Skip to main content

Somewhere Over The Rainbow


“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (Matthew 6:9)
 
          I've written about God as the Father before, so I was going to skip this one but coincidentally, the sermon was about a father. You know the father I'm talking about, the one whose eldest boy sang in the choir, helped on the farm, helped little old ladies across the street, and got straight As in school. He even made earned his Eagle Scout award. His younger boy though, he was another story. Just about the time that the boys were supposed to take over Dad's farm, the younger one pulled Dad aside and said, "This just isn't for me. Give me the money my part of the inheritance would bring. I'm moving to the city." In case no one has ever explained this to you, that money was supposed to be his after his father died. In other words, he was effectively saying, "Drop Dead, Dad!"
          So, this father makes a few deals and hands Son #2 one third of the value of his estate and watches as his boy leaves for "bright lights, big city." Curiously, this is what I'm hearing once again about my home town. "There's nothing worth staying for. The town is dead, the only way to make it is to move to where the action is." Our society is filled with younger sons. They are sure when they get to the big city, somehow things will be easier. The opportunities will appear. I'm not wishing anything bad on anyone, but how often, when we are drawn to leave for greater things, do we end up in the pig sty?
         Even among those who "make it," how often is it a gilded pig sty. There is a degree program I think would be very interesting, but in order to find a job, graduates must go to a big city, and work 12-16 hours per day every day. I might make great money and have a nice house, but at what price to my soul? I've had some pig sty jobs.
         The good news is that the father was not only willing to forgive, but looking for the opportunity. There was a home to go home to. If you've been lured to the "big city" only to find yourself in a pig sty... go home. Go home to your Father. He's waiting. When your "somewhere over the rainbow" world collapses into a pile of manure, go home to the Father who will welcome you with open arms.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more