JUST LISTENING

 

I stepped out the front door that early morning, looked down the street, and just listened. The birds of early spring were whistling, chortling, cawing, tweeting, and more..... We get so used to our "natural surroundings" that I suspect we forget that they, too, can praise their Creator.

Among Biblical reminders:

*Meadows (“clothed with flocks of sheep”) and valleys (“carpeted with grain”) “all shout and sing for joy!” (Psalm 65:13 NLT)

*As we look “up”: “The heavens declare the glory of God' the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)

*Watching the heaving waves, hearing the thunder of the surf and the whispering retreating waves: “The seas have lifted up their voice” (Psalm 93:3)

*The whole landscape: “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy” (Psalm 96:11-12).

As a still-single young adult (age 31), six months apart I lost my parents to cancer and a heart attack. In that difficult “next year” of grief plus re-homing their belongings and selling their home, I had to make many trips across one of the passes of majestic Mount Rainier. Near the summit, there was a turnoff that I gladly took for a driver's break. As I got out of the car, there rearing above me, in glistening splendor, was the state's trademark mountain. As I paused, I listened to my heart in awe of this sight reminding me of the power and strength of its Creator.

I had memorized much of Psalm 139, and several verses revisited as I considered the mountain grandeur:

Verse 5: God knew the past and the future: “You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

Verses 8-10: Wherever I go—the heights, the depths, beyond the dawn, on the far side of the sea, “even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

Washington's tallest mountain (a “sleeping volcano”) was worshiped by Native Americans, who called it “Tahoma.” (Strangely, it was later named "Rainier" by a British naval officer who surveyed Washington's coast and decided to give the mountain his friend's name. The friend never saw it in person!) I can understand their awe for a magnificent structure of creation. It helped me “lift mine eyes unto the hills” (Psalm 121), past my earth-bound worries and concerns, to my Creator.

I suspect too often we slam off the alarm, rush through the morning hygiene tasks, grab a breakfast and run to start our days. But now, in early mornings, the earth beckons me to pause and listen to the distinct voices the Creator gave the different bird species.

Maybe it's just me, but the gentle sunrise stillness especially draws me to worship. The cool, the dew, the chirps and chortles of winged life--just listening prompts my heart to praise the Creator.

HIDDEN

 It's one of the most frequently memorized Bible verses:

Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)

That verse sometimes came to mind as I look out the window and watch the local squirrels hurriedly dig a hole and drop in a just-acquired walnut. Often, when weeding, I find these “squirreled away” treasures. Some were quite dried out and dead, although a few had a tiny stem starting to poke out. A future walnut tree. But without the right conditions (good soil, water, light), most would never produce a tree.

When this psalm was written, the “Word” referred to the Torah or the “Law,” what we call the “Pentateuch.” That's the first section of today's Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the scriptures of the psalmist's time. Today it means the Bible's entirety: Old Testament history, poetry, prophecy and the “second half” (“New Testament”) with truths revealed through Jesus Christ's life and teachings. It's not a handbook given new employees! It's the ages-old counsel God provided for all humans.

The word translated “hid,” is from the Hebrew tsaphan, meaning to treasure, hoard, or cover. It's more than our English-language idea of “hiding” something from view. It's more like weaving golden strands of God's pure and loving standards into the fabric for everyday life. Those strands are heavenly truth to teach, reprove, correct and provide training in God's righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

Back to squirrels. They're not the only ones who hoard. Add in: chipmunks, hamsters, rats, mice, woodpeckers, corvids (crow family), moles, fire ants and fiddle crabs! And yes, humans. I've been inside the living quarters of hoarders. It is utterly sad that they can't let go of “things.” As I say this, my finger is pointed back at myself as I pursue “paring down piles” in my own home.

This whole idea of “stuff” (or personal treasures) takes me to the biographies of godly people like Corrie ten Boom. When arrested by the Nazis in World War 2, she was able to hide under her clothing a small copy of the Bible. Miraculously, during her concentration camp imprisonment, she was able to keep it from being discovered. At night, she'd bring it out in the filthy prisoner dorm (see one at this site: corrie ten boom prison camp - Search Images) and share with these hopeless women about Jesus and her hope in Him.

