There’s an age old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  and its answer might help prevent bitterness.  The question is asked because we think bad things should NEVER happen to ‘good’ people.  We think bad things shouldn’t happen to… us!

And it’s all because of our checklist.

I doubt you actually have a pen and paper with you at all times marking all the good you’ve done. (At least I hope you don’t.)  You might not be ‘keeping score’ but, just ask any Little Leaguer, it doesn’t mean you don’t know who ‘won’.

What’s on this ‘checklist of goodness’?

• Go to church – check
• Be nice to people – check
• Didn’t kill anyone on my way to work (even though that jerk cut me off) - check
• Paid my taxes (even though I don’t agree with the bailouts, etc, etc, etc…) - check
• Voted (no comment) - check
• Filled out my timecard (even though I dont’ get paid what I’m worth) - check
• Read my Bible – check
• Pray – check
• Tithe (even gave extra at the holidays) - check

Yes, this list may seem simplistic and maybe you are one of those amazing people who has given money to the homeless, donated a kidney to a co-worker, spent time at soup kitchens, knit blankets for babies, etc, etc…  You are a fine example of humanity, but that does not protect you from the ‘bad’.

We keep this mental checklist of all we’ve done and think it somehow matters.  Well, shouldn’t it?  Bottomline… no.  It doesn’t.  Because God does not keep a checklist of the things we’ve done the same way we do.  We’re all on the same field.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:21-24

We are saved by grace NOT by our works.  Yet we continue to think we earn ‘points’ by doing the basic requirements God has for us as Christians.

I had this conversation with a co-worker and it reminded me of our jobs.  You get paid because you are hired to do a specific job.  The job has requirements.

1. You need to show up for work every day you’re scheduled
2. You must do the work you’re hired to do
3. You are not to steal from the company
4. There’s probably some ‘Other duties as assigned’ language somewhere in there too

If you do those things, you’ll get a paycheck.  That’s how it works.  And we all have colleagues who do more or do less than we do.  Guess what?  They get a paycheck too!  And sometimes, they do their work with a terrible attitude!  Sometimes they are late, or barely do the minimum work.  (We keep mental checklists on these things too, don’t we?)

Here’s the kicker… you don’t get a bonus check for just doing the basic requirements.  Even if your attitude has been better than EVERYONE else for years!  Even if it’s public knowlege you’re the ‘go to guy’ to get a project done correctly the first time.  Even if you’ve worked late, come in early, and worked holidays.  Sometimes you’ll be recognized publically but, more often than not, you must be satisfied with knowing you’ve done your personal best.

Yet we expect God to look at our little personal checklist and be impressed with the things we think we’ve done all on our own.  Instead of understanding that His grace is the greatest ’bonus check’ of all, we think we deserve more.

We fool ourselves into thinking that doing ‘good’ protects us from bad things in life.  And we’re shocked when those bad things actually happen to us or our loved ones.  We are sinners in a sinful world.  Bad things are GOING to happen!  And I’ve decided to stop comparing myself to other sinners.  Because it’s easy to be ‘better than’ another sinner!  Do you compare yourself to those who are better than you?  Probably not nearly as often because it makes us feel like we don’t measure up.  Compared to other sinners in this world I could easily get myself bitter by putting my checklist up against theirs, and then seeing if they’ve been given more than me.  Why would God give her a husband and not me?  Why did he get a job/promotion/raise?

If instead I choose to compare myself to Christ… I’m humbled yet again and drop to my knees in thanksgiving that God, in His mercy, saved me.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. – Galatians 6:8-10

Put aside the checklist.  Take off the coat of bitterness that is trying to wrap around you, and focus on God.  Let His checklist be yours.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. – Revelation 2:2-3

Do not grow weary.  The work that we are doing for the Lord is known and we will be rewarded for it.  But we should not work FOR that reward, we work because it’s what we must do.   The reward is the bonus check.  Unexpected and exciting!

To whom will you compare yourself with this week?

The assignment was to write a poem about the short story ‘A Rose for Emily’ by William Faulkner.  If you haven’t read it, I think my poem might give you a clue as to what happens.  If you have read it, let me know what you think of the poem!

