Uncle John and Aunt Ona's House. Or: One Thing Leads to Another

  I think it all started when I broke my leg. I  had not played guitar, having gotten discouraged (or something like that), in quite a while. The Silvertone electric my mom had gotten me for Christmas when I was a teenager was sitting in a closet, strings quietly rusting.  

We were living in the Old House where I sat feeling sorry for myself when my friend John rolls up and sez, "Come with me" and I sez, "Where?" and he sez, "Your uncle's house."

So it turns out that they (my Aunt Ona and Uncle John and some of their friends) were playing music there.

There is nothing in the world like listening to live music, even if it is just in somebody's walled-in front porch which has been converted in to a music room.

And I fell in love. All over again. 

And it was suggested that I sing at one of the Country shows that they were doing. Then it was suggested that my sister Deb (who had been tagging along) and my cousin Mike and I should have a spot on one of these shows to make music for the "young folks." Eventually Deb dropped out and Mike moved on and in the process, I picked up on playing the bass guitar and that led to me playing in a honkytonk band. 

Next thing you know I'm wandering into a nightclub one evening and meet up with the love of my life, which story is related here:  

 

https://troalbridge.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-night-we-met.html

 

 

 So a shout-out and a big thank-you to Uncle John and Aunt Ona, who reminded me of my love for music and set me on a collision course with my future bride. I love you guys and never mind that you're no longer here to hear me say it; I'll say it again when I see you.

Beds of Ivory

 ...these men have set up their idols in their heart...-Ezekiel 14:3

The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.-John Calvin

What's your idol? 

What is it that you love (even if only sometimes) more than God? That becomes (even if only sometimes), in effect, your god?

 

I could spot your idols (that speck of dust in your eye) from across the room. 

 

Strange, though, I cannot see the log in my own eye though I have a mirror (James 1:23) right in front of me. 

 

So easy to overlook our own failings, is it not?

 

But if I gaze intently into that mirror, I begin to see it. An idol.

I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours.

Ease. Comfort. Like those Israelites in Amos 6:4, I lie as it were on my bed of ivory and it requires much more effort than I would care to admit to desire to get up and be about those things that are required of me. 

This time of my own that I have desired since forever has become a snare, my idol. 

Pray for me as I seek to tear down the idol that my heart has made.

What is your idol?

 

 

Despite

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. -Luke 6:28

 

Archaic meaning of "despite": outrage, injury, contempt, disdain.

"Blessed are you when men persecute you," Jesus said.  Well, this verse and others like it have given me trouble. See, we are promised persecution as Christ's disciples. But honestly, I have been very blessed in the other direction.

I have enjoyed cordial relations with nearly everyone I have met. Minor disagreements aside, I cannot recall a time when anyone has intentionally treated me badly or spoken to me in what I would consider a hateful, hurtful manner.

 

And there's the problem. If I am a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, shouldn't someone have taken exception to me and spoken or behaved in an untoward manner?

 

I tell ya, I'm feeling convicted that maybe I haven't been as faithful in living the Gospel (or sharing it) as I should be. 

But God, being faithful, has provided. Over the past several months I have been dealing with an individual who seems to have gone out of their way to speak disrespectfully, behave arrogantly, and just generally make themselves as obnoxious as possible.

Now those of you who know me understand the ingrained genetic desire to have the last word and give as good (or better) as I get. In other words, to win!

 

"Happy shall be he, that taketh and dashest thy little ones against the stones. (Psalm 137:9)" is one of the most frightening and sobering verses in all Scripture, showing the depths to which our anger and bitterness at being wronged can take us. 

But you know and I know this is not allowed us who have been forgiven so greatly. Forgiveness and prayer for God's mercy toward the offender are commanded. 

And praise be to God the Holy Spirit, I have been able (perhaps reluctantly?) to return good for evil and ask God's mercy in granting this person a heart of repentance.

Now, let me say that this ain't me! You know my inclinations, partly (forgive me if I misspeak) because they may be your own!

But God provides and my prayer now must be that I not be filled with pride (a very real danger) at my gentle, forbearing nature.

As the man said, "I'm a forgive and forget Christian."  

And the  emphasis needs to be on "Christ"ian

 

 

Remember

                                 

Remember me when I am gone away,

         Gone far away into the silent land;

         When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

         You tell me of our future that you plann'd:

         Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

         And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

         For if the darkness and corruption leave

         A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile 

Than that you should remember and be sad. -Christina Rossetti

 

 

 

 

 

Lifetime

A lifetime is not forever. 

When we're in the midst of living it, maybe it seems as though it will never end.

And I mean that in a good way, not like some things you've experienced that seem as if they will never end.

But life keeps you so busy, in the living of it, that maybe you don't reflect on the fleeting nature of it all. It's more of an ongoing thing is what I guess I'm trying to say.

Which is almost all to the good? 

It's the looking back much later on, I think, that lets us meditate on what we mean when we say "lifetime."

Which is also good, right? 

Speaking strictly for me, when I was a lot younger, I didn't possess the ability to think deeply on such a deep subject.

So here's to life. I'm thankful for the good things, and even the not-so-good things, our coming together, then parting, our gladness, our sorrow.

Our lifetimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life, I mean. 

Got It

When were preparing for Joyce's funeral service, Billy asked me if she had a favorite passage of Scripture, one he could use as the text of the sermon.

Without hesitation I replied, "Psalm 91." I went on to explain to him how she had often cited this one as her favorite.

I went on to share how we had been reading through Psalms together each evening, discussing the meaning of each and how they applied to ourselves.

And how, a couple of nights before her passing, we had come to the 91st. We read it together, she turned to me and said, "You don't have to explain this one to me, I got it."

Billy led us through the Psalm at the service, verse by verse and concluded with the story I just shared. 

He smiled and said, "She got it."

 

Look Who's Here!

 You ever been at your parent's house and someone walked in and you heard these words? Maybe it was someone we had not seen in a long time.

 

Or perhaps you have walked in and been greeted in this fashion. There is an element of joy expressed here and maybe even a little bit of surprise.

 

So I have loved ones who have gone to be with Jesus. So have you. And we read that there are no tears, no sorrow, no sadness there. And that is good.

Think Isaiah 57:1. Or maybe they have simply accomplished what God put them here to do.

 

The point is, I believe we are promised joyful reunions in heaven. Of course, beholding our Savior's beautiful face will be our chief joy. But there will be other well-loved, familiar faces also. Don't you think?

 

We read in Revelation the cry, "How long?" In addition for the desire for all things to be made new and sin finally destroyed, could there also be a wistfulness, a longing as well for the renewal of all those happy relationships? 

 

Isaiah 55:12  promises peace and joy; the mountains and hills will break out in song and even the trees will clap their hands!

 

And what a thing , to enter the gates of heaven and hear those words; "Look who's here!"