I hope you looked at that picture. Consider your despair if you'd been one of the cold, starving prisoners crammed into lice-infested, stacked bunks—all victims of a dark life outlook based on greed and political power. Then, look to Jesus. And scriptures.

The book about Corrie ten Boom's nightmare Nazi imprisonment (later a movie of the same name) was called “The Hiding Place,” referring to a hidden room in her home where she sheltered refugees before her own arrest. It also alludes to the declaration of David, himself a refugee from King Saul's murderous hunt for him, referred in Psalm 32:7:

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

“Selah” is a Hebrew word loosely translated, “Stop and think about it.” Thus I'll end: Selah!

ABOUT ROY G. BIV....

When a burst of sunlight follows a rainstorm, I often go outside to search the sky for a rainbow. It reminds me of the Biblical reference to this phenomenon after the Great Flood of Noah's time. After this faithful surviving husband and father, and his family, departed the ark (along with the animals), he saw a bow of colors in the sky. Genesis 9 says God communicated that this band would be a “sign of the covenant between Me and earth” that He would never again flood the entire world to cleanse it from sin.

I don't understand all the science behind how light rays become a rainbow. But when I see a rainbow, I think both of Noah and of the color meanings that emerged from its spectrum. As a child I learned the acrostic “Roy G. Biv” as a way to remember the color order. Later, learning the meaning of colors expanded my awe of the rainbow.

RED: Sacrifice, blood in Old Testament worship system and the bloody death by crucifixion of Christ for humankind's salvation. A close cousin, scarlet, used for sin. If you've ever passed quickly over Isaiah 1:18 (“though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow”), go to this website be awed by details on the grub used in ancient times as a red dye: The 'Scarlet Worm'.

ORANGE: not mentioned in Bible, but a “sacred” color for some Eastern religions. As a “fiery” hue, it connects with purification, passion, divine glory, and harvest.

YELLOW: negative meaning, for sin and fallibility. Leviticus 13 mentions yellow hair as a sign of the dreaded disease leprosy.

GREEN: like living plants of creation: hope, renewal, life, abundance, God's blessings.

BLUE: heaven. Also: sacrifice, atonement, salvation, purity. As “heaven,” the gateway to God Himself. Exodus 24:10 describes a vision of God and the pavement under His feet as bright as the blue sky. Also: the Law and Ten Commandments, something dedicated to a holy purpose, royalty, sacrifice, atonement, salvation, purity. Used for items in the Tabernacle, it was meant to encourage people to look to the sky—and by implication, heaven—to remember the true God. The Bible connects the color to power, importance and wealth.

INDIGO: a blend of blue and purple or violet. The dye was derived from a marine snail called the “murex mollusk” (see next color).

VIOLET (or purple): A valuable dye in ancient cultures connected with royalty or wealth, purple was sourced from a tiny Mediterranean snail whose gland produced only a single drop of the dye. One pound of dye reportedly took four million mollusks. Because of the dye's rarity and value, it was reserved only for those who were very wealthy, or worthy of some special merit or favor by the people. The dye likely contributed to the wealth of Lydia of Thyatira, the first Christian convert in Europe and known as “a seller of purple” (Acts 16). (Centuries later, in Victorian England, laws reserved purple or violet garments for wardrobes of royalty or the wealthy!).

So why all this chatter about colors? Because it's fascinating...and also intriguing that creation glorifies its Creator with a mysterious arch of brilliant colors when rain gives way to sun. Genesis 9 calls this natural sign a “covenant,” a visible reminder of God's grace when we fail Him. And maybe, instead of the symbolism of each hue of the rainbow, that Promise needs to be what I remember.

SEARCH & FIND

When my three grandsons come to visit, I can count on #3 (in first grade) wanting to do one of two things (after the traditional snack time). It's typically either play checkers with me (he'd play chess, too, if I was willing and knew how—remember, he's only first grade!) or do the “word search” puzzle in the local newspaper. That's the brain-teaser feature that disguises words going up, down, backwards and diagonally. He's a pint-sized pro at that. Did I say he was only first grade? So we sit at the kitchen table and search for all the words.

His enthusiasm for this newspaper word puzzle feature astonishes and amuses me. And I also think of how the Bible pictures “searching” in Proverbs. Presumably written by Solomon (considered the “wise” king, although his marital and fatherly life wasn't necessarily wisdom-saturated), it's full of aphorisms that seem simple at first glance. Then they deepen.