******

My mind was in a sorry state
because I knew it would be too late
to find a husband after all this time
I wanted someone who would be all mine!
My father is dead and out of the way
but somehow his memory seemed to stay
invading the halls and walls and stairs
stared at by eyes in pairs and pairs.
They’ve surrounded my house with buckets of lye
I hate them all, I want to die.
They talk about me behind closed doors
I don’t want to deal with them anymore.
But he has come, the man of my dreams
I wonder, can I trust him? Is he what he seems?
I need someone who’s loyal, forever true
if he ever leaves I won’t know what to do.
Now the problem is solved, there is no reason to worry.
He’s here to stay, he’s no more in a hurry.
Fear of loneliness is not a bother
He will not leave me like my father.
My love for both is in me still
that love made him yield to my will.
They’ll never know how long it’s been.
It is my own personal, private sin.
After I die, then they’ll know
and fear of me into horror will grow.
It’s my surprise for no one knew
just how far my love went for you.

(Written 1992)

A friend recently asked what my Quiet Time looked like.  Since I know her and the reasons she usually asks me these kinds of questions, I answered the question she was really asking, and not the one she voiced.

What is a Quiet Time and why should we have one?

It’s like going to a party.  There’s typically one host.  They invite those they know and sometimes those they’d like to know better.  Everyone mingles.  You get to know others on a surface level.  There’s a collective quality to a ‘good’ party.  But even at the best kinds of parties, most of the time you’ll find those people you don’t see often, or those you want to know more about and say, “It was great to see you… we really should get together and catch up.”  Because you know that seeing someone only at a party makes it almost impossible to deepen your relationship.

You plan the personal get together.  It’s usually just you and this friend.  Maybe it’s dinner, coffee, lunch, going out for dessert… however it is structured the best ones involve talking and catching up one-on-one with that other person.  If you often go out with this friend, your get-togethers change over time.  Maybe it’s just meeting at the movie theater to catch that flick you both wanted to see.  No dinner, no deep conversation, just entertainment.  No matter what – it’s that time together that’s important.

Eventually, as your friendship deepens you feel comfortable calling with concerns or worries.  Maybe just to vent.  You meet up to tell funny stories from your life that you know will make your friend laugh and you listen as they tell you about what is happening in their life.  You ask for advice and give advice.  It’s now a personal relationship you have with that friend.

Our time alone with God is the same way.

Church, or ‘corporate worship’, is like the party.  Everyone is together because of the host.  That’s the only connection most of the people in that one place have with each other.  And it’s a great way to celebrate God’s goodness and learn more about Him ‘formally’.  You can even hear how He’s working in other people’s lives.  Prayer requests and praises.  Songs of joy and hope.  By seeing the others who come together to worship God, we get a better picture of who God is in the global arena.

But if we want to have a personal relationship with God… we have to have that ‘get together’ or one-on-one time alone with Him.  It’s what some call ‘Quiet Time’.

Do you have to be silent?  I say no!  Reading the Bible and praying are rather fundamental when beginning a Quiet Time, but it doesn’t have to be the same day after day.  Everyone has their favorite places to eat, but most people would get very tired of eating at one place over & over & over again.  Change it up.  Use devotionals. SING!

But spend that personal time with God.  Pray then read the Bible.  Ask God to show you His attributes.  Learn how God is good, Holy, a provider, guide, and savior.  If you don’t feel the connection, pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you through His word.  Time alone with God is the only way to get to know Him deeply and personally.

I’ve been to many parties where I knew a few of the attendees enough to greet them by name, inquire after their family, even ask questions based upon things the host had told me about them.  But at the end of the party, I know I won’t see them until the next event.  And while I could say I knew them, maybe even use the term ‘friend’,  in reality I would not call upon them when I needed help or advice or an opinion.  If I did, they would find it strange because we don’t have a ‘close’ relationship.  We are not, in fact, friends.

And so, I have a Quiet Time with God.   I’m not consistent.  Sometimes I’m not a good friend.  I neglect God.  Put other things in front of my relationship with Him.  But I know what I should do to strengthen the relationship.  It’s not God’s fault if my friendship is weak.  He is waiting to spend time with me and to deepen our relationship.  He wants to be not only my God and King, but my friend.

How do I know this?  Jesus told His disciples what friendship with God looks like in John 15.

John 15:14-15

You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

I choose to be a friend of God’s.  And I want Him to say the same about me.  Do you?

James 2:23

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

For further reading… check out this blog I discovered on the topic of Quiet Times – Sacred Pathways: Loving God According to the Way He Made You by Gary Thomas.  (It’s also where I found the image by Luke Flowers.)

