimes for hundreds of years. They focus on keeping rules and building impressive edifices and attracting crowds no matter what the cost. But then there are churches who have righted their message, emphasizing hope, grace, love and forgiveness. Such a simple idea; why does it take so long?
I traded in my old container years ago when I learned that God was not my adversary. When I came to know how much He loved me, it turned my world upside down…and it made that love flow much easier from me. Maybe you’re still stuck there: fearing God, never feeling good enough, always bearing that load of guilt. There’s a much better way. Catch up.
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