Out of the mouth of children

3/7/11 Monday
It’s another Monday, another start of a week. I intend on painting the area around the new tub this morning, a last step before we put up the shower curtain. Once done we will finally be able to take a shower. I keep making mistakes, evidences of my lack of experience in this stuff. We needed some more Joint compound for the drywall and I’d noticed they have bags of dry joint compound and ever mindful of our need to save money bought some, figuring it’s cheaper for me to mix it myself. It is but unfortunately I learned that the stuff you mix doesn’t act the same way as the ready mixed compound. With the ready mix you use what you need, close the lid, and put it away till it’s time to use some more. Thinking that’s how this dry mix your own stuff worked I made a whole buckets worth, put the lid on it, and put it aside till it was time to use. When I opened the lid I discovered the entire bucket had hardened like concrete. Nuts. Now I have a whole bag of compound that can only be mixed just before you use it and you can only mix as much as you will use. This stuff hardens in twenty minutes so there is only about fifteen minutes working time to use it. I’ve already spent the money so will make do the best I can with this stuff.

After getting the bathroom painted I need to run to Midland and get back to work on that tree. I’m still not moving real good, sore and stiff from working on it Friday. My leg muscles are real sore from climbing the tree. While up there I had to hold the chain saw with one hand as I cut, while hanging on with the other hand. Meantime my feet are positioned in whatever secure but awkward spot I could find for them while my legs supported my weight. Kind of like doing squats balancing on sticks that are not even level. Still have a couple more days of work to do on this tree. I’m not in a hurry and even if I was it wouldn’t matter. Can only do just so much before the pain level gets to the point I’m unable to go any farther. Others wouldn’t do this but I can’t let a little thing like pain stop me, for if I did I would still be laying in a hospital bed like a vegetable.

There are so many things I see, when it comes to churches and the things being taught, so many things that are not how they should be. I wonder at people who just swallow what they are told without checking it out for themselves. Not only do they accept these false teachings, they are not open to be shown where these teachings are wrong. In fact some get outright belligerent when challenged in any way. Out of these things comes divisions and discord, destroying the unity that God desires, that Christ died to achieve. Jesus talked about these last days extensively, with many of His parables warning and explaining how we should be prepared for that time, and I believe we are close to that final hour. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Mathew 24.10)

We’ve experienced wonderful love and acceptance in some Christian circles, but have been greeted with a cold suspicion in others. There has been great hurt received from the hands of those who said “We love you guys” and talked about God, but the reality of their life showed otherwise. I pray for them for Jesus was clear when He said, in Mathew 18.3 "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!”

I watch as some struggle to make their church grow, watch desiring so much to help, but unable to because I haven’t been asked. I can’t do anything until I’m allowed to. It’s like watching someone changing a tire on their car, watching them do it wrong and getting frustrated as they try. When you offer advice it’s rebuffed by the person saying “I know how to change a tire” and it becomes clear their opinion of you isn’t high and that their pride refuses to allow them to receive help from someone who is so obviously less than they are. I am reminded of a phrase we so often use “Out of the mouth of babes” referring to how the words of a child so often cut to the core of a matter, how in it’s innocence the child sees what we adults are unable to. I understand that it’s the perception others have of who I am, opinions and judgments made based on outer appearances, along with words said by jaded lips, that are at the core of this. Children accept you, trust you, love you without conditions. What’s missing is the reality of love, a true love that opens blind eyes and allows us to see with the eyes of a child past the outer appearance. Many talk about love and think they are there, but are not willing to get out of their comfort zone to practice it. So I pray, and hope for conversation that reveals the truth.

Another thing on my list is to give the dogs a tick bath. Ticks are here with a passion, spurred on I’m sure by the warm weather. Plus I need to visit the Stanton jail soon. In the press of things needing to get done that has been pushed to the side. Time to get moving.