Dorothy L.Sayers (1893-1957) was an Oxford educated author, Christian humanist, and good friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.  A friend of mine recently introduced me to her work when he quoted her in his blog.

After some research I found some quotes I quite enjoy beginning with my personal favorite.  I look forward to reading her mysteries and works of non-fiction.

Why do you want a letter from me? Why don’t you take the trouble to find out for yourselves what Christianity is? You take time to learn technical terms about electricity. Why don’t you do as much for theology? Why do you never read the great writings on the subject, but
take your information from the secular ‘experts’ who have picked it up as inaccurately as you? Why don’t you learn the facts in this field as honestly as your own field? Why do you accept mildewed old heresies as the language of the church, when any handbook on church history will tell you where they came from?
Why do you balk at the doctrine of the Trinity – God the three in One – yet meekly acquiesce when Einstein tells you E=mc2? What makes you suppose that the expression “God ordains” is narrow and bigoted, while your own expression, “Science demands” is taken as an objective statement of fact?
You would be ashamed to know as little about internal combustion as you know about Christian beliefs.
I admit, you can practice Christianity without knowing much theology, just as you can drive a car without knowing much about internal combustion. But when something breaks down in the car, you go humbly to the man who understands the works; whereas if something goes wrong with religion, you merely throw the works away and tell the theologian he is a liar.
Why do you want a letter from me telling you about God? You will never bother to check on it or find out whether I’m giving you personal opinions or Christian doctrines. Don’t bother. Go away and do some work and let me get on with mine.

It it is worse than useless for Christians to talk about the importance of Christian morality, unless they are prepared to take their stand upon the fundamentals of Christian theology. It is a lie to say that dogma does not matter; it matters enormously. It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that it is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe. It is hopeless to offer Christianity as a vaguely idealistic aspiration of a simple and consoling kind; it is, on the contrary, a hard, tough, exacting, and complex doctrine, steeped in a drastic and incompromising realism. And it is fatal to imagine that everybody knows quite well what Christianity is and needs only a little encouragement to practice it. The brutal fact is that in this Christian country not one person in a hundred has the faintest notion what the Church teaches about God or man or society or the person of Jesus Christ…. …Theologically this country is at present is in a state of utter chaos established in the name of religious toleration and rapidly degenerating into flight from reason and the death of hope.

— Creed or Chaos? Why Christians Must Choose Either Dogma or Disaster

To the average man, life presents itself, not as material malleable to his hand, but as a series of problems…which he has to solve…And he is distressed to find that the more means he can dispose of—such as machine-power, rapid transport, and general civilized amenities, the more his problems grow in hardness and complexity….Perhaps the first thing he can learn form the artists is that the only way of ‘mastering’ one’s material is to abandon the whole conception of mastery and to co-operate with it in love: whosoever will be a lord of life, let him be its servant.

— The Mind of the Maker

I wrote this my senior year of high school for my Creative Writing class.

Much of my writing is to remind my ‘older’ self of things I learn and how I felt at certain ages of my life.  My goal for this poem was to not only express how I was feeling at that moment, but also to show how I knew in the future I’d be facing the same opinion from my own children.  Do children ever really understand adults before they become adults?  I remember writing and rewriting the ending to express the cycle of the adult/child relationship.  How we think we’ll remember and somehow ‘right the wrongs’ we faced as children, yet we end up creating new ‘wrongs’ with the next generation.

What do you think?

******

I’m getting older and hopefully wiser
although my parents still treat me as a child,
at times.
I suppose I understand
I’ll always be their child.
I am the youngest
the baby
the Lucky One
at least my sister thinks so.
I don’t know about that myself
sometimes
I feel I have it the worst of anyone.
My sisters achievements
held up to me as a mold
something I should fit
but don’t.
I am unique, my own persona
I’ve been called the ‘happy one’, the ‘talkative one’.
What happens when I’m in a neutral mood?
A ‘I’m here” only mood? When I just want to sit and think?
I’m now the ‘grumpy, unusually silent one’.
No, just tired.
No use though, trying to explain
takes too much of their time to listen.
They like me better when I’m happy, acting
like there’s nothing for them
to worry about.
I wish they took as much interest in my stories of the day
as they do
with the 11 o’clock news.
I will look back and remember
I will use these memories
to my advantage
for my children.
I will always try to be there for them
reschedule appointments
remember important dates for my child’s activities
listen to their boring yet trying experiences
in their self-centered
child world.
Love them forever.
I guess I have grown wiser as
I grew older
I only hope my children will know
and appreciate just how far
I came
and
how wise I’ve
grown.

