THE EYE-QUE OF THE BEHOLDER....

Our second-hand bookcase wasn't quite
wide enough for the entire encyclopedia set,
 thus a humorous break with a "boo"!

Grandson Number 2 was frustrated that day he came to my home after school. We'd fought our way through his arithmetic worksheet and now he had one for social studies. “I can't do it,” he whined. “Yes, we can,” I countered. “The answers are in the encyclopedias.”

Okay, for a half-way-through-grade-school kid of the internet age, encyclopedias rank up there with dinosaur bones. Ones still needing to be dug up. But I wanted him to discover that, despite their fading reputation in our internet age, encyclopedias have a lot to offer. So I led him to my home's book-cased set and helped him find what he needed to know.

I grew up before the virtual age, when “smart kids” often had home encyclopedia sets (my childhood home did!). I enjoyed looking up various topics. Yes, I know, I was different. But I did graduate as one of the top ten academically in my high school class. My only “B” grades were in physical education. (I married an elementary p.e. teacher—go figure!) And I thank my parents for encouraging me to study—and for putting out all that money for encyclopedias.

Fast-forward to marriage and children—and a teacher-husband with a similar “encyclopedia” upbringing. At one point, he decided to sell sets to bring in extra income. And he sold just enough sets for us to have our own.

Mix two children into that—a boy and girl who were encouraged to do their best at school. Yes, the home bookcase with the world's facts and figures, A-Z, occupied a prominent place in the living room. And they used them. Graduated from high school at the top of their class. Earned amazing scholarships to college.

Francis Bacon, 16^th century philosopher and statesman, is famed for this quote: “Reading maketh a full man, conference [discussion] a ready man, and writing an exact man.” If you think about it, reading takes a lot of concentration. It expands one's vocabulary and knowledge, and helps us evaluate situations we encounter in our modern world. And sitting down with a book with a succinct article about a certain subject is a sure winner for exploring questions about the world we live in—past and present.

By the way, we also invested in a mega-size world atlas. Both my son and daughter had an eighth grade teacher who emphasized map-reading and detailed work sheets. Their perception of the world went way beyond our valley, and that was a good thing.

Yet even as I advocate use of reference aids like encyclopedias and atlases, I'm grateful I've gone a step-further in reference aids for my passion: learning about God's Word. The top shelf of my desk has Bible dictionaries, commentaries, various Bible translations, and books to help me sleuth out the meaning of Hebrew and Greek words.

Would Francis Bacon have used such resources? Maybe, if available in his time. Biographers have lots of opinions about the boundaries of his religious beliefs. I won't go there. But I will agree with him that books still reign. And especially the Book above all books. I think about that as I read the end of the Gospel of John, where the aging apostle declares:

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I supposed that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25)

SUN-SEEKERS

I was SO READY for spring this year, and was cheered by two gift bouquets of tulips. I put them together in one vase and placed them on a west-facing lamp table, spreading out the blooms in a circle. Later that afternoon, I was surprised to find they'd done some re-arranging of their own, all turning toward the sunshine coming through this window tracking the afternoon sun. I knew plants still in the soil sought the sun, but cut ones? The sight of those “head-turners” reminded me of comforting phrases in Psalm 34, especially these:

I sought the LORD and He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (vv. 4-5)

The word “radiant” especially caught my attention. Going through a season of loss and grief doesn't exactly make every day or hour a sun-shiny one. But God is teaching me to look up in faith to His love and sufficiency. And maybe to look out in faith to point those around me to the source of true joy and hope.

To be radiant, even when my days aren't all that sunny with happy connections and happenings.

Years ago, I received a number of notes and E-mails that were, well, grumpy and unappreciative. Yes, dumping on me. I knew enough of the sender's background to realize they wanted their own way instead of submitting to the Lord's discipline and better plan. Dealing with their negatives was a good exercise for me in asking whether similar behaviors were true of me. Yes, as David wrote in this psalm, to “seek the Lord.” To “look to Him.” And—in so doing, gain His perspective on fears and unmet expectations.

