The World as I see it #234

To the men out there, learn the art of the compliment and pay one to
your wife, frequently.

Why?:

-because you love her, and she loves words. Spend words on her. For some
guys they cost you more than flowers and they'll be appreciated.

If that doesn't convince you then I offer this secondary reason:

-you're at war man! Shore up your defenses! If your wife isn't used to
receiving compliments and praise from you, then one day some other man
may come along and offer her those words. She won't be used to it,
they'll have more power than they should, and you'll find yourself
either trying to keep her, or answering her accusations (why don't you
say nice things like Jimmy at the office! At least HE liked my dress
today).  But if when some person pays her a compliment, she thinks 'that
was a nice thing of them to say, but I prefer my husband compliments.' 
then you're doing it right.

It's an offensive and defensive game men.  Get in it!

The Trombone

When I was in elementary school there were a few things I remember to be
true. The first being that I must've been small and adorable, because a
few people took me 'under their wing'. One such person was our school
secretary.

On a number of occasions I got into play yard fights. I never started
them, and I rarely won them.

I was also very vocal about Jesus Christ. I remember being the only
student in class who objected when I heard the teacher telling us about
certain things I knew the Bible to say were untrue.

Whatever the reason, I found myself from time to time, sent to the
principal's office.
As I sat there waiting to be scolded, the secretary would often talk to
me, offer me lollipops, even show me her forbidden secret wiener dog she
hid in her desk drawer. As time went on, the gifts she gave me got more
and more odd. Trinkets really, until the final gift I recall her giving
me was a trombone. She handed me a full size, in the hard case,
trombone. It was dented and tarnished and I accepted it with
curiosity. I wondered the whole way home, why this woman whom I hardly
know, gave me this very odd gift.

It was one of my life's mysteries. Why would someone give me such a
random thing? She obviously meant well, but I had no idea what I had
done to make an impression on her, and that impression would culminate
in a gifted beat up old trombone. I don't know what she was thinking,
nor what I said, nor could I find any logic to it. It was just plain ODD.

That trombone sat in our closet for years. I don't know why we kept it.
We never touched it. In fact my parents just told stories to visitors
about the time their son came home with a free trombone. We moved, and
instead of throwing it out, I guess my mom kept it.

Now I'm 43. As we went to drop my daughter off at college we stayed
with family, whom we had never stayed with and got the chance to get to
know them much better. In the course of telling stories we discover
that my mom had given that trombone to them for their grandson (my third
cousin). They had repaired it, and he was playing it in school.

I had forgotten all about that trombone. I am told if you live long
enough you see life come full circle. My cousin received that trombone
close to the age that I originally received it, only 35 years later.

Life is funny.

But why tell this story?

My life has been an adventure of following God's leading and going and
doing what He says to do. Very rarely do we ever get to see the
fruition of our work. We rarely get stories that show how it all links
together. We rarely get moments where we can see God's hand crafting the
events that lead to something happening. When we do get that glimpse,
boy oh boy our hearts get excited, we get pumped up!

God's masterful crafting of seemingly random events, to pull together
people to His glory. is a wonderful thing to witness. There's no real
great meaning to seeing the lifespan of a trombone switch hands from one
life to another, no one would make a movie out of it.

But there is significance in following the lifespan of a Bible. This
week, we see some Bible portions printed for the first time. They are
yet to be in anyone's hands. But they soon will be. Can you imagine
following that Bible for it's lifespan and seeing the lives it enters
and changes? Maybe it'll stay in one person's hands until it's read and
re-read and tattered and torn. Maybe it'll be passed down to their
children. Maybe it'll be handed to someone who needs comfort and guidance.

Whatever the case, God's ability to affect lives through His Word is
such a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Washing Machine

I can not count on two hands, how many times my wife and I have repaired
a washing machine at 10pm at night.
And always on the cusp of something, such that we couldn't let it wait
until morning the next day.

Tonight the washing machine made some horrible beeps, and smelled like
burned plastic.

We knew our roles, I siphon, she towels, I tip it, she holds. I take it
apart, she waits. I put it back together, it works, she tests it.

We've done it so many times over the last 10 years, that it may very
well be the thing we do best as a team.

There's probably a lesson in there somewhere.