Say the right thing at the right time

Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
– Proverbs 15:23 (TLB)


You’re familiar with such phrases as “Oops! I shouldn’t have said that,” “You’ll have to excuse me, but I just had a senior moment,” or “That’s not what I meant!” Well, these common errors can be listed under what is known as Freudian slip(s), which is defined as an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted occurring due to the interference of some unconscious (dynamically repressed) wish, conflict, or train of thought. The concept is thus part of classical psychoanalysis that was founded by the neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who proposed the idea from his book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life [published in 1901]. Through research, he wanted to confirm that slips might be due to cognitive underspecification that could take a variety of forms - inattention, incomplete sense data or insufficient knowledge. This condition may be due to the existence of some locally appropriate response pattern that is strongly primed by its prior usage, recent activation or emotional change. Anyway, here is a typical example of a Freudian slip: a young man sends a postcard to his girl friend that read ‘I wish you were her’ (rather than ‘here’– get it?). You can imagine what her reactions would have been. In the case of the boyfriend whose intent was to share his loneliness for a distant lover, simply left out a simple character – the “e” in the word here.

But the question may be, can an individual plan his or her words on a daily basis? Should the same person pour out his thoughts without being considerate of their impact? Here is what I’ve been leading up to as a result of reading an article from the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. In the Today’s Talk section, there was a short article entitled New England loses a big tree and a little history. Since I’ve always been fascinated with trees, I wanted to catch the writer’s approach to the subject. The story line revealed that “Herbie, a massive elm tree that stretched 110 feet into the sky, had to be cut down after a long battle with Dutch elm disease. The tree was originally estimated to be 240 years old, but a preliminary count of growth rings [by a Yarmouth, Maine Forest Service expert] indicated it was 212. Based on the revised age, it was believed that Herbie sprouted around 1798, not long after the 13 original colonies gained their independence.” Other than the age of the tree and its relevant history, several other things grabbed my attention. Firstly, there was the term Dutch elm disease that had been so progressively destructive until the tree’s life had to be cut short. The second thing had to do with Herbie’s caretaker who was alive at 101 years old. Frank K, the town’s former tree warden, had cared for the beloved American elm for half a century. He was among those witnessing the tree’s historic passing. And finally, the statement that Frank K gave to the reporters:

It’s been a beautiful tree. I’m sorry to see it go. But nothing is forever. It’s pretty near my turn. And it’s just a fact of life that life is going to end. And that’s for people, for trees, for everything!

I reviewed this response over and over again in an attempt to read between the lines [that is to determine the metaphorical implications versus the spiritual reality as it relates to human life being compared to a tree and that life is going to end]. My rationale is based on Frank K’s 101 years of existence and perhaps the kind of life he lived. In my mind, I felt that this aged gentleman should have mentioned that although there is an end to physical life, but not spiritually because Christ Jesus promised that his followers are promised to inherit eternal life. So, could it be assumed that Frank spoke, for one thing, out of sadness that Herbie would be gone and the common belief {from a worldly perspective} that everything has to die and that’s it? Did he leave an open door to belief or unbelief with the note that “It’s pretty near my turn?” Did he have a conversation with God who told him that his time on earth was limited and that death was just around the corner? Can you speak what you don’t know? Or vice versa?

I believe that Frank had a senior moment not a Freudian slip. God blessed the man to live for a very long time and that’s proof for the rewards of living a disciplined life that honors the creator. God gave him wisdom and it’s easy to conclude that Frank K knew about Dutch elm disease that was observed in Ohio during the summer of 1930. {Frank was around 80 years old then} He had to have known that this disease was caused by the fungus Ophisostroma and it spreaded from tree to tree primarily by insects. In the United States, the smaller European bark beetle (scolytus multistriatus) and the native bark beetle (Hylurgopinus rufipes) are most common vectors. Adults of these insects construct galleries in or under the bark of dead or dying trees affected by the disease, and lay eggs along the side of the galleries.

It is during the feeding process that the fungus is introduced into the tree. After feeding in healthy trees, the beetles then move to weakened, dying or deal elm trees, or to logs, for breeding, and the cycle is repeated. I found it interesting that systematic-preventive measures can control the elm beetle, but what about the words that we speak to a fellow human being? Proverbs 15: 23 provides insight. It teaches us that a wise person weighs his/her answers, but the unwise don’t think before speaking because they don’t care about the effects of their words. The lesson to be learned is that it is important to have something to say, but it is equally important to think about it first. Whenever there is concern for the impact of a spoken word, there is above all love – which comes from God and him alone. Selah

Knowing what to do at the right time

But if we are living in the light as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. – 1 John 1: 7,8 (TLB)

As I’ve had a concern for observing God’s creation [which is an excellent resource for writing, drawing, and painting], I picked up something that had to do with an interesting creature called the shrimp. Remember the shrimp that some people have called the “cock roach of the sea.” You’ve probably read reports that this strange creature has an exceptional way of shedding its skin six or eight times a year through a process called molting {to shed an outer covering such as feathers, cuticle or skin}. For the shrimp, apparently getting rid of the old is superseded by the new skin already growing inside. By scraping around on the rocks on the ocean floor, the shrimp begins to shed and loosen the older outer layer that soon drops off completely. A new look emerges.