That last phrase of verse 5, “never covered with shame,” holds so much quiet power. In looking to the Sun of Righteousness, the shadows fade in the brilliance of His perfect love. There's another aspect to this psalm. The credits indicate David wrote it after a scary time (told in 1 Samuel 21), when he was running for his life away from mad King Saul. He was trying to hide amid some enemies—bad choice—especially since he turned up in the home territory of Goliath, the enemy giant he'd killed!

Do I still have fears, things that upset and scare me? Of course, I'm human. But I have a choice, like those crazy and lovely tulips, to seek the Light. To let the inner beauty God crafted as “me” to shine forth in the brief time I have to bloom for Him.

Sadly, my tulips wilted and had to be tossed after a few days. But I enjoyed the colors and reminders of spring's re-emergence. I reflected on the love shown me by those who gave me the tulips. And I realized God, in His grace, allowed this reminder to seek Him—the One bigger than fears or disappointments, and whose radiant Love is available to me, 24/7.

THE 'LION, THE SNATCH & THE YARD-ROBE

 Apologies to C.S. Lewis (author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) but I think of this parody title (my invention!) of his famous allegory fiction  when spring comes. The warmer weather brings the emergence of lawn dande-LIONS that I try to SNATCH before they seed out to turn my YARD into a fluffy white ROBE of reproducing, winged seeds. Yes, I know they're pretty little flowers for little children to pick for a bouquet for mommy or grandma. (I've been blessed this way by earnest little hands.) They're fun to blow to the winds. Can't you just hear that fluffy little head saying, “Whee, free ride to another home”? But, not “pretty” for my culture's gardening ideal that considers the dandelion a weed.

So, I am thinking....do I cultivate spiritual dandelions in my life? When my heavenly Lawn-Keeper is at work in the garden of my soul, am I letting weeds like anger, resentment, discontent, slander, unfounded suspicion and such negatives sprout and spread? One sage remarked, “If you ignore little things, they'll become big problems.”

I think that fits right in with the Lord's pattern for prayer that includes “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” It calls for sweeping the "attitude dust" out of the heart-house, determined to minimize more re-entering. It means plucking out deceptively pretty blooms of “it's all about me” to clear the landscape for the beauty and purity of Christ to show forth.

The Prayer also includes this petition: “Lead us not into temptation,” avoiding sinful choices and attitudes which could flourish and spread. Tending the spiritual life calls for tenderheartedness regarding words and behaviors that shouldn't be. Then, an earnest desire to have God lead us away from tolerating the rogue attitudes and actions that don't belong in the garden (or lawn) of our souls.

So, apologies to C.S. Lewis for tampering with the title of his famed “Narnia” fantasy fiction. It was part of parent/childhood reading for my son and daughter. Not only had I previously read the series myself, but back about 1980 I saw the actual Lewis family wardrobe (stand-alone closet) made famous as an imagined entrance to “Narnia.” Purchased in England, brought to the U.S., it was then located in a dedicated archive room of the Wheaton College library. A photo of it here:

cs lewis wardrobe at wheaton college - Search Images

THAT HAPPY PLACE

 A huge green plastic turtle—so old its eyes have faded away—has occupied the backyard for decades. In the 1980s, it delighted a little boy and later a little girl, who found sand to be fun and creative. (Because its lid was faithfully replaced at night, I never worried about animal waste finding its way to the sand!) Now that my grandchildren have passed the age of sand-play at that old turtle-box, it's time to let it go to a new home. But not without first reflecting on just what is a “happy place.”

