My Favorite Four-Letter Word

 

I used to say it was love, but I have moved on to hope. Love is a very good word, but it varies from the mundane to the sublime: I love lemon pie, I love going on vacation, I love my husband, I love God and God loves me.

As a personal choice, hope ranks first. Levels of love may vary, depending on other people. For example, I expected lemon pie with meringue but it came with whipped topping. As for vacations, did I really love them all?

If I’m honest, my love for my husband went down at times of misunderstanding. And, though I love God, I don’t always fully understand how much He loves Me!

Job is one of the best examples of hope despite a challenging relationship. His wife had no patience with his suffering. She said, “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” (Job 2:9-10).

Job let her negativity float on by. Hope was his choice and he would not give it up: “Should I accept only good things from God, and nothing bad?”

He had an even stronger answer when three well-meaning but non-comforting friends came by: “Even if God kills me, I’ll still trust Him” (Job 13:15).

Job’s hope gave him the strength to stay focused on his faith.

Hope results in joy. A characteristic of believers is to be joyful in hope, patient

in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12, NIV).

Since patience and faithfulness are listed among the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), it would seem that hope, and the joy it brings, have a purpose.

Job’s story is one of patience, perseverance, and the ability to endure. The way I see it, hope might have been Job’s favorite four-letter word, too.

 

Labels Are For Pickles

 

I enjoy the taste of a good pickle and rarely meet one I don’t like.  As a child, I enjoyed going to our cellar for watermelon rind pickles or bread and butter chips.

There’s a certain beauty in row upon row of pickles in glass jars.

While living in an old farmhouse, I once got inspired to try canning pickles. The key word is once. During the process, I dropped a very large jar of pickles and brine. You can imagine the mess!

Labels remind me of another aspect of childhood. You could drive by any church in town and read their label. It might be Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Assemblies of God, Catholic, or a variety of others.  

Have you noticed that church labels today are more generic? I’m sure our town is not unique in the number of non-denominational labels and community church names.

Dad taught by example that labels are for pickles. As a minister, it didn’t matter what town we lived in, he always joined the ministerial association. 

He believed Psalm 133:1: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. When I grew up, I came to appreciate his example even more.

As an adult, I was always surprised to hear people say, “When I was growing up, I could only be friends with kids from my own church.”

Dad's advice was, "Friends don’t have to be just from your denomination. You can always find a friend who loves Jesus.”

Thanks to Dad, my life was enriched by a variety of friends. We didn’t always agree on some points of doctrine, but our hearts were knit together in Christian love with God’s Word as our guide for living.

I associate labels and pickles with Dad because he had his favorites. But, lucky for me, when it came to people, he loved them all.

 

Weep With Those Who Weep

Doesn't it seem like lately we've had way too many opportunities to do this? Worldwide Covid-19 deaths, Hurricane Ida flooding, plus the Afghanistan situation have created plenty of tears. Plus, today was 9/11, complete with memorials for the unsuspecting citizens, twenty years ago, who were held hostage on rogue flights they never planned.

One of those planes hit the Pentagon. I saw a review of that tragedy on Friday. Today I tried to watch the other two memorials.

I started with the one near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Flight 93 National Memorial. As names were read of brave citizens who acted in solidarity to bring the rogue plane down, I couldn’t help it---I wept.

I tried switching to the memorial in New York. It only brought more tears. Twenty years have not erased the impact of this tragedy.

While listening to names read at Ground Zero, I had one question. Why did so many people have the same last names?

I was satisfied with the information in an article titled “The World Trade Towers Collapsed on Will Jimeno. How Did He Survive?” You can find this article by Garrett M. Graff (09/10/2021) on the web.

Never having been to New York, I did not know The World Trade Center actually consisted of seven buildings on sixteen acres. The Twin Towers famously dominated the skyline. Statistics say there were more than 50,000 daily occupants and over 200,000 daily visitors.

Will Jimeno, a NY Port Authority Police Officer trapped for thirteen hours in rubble between the two towers before he was rescued, has written a book: Sunrise Through the Darkness.

In his article, Mr. Graff, historian, journalist, podcaster, and author of a NY Times Best Seller (The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11), gave Will Jimeno’s book a thumbs up: “It’s the most hopeful and inspiring story from that day I’ve ever found.”

After speaking engagements, people usually say they can’t think of a worse thing to happen. Will, having dealt with physical injuries, survivor guilt and PTSD still has the heart to weep with those who weep (Romans 15:12, NLT).

He says, “Whatever tragic event is happening in your life, at that moment, you have your own World Trade Center. It isn’t comparative or competitive. At some point, in all our lives, we’re going to feel like the World Trade Center fell on top of us. It’s what we do in that moment---and who we are after---that matters most.”

Thanks, Will, for your example of bravery and compassion.

  

The Way I Remember It

Everything we do creates a memory. Memories are part of our human composition. 

Memories are like sunshine and shadow and that variety makes life interesting. It’s one reason I enjoy reading autobiographies. Thoughtful authors acknowledge that others in the same events may not have the same memories.

Have you ever noticed how memories seem to be triggered by our five senses? We smell something and a memory comes floating back. Or we see, hear or taste something that conjures up the familiar. Sometimes they pop up from something we’ve touched.