In the case of my puzzle-loving grandson, I think of Proverbs 2, and its admonition to seek wisdom and understanding. Most memorable (and often memorized) are verses 1-5. Don't skim over these. Though they seem repetitive, they are like different perspectives on the whole theme of living according to God's plan:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

I don't know how they mined silver in Solomon's day. It was probably labor-intensive and dangerous. Today's silver industry digs deep into the earth for silver laden rock, which then goes through extensive processing to produce the metal in demand for (besides jewelry) electrical contacts and circuit boards, solar panels, electric vehicles, and 5G devices. See more at: Visualized: The silver mining journey from ore to more - MINING.COM

How does one “mine” the spiritual silver? By the deliberate, ages-old “technique” of reading, understanding, and applying the warnings and commands of scripture. In her book My Heart's Cry: Longing for More of Jesus (W Publishing, 2002, p. 128) Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham) shared her “mining” tips. Every morning, before her “day” gets going, she goes to a place in her home where she keeps her Bible, notebooks, devotionals and writing supplies. For the next hour she reads scripture, jots insights, and prays, seeking to apply to her life the principles she “mined” from her scripture reading.

In short, she adds one word to the title of this blog: Search, Find, APPLY.

The “apply” task is what's sorely missing in the word puzzles my grandson loves to solve. They may be fun, but the words are randomly placed. God's hidden treasure is extracted by prayer and a heart desiring to be—as Mrs. Lotz phrased it in the subtitle of her book--”longing for more of Jesus.”

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The cement “aprons” to the driveways of two neighbors had eroded, sending cement debris and rocks onto the street blacktop. When the busy city repair crews finally got to our part of town, they dug out the aprons, lined them with forms, and then poured cement to “season” a few days. It was a long process, but worth it for my neighbors.

As I watched the project take place, I was reminded by a fun story about Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham. While out on a drive with someone, they came to road construction and the inevitable warning signs. As they got to the end of it and were greeted by the final sign, Ruth smiled and said, “That's what I want for my gravestone.” And that's what she got. Engraved on her burial stone is this: “End of construction, thanks for your patience.”

Couldn't any of us use that for our burial markers? But it took Ruth Graham, a devout but fun-loving spiritual “celebrity,” to think of it and order it to “happen.”

Years ago I wrote a book with the whimsical title, “When I Prayed for Patience, God Let Me Have It!” I had submitted it with a somewhat dull title (“The Power of Patience”). But I thank the joking editor who came up with one that brings a smile—and a curiosity about what's in that book. I recently thought (for maybe two seconds) that 10-word title of my book could be a good inscription for my final resting place. But considering the cost-per-letter, I'll be okay with a name and beginning/ending dates. Of course, it won't be up to me. Besides, that “ending date” (denoting physical death) for a Christian anticipates that new beginning in the presence of the Lord Jesus.

In the meantime, back here on the sunny side of the turf, I go in and out of my cement driveway apron (which didn't need re-poured), seeking to do what takes care of my family and lifts up the Lord. You know, things like going to the grocery store. (And encouraging the checker I know, whose husband has gone through some tough health stuff. Or maybe just being upbeat and offering a kind word or smile to the checker I don't even know at the Dollar Store. Or...or....)

Why bother with everyday stuff? Maybe because I'm aware that I'm still “under construction.” Day by day, as I read scripture and consider God's plan for my remaining earthly life, there need to be attitude changes that bring me closer to the character of my Savior. No doubt there are days when my presumed “halo” gets a little tarnished because I'm grumpy or in a hurry. But at the end of the day, when I think through it, I have agree with Ruth Graham that I'm still “under construction.”

If you're someone who knows me personally...well, thanks for your patience!

NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT....

Leave it to the mysteries of language development to name a kitchen tool after a music instrument associated with the Middle Ages. For years I had casually called my sturdy wired “egg slicer” a mandoline. Well, there are several spellings of the word (with its ending “e”) that denote both a more energetic kitchen slicing tool and a guitar-relative that dates back hundreds of years to Europe. Just envision a young man with his pear-shaped “guitar” serenading a young woman (usually in a coned hat) who is leaning out her tower bedroom window.

