What is too old or crazy?

What would we think if Abraham (100 yrs old) and Sarah (99 yrs old) had Isaac today?

A few years ago Tony Randall (the actor) sparked ridicule when he, in his 70s, fathered a child. There was a united chorus of detractors pointing out that Tony wouldn’t be able to play catch with his child or probably see him or her graduate from high school. Tony was perceived as being selfish and egotistical to father a child so late in his life.

More recent reproductive conversations have centered on the dangers of pregnancy for women in their 40s, and the ethics of artificial insemination. Today, conventional wisdom is that a woman in her forties is recklessly endangering herself and her child, unless she has some mitigating circumstance. And we have seen that the conversation turns vicious when if an artificially inseminated woman has eight children at once!!

The REAL question we have but are seldom brave enough to ask is: What do we really think of a God who would expose an centenarian couple to the dangers of a pregnancy?

The strange part of Genesis 17 for me is that both Abe and Sarah laughed at the whole idea. Or version today might be, “Yea, right!” But God was serious. Abe became serious, and believed, and is the poster child for faith that God counts as righteousness. So here are the bottom line questions I have…

Do we even hear God’s voice today? I have to assume God has not lost his voice, and is still speaking. Not everything God has to say is how he plans to build nations of people from “dry bones”. But he is still speaking, isn’t he?

If we hear him, might he be saying something just as “crazy” or “irresponsible” to us as he did to Abe and Sarah? Who are we to say what is or is not crazy? Yes, we have experience and science to go on, but our experience has been filtered and is incomplete, and our science is constantly expanding to include more observation. What was yesterday “crazy” and made us laugh, is today normal making us laugh that anyone would have doubted it. So, we must allow God to be “crazy” from time to time, and know that it will look different tomorrow.

Abe and Sarah initially laughed, but came to believe, and trust, and were righteous! When the baby was born, he was named ISAAC, which means “he laughs” – seems appropriate.

Needy or Wanty?

An email arrived this morning in which a friend wondered if they had become a needy person. Their musing triggered in me this question:

Why is it that people can be 'needy', but are hardly ever admit to being "wanty"?

It seems fairly obvious, but track with me for a moment.

Needs seem to be more honest, more genuine, and often more urgent. On the other hand, wants seem to be less honest, superfluous, or perhaps even selfish desires.

When basic needs aren't met a person is in a real state of deprivation and often desperation. Legitimate needs can exist on all levels of human existence: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual; although we seem focused on the physical needs most of the time. There is no shame in being needy on these levels. If shame exists, it is on those who could provide relief, but who choose not to or remain unconcerned.

However, sometimes our stated or perceived needs are actually wants in disguise. We humans often confuse needs and wants. We so intensely want something that over time we dress up the want in need-clothing. We come to see the want as a need and we claim to be needy, when in fact we are actually "wanty"

Of course God sees right through the disguise and deception, and answers our misguided or deluded prayer for our wanty-needs the only way he can, with pity and waits patiently for us to awaken from our self-induced deception. He may even proactively attempt to rattle us awake by orchestrating some of those pesky life-lessons we so often appreciate only some time after they cross our paths.

So my prayer this morning is...
Lord, help me to see what you see,
and to discern my needs from my wants.
Lord, help me to want what you want,
and to trust you for all my needs.
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Psalm 70.5 (NLT)
Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.

Humor and Terror

Mary Lu and I just spent 3 hours in line waiting to vote on a sunny Nov 4th day with the temp in the 60s meeting new people and having several good conversations. One of the election people came past me with a "Hello my name is KEN" badge on his shirt, and I said "Hi Ken!" He stopped dead in his tracks with a startled and puzzled look trying to place me. He seemed a little freaked out! I relieved his anxiety by reaching out to shake his hand while saying, "We have never met. My name is Bob." He smiled, obviously relieved, shook my hand and went on his way. Some people around me were looking at me with a "Why did you do that?" look on their face. So, I smilingly said to them, "He was wearing his name on his shirt, so I thought he wanted to be greeted!" They were relieved that wasn't some kind of wacko or clairvoyant able to read their thoughts. Just then Ken passed by on the way back into the polls and cheerily said to me, "Hi Bob!!" We all laughed, somewhat entertained during our long wait in line to vote.

Just before I sat down to type up that story, I received this Missions Hotline email concerning new attacks in India:
David Yardy, Asia Area Director, called from India on Tuesday, November 4, to report that a Free Methodist pastor was recently beaten to death in front of his family because he would not renounce his faith. Also, five other Free Methodists were badly beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The doctor's life was threatened if he treated their injuries, so they were refused treatment. These attacks took place in a state which neighbors Orissa State where Christians have been facing severe persecution. Please pray for the victims' families. Also pray for 300 refugees from Orissa who have fled to Hyderabad.

My prayer is for not only the extraordinary freedom we enjoy in this country, but also for the unimaginable terror others are experiencing this very day.

Lord, help us to more deeply appreciate and celebrate our freedom.
Lord, help us to select leaders who will govern for the common good of all people, of all nations.
Lord, help us to live righteous lives in these days filled with humor and terror.
Amen.

We can/should learn from dogs.

I am an unashamed dog lover.  Last week I saw this bumper sticker prayer:

               "Lord, make me the person my dog thinks I am."

That just about says it all.  And if anything else needs saying, maybe this video completes the message:

Carolyn and Rookie