Why is it that when you’re a kid and Christmas only means presents, pretty lights, and wrapping paper does Christmas seem to be so BIG?  The movies, songs, cookie baking, decorations, school concerts, plays, and those fun christmas sweaters… (Ok, so maybe that’s a girl thing.)

I remember the build up and the excitement .  Yet now that my focus is on the TRUE meaning of Christmas, the ‘holiday season’ is a blur until about December 23rd.   Then it suddenly BLAZES into reality and I’m hit with the fact I haven’t bought any gifts.

It’s obvious to any American - Christmas has become too commercialized.

A few years ago the ads were pushing this joyous holiday notion:

 ”This is what I want – don’t forget to buy it or I won’t be happy with you.” 

It was on the radio, TV, and even on billboards.  Especially the jewlerly & new car ads.  They’re still overwhelming!

Is it really true that people cannot have a good Christmas experience without someone dumping hundreds of dollars on a gift for them?  Am I the only one who feels this way?  Maybe that’s why each year I petition my family to give up giving gifts and just enjoy being with each other.  Is it laziness or refocusing on the true meaning of Christmas?

Retailers complain that too many people are NOT shopping, which hurts the economy.  Yet I hear people talking about buying $250 iPods, Wii systems, and PS3’s, computers, Plazma TV’s, etc…  And I really think we’ve lost the meaning of Christmas.

Not just that it’s a holiday meant to celebrate the best gift ever given to man-kind, God’s son Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary.  It’s not just that which has been lost.   Today it appears more people are focused on what they want.  Which means gift giving has become “how to make other people happy without going into too much debt”, rather than giving something that says, “Hey, I’m glad God blessed me with you as a friend.”

Someone recently asked me why I give gifts at Christmas.  “To show God how much I appreciate the gift of my friends & family I can pray and thank Him, and treat them well.  But to show them how much I appreciate the gift of their friendship and love, I buy them something to represent it.  I don’t need to buy it, but I choose to give them something meaningful.”

With some of my friends, we’ve agreed to not buy each other gifts.  It ended up feeling like we should just trade $20 and call it even.  Because that’s the gift-giving game:  making sure you don’t spend too much, for they might feel badly that they didn’t spend enough on YOU.  One of my friends & I came up with the idea to adopt a needy kid for Christmas and buy toys for them instead of getting something for each other.  Another friend and I just give each other cards.  Dollar limits with a few other friends and always with my family also reduces the stress.  It makes me think harder about what I’m going to purchase instead of just ‘throwing money at them’.

This year I’m so caught up with work and the changes in my life it’s been hard to even focus on these wonderful people and what should be bought to show them how much they are appreciated.

That’s when I really wish I could go back to being like a kid.  When the joy of Christmas seemed to stretch forever and a little wooden clothespin tree ornament decorated like an Orioles player was treasured by the grandparent who received it.  Because he knew it was given with a lot of thought, all of my love and not one penny of my own money.

Do you think it will ever be like that again?

Neither do I.

Laundry is never ending.  Even as you finish the ‘last load’ something you’re wearing will need to be washed.   And the Spin Cycle seems to take the longest when you’ve forgotten to wash what you need.

While doing laundry one night I thought about the Spin Cycle and me.  The last few months have been a constant state of change.  Not knowing which way was up, if I was headed in the right direction, or, if the news is to be believed, in this ‘dire economy’ my life would fall apart.

God tells us we will be tested.  And times of testing can wear me out.  I pull away from my normal over-exuberance toward others while I attempt to ‘work out’ what’s going on in my life.  And I question WHY I need to be tested.  And… I thought of my clothes.

I wash my favorites over and over because they get the most use and become dirty.  Not because I want them to fade, get tumbled again and again, or shrink.  They get the most use because I love them the best.  They need to be clean and ready to be used at a moments notice.

The laundry cycle remains the same.  Detergent is put in, then the dirty clothes.  The water starts to pour on them… making them heavy and wet and completely at the mercy of the machine.

Then the twisting and turning begins.  The clothes are spun to remove the dirt and water.  And just when it seems to be over - the rinsing starts.  More water, more agitation and finally softener.  Then they go into the dryer and finally, FINALLY they are ready to be folded and put on the shelf.

