Barbara's Banter

Erma Bombeck was a gifted writer whose playful prose is legendary.  The following is from her Mother’s Day column for May 12, 1974.  Though Erma passed away in 1996 her wit and humor live on.  Some writings are extraordinary – just like mothers… 

When the good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order?

• She has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
• Have 180 movable parts… all replaceable;
• Run on black coffee and leftovers;
• Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
• A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
• And six pairs of hands.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands… no way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows, another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Go to bed. Tomorrow…”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick… can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger… and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.

“But she’s tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”

“Can it think?”

“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You that You were trying to push too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”

“What’s it for?”

“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

“You are a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.

Please bear with me as I work through my astonishment at finding out The Scream, painted by Norwegian Edvard Munch in 1895, sold for a whopping $120 million this past week at Sotheby’s in New York.  Okay, the real price was $119,922,500, but who’s counting???? 

Have you seen this picture?  It’s considered a masterpiece, second only to the Mona Lisa in fame.  Its image has been on everything from editorial cartoons to coffee mugs, which seems appropriate since that’s how most of us feel on Monday morning before we’ve had our caffeine fix.  But $120 million?  Give me a break.  Has the world gone mad?  Well, if you look at this picture long enough you would think so.

Although I’ve been to many world famous art museums here and abroad, I admit that my artwork pallet isn’t as sharp as the trained eye.  So here are a few things about this particular purchase that bother me. 

First, it always saddens me when people become famous after they die.  Van Gogh sold few paintings while alive and was basically considered an artistic failure.  Yet today his artwork such as The Starry Night and The Sower is worth millions and displayed in the best museums.  Authors like Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, and Emily Dickenson published few of their writings and were paid very little while alive.  Yet today you can’t get through a high school literature class without reading their prose.  I just think it’s nice to be alive when people start to appreciate your life’s work.  And although Munch was not considered an abject failure while alive, he would be shocked to see how his artwork has influenced the world.  I know I am!

Secondly, do you know what a person could do with $120 million?  They could leave a legacy of good works.  They could educate the underprivileged, shelter the homeless, train the unemployed for new jobs, feed the poor, or become president.  Oops!  Sorry!  You need much more money than that to become president.  But the point is that $120 million is a massive amount of money.  While it’s true a million dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to, it can still go farther than most of us.   

However, with that said, I will concede that people who make the money or have the money should be allowed to spend it how they want – whether it is for a solid gold toilet seat, platinum bassinette, diamond tiara, or The Scream.  We poor, those without a million or so in the bank, have no right to tell rich people how to spend their money.

Lastly, I think there is a problem with society putting an inflated value on certain things.  We pay athletes and entertainers exorbitant salaries to play ball and make us laugh, while we pay other professions very little in comparison to educate our children, put out fires, protect us from criminals, or fight our battles.   And when it comes to material possessions I guess it’s a matter of what the market will allow.  I still remember people paying hundreds of dollars for beanie babies. 

However in spite of all of this I think about Ephesians 2:10 when Paul refers to Christians as God’s artwork.  It says, “For we are God’s masterpiece (NLT).” 

As masterpieces go I must admit I identify more with Munch’s The Scream than a Degas ballerina.  Sometimes I even look like that person in The Scream. Many times I’ve put my hands over my ears trying to block out the sounds of life.   

Masterpieces are worth a lot.  I know this because Jesus paid for me with the highest price of all – his life.  Now to look at me, many would think why in the world would Jesus pay that kind of price for that?  Even I marvel at it.    

So is The Scream worth $120 million?  Probably not!  But I’m not worth the price Jesus paid for me either.  Yet, here I am!  Happy and thankful he considers me a masterpiece. 

The Bible has been printed in so many languages and made available in so many countries it is difficult to think there are places where Bibles are not available.  Yet there are thousands of areas where there are no scriptures in a native tongue.   Plus there are still countries where people are not exactly forbidden to have a Bible, but it is unwise for them to read it publically.  Having a Bible is so commonplace today it’s hard to believe everyone in the world cannot enjoy the privilege of being able to read one.  

Actually, the average person did not always have access to a Bible.  Our biblical fore-fathers had no such luxury.  In those days only the religious leaders had a copy the Bible and probably not in total.  That’s why public reading of Scripture was important. (1 Timothy 4:13) 

The invention of the printing press in the 1400s changed all that by giving ordinary people access to books, especially the Bible.  Until then the only way to duplicate a document was by hand.

