Flexibility

Watching our flexible feline groom himself in positions that would cause me to scream in pain got me thinking about human flexibility tests. I used to be able to do the “back-scratch” position (one arm up the back, the other over the shoulder—hands should meet). Now, two frustrating inches keep my fingers from touching. Well, I may not be built of rubber bands any more, but at least I can get the senior discount.

Other things crossed my mind as Augie twisted himself about to get every possible streak of fur licked down. How did he learn to do that? He was still a kitten when rescued from a public park, where he was abandoned and left for coyote dessert. Did his mother have time to teach him Grooming 101? I also made a connection to something I’d read recently in Richard Foster’s newest book, Sanctuary of the Soul (IVP). I’d read his best-seller Celebration of Discipline decades ago, but never knew about his early life.

In this book’s introduction, he said as a college student he was frustrated because of his “poor academic training and a less-than-stellar intellect.” He said he had to study harder than many others to succeed in college. On top of that, he had two part-time jobs to pay for food and his books. He worked from four to six every morning steam-cleaning machinery at a cannery. Then he went to the dining commons to wash dishes before his first class at 8 a.m. He washed dishes again at lunch and supper—this allowing him to eat in the dining commons. Both of his parents had died, so he and his two brothers lived on whatever they could scrape together. Oh, in addition to college and part-time jobs, he was in a ministry where he and others spoke at different churches every weekend.It was out of this frustration of being overwhelmed that he had his first encounter with the still, quiet voice of God. God seemed to be telling him that having all his desires satisfied was not the route to true satisfaction. Instead, this had to come from just being with God.

Probably a lot of us have had times when we felt all twisted and out of sync, like those people whose extreme limb-contortions give them fifteen minutes of fame in some world records book. But God knows, and that time of pressure is probably what He has permitted to help “grow” our character. Many people quote Isaiah 40:31 in times of trouble: “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.” However, the Hebrew-to-English translation makes some people think it’s a passive situation--God taking over while we wait. Instead, the primitive linguistic root of “wait,” qavah, means “to bind together by twisting.” I’ve heard this rewording: They that twist their weakness around God’s strength will know His renewing strength. I can understand that. I think we’re all prone to want things easy. We don’t like being bent and pulled out of our emotional or spiritual comfort zones. But growth in character doesn’t happen any other way.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go try and touch my toes.