That is what God’s testing does to me.  I feel twisted and turned, overwhelmed and beaten up and heart sore.  That softened heart is then ready to accept the cleaning God had planned from the beginning.  God gently picks me up and puts me in place to be used for Him again.

Cleaned, refreshed and renewed in spirit.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Many times I feel I’ve somehow failed God when He tests me.  That the tests are too much for me to bear.  But once I compared God’s testing of me to my laundry cycle, it became easier to realize that times of testing will come and go, leaving me better than when I started.  Reminding me that God chose me to be a part of His plan, and I will continue to need to be cleaned and readied for the next time God needs me.

Where are you?  Are you in the Spin Cycle?  Or do you feel your tub is just filling with water and you’re ‘over your head’?

This week will you take time to thank God for His testing and refining?

If you take pride in your maturity being called child-like is an insult. Only when you are of advanced age do you appreciate someone guessing you to be much younger than the number of candles melting on your cake.

We spend our lives trying to act mature, be an adult, to be considered ‘grown-up’. Yet in scripture Jesus tells us we have to be like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 18:15-17 NIV

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

But… WHY? We consider being a child to equal a lack of maturity. How can you be a ‘mature Christian’ and still enter heaven like a child? The answer came to me while talking with my oldest nephew.

Children are amazing to talk with, to listen to, and are very entertaining to watch. I love everything about them. And a conversation with my nephew is always fodder for thought.

During a routine description of his afternoon, he shared with me that he got 2 “Pac-man cookies”. I murmured something appropriate and he continued to explain, “and it had a message inside”. He used the knowledge gained over the past four years to describe what he had seen and eaten. You and I would call them… Fortune Cookies.

When you think about it, it is an accurate description based upon past experience. Fortune Cookies look like one of his favorite computer game characters. So that’s how he explained them to me. He wasn’t seeking more information. He explained what he knew to be true. They were cookies. They looked like pac-man. They had a message inside. Why look deeper?

Which is how I came to understand entering the kingdom of heaven as children.

God reveals Himself to us in many ways. We pray, He answers and we see change. Maybe in ourselves, maybe in our surroundings, maybe in others. God takes action. We don’t always recognize it based upon past experience. We must have the right name for it. “That was God.” is not enough when something happens.

To recognize Him as an adult, His actions must fit into a particular box. Each of our boxes are labeled.

• This is how God shows me His goodness.
• This is how God shows me His mercy.
• This is how God shows me His love.
• This is how I know I’m in God’s will.

No wonder we get confused, lonely, and scared when God does not seem to act in the ways we have determined for Him.

God can take different shape. He can work through many others. And He loves to challenge us, to change things up. Remember, He created us in HIS image! He gives us the right to choose Him. Why wouldn’t God want to solve our problems and answer our concerns in different ways? Otherwise, what a boring job it would be to fit all His actions into our little labeled boxes.

Admit it. Talking to and dealing with adults can be very, very boring.

How does God want us to act like children?

God wants us to view Him with wonder.

My nephew is always amazed at all the things I know and can do.

God wants us to love Him and all the ways He provides for us.

When asked what his mommy’s job was, my nephew told my sister “Your job is to take care of ME!” No one does it better. Does he really know all that she does to protect and care for him? No. And he never will. At age 4 he doesn’t question that she loves him, provides for him, and takes care of all his needs.  His doubt about her actions and choices will begin only as he becomes more ‘adult’.

God wants us to worship Him with our voices, our music, and our very lives.  And to pray without ceasing.

My nephew wants to spend every minute I am there playing, talking and just enjoying our time together.  Nap time separates us, which means nap time can become a struggle.  On a recent visit he was so excited about my presence he wanted me to spend ‘the whole day’ with him at preschool.  When I declined, he invited his entire preschool class back to my sister’s home so they could meet me.   In less than 5 years, I doubt he would relish me spending an entire day at school with him.  By the time he is a ‘young adult’ even a hug will probably embarrass him in front of his friends.

Is that how we treat God?  No wonder He wants us to be like little children.

Will you let Him be the ‘pac-man cookie’ in your life?  Will you stop trying to micro-manage God and put Him into a pre-labeled box?  How about treating God like you are a child again?

I am a “Child of God”.  I need to start acting like it.

