Tock-tchhh . . . . Tock-tchhh . . . . Tock-tchhh . . . .
He repeatedly tapped and scraped the wooden cell door, to the point of digging a trench with his slender finger, seeking the wandering attention of his keeper.
Tock-tchhh . . . . Tock-tchhh . . . . Tock-tchhh . . . .
The rhythmic sound was interrupted only by the deathly quiet, when he strained for the slightest sound of curiosity.
The compass. A simple yet life-giving tool for wanderers and adventurers. In my hands . . . useless. Sure, I know it points North, but what is North? I don’t even know which direction my house faces.
Is that song running through your mind now? I hope so. It is one of the catchiest sitcom theme tunes of all time. Whether you watched the show or not, you knew that song.
I engaged in a discussion with a group of atheists the other day in response to one of the group’s members asking why God does not reveal Himself in an obvious way if He is real. Then, the atheist claimed, all witnesses would believe. At first glance that sounds rational, doesn’t it? How many times have each of us either longed to see a sign from God or directly asked for a sign? How often do we pray and yearn for a sign that God is listening? As the seeds of doubt sprout in our minds, perhaps we need just a small sign to give us comfort that what we believe is real. Is that too much to ask of God? We can empathize with the atheist’s question, can’t we? And yet, the Bible shows God revealing Himself to the world time and time again to no avail.
Today is the birthday for my 11-year-old twin boys. Yep, April Fool’s Day birthday. They are numbers 3 and 4 of my 5 boys. Yep, you heard that part right too. 5 boys. If I had gambled on the odds I could have cashed in big time. 5 boys and a set of twins. But I digress.
God’s sense of humor. Does He have one? Do you think He has the time for or interest in laughter? I think He probably does. I mean, after all, have you ever seen a rainbow-butted baboon?
In the movie His Girl Friday, Cary Grant famously exclaimed, “Jumping Jehoshaphat!” I always thought that was a strange phrase and yet something about it made me want to say it out loud, despite the anticipated judgmental stares to follow. Continue reading “Jumping Jehoshaphat!”
In The Nodding Post, I wrote about missing important moments by not paying attention, laziness, fear or failing to follow God’s prompting. Well, guess what? I’ve had another one of those moments.
We’ve all been there. That tortuous struggle between consciousness and check out. That hazy moment when the flesh pulls against the Spirit. You want to stay awake but your eyes seem disconnected from your brain, unwilling to submit to its beckoning. Sunday mornings when the preacher (not mine) seems to go on and on and you feel powerless against the weariness. You check your watch despairing over the needle’s sloth.
I haven’t read the funny pages since Calvin & Hobbes’ tragic departure in 1995. In fact, I might just blame the end of the print newspaper era in general on this untimely comedic exit. Bill Watterson was a master at capturing humanity, wrapped up in the deceptively innocent package of a sarcastic and devious stuffed tiger and his mischievous human companion.
Do you ever get anxious about sin in your life? Have you ever fretted over a sin, worried that if you got hit by a bus you might not make it into Heaven because you had not confessed before God and asked for forgiveness? Do you ever remorse over your sinful heart and wonder whether you are good enough to make it into Heaven? Do you look at fellow believers and either judge them for their sin or become anxious for them because they have not repented?
