Posts in Category: down to earth believer

“Good News! God is Watching Me!”

On August 16, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I asked God for a proverb to live by today. I believed that God guided me to Proverbs 15:3.

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place,

            keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3, English Standard Version)

When I was a young boy, I used to think that God was watching every bad thing I did. What I did not realize was that he was watching every good thing I did as well.

There was another problem. I thought that God was just waiting for me to screw up, so that God could yell at me. I am still struggling to recover from this bad-theology addiction.

What if I have it mostly wrong? What if God is watching both the good and the bad that I do today? What if God is rooting for me? What if God is pleased when I do even some very small thing that is good? What if God is not so much angry as sad when I do something bad?

Jesus said that God notices and commends even things that seem tiny to us (Matthew 25:31-40). In fact, when we do these very small things for others, Jesus considers it to be done for him. What if I lived today as if that is true? What if you lived that way today, too?

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“A Weeping God”

On August 15, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

When I was growing up in church, at the beginning of our worship service the children’s Sunday School classes would have to stand and recite a Bible verse. I never figured out why the adults didn’t have to do that. I always thought that they needed to pay more attention to Bible verses than we kids did, but . . .

One of the most often-recited verses was John 11:35. Since it is the shortest verse in the Bible at two words, if we hadn’t memorized something else, John 11:35 was easily popped in the microwave, even if microwaves weren’t really a thing when I was little.

I’ve decided that John 11:35 actually is a wonderful verse to memorize. The context is that Jesus’ good friend Lazarus has died, but even though it seems crazy way too late to do anything but mourn, Jesus shows up for the express purpose of raising his friend from the dead. And yet, just before Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave and back into mortal life, Jesus wept. Why? Why weep when Jesus knew that within a few minutes, Lazarus would be alive again?

The Scripture is very cagey. It doesn’t often answer all our questions. More often, the Bible questions all our answers.

Could it be that Jesus cried because this whole thing of dying and death was a problem that we humans created back in the Garden of Eden? Was Jesus crying because of how painful and unnecessary this whole business was?

Or was Jesus crying because life is difficult and now, Lazarus had to get back to the tough, frustrating business of living? Lazarus had to come back to the same problems that death had temporarily allowed him to escape.

Perhaps Jesus was crying because that is what Lazarus’ family and friends were doing? Yes, Jesus was going to raise Lazarus, but grief was the present reality, and Jesus entered into that reality with absolute abandon.

We are not told why Jesus wept. We are simply informed that he did. We can’t help asking why, and perhaps it is wise to simply live with the whys, and allow these whys to make us wiser still. But when I read about Jesus’ tears, I also think of John’s overall way of portraying Jesus. For the writer of the Gospel of John, Jesus is God in the flesh. To see Jesus is to see God. And to see Jesus cry is to realize that God also cries when we lose someone we love. We have a weeping God.

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“You are Heard”

On August 14, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.

“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” (Malachi 3:16-18, English Standard Version)

 A friend of mine who is greatly loved by his wife and who greatly loves his wife sometimes feels “unheard”. That is a common feeling in marriages and everywhere else, I suspect. Especially with folks we are with for a long time, we tend to think we’ve heard it all before or that we know what people are thinking even before they speak. Being unheard—or even feeling unheard—makes us feel less than human.

On the other hand, knowing that we are heard makes us feel treasured. In the passage from Malachi that leads off this post, I am struck by the fact that the LORD paid attention and heard those who spoke of him. Apparently, God keeps record of the conversations we have about God. And he treasures us for thinking of him. Why? Perhaps because God feels treasured by us.

Another friend pointed out to me the Tri-Health slogan: “Be seen, be heard, be healed.”

We are healed by being seen and heard. We become healers for others by seeing and hearing them. Whom will you see and hear today, and every other today?

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“One Story Is Not Enough!”

On August 13, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I am preparing to teach a course on Jesus and the Gospels. One of the key issues with which the course deals is the way in which we approach these four very different portraits of Jesus. Do we try to harmonize these different accounts, or do we understand each of them as unique accounts of this one Man, Jesus? This course encourages us not to try to harmonize the Gospels, but rather, to take each of them seriously on its own terms. I agree with this approach for several reasons.

First, if God inspired all the Gospels, does it really honor any of them to make them one story? Trying to make everything fit with our modern ideas of consistency is a time-consuming and time-wasting practice.