During the Exodus from slavery to freedom, out in the middle of the desert, people began to remember some tasty food from the old days (Numbers 11:4-6).

Conversations went something like this: “Remember that fresh fish in Egypt? Oh,

and what about those delicious cucumbers and melons we used to enjoy? This daily manna is so unappetizing. What I wouldn’t give to be able to flavor it with some leeks, onions, or garlic.”

Sometimes memories need a little help. The people above had positive memories, but they let them trigger negative attitudes. If caught in such conversations, try to be the catalyst for change.

Happy memories can be a choice. Sometimes I remember especially encouraging people. Other times I relive vacations or special events. I’ve had a variety of jobs and lived in a variety of places. That simply means I find even more memories to enjoy.

Was everything in my life positive? No, but why dwell on the negative?

Psalm 126:3 says, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Choice memories make it easy to give God thanks, and science has proven that being thankful is a positive trait for health.

If someone disagrees with your memory, you have an out. Simply say, “That’s the way I remember it!”

  

I Can Take It From Here

 

“This town sure has a lot of dog lovers.” My sister-in-law’s comment was something I had noticed myself, many times.

In the heart of our historic downtown is a lovely courthouse square. It’s a popular place to walk, and many people seem to walk their dogs there.

A few years ago, my husband and I observed an awesome dog!

So many dogs seem to pull on their leash, wanting to sniff and explore. Not this dog. Head held high, he simply trotted ahead of a young couple coming our way.

A little later they returned, the couple eating ice cream and ignoring the dog. The leash had fallen down and was dragging between the dog’s front legs.

Since he was free, we fully expected the dog to trot away. To our surprise, he slowed down, took the leash in his mouth, and kept on with his regal pace.

My husband and I looked at each other and said, “What a dog!” But dogs aren’t the only ones who need to make choices when free.

During COVID lockdown I heard Bible sales went up. That’s great, I thought, but I wonder how many really read or studied the Bible they bought?

When it comes to Bible learning, some people prefer to only be on a leash. They enjoy the pastor’s sermon, the small group lesson, or even the daily devotional online. But once the leash is dropped, they never pick it up to walk forward on their own.

Do you know how to use your Bible? It contains sixty-six books, in two sections---the Old and New Testaments. The books are listed in front, along with page numbers for easy access.

Be glad we live in a time when Bible books are divided up into chapters and verses. Find Psalm 51:10 . . . book . . . chapter . . . verse . . . you’ve got it!!

Your slogan should be, “I can take it from here!” Hold your head up high and enjoy your freedom.

Word Power

Do you always say what you mean? Are your words always understood? How many times have you said something you wished you could take back?

Famous American Poet, Emily Dickinson, put it this way:

A word is dead when it is said, some say.

I say it just begins to live that day.

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gave words a picturesque twist: A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11 NIV). 

That’s encouraging. I may not be a creative genius, but with my everyday words, I can create something beautiful.

I love the treatise on words by James. His is a short five-chapter book in the New Testament. But in chapter three, you’ll find a nice section about words. 

The Message Bible (MSG) states his premises quite clearly. We'll share a few:

1. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.

2. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can be like a spark that sets off a forest fire.

3. You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue---it's never been done.

4. Curses and blessings come out of the same mouth. This can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it?

1.    You are a person with great power. Don’t sell yourself short.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” says Proverbs 18:21 (NIV). Words can heal or destroy. In your lifetime, I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of both. 

Knowing how words have affected you, stop right now and give yourself a pep talk:

My words make me a powerful person,

Therefore, I need to think before I speak.

No one controls my tongue but me.

Reminder to self:

Don't just blurt---be alert!

Early Warning Systems

Along with our monsoon season, I have received multiple flash flood warnings. They suddenly burst out of my cell phone with an irritating noise that continues until I punch OK.   

I remember an early warning system (EWS) in my elementary years, for tornadoes. At the time, I lived where cellars were considered safe for survival. I’m still thankful I never had to personally prove it.

I was curious about today’s early warning systems. My initial web inquiry turned up UN.org's (United Nations) climate-change warning systems. I’m sure communities worldwide appreciate the integrated systems that prepare them for hazardous events.

The next site was USGS.gov (U.S. Geological Survey). Again, natural hazards were referenced, but a special note was made of California wildfires creating hazardous flash floods in heavy rains.

Having lived in California and personally witnessed powerful mudslides from burned-out areas, I consider early warning systems a wise move.

Civil Defense Sirens were popular during WW II. A piercing sound from a high tower would warn of a possible air raid. After the danger had passed, the siren would signal an all-clear. If you were outdoors, it definitely invaded your space.

General warning systems gradually became more specific. A good example is today’s noisy not-to-be-missed flash flood warnings on my cell phone.

Would you believe there are important spiritual early warning systems, too? I heard one today.

If I say, “Three sixteen (3:16),” would you think I was telling the time, or would you think of it as the first sound of an early warning system?

Your second thought would be correct. Even without a Bible, people can get this signal. The go-to app on my cell phone is the YouVersion.

Locate the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16. You'll find an early warning signal. God is sending an explanation of why Jesus came into this world. Read verses 16-19 for the full siren sound.  

The signal is clear whether you read it in the New International Version (NIV), The New King James Version (NKJV), or The Message Bible (MSG).  

Early warning systems are important, especially this one.