Of course, I think about how the Bible defines “happy.” Psalm 144:15 says, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” Similar truths are expressed in others: 20 Bible Verses about Happiness - Uplifting Scripture Quotes . But in reflecting on the word “happy” in its spiritual sense, I'm often taken to a famed quote by Frederick Buechner (1916-2022):

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. (1)

Ironically, Buechner's father died of suicide when he was only ten years old. But he emerged from that childhood trauma to become a well-known Presbyterian minister and author of 39 books. One writer characterized Buechner as showing “faith despite doubt.” Among his famed quotes:

*”If it seems a childish thing to do, do it in remembrance that you are a child.” (So yes, help a child build a sand castle! And remember the importance of childlike faith and trust in God.)

*”Pay mind to your own life, your own health, and wholeness. A bleeding heart is of no help to anyone if it bleeds to death.”

*”Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.” (Have you seen that on a gravestone? I think it fits.)

*”Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin.” 

This reminded me of another quote, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, (1932-1996), and how life's trials can be redeemed if they turn us into “wounded healers”:

Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.” (2)

Have you ever considered what sand used to be? Rocks! But when rocks are broken and eroded, they take on new purposes. They can even become sand for a child's play-place of imagination. Where tiny cars and trucks find new highways. Mountains and valleys emerge for a new world. And when there's water around, an imagined little city or park.

And maybe there's another message here. When the Hand of God is moving around the sands of our lives, will we allow Him to create a masterpiece for His glory?

(1) Quote by Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is the place where y...”

(2) Quote by Henri Nouwen: “Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounde...”

BY NAME

Decades ago, someone gave me this mug bearing the correct spelling for my name. I gratefully “wear” this name as it honors my father, John, for which “Jeanne” is a feminine form. And “John” is Hebrew for “God is gracious.” Certainly the idea of “God's grace” fit the reaction of a really-old first-time mom and dad, Elizabeth and Zachariah, whose baby boy "John" would be a cousin to Jesus. In fact, John's parents didn't name that baby. God did via the angel who announced the upcoming, miracle pregnancy (Luke 1:13, 63).

My dad's mother (named “Alvina,” meaning “noble friend”) died in 1927 when he was twelve years old. I was told that she had pneumonia, deadly in those days before antibiotics. She left three children (my dad was the oldest), and a deeply bereaved home. My middle name is my mother's name, Irene, which is Greek for “peace.” She was the oldest of nine born into poverty in a log cabin on a homestead in eastern Montana. Her father was a Norwegian immigrant; her mother had polio and was left with one leg shorter than the other. Yet despite that disability, she raised nine children (three girls, six boys) amid the hardships of primitive farm life. Yes, my name reminds me of my heritage.

So why all this chatter about names? Maybe because one of my favorite Bible passages in Isaiah speaks of names and God's intimate connection with His own. Although the passage addressed the nation Israel during its troubled history, it also speaks of God's character in loving and protecting those of us centuries later who look to Him as our Creator, Provider, and Savior:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze....You are precious and honored in my sight... I love you. (Isaiah 43:1b-2)

This passage especially reminds me of the Exodus story of how a huge people group was miraculously released from crippling Egyptian slavery to begin a long trek to freedom and a new life. Forty arduous, miracle-filled years later, this infant nation stepped into the Jordan River, whose waters miraculously parted. Fathers, mothers, children of all ages went forward for what must have been a scary yet exuberant crossing over a bare riverbed to a yet-unseen new homeland.

This is known history! It is also a record of the Divine Plan. Those thousands that participated in the long and miracle-saturated desert “exodus” learned how helpless they were without the help of God. This wasn't some man-planned expedition. It was a God-plan. These people weren't numbers to God. Each mattered. He knew each by name.

Did you pause at the boldfaced phrase quoted above? God didn't whistle for us (like livestock) or ring a bell or buzzer (like we heard in school!). He knows our names—the ones we like, maybe the ones we didn't. But he sees past the human naming ritual, even past our disappointing sin choices, to call us by loving names: Mine. Precious. Honored, My Love. Imagine those names on your mug! That would be my go-to mug, every day!

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I wondered if someone had come up with a song based on Isaiah 43:1, and the answer is “yes.” Click here: Bing Videos