The Can-Do Challenge

Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy! That’s the title of a book by humorist Barbara Johnson. It’s not that she had an easy life, either. It’s just that she chose to encourage both herself and others with humor.

This popular speaker and author also published a perpetual calendar. You can’t help but smile just seeing the illustration of Barbara on every page. There she is, “the geranium lady,” trying to make the lid of a box stay down by sitting on it.

One thing I like about Barbara is her honesty. She carefully credits others if she uses one of their inspirational or witty sayings.

Here’s one that stuck with me this week:

    Do all the good you can

        By all the means you can

            In all the ways you can

                In all the places you can

    At all the times you can

        To all the people you can

            As long as you ever can

It is credited to John Wesley, a famous minister in an earlier century, but it’s good advice for us today.

Seven times we are told, “You can.” And why not? It’s a choice. We can!

It doesn’t take a scholar to know what’s good and what’s evil. It simply requires a little personal honesty. What do we want to pursue? How do we want to impact those around us?

I like the advice in the Amplified Version of Psalm 34:14: Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it.

Peace is a by-product of doing good. I could give you a list of good things to do, but it’s more important that you make it personal.

What are the ways, means, places, times, or people you can do good for today, or any day? It won’t be your thoughts that count, but your actions.

A Basket of Lemons

One day I was looking at a basket of bright yellow lemons and pink grapefruit. I happen to enjoy pink grapefruit, but I prefer lemons in cheesecake or pie.

You’ve probably heard the slogan When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade. It sounds good, but really it’s a rather messy time-consuming process.

I was intrigued by a basketful of lemons in scripture. Six problems were listed with two common denominators: 1) cause of stress, and 2) need for a timely solution.

The lemons listed in Habakkuk 3:17 included non-budding fig trees, fruitless grapevines, olive crop failure, fields yielding no food, plus empty sheep pens and cattle stalls.

Which of these lemons could be turned into lemonade overnight? None! Each one would require time and perseverance to improve or overcome.

The most fitting advice might be Winston Churchill’s famous quote: “Never, never, never give up.”   

The writer of Habakkuk was certainly realistic about his lemon list. What is interesting is his recipe for lemonade.

In verse eighteen it begins with trust in God. That attitude gave him a joyful spirit. He would persevere in processing his lemons because his strength would come from God.

We could declare Covid-19 a basket of lemons. They differ in size and amount from person to person and even country to country; however, they have brought new life to a poem I wrote several years ago.

Perhaps it will inspire you to persevere in making some personal lemonade:

ONWARD TO VICTORY

By Darlis Sailors, 2016

Life is bitter, where once it was sweet.

Faith feels worthless, and prayers seem weak.

But faith is not feelings, so onward you go

Into battle with power to meet every foe.

God’s Word gives you hope; His presence empowers.

There’s victory ahead, just not at this hour.

The timing is His, but joy will be sweet

When testing is over---your victory complete.

  

Take It As-Is

One of my hobbies is shopping at thrift stores. As I look around my house, I’m amazed at what I have found over the years.

You’ve heard one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes even treasures are given away, though perhaps not intentionally.

My “treasure hunts” have taught me to look things over carefully. Glassware, for example, requires a light running of a finger around the edges to find tiny chips.

Even though I try to be exacting, the abundance of thrift store items can be exhausting. That’s why I’m always glad when someone has taken the time to write a note, in addition to the price.

Sometimes the note says “it works” - - - other times it says “as-is.”

As-is generally causes me to set the item down, however, I did make a recent exception. I chose to buy a beautifully molded angel labeled HOPE to set outside by a planter. The small hole in the back didn’t detract at all from the side I wanted to display.

While studying God’s love today, I made a couple of notes in my study guide: (1) God will take us “as-is” and make us new (whole) again, and (2) God’s unconditional love is not based on performance or fulfillment of any expectations. He loves you “as-is.”

The scripture that caught my attention was 2 Corinthians 5:17: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

To be in Christ means an acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God, sent into this world to forgive our sins and reconcile us to God.

God is not put off by our “as-is” condition.” He doesn’t set us down and keep on looking for a perfect person. Instead, He lovingly says, “I see what you need. Come to Me; I’ll make something beautiful out of your life.”

I, for one, say, “Thank God for that!” 

A Great Fish to the Rescue

Have you ever heard of a fish called an Ichthyosaur (ik-thee-o-sar)? It shared the seas of the world with other large marine creatures while dinosaurs ruled on land.

This giant water creature is described as having a body eight feet thick, with several flippers. Its eye sockets were a foot across and its tail was twenty-five feet long with six-foot triangular fins at the end. Vertebrae were up to twelve inches in diameter and its head was ten feet long with cone-shaped teeth and a long, pointed snout.

Based on these measurements, scientists estimated the Ichthyosaur weighed forty tons and was sixty feet long. It could breathe air and, like modern whales, lacked gills.

Fossils of this great fish can be found in Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nye County, Nevada, USA.

Children’s books tell the story of Jonah and the Whale. Actually, Bible translations seem to call it “a great fish.” Even my New World Dictionary definition of "whale" begins with "a large fish.”     

Whales have enormous air storage in their nasal cavity, as well as four to six compartments in their stomach. Any one of them could house a group of men.

Some people think the story of Jonah is simply a whale of a tale, but Jonah was a real person.

In the Old Testament Book of Jonah, he is listed by name, time, and place. That separates him from allegories and parables.

As a disobedient prophet, he tried to ship out and avoid God’s assignment. When a great storm arose, Jonah knew he was part of the problem, so he told the crew to cast him overboard. God mercifully provided a great fish to swallow him, instead of letting him drown.

Chapter two shares Jonah’s prayer. He said, “In my distress, I called to the Lord, and He answered me. . . "

Once Jonah repented and was ready to complete his assignment, God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah out on dry land.

Just as a great fish is not imaginary, neither is a God who hears and answers prayer. Call upon Him in your day of trouble. He always hears the cry of a sincere heart.