Let's settle with the simpler kitchen tool for this “blog.” Those who research idioms suggest several similar meanings for this seasoned saying: “No matter how you slice it, the outcome is the same.” To put it another way, there will always be two sides of the bread. Or, two sides to a viewpoint. (We can thank a 17^th century Dutch philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, for writing that.)

And there resides the common problem of human communication and conflict. We're not computers or robots who process bits of opinion and fact and respond with a totally correct answer. Our outlooks are influenced by life experiences, good or bad. I could slam my fist on a peeled, boiled egg and pieces would fly. Or I can slip it into my slicer (a cousin of the bigger kitchen mandoline) and have a pleasing result.

So where am I going with this? Our “slicer” or mandoline for Biblically processing life is...scripture. On our own, we're vulnerable to just chopping a life situation haphazardly, leaving quite a mess. Our “mandoline” (or “slice guider”) is a sensitive personalization of scripture and Biblical teaching.

Yes, it's hard to admit to two perspectives on the same issue, whether in business practices, life goals, or interpersonal relationships. Solomon observed that, too: “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him” (Proverbs 18:17). God has a better way, often when a deepening of faith through scripture or when adversity has “chopped us down to size.” And sometimes, if the stakes aren't that high, we have to let the other person continue to cling to his or her opinion (until they discover they're wrong!).

By the way, a related word, “Mandolyn,” is among baby name book choices for a girl, reported to have originated in Italy. Its inspiration was the music instrument, not the kitchen egg slicer!

Here's one site featuring a mandolin (and other instruments) with relaxing music selections: Bing Videos And in case you have never heard of a kitchen “mandolin” (with or without the final “e”): Best Kitchen Mandolin Slicers

LOVE DIVINE

How and when 18^th century hymn-writing “phenom” Charles Wesley wrote “Love Divine, All Loves, Excelling”--we'll never know. But the odds are that he was saddled up on his old, reliable horse, traveling between towns. That's how he reportedly wrote most of his thousands of hymn texts. Nobody knows the real number, but the best guess is 3,000-6,000. He kept a little card on his pocket to jot lyrics as they came to him along the road. When he didn't have a “jotting card” along, he'd slide off his horse at a home or inn at the next town and ask for pencil and paper--as soon as possible!

We don't know if “Love Divine” was actually  written on horseback. But we do know that Charles and his famous preaching brother John (together they rewrote spiritual history with the founding of “Methodism”) had life-changing conversions that altered the trajectory of their lives.

The men's father, Rev. Samuel Wesley, also wrote devotional poetry used for hymns like “Behold the Savior of Mankind.” (1) Reportedly, that manuscript was saved by a gust of wind that blew it out of the family home which had caught on fire. But father Samuel's fame didn't go far from the parishes he pastored. Besides, with nineteen children under his roof, life was busy. (His wife, Susanna, found a way to pray with so many little ones around. She'd sit down, throw her generous apron over her head, and that was the children's clue to leave mama alone for a while.)

Charles Wesley, despite his prodigious output, was not history's most prolific hymn-writer. The title has been given blind American lyricist Fanny Crosby (1920-1915), said to have written more than 9,000 hymn lyrics. But that number has been questioned as “low” as she often used one of her 200-plus pseudonyms.

Still, he had a remarkable gift for linking poetry to music—a gift many say was released in abundance when he and brother John (who became founder of Methodism), had a transforming spiritual experience through the influence of Moravian missionaries. Among his thousands of hymns, these are among the better known: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”(2) (3), “And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” “Christ the Lord Is Ris'n Today,” “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” “Rejoice, the Lord is King,” and “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.”

It's worth noting that “love” and “lover” appear in the titles/opening words of some of these well-known hymns. Our culture may have commercialized “love” with the hearts, candy, and flowers associated with “Valentine's Day.” But the love of God goes way and beyond all that. The apostle John, who in late life wrote the epistle that couldn't give enough praise to the love of God, exclaimed:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1)

What can I possibly add to that statement? Amen, and amen.

1. Hymns of the Faith: Behold the Savior of Mankind - Holy Sojourners

2. Bing Videos

3. This You-tube records “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” at Westminster Abbey, with the late Queen Elizabeth and her son now-King Charles singing in the congregation: Bing Videos