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| Don't Argue with the Fence Post! |
But for sure, he had a story to tell about the things that one might take for granted. He loved showing young boys how to build a fence, how to rope a steer and how to drive a semi tractor trailer. Still he had a love of horses and for laughter. Our kitchen was the gathering for those times of laughter. Especially in the summer, our dad would bring home some of our cousins who would either be at the feed store or the chicken farm. These young boys would dress in their denim jeans like Levi's, wear those cowboy boots and have a hat that matched.
They would gather around the table, although too antsy to sit, but close enough to hear the stories my dad could tell. I was reminded of this verse from the Bible.
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
In this we are reminded it is a good thing to laugh. It works like a medicine. It seemed that we spent many hours laughing at the things that make one forget the gray areas of life. It was not about strife or criticizing others but generally how my dad would get into stuff and have to "figure the way out" of that thing.
For some folks though it is hard for them to laugh about some of the things they have done in their lives. For many they want others to remember them for their "good only" and not some of the mistakes they have made in their lifetime. I certainly would not desire to speak on some of the goofy things I did, but I can say drugs was never a part of my life. I was told early on in my life that my parents would know if I did "something stupid" and then I would answer for it and not sit down for a week. I believed them!
But all people can and do make mistakes at sometime or another in their life and never desire others to know of the "stupid is as stupid does" kind of thing.
Still others like notoriety. They like being right and was thinking of Balaam today and the donkey speaking to him. Now Balaam was a prophet and he ignored God's will, so God opened the mouth of his donkey to rebuke him. Still, within the enormity of this supernatural element of a talking animal, it was Balaam who began to argue with a dumb beast. (Numbers 22:25-30)
It was one hot day I believe in the summer of"68 and my dad was building fence. He had added some livestock, and was having our cousins help him build a stronger fence. Now when my dad built a fence, the cedar posts for the corners was put into cement and was expected to be there for many years.
Now of this one specific day, one of the young fellows was not agreeing with the work ethic. For my dad, integrity was important as was the quality of work to be done. Every "man" was expected to do his fair share of work if being paid for doing it!
The other variable was of teamwork and somehow one member was not up to the job or work to be done! So yes, a story came out about it. Yet, all of us at some time did not like the work that had to be done, but someone has to do it. YOU can find that out when you and your husband have given birth to a baby and when it is time to change "the baby's diaper".
One such day I remember being at work. It was like the beginning of a new year. People were excited, talking fast about their new year resolutions and losing more weight to gain more muscle mass. Anyway, this young boy decided to be "sick" in the very middle of the room where we had about 20+ kids playing. With rain outside and some high wind, it was not good to take the kids out of doors. Still the room had to be cleared and some of the adults moved as fast as they could to get some of the younger kids away from "the sick" on the floor!
Many of the "kids" were moved to another area of the main office.
Left standing there were two of us adults. YOU guessed it...we cleaned it all up and sprayed the carpet and sprayed the air then we sprayed our clothes.....Yikes!
Yes, some people have their ideas about work and that work ethic includes: integrity, teamwork, but it also includes quality and discipline for that job. But when our dedication to the job is beyond ourselves, then we can do for others. For we should not be like Balaam who argued with a donkey nor we would or should we be arguing with a fence post or arguing with an animal.
Today, I can look back and hear some of my "dad's tales" and remember he had some mistakes in his life, but he learned from them and made people his priority. We too can see things that should be done but will require some discipline rather than just thinking of that "paycheck" but it is about people's lives and helping them be better too! In allowing laughter, we can see the mistake and avoid it.
I long for the laughter to fill our house as it filled my parent's home those summer days. I long to see people filled with the Holy Spirit and to know that God has a place for them when they receive His Son. For within our existence, we learn many things, but family and laughter is key. To do anything less is sin! Without laughter we stagnate the atmosphere. If we abide in doom and gloom we will fall victim to our own abilities and our own way of doing much like Balaam did!
For each of us face hundreds of choices and decisions daily. Fortunately most of them are not life-altering.
Should I
go with veggies for all my meals only today or "all week"? Should I get the ultra-whitening toothpaste or
the kind of vitamin that restores brain cells? Oh yeah, I need to lose about five pounds of weight!
But just
as surely as the new year begins, many
of us face difficult and life-changing decisions. I’m so grateful for God’s
incredible promise in Psalms 32:8:I will instruct you and teach you in the way
you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
As my father taught us to laugh, our Father God
teaches and guides us for his own glory. Our Father desires to lead our lives of maximum
effectiveness and fruitfulness for His glory. He desires to display his goodness, kindness,
mercy, and transforming power through us. God wants to counsel us more than we
want His counsel.
He shows
us the way to go because He is a loving Father.
Let's not argue with God our Father about anything. Let's just do what He asks us to do. My father asked that we obeyed His instructions and when it was time to leave home, we knew a job was a good thing, being married to the right person was a good thing as well and laughter would add zest to our lives.
Laughter is a good medicine for us everyday. Let us find that merry heart in God, obey His commands and expect laughter to invade our homes. Truly the joy of the Lord is our Strength: The spirit of rejoicing, joy and laughter is
our heritage. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty….an
emancipation from bondage………… Maintaining that walk as the son is by the
Holy Spirit and it is by our remaining in the joy of the Lord who is our
strength! Amen
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The Wonder of God & His Instruction
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In Order With God: Being Established
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