At the time of each molting, another interesting thing happens. In response to some built-in instinct every shrimp deliberately places a grain of sand on its head almost always in the same spot. At every molting cycle the small rock is discarded along with the old layer of skin and a completely grain of sand is put in place. As it was explained by the marine biologist, these “small pieces of stone” were absolutely necessary for the shrimp’s survival. Without them, it would be constantly confused and disoriented. Whenever surging tides and sweeping currents set in, they are tumble over and over upside down. It is only by feeling the minute tug of gravity on the grain of sand [rock] in their head that they can recognize whether they are upside down or right side up. What an amazing thing to imagine. God, in His great love and wisdom, provided this process to enable the lowly shrimp to keep a balance amid turbulent elements of its habitat.

How could the shrimp reveal its survival? As you have figured it out, someone was inspired to investigate this phenomenon of keeping balance under strong current.

Well, a while back, a specialist in the field of marine biology conducted an experiment on several shrimp that had been placed in a large control water tank or aquarium. At the bottom of the unit, the specialist placed steel like [very small] fillings instead of sand. When the molting time came, each one of the shrimp picked up a piece of metal instead of a rock and placed it in the center of its head. Then the biologist brought a powerful electromagnet, which would alter the way the shrimp would move. With the electromagnet placed on top of the aquarium, the shrimp flipped upside down and began to swim around in an inverted position. The pull of the magnet on the metal filling was stronger than the tug of gravity and they believed that up was down and down was up. Think of what further investigation would bring about. Check it out! The specialist brought in an ocean shrimp and placed it into the tank. Naturally this new kid on the block was paddling around in the proper upright position. The other inverted shrimp were those that had always depended on several things that were right side up: 1) their feelings, and 2) what the majority around them were doing. But now that their whole lives were disturbed by a piece of metal, they were deceived into believing a lie.

There is an another spiritual lesson in this scenario. All of us are in a large aquarium as we live daily in this world. Powerful forces [like a magnet] become aware to tempt us into turning away from God. To turn us upside down spiritually is the devil’s strategy. Outside {attractive} forces easily flip those who trust in feeling and majority opinion. Consoled by the presence of so many others around them doing the same thing, the inevitably being to see things in their cockeyed view. They reverse all the signs in order to read and understand them better. They develop firm convictions that they are balanced ok, while everyone else is wrong. At some point in time, they would see the error of their ways. Anyone who goes contrary to their perceptions is branded as a fanatic or a simple troublemaker. A solid point is brought out! You cannot determine what is wrong or right by subjectivity or allowing feeling to take over or by the way others go about doing. There has to be warning signal from some where to set the things in the way it should be.

In the reference taking from 1John 1: 7,8, the Holy Spirit gives a warning that sin, by its very nature, brings death [distorted-inverted spirituality]. This is a fact as certain as the law of gravity (that all the shrimp in the aquarium experienced). Jesus did not die for his own sins; he had none. Instead he died for the sins of the world. When we commit our lives to him and identify ourselves to him, his death becomes ours. He has paid the penalty for our sins and his blood has purified us. Unlike the shrimp, what we place in our heads allows us to live true and upright lives to the glory of God. Selah

The right aim to handle thirst

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. – Psalms 42:1 (TLB)

There may seem to be no way out when it comes to mentally surviving in our world; perhaps more specifically right here in America. There is unemployment (that leads to loss of homes, automobiles, rise in crime rates, etc), natural disasters, the ongoing war against terrorism, murders, child abuse, and the list could go and on. Just what do you do when all around, there is nothing but chaos and more chaos? How can you mentally [as well as physically] survive? Well, Jesus provided a way out when he said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” For a long time, I hadn’t noticed how several translations used the prepositions for and after differently in Jesus’ infamous 6th beatitude. The New American Standard (NAS) and the New International Version (NIV) record Matthew 5: 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” However, the King James Version (KJV) expresses the same thought but with the use of the preposition after. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” There is something here to re-think through!

The word for is used to 1) indicate the object, aim, or purpose of an action or activity, 2) indicate a destination, 3) indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, 4) indicate equivalence or equality, and 5) indicate correlation or correspondence. Seemingly just the opposite in meaning, the word after is described as: a) behind in place or order, b) in quest or pursuit, c) subsequent to and because of or regardless of, d) following continually, and e) next to and or lower than in order of importance. Yet, if you go back and you’ll see that Jesus was saying that our aim is to be in a right relationship with God; so just as you would desire to have food and water in order to live, you should have that same desire for knowing God.

So, Psalm 42, is an appeal for rescue, a call to worship, a confession of sin, and encouragement to trust God. So, both the words after and for define an individual’s priorities for living side by side with God. Again, what to do about mentally surviving in a cruel world? A non-believer can come to grip with sin and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Then there is an invitation to receive the Holy Spirit; for it is who identifies what can be most emotional aliment – depression. One antidote for depression is to meditate on the record of God’s goodness to his people. This particular move could take your mind off present situation as you focus (aim) your thoughts on God’s ability to help you rather than on your inability to help yourself. Perhaps a good start would be to become thirsty. See it this way.

