Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Death is really valuable.  The fact that our lives are finite makes our lives that much sweeter.  What if you knew you were going to live forever; would there be any urgency to your life?  Doesn’t it make a difference knowing some day we are going to die?  And not only that.  We have no idea when.

Life becomes that much more valuable knowing it is finite.  When we are young there is the illusion we are going to live forever.  It is only an illusion, sometimes shattered when a friend close to us meets an untimely death.

I never forgot Anna Quinlan’s (the well known writer) comments.  She was in college and temporarily left to take care of her mother who was dying.  Then she returned to college with a different perspective, a keener appreciation of life.  She looked at her fellow students and considered their concerns now trivial.  Life had become very precious to her.  Her Mom died.  And the last few months she spent taking care of her illustrated to her how fragile and tenuous life really was.  She had a new found appreciation of how precious life really was.

One can not live with the notion he or she may go at any moment.  Everything is by grace.  And the awareness of the specter of death that awaits every one makes life that much sweeter and always gives you a greater appreciation of the simple things every one takes for granted.  From dust you come and from dust you shall return.  Those words in the Bible are so true.  Our society today views death as a curse.  It is really a gift so appreciate the time the Lord has given to you.  You only have one life so enjoy it and make the best of it.

Tags: Anna Quinlan, appreciation of life, Bible, death, dust-to-dust, dying, everything-is-by-grace, God, life, life is a gift, life is precious, life is sweet, live forever, living, Lord, make the best of life, one life, our lives are finite, wisdom
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Just examine one section of the book in the Bible written by King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) to illustrate this.  Truth is absolute but it is more complicated than that.  Yes, truth is absolute but is always balanced by another truth.  There is a time and place for everything.  It states there that ‘for everything there is a season,’ the section of the Bible from which Pete Seeger, the well known folk singer, adapted his lyrics of the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” which the Byrds had a hit with in the late sixties.

In those lines you have one statement or if you want to call it one truth balanced by another.  For example, ‘there is a time to love and a time to hate, a time to mourn and a time to laugh’ and so forth.

Too many people have pulled this Scripture (and others of course) out of context and declared part of each statement to be absolute truth.  If you were to declare one statement to be absolute truth (and it is), it is not valid for an eternity.

And this happens all the time when a preacher will act as though he/she is the only one who possesses the truth, and others do the same.  Yes, there is a time and season for every truth and be aware there will always (???) another side to it and there is a season for everything.

Tags: "Turn! Turn! Turn!", absolute truth, Bible, double edged sword, Ecclesiastes, for everything there is a season, God, King Solomon, Pete Seeger, Preacher, scripture, seasons, the Byrds, time, time and place for everything, truth, wisdom
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Sometimes life is fair.  Sometimes it isn’t.  And sometimes it never is.  I am reminded of the famous anecdote of Eisenhower whose mother told him what you have to do is deal with the hand you are dealt with.  The fact life is not fair.  Some people appear to have it very easy.  They have no money worries.  Their life seems to flow.  And there is no doubt money (the lack of) can cause quite a bit of worry.

The fact is we are all unequally gifted.  Some people are very talented:  can do almost anything and be successful.  Some people have more.  Some people have less.  Envy can eat at you.  There is a good reason “Thou shall not covet” is one of the ten commandments.

But when you rail at the higher powers for being so unfair with your worldly station, it only leads to problems and dissatisfaction.  Pray to God with thanksgiving.  There is a reason for that advice in the Bible.

Otherwise we are this whining entity wanting this and that from above.  I think of God being above and millions maybe billions of strings are pulling at him all wanting it a different way.  Realizing everything is by grace and thanking God for all your blessings corrects your dissatisfaction with your life.

Insisting on God (or a higher power) being fair only can frustrate you.  Because life is NOT FAIR.  The serenity prayer is worth repeating and these are not the exact words:  what is in your control change, accept what isn’t and have the wisdom to know the difference.  These are not the exact words but it gets the point across.  Grab the control in your life you can, realize what you have no control of.  And accept the results.  That is the beginning of wisdom.

Tags: accept the results, balance, Bible, blessings, deal the hand you are dealt, Eisenhower, envy, everything-is-by-grace, fairness, gifts, God, knowledge, learning, life is not fair, money, pray to God, relationships, serenity prayer, take control in your life of what you can, talent, ten commandments, thanking God, thanksgiving, thou shall not covet, wisdom
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The parable of Jesus (of the talents) illustrates how important it is to use our talents wisely.  Talents in biblical times referred to a sum of money.  I will let the scriptures speak for themselves.

Matthew 25:14-46

14   For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15   And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16   Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17   And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18   But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19   After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20   And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21   His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22   He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23   His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24   Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25   And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26   His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27   Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28   Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29   For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30   And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Tags: abundance, Bible, God, Jesus, joy of thy Lord, kingdom of heaven, money, parable of the talents, responsibility, scriptures, servant, the Lord, time, well done thou good and faithful servant, wisdom, your talents
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I do not have to know everything.  Of course, no one can.  There are few Renaissance people any more.  Yet it is so easy to feel shame if you can not do simple things and envy the knowledge others possess.  It is so hard to know what you know and know what you do not.  This knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.  Ignorance is bliss.  You can relax in the fact this world is interdependent.  We all need one another.

Money can provide the illusion this is not so.  It is truly an illusion.  All you have to do is think of all the services provided for you.  Someone keeps the roads paved.  Someone is raising the crops that provide the food you buy in supermarkets.  The Army and the police assure your safety.  There are scientists, engineers working on solutions to improve your life further.  There are hospitals, doctors, teachers, the list is endless of people out there providing for you and your children.  Are you beginning to get the point?  We are dependent on one another.

In fact the bad economic state we are in even more so forces us to rely on each other.  That is really a good thing.  One does not have to do it alone and can relax.  Still you have to do your part.  Nevertheless, we are interdependent with one another.  We can rely on each other.  That is really the way the world is designed.  In the words of John Donne, ‘No man is an island.’  If we can hold on to that idea, the world becomes a much smaller place and we can relax further.  No one has to do it alone.  We are in this world together.  It is okay to ask for help when you need it and certainly it is okay to reach out to the needs of people around you.  All that can be very comforting.

Tags: balance, comforting, do not have to do it alone, do your part, doctors, economic state, God, hospitals, interdependence, John Donne, knowledge, learning, money, no man is an island, okay to ask for help, raising crops, reach out to others, relationships, rely on each other, Renaissance people, roads paved, services provided, teachers, we all need one another, we can relax, wisdom, world is interdependent
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Spring is now four weeks minus one day away.  Now it is cold and snow still lingers on the ground.  Before we know it the first daffodils and primrose will come up and then the warm weather will start.  This cold will be a distant memory.  I am looking forward to picking the raspberries on my property and then my blackberries in July.  And before we know it autumn will come again and the cycle will start all over again.  Time seems to have two cycles at the same time.  One turns very slowly and the others speeds all the time.  Time is a vapor as the Bible says.

Tags: autumn, Bible, blackberries, cold, cycle of time, daffodils, God, July, pick raspberries, primrose, seasons, snow on the ground, spring, time, time is a vapor, time seems to have two cycles, warm weather, wisdom
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