Second, even regular people are worthy of more than one portrayal. If four different people wrote my story or yours, they would not include the same things or tell the story in the same way. One story would not necessarily be more accurate than another. They might all be very accurate but include (or leave out) different things, or they might be emphasizing different things. Jesus is worthy of many ways of telling his story.

Third, different ways of telling the Jesus story appeals to different people. I have a friend who tends to live in the Gospel according to Mark. And why wouldn’t he?  Tim is a man of action, and that is the way Jesus is portrayed in Mark.

Sometimes combining things is a helpful approach. I’m glad that Reece’s Cups combines chocolate and peanut butter. But too much combination is not always so delicious. Sometimes, combining things just leads to a mess.

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“Everyone Welcome! Well, Maybe”

On August 12, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I was trying to download the Spotify App this morning. I had spent more than a little time typing in my email address and a password. My brain and my fingers are fat and slow when it comes to typing on the teeny, tiny keyboard on my phone. But I wanted Spotify for a couple of podcasts that I enjoy.

However, after spending about ten minutes on my phone, I hit a roadblock. When I typed in my birthdate (including the year I was born), I was greeted with a message that said something to the effect that, because of my age, I did not qualify for this app. It would appear that I am too young for Spotify.

I felt very hurt and frustrated. Being excluded from anything makes me feel rather sad.

However, it is so much more fun to get revenge than it is to be sad, so I said to myself, “Humph! I’ll give Spotify some really bad publicity with the ten people who regularly read my blog posts! That’ll show them!”

In addition to plotting revenge, I also thought about the church. Many churches proclaim that “Everyone is Welcome!’ I have my doubts, though. Many of my twelve-step friends would be open to attending a church, but they are not at all sure they would be welcomed. I hate to say it, but I’m not sure either. A few years ago, in the Atlanta, Georgia area, I encountered a billboard along I-75 that proclaimed, “God loves everybody, even Democrats.” As a Democrat, I was a little uncertain as to whether the purchaser of that billboard message meant what they said.

Jesus invited all kinds of scumbags to follow him. In fact, he said that anyone who was tired could come to him, learn, and find rest.

“Matt. 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matt. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

And near the very end of the New Testament are the following words:

“Rev. 22:17 ¶ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

According to God’s Word, everyone really is welcome.

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“Everyone Above Average?”

On August 11, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Eccl. 4:4 ¶ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

“. . . “where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are above average” (Garrison Keillor’s tagline for his Lake Wobegone “news” monologs).

My wife and I like to do online trivia quizzes. Well, “like” may be a bit of exaggeration. We like doing the quizzes when they don’t ask questions that are too hard. (Come on now! Who knows or cares who Warren G. Harding’s secretary of defense was?)

And then, there is the matter of the scores we get on these quizzes. We usually get somewhere in the 70% range. If we only get 50%, we are not happy. And if we get below 50%? You don’t want to be around us at those moments!

I was listening to an episode of “Hidden Brain” that deals with the science of humility the other day. The guest on the program was a teacher who frequently asked his students to rate themselves in terms of their humility. Were they humbler than most folks? Almost always, they were more humble than 70% of the general population.

Can anyone say, “blind spot!”?

Perhaps the problem isn’t where we are on the scale of humility or any other scale. Maybe the problem is that we have these scales at all. We all know different things. Some of them are trivial. Some of them are important. Perhaps the world would be a better, saner, more peaceful place if we quit comparing ourselves to one another and started pooling our knowledge, instead of mourning our ignorance. We could be extraordinary together.

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“At Least Two Sentences”

On August 10, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

A good friend of mine loves to read my posts. Says he is always disappointed when I don’t post. He challenged me to write and post something at least once a month.

I have decided to do something less demanding and more permitting. I am not demanding one post per month. Instead, I am permitting myself to post a minimum of two sentences per day. Since I have already vastly exceeded my two sentences, I can quit now. However, I will go a bit further.

Here is the thing: Consistency is much more important than quantity. Perhaps consistency is even more important than quality. Maybe two sentences are enough.

I read a book titled Tiny Habits . . .  by BJ Fogg. In it, Fogg encouraged his readers to do two pushups right after they went to the bathroom. I am not committing to that, but two sentences a day seem doable to me.

My dad worked hard, but sometimes he made projects so big in his mind by thinking about the whole project that he ended up not even starting the project. I vowed I would never be that way. Guess what? I am exactly like that. You had already guessed that hadn’t you?