As for my nephew, he enjoys playing pac-man and trying to eat all the ‘jelly fish’.  I cherish every single day I get with him.  He’s teaching me so much just by telling me about his trip to the mall and what he had for dinner.

And God knew the message in his pac-man cookie was for me.

You know I adore the Narnia series.  What I love most about C.S. Lewis’ writing is the simplicity of words. With so few pages of type he can create a symphony of thought rolling through my mind. Characters jump off the page and into my imagination. Living, growing and becoming a part of my life. If you don’t love reading, you won’t understand. If you do, and you haven’t read C. S. Lewis… you should.

Below you’ll find some of my favorite and most easy to find quotes by C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963) taken from “The Quotations Page“. Enjoy!

*************************

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Do not let us mistake necessary evils for good.

*This one I really need to take to heart!*

Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

Isn’t this so true?

Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.

Many of my best relationships fall under this truth!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one.

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.

It is hard to have patience with people who say “There is no death” or “Death doesn’t matter.” There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as well say that birth doesn’t matter.

It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see one.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’

Mortal lovers must not try to remain at the first step; for lasting passion is the dream of a harlot and from it we wake in despair.
- ‘The Pilgrim’s Regress’

Every poem can be considered in two ways–as what the poet has to say, and as a thing which he makes.
- A preface to “Paradise Lost”

Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.

If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world.
- Mere Christianity

No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as ‘what a man does with his solitude.’
- The Weight of Glory

Some would call it ‘chance’, some luck… but I know the Lord has led me to every job I’ve ever had.

Starting with my first babysitting job to my current position I can trace the path. It’s rather amazing to see the puzzle fitting together. And now I’m waiting for another piece.

You see, I don’t know what my Nineveh might be, but apparently, like Jonah I am going to find out sooner rather than later.

We learn about Jonah because he chose to ignore the will of God. He was told specifically by God to go to the people of Nineveh and tell them the way for them to be saved. But Jonah didn’t want to see them saved. He, rightfully so, thought they were a pretty terrible bunch. So he took it upon himself to run away from God’s plan since he knew they wouldn’t change if he didn’t tell them they should… and eventually God would destroy them. Basically, Jonah thought he knew better than God and that somehow he could control God by just not doing what He asked.

I’m not saying I’ve been ignoring God’s will on purpose.  Before I took my current job, I prayed about it.  And not just some ritual ‘type’ prayer.  I made it very specific.  Laying out my fleece if you will.  To determine if the job I took was what God wanted in my life I asked for a few ’signs’.

• It be close to my family.
• It would start after my vacation or if before, they would give me the time off.
• It would pay me a very specific amount of money.
• It would be a job I’d be challenged by and would use my various talents.

When all of those things were answered:

• 3 miles from where I was living
• Called me for an interview about the job the very day after my vacation
• I was offered the exact amount of money I prayed for (even though I actually asked for less)
• Was an awesome opportunity career-wise!

Where’s the problem?  Let’s go back to Jonah.

Jonah’s off doing what he thought was right and God had to do something dramatic to change his direction.  God starts a big storm and it begins to sink the ship.  Jonah knew it was because of him and asked to be thrown overboard.  Exit Jonah = end of storm.

And that is where I am.

I’ve known for a while that God has other things for me to do.  Not, ‘Go to Nineveh’ specific… but I’ve been biding my time at my current company for 13 years.  Yes, I have changed departments, locations, and job titles along the way.  But with a great benefits package and many weeks of vacation I was quite comfortable!  Why make a change which could impact my salary, time off, etc.  So… I’ve stayed.

Now – I’ve just been thrown off the boat!

Last week I got the news that I was being laid off.  My company is having some financial challenges and to stop the bleeding, they have to lay-off a bunch of us until more revenue is available.  I couldn’t help but think that God was sinking the ship to get me to leave cause He knows I wasn’t going to go on my own!  And now – I don’t have a choice.

The great part about this is I’m getting a wonderfully generous severance package.  So, I have a few months to find another job, then my severance starts and I’ll move on to the next phase of my life.  Who else but God could cause my departure to be so pain-free?  Had I just ‘quit’ I would have felt that I’d moved off my course somehow and would not reap the benefits of being at one company for so long.

Now, if only I knew where my Nineveh is located… I’d start swimming in that direction.

BTW – For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jonah’s story… he eventually got to Nineveh, told them the news and they did change their ways.  All were saved.