Joy

When I'm feeling less than happy--make that sad, very sad--a praise song from my youth just naturally comes to mind:

"The joy of the Lord is my strength"

It comes from an Old Testament Bible verse in Nehemiah. Exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem only to find their beloved city in ruins, specifically the wall that was crucial to their safety. Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, was granted permission to return to Jerusalem and re-build the wall.

Nehemiah's resume reads well: he went from cupbearer to construction manager to governor. Read the short book bearing his name. It's fascinating. Take note of the leadership skills it took to complete the complex project. It's like Business Management 101.

He was a leader of integrity who insisted the needs of the poor be met. He, himself, declined the food allotted to him as governor so it could be shared. His prayer in chapter 1 demonstrates his reliance on God.

After the wall was completed, Nehemiah gathered the people so Ezra could read them the Law of Moses. They had neglected God and were called to repentance. They were grief-stricken when they realized their sin.

Instead of admonishing them, Governor Nehemiah, Ezra the priest, and the Levites told the people to rejoice and see the day as a joyful, sacred one--the day they returned to their God. Nehemiah even told them to host a party!

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)

I love the praise song that reflects that sentiment voiced by Nehemiah. I've seen it make a difference in my days.

The next time you need joy in your life, sing the song this way:

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

 

Joy is sometimes present and sometimes elusive. Days are sunny and days are overcast.

 

The next time you're having a difficult day, repeat this uplifting song. It works.

 

 



Best Reaction is an Under Reaction

"Can't you think of anything new to do? I did that when I was in school." I rolled my eyes and tried to look nonchalant before the group of junior high students. I was their substitute teacher for the day. It was 11:00, the designated time for them to drop their books all at once, hoping to disrupt the teaching. My bored reaction took the wind out of their sails and we went on to complete the day's instructions, much to their dismay.

Remember your junior high years in school when a substitute teacher was in charge of a class? Remember the students trying to unnerve said substitute--trying their best to get him or her to "lose it"? If you could get them to cry, that would be the best.

Hopefully, most of us have matured beyond such childish, mean-spirited antics. Many of us have worked as underappreciated substitute teachers. It's a tough gig.

I learned early on in my teaching career that the best reaction to most (I said most) situations is an under reaction. In fact, two different principals advised me of this while helping me navigate some tough situations.

I saw this under reaction theory work in the church years ago. We were part of a small group of people struggling to keep open a dying church.   The denomination sent a representative to tell us we had one last chance to build the membership or they would shut us down. We were young, passionate, and loved our neighborhood church. After the emotional meeting, complete with angry outbursts, many of us were riled up--some crying, others just plain mad.

Up stepped an elderly gentleman--old Mr. Florian Fink. He smiled and said calmly, "I wonder how God's going to get us out of this mess."

He stopped us in our tracks and I've never forgotten that phrase. Whenever I'm in the midst of a big issue, whether it's professional, personal, or familial, I remember that statement from a very wise man steeped in the faith: "I wonder how God's going to get me out of this mess."

Personal Conviction: God truly is in the midst of our messes.

• He's in the midst of our storms
• He's in the midst of our illnesses
• He's by the hospital bed when a loved one is dying
• He's in the middle of family dissension
• He's present in times of fear

It's not a cliché, but a truth: I don't know what lies ahead for me, but I do know God will be there the whole time, holding my hand. The same is true for you. Old Mr. Fink would agree.

(By the way, the denomination didn't close down that struggling church. In fact, with renewed zeal and a new, young and talented pastor, it turned around and is still going strong today. God certainly did get us out of that mess.)

Junk Drawer or Junque Drawer?

Do you have a junk drawer? You know what I mean:

• that drawer you hope no guest ever opens
• the drawer you keep meaning to clean out but don't have the time or energy
• the drawer that is a handy place to drop in everything you don't know what to do with

I have such a drawer and here it is:

I finally bit the bullet and cleaned the thing out this week. Here is the "After" photo:

 Improvement? I should say so. I wonder how long it will stay like that? What are all those keys for? I know if I toss them, I'll come across the locks they fit. Better hang on to them.

