The Love Letter

           I read about a letter a sweetheart wrote to her ex-fiancé.

Dearest Jimmy,

            No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.

            I love you, I love you, I love you!

            Yours forever,

           Marie.

           P.S.  And congratulations on winning the state lottery.

            Love the one your with, especially, before they make it big.

Life From a Woman's Perspective

        A decade or two ago, a friend sent me the following dictionary for women. Women, do you agree with the definitions?

Airhead (er-hed) n.  What a woman intentionally becomes when pulled over by a policeman.

Argument (ar-gyou-ment) n.  A discussion that occurs when you're right, but he just hasn't realized it yet.

Bar-be-que (bar-bi-q) n.  You bought the groceries, washed the lettuce, chopped the tomatoes, diced the onions, marinated the meat and cleaned everything up, but, he, "made the dinner".

Blonde jokes (blond joks) n.  Jokes that are short so men can understand them.

Clothes dryer (kloze dri-yer) n.  An appliance designed to eat socks.

Diet Soda (dy-it so-da) n.  A drink you buy at a convenience store to go with a pound of M&M chocolate covered peanuts.

Eternity (e-ter-ni-tee) n.  The last two minutes of a football game.

Exercise (ex-er-siz) v.  To walk up and down a mall, occasionally resting to make a purchase.

Hair Dresser (hare dres-er) n.  Someone who is able to create a style you will never be able to duplicate again.  See also "Magician".

Hardware Store (hard-war stor) n.  Similar to a black hole in space...if he goes in, he isn't coming out anytime soon.

Childbirth (child-brth) n.  You get to go through 36 hours of contractions; he gets to hold your hand and say, "Focus... breath... push... Good Girl!"

Park (park) v./n.  Before children, a verb meaning, "to go somewhere romantic".  After children, a noun meaning a place with a swing set and slide.

Patience (pa-shens) n.  The most important ingredient for dating, marriage and children.  See also "tranquilizers."

Valentine's Day (val-en-tinez dae) n.  A day when you have dreams of a candlelight dinner, diamonds, and romance, but consider yourself lucky to get a card.

Waterproof Mascara (wah-tr-pruf mas-kar-ah) n.  Comes off if you cry, shower, or swim, but will not come off if you try to remove it.

Zillion (zil-yen) n.  The number of times you ask someone male to take out the trash, then end up doing it yourself anyway.

Brewing Tea for Mommy

            I’ve seen this story making the rounds; my source is Doug McIntosh in his commentary on Deuteronomy.

            A young girl named Sally faced a challenging day. Her mother was sick, and Sally wanted to help. She insisted that her mom stay in bed—like Sally did when she was sick.

            Sally picked up the kitchen; she saw the tea kettle and decided to brew her mom a cup of tea, just like her mom had done for her dad when he had been sick. (This was back in the day, before microwaves!)

            Sally made the tea and, beaming with pride, took it to her mom’s bedroom. Sally’s mom bragged on her and smiled broadly. She praised Sally for her service and kind heart, saying with delight, “I didn't know you knew how to make tea.”

            Sally replied, “Yes I do mommy. I do. I boil the water and tea leaves together just like you always do.” As her mom sipped the tea, Sally further explained, “I couldn't find the little strainer thing, though, so I used the flyswatter.”

            Hearing this, her mother spewed the tea out of her mouth. “You used the flyswatter to strain this tea?”

            Little Sally could tell her mother was feeling anxious. Seeking to calm her, Sally told her, “Don't worry, mommy, I used the old flyswatter so I would not mess up the new one.”

            Sally’s mom summoned the self-control she needed to offer Sally her gratitude and praise, instead of a detailed lesson in kitchen sanitation. She saw Sally’s heart, and she was very pleased.

            I suspect God often wants to choke when he sees the way I mess things up trying to help people. However, God knows I make mistakes, and I glean from the Bible that he is grateful, since I am trying. I believe he feels the same way about you.

            People are precious to God. Serve them as best you can.

Will The President Be There?

            One day the telephone range in the office of the St. John’s Episcopal Church during the years Franklin Roosevelt served as president. “Tell me,” the voice said, “do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?”

            “That,” the Rector explained patiently, “I cannot promise. However, God will be there and that will incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.”

Why Did Jesus’ Die on the Cross?

            The story is told about a boy named James, who was three years old. He was attending Sunday school for first time. His teacher was telling him about the events of Good Friday.

            The events made a powerful impression upon him. That evening during supper, James said out of the blue, “Jesus died on the cross.”

            His parents were glad James announced this, and they decided to pursue the conversation. His mother asked, “Why did Jesus die on the cross, James?”

            The boy thought for a moment and said, “Because he couldn't get off.”

            His parents processed James’ words later, and they realized that James knew more than he had realized. It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross; it was his love for people that kept Jesus nailed to the cross.

II Cor. 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. NIV 1984

            

Source: Doug McIntosh, HOLMAN OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY—DEUTERONOMY

Being in the Minority

            Being in the minority may not be that bad of a thing. I was reminded several years ago by a fellow’s bulletin article of some famous people who were in the minority:

            Noah (not many joined him on the ark)

            Joseph (only God-fearer I know of during his early years in Egypt)

            Gideon (God sent the majority home)

            David (against Goliath, he was on his own)

            Elijah (took on the 450 prophets of Baal—and the crowd)

            Jesus (on the cross, few stood by him)

            Reading Hebrews, I have been struck by how the minority group of Christians wants to leave the church to join the majority. Bad idea!

            The question is never numbers; it is always names. If we are standing on God’s side, numbers never matter.

Loving Confrontation

            George Guthrie writes of an experience that made an impact on his life. Sue, a young lady in his singles’ group, confronted him with news he probably did not wish to hear. Here is how he tells the story:

            One day [Sue] approached me–I was serving as head of the singles' Council at the time–and requested we talked privately for a few minutes. Being single, young man I was thrilled at the opportunity; but talk had nothing to with counsel business or romance.

            Sue started by thanking me for the job I was doing in leading the group and said she deeply respected my walk with the Lord. Then she said, “I want to share with you what seems to be a weakness in your life. You are so busy and move so fast from one project or person to another you often lose eye contact with people. By being distracted, failing to maintain eye contact and looking away from a person, you communicate that the person and what they are saying are not important to you at that moment.”

            Sue went on to give examples, showing that the problem, rather than an isolated incident, had a pattern. She also told me about a godly missionary she had known while serving overseas in a journeyman program. This man, with the weight of his vast mission responsibilities on his shoulders, had never failed to stop and listen intently when Sue needed to talk. He had given her “the gift of his presence.”

            Sue's rebuke was painful but much needed. That encounter, which happened over a decade ago, has made a lasting impression on me. To this day if I am in conversation with a person and my attention begins to falter, Sue’s exhortation comes to mind. I challenge myself, “focus, George. Your full attention.” I still struggle with that focus, but that sister in Christ, who risked being misunderstood and becoming the object of my defensiveness, has by her truth telling had an impact on the way I relate to others.

            I can think of no other example of loving confrontation: speaking the truth in love, and then the listener hearing the truth in love, and doing something about it.

Source: HEBREWS NIV APPLICATION COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS by George H. Guthrie