So, here is my challenge to you, dear reader. What two things will you do today (and every day??)? The possibilities are endless, but here are a few possibilities, just to get your juices flowing:

  • Walk at least two blocks.
  • Dust at least two pieces of furniture.
  • Notice at least two different species of bird.
  • Text at least two friends.
  • Read at least two chapters of the Bible. (Warning: You might not want to start with Psalm 119!)
  • Pray at least two times a day.
  • Read at least two paragraphs of a book you’ve never read before.

The list goes on, but I will not. If you get a chance, let me know what you decided and how it is going.

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“For Sharon on Our Fifty-First Wedding Anniversary”

On August 4, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“You’re more likely to be diligent about something if you love doing it. The etymology of diligent reflects the fact that affection can lead to energetic effort.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/diligent-2020-01-28, accessed 08-04-24)

Today, my bride and I celebrate fifty-one years of marriage. I do not love her as much as I did on August 4, 1973. I love her so much more. And as special as our fiftieth anniversary was, the fifty-first is even more so. In fact, every day is a wonderful day to celebrate this wonderful lady of mine.

However, I love words. They are so much easier for me to craft than actually being consistently present, kind and loving toward my sweetheart. So, I’ve decided that I am not going to merely give you some sweet words. I am going to give you some useful actions, actions based on diligence.

I just learned today that there is a likely connection between love and diligence. Apparently, the Latin-based word “diligence” was one of the Latin words that could be used for “loving”. This was a strange thought for me. I had always considered diligence as a synonym for “grinding it out,” for sticking with a difficult or unpleasant task. Diligence as a component of love? Oh my, that changes everything!

So, here is my anniversary present for my beloved Sharon: diligence. I will be diligent in being present for you and with you. I will be diligent in being grateful to and for you. I will be diligent in helping with the laundry and doing the dishes. I will be diligent in pulling weeds out of our garden and flower beds. I will be diligent in taking good care of our little (dog) girl Laylah. I will be diligent in allowing you to finish your sentences. I will be diligent in figuring out what forms of diligence are especially important to you.

This is the year for loving diligence and diligent love.

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“Stop Watching Yourself Live!”

On August 2, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.” (Nicolas Chamfort)

Ҧ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25, English Standard Version)

Sometimes, I find myself observing my life instead of living it. Don’t get me wrong. Observation and contemplation have their proper place in the world and in my life. On the other hand, my 12-step sponsor often reminds me “JKDTNRT,” which is text-speak for “Just keep doing the next right thing.”

But I struggle with this a lot. I recently found myself convinced that I should stop overthinking things. However, I soon discovered that I was overthinking overthinking. (Think about it, but not too much!)

A website that I sometimes visit is associated with “The Center for Action and Contemplation.” It seems somehow significant that action comes first. In a sense, action is the raw material for contemplation. Without action, our contemplation is merely daydreaming.

James reminds us that faith without works is like contemplating ourselves in a mirror. It may show us who we are, at least briefly. However, it doesn’t change who we are. While we are human beings and not human doings, it is only be doing the right things in the right way that we become truly human. I need to remind myself daily to stop watching myself live. At the end of most 12-step meetings, we say, “Keep coming back! It works if you work it and give a lot of love.”

Amen to that!

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“Being Forgiven, Feeling Forgiven, and Other Considerations”

On July 17, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I have not always lived my life well. In fact, I have done things that have greatly harmed others and myself. These harms are in the distant past now, but they often feel horribly contemporary to me. No doubt, they also feel horribly contemporary to others as well. My children in particular are deeply hurt by my past behavior, even when it did not directly impact them. They will quite likely never forgive.

Over coffee, I was talking about my doubts about my forgivable-ness to a friend of mine this morning. We love one another enough to speak truth into one another. Of course, truth initially hurts, as all truly good things do. My friend said, “I think your children will never forgive you. That may be part of why you don’t believe that God can forgive you.” I didn’t want to hear that, but I know my friend is right.

But then, my friend added two more wisdoms.

“It may be that the consequences of your children’s lack of forgiveness and their rejection of you help you to avoid going back to your old behavior.”

The second wisdom that my friend gave me was this: “There is forgiveness and then there is the feeling of being forgiven. You may not feel forgiven until Heaven.”

And here is my takeaway from a profoundly uncomfortable and healing conversation: If my children’s rejection and my feeling of being unforgiven helps me to avoid lapsing back into old patterns, I am well-contented with such rejection and such feelings. The price of integrity is high, but integrity—at any price—is a bargain. Or, better yet, integrity is a great investment.

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