These photos are a real metaphor for life. I can't resist working in a spiritual message here. (You just knew I was going there, right?)

My life gets junked up with a lot of useless odds and ends, worry being the biggest one for me.

• What clutters your brain and keeps you awake at night?
• What junks up your days?
• What messes up important relationships?
• Are you hanging on to useless things from the past? (Like my old keys, grudges are useless.)

In a sermon recently, I heard this comment: "God saw what a mess mankind made of things. He heard mankind crying out to him and he sent his Son to clean up our messes." 

My junk drawer is a good illustration of that concept.

The Bible gives us some beautiful words to help us clean up our acts:

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) NIV

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22) NIV

Familiar verses to be sure, but oh how they can help us clean out the garbage in our lives.

Do you have a junk drawer that needs cleaning? Do you have some messes in your life that need God's loving, healing touch?

Ten Questions

A magazine reporter interviewed a business woman by asking ten simple questions. It was interesting to read her answers, but even more fun to imagine what my own would be.

Interview yourself. Answer the following questions and see what it reveals about you. It's fun to do.

 Here are my answers:

1. What is your personal style?
• Conservative traditional. Yuck. How boring. I really need to zip it up a notch.
2. What inspires you?
• Leaves. I have a collection of laminated fall leaves from my home in Ohio. My sister picked them from the woods in the neighborhood where I grew up. They're very special and remind me of a terrific childhood. 
3. What are words you live by?
• Honor God.
4. What are you currently reading?
• Anything with words. On road trips I read truck flaps. "If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you." 
5. What is your obsession?
• Reading. See #4.
6. What is the perfect meal?
• Anything someone else cooks.
7. What is an entertaining tip?
• K-I-S-S. Do as much ahead as you can.
8. What is your favorite decorating advice?
• Every room should have something practical, something attractive, and something meaningful. 
9. What is your hidden talent?
• I have an internal GPS. Give me a map and I'll find my way anywhere. Even navigating Washington D.C. doesn't scare me. It's a family thing. My siblings are the same. Audible GPS systems annoy me.
10. What is your favorite escape?
• A little cabin surrounded by trees. My mansion in Heaven is going to be a log cabin, for sure.

It's your turn. How would you answer these questions?

Let me know in the Comments section if you learned anything new about YOU.

Harper Lee Revisited

Readers of Harper Lee's new novel, Go Set a Watchman, either love it or hate it. Devoted fans of her classic To Kill a Mockingbird, are devastated to learn Atticus Finch exhibits racism in the second novel.

Good fiction writing presents a protagonist who displays both good and bad traits. They are not all good or all bad, but a realistic combination--sort of like us. Likewise, the antagonist (the bad guy) is not all bad but also has some redeeming qualities. This makes for good writing and interesting reading.

I believe so many readers dislike Go Set a Watchman because they can't handle Atticus Finch being less than perfect. In To Kill a Mockingbird, everything he did was right. Who has a father like that? No one can match up, other than Gregory Peck in the movie. And that was acting, folks.

In this second novel, Lee reveals Atticus' humanity and it disturbs us. He's a hero with flaws.

I understand the differing reactions:

• On one hand, we're disappointed. That always happens when a person on a pedestal cracks.
• But, reality is reality. Perhaps we ordinary people can relate better to a character when we glimpse both the positive and negative traits of their personalities.

Whatever you feel about Watchman, we can agree on two things:

1. Harper Lee is a gifted writer and observer of the Southern culture.
2. The message of To Kill a Mockingbird speaks to today's race issues, just as it did in 1960.

I suspect English teachers are jumping on the opportunity to teach both of these novels in parallel. Fantastic discussions would result.

(See the July 23rd blog post for my first review of Go Set a Watchman.)