Are you thirsty? I’m not talking about grabbing a Sprite from the vending machine or if you are a health fanatic, apple juice with no additives, but a true thirst. A thirst that supersedes you. A thirst that consumes you. Is your heart longing for something? Something that job or degree doesn’t give. Something that you’re true love can’t give. Your soul longs for something that nothing of this physical world can fulfill. We try to fill this void with other things that cannot satisfy our inner self. Our inner selves are formed and fashioned by the spiritual.

We are spiritual beings encompassed by a house of flesh. We search for truth in the wrong places, in the flesh! The flesh cannot provide us with any relief from our parchness, only God can. He is spirit and truth. In His grace and mercy, he sent his beloved Son to die on the cross for our corruptible flesh so that he could give us the words that are spirit and life. Our hearts thirst and long for the living God. He wants our inner selves to be filled, so that we would have life and life more abundantly. Where a predator chases the deer, it seeks water so that its scent can be lost. Matthew 5:6 drives the nail home! A person is blessed whenever the determination is to seek God – just like the deer runs to the water to out smart the enemy. Selah

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

worthy of taking a second look

I Look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. - Psalms 121: 1, 2 (NLT)

Even though the temperatures rose slightly beyond 67 degrees on a few days, but the air was frigid afterwards- some would say downright cold especially in the early morning hours. However, I get a dose of spring and summer time whenever I draw back the kitchen window drapes and see old "Pink Red AKA Hibiscus" (the plants). You see there are three potted plants in a plastic container, which has drain spouts on both ends. In early September of 2009, I was introduced to this natural phenomenon and felt that it is worth another look in 2010. As I'm sure you already know, Hibiscus are large shrubs or small trees that produce huge, colorful trumpet-shaped flowers over a long season. They are deciduous {falling off or shed at a specific season or stage of growth} shrubs with dark green leaves. The plant can grow up to 15 feet in frost-free areas. Flowers maybe up to 6 inches diameter, with colors ranging from yellow to peach to red. When I first came into contact with the Hibiscus, I discovered that unusual stems [dullish green in appearance] would show up first looking like an encased capsule.

Overnight the tiny greenish gray stem would appear with an elongated look to it. Wow! But during the hours at night, that banana shaped wonder would turn into a magnificent flower. But guess what? In a day or so, it drops off and falls onto the window sill! Miraculously, that same stem will come alive again by repeating the same process. Man! You talk about finding an inspiration for creative writing, drawing, painting, designing, etc. This was it! My eyes are always open to this kind of thing because it glorifies God. I call it an inspirational reminder.

On the other hand, some close friends of mine told me that I have a green thumb since the plants have survived for such a long time under my supervision. Well! I don't think so. You could say that I'm still learning. I want them to stay healthy and live forever. Yet, the truth of the matter is, I don't have a green dumb. As a case in point, I found out that Hibiscus should be checked for pests like aphids, white flies, and mealybugs. Wait a minute! What are these kinds of parasites? What do they look like? The good old dictionary helped me out. Aphids are any of various small, soft bodied insects of the family Aphididae that feed by sucking sap from plants. Mealybugs are any of various insects of the Pseudoccus, some of which are destructive to plants.

The white fly is any of various small whitish insects of the family Pleyrodidae often injurious to plants. To the natural eye, these critters are small, but God made them too. They have to eat, however, I discovered that when a tiny "lady bug" is let loose on the shrubs, the parasites can be controlled. The lady bug, while feeding itself, is literally keeping the parasites at bay; sort of keeping the enemies in check. Even though both the lady bug and the parasites don't have a clue about the spiritual implications of what they are doing but you see God does. All of them are examples to learn from. Isn't it just like a loving God to do such a thing? He wants us to be aware of Satan's devices.

Notice what Jesus said as recorded in John 10: 10, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life." In 2 Corinthians 2:11, the apostle gives the same warning: “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” The key word for me is to kill and destroy. One thing that clicks in my mind too is that cessation of life is a gradual process in most cases. The aphid, mealybug, and white fly gradually eat away at plants. You don't really see the devastating effect until decay of some kind sets in. In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives right now is abundantly rich and full. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately. Life in Christ is lived on a higher plane because of his overflowing forgiveness, love, and guidance. In a spirit of thankfulness for God's gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus and for the timeliness of revealing a simpe plant, I composed the following poem as a praise offering:

Ode to Pink Red AKA Hibiscus

As winter evening light from the sun began to fade,
Yet your presence was brilliant with each pinkish-red blade.
Some say your features appear like a musical horn - a trumpet-
where wind from the mouth of man would only make a sound.
But let me tell you, I'm glad you're still around.
Against the clear window pane illuminating with five petals in all,
Yeah! Pink Red AKA Hibiscus is the name; so easy to recall.
In the still of the night, your wonders unfold as morning breaks.
I'm praising God for you - however long it takes.
I'm told you attract the hummingbird and butterfly;
just as does the alphid, mealybug, and white fly too linger nearby.
My purpose is to be alert while you blossom and grow;
‘cause you're really great - I just want you to know.
Selah