Man started chiseling on stone (think 10 Commandments) and gradually moved to ink/dye on animal hides.  The Old Testament was first copied on leather scrolls, then graduated to papyrus.  Actually, the word Bible comes from the Greek word for the papyrus plant, biblos.  The oldest surviving manuscript of any part of the New Testament is a papyrus fragment containing part of John 18.  Scholars estimate that it was written about 125 AD.

Sheets of papyrus could also be placed between two pieces of wood for covers creating a type of book called a codex.  Around 320 AD the codex book form replaced the scroll, and parchment made from the skin of sheep or goats replaced papyrus.

When the Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian, he authorized the production of many copies of the Scriptures.  This was a huge, arduous undertaking.  We cannot imagine what it took to produce just one hand copied version of the Bible.  The lettering was ornate and each word had to be painstakingly formed in ink with no room for error since there was no “wite-out” or “correcto-type” available.  It was a laborious task. 

During the Middle Ages (c. 600 to 1400), several thousand monasteries were established across Europe to copy the Bible.  Teams of scribes and artists produced magnificent parchments filled with beautiful artwork.  Most people in the Middle Ages were illiterate so these designs and illustrations were very popular.  Of course these Bibles were huge and expensive, not available to the common man.  Years ago I saw some of these magnificent manuscripts displayed at the Getty Museum in Southern California.  Unbelievable works of art! 

I’m not sure what scrolls or parchments New Testament leaders had access to but I can guarantee you they weren’t just all grabbing their Bibles and heading over to Joe’s house for an impromptu study.  Many at that time were illiterate.  When the Bereans were commended for examining scriptures daily (Acts 17:11) they were making an effort to get together with someone who could read and had access to portions of the Bible.  Reading or studying the Bible was a shared activity with people supporting and encouraging one another.   Susie-Q wasn’t secluded, reading her devotionals with a just “me and you Lord” attitude. 

After the printing press came along, the flood gates of information became available to the ordinary, everyday people.  It was the Internet of its time.  Eventually literacy and access to books became widespread.  The Bible became accessible to the average person – people like you and me.    

Today some can be pretty cavalier about having a Bible and being able to read it.  But think about this – we don’t have to wait for Moses to come down from a mountain with a tablet of stone or for Paul’s next parchment epistle to arrive in the mail.  We have access to God, his thoughts, and his example at our fingertips.  I wonder if we really appreciate what a privilege that is.

Every poll from Barna to Gallup indicates most Christians are illiterate when it comes to the Bible.  I won’t bore you with the statistics.  It has become common knowledge, but the answer to simple Bible questions has not.   One would think people who base their lives on the Bible, might want to know what it says.  Yet, obviously, Christians aren’t reading their Bibles.  

Why is that?  Perhaps…   

• They feel they are too busy. 
• They are lazy and would rather be fed by others rather than feed themselves.
• They think it really doesn’t matter as long as they are good people. 
• Although important, it’s not as important as the football game or Desperate Housewives. 
• Reading has become passé and almost a lost skill in our society.
• The Bible is a big book and it’s overwhelming to think about reading the whole thing.   
• They feel intimidated because they don’t think they could understand it.

Whatever the reason I do feel the Christian community has exacerbated the problem instead of help solve it.  Here’s how.

Reading It for the Wrong Reason                                                                                                                                                          Christian leaders want people to read the Bible all the way through.  To them this is an important goal.  However, although this would give one a lofty sense of accomplishment would it truly bring them closer to God? 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s great to read the Bible cover to cover and I’ve done so a few times.  From a historical point of view it’s interesting to read who begat whom even if you can’t pronounce the names, but a more valuable reason to read the Bible is to know God and his son Jesus Christ.  The stories in the Old Testament were recorded as examples for us and we can learn from them, but the real purpose of the Old Testament is to point to the coming of Christ and what that means for mankind.  If one is to grow into a spiritually mature Christian the Bible should be read to know who Christ is and have a relationship with him. 

Studying Instead of Reading                                                                                                                                                                           

There are myriads of translations and scores of Bible dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, and handbooks.  No longer is merely reading the Word of God enough, we must dissect it like an autopsy, giving the impression that one can’t understand the Bible without a degree in theology. It’s a wonder any of our biblical forefathers came to know Christ without a study guide.    

Now don’t get me wrong.  I love an intense Bible study and especially finding a trivia tidbit to astonish others with my superior knowledge, but that doesn’t necessarily bring me closer to God.  Believe it or not the Bible was not written for scholars.  It was written for everyday people like you and me.  We don’t need a diploma in theological studies for God’s Word to bring us closer to him.

Reading as a Chore                                                                                                                                                                                             

Some Christian leaders approach the concept of reading the Bible as a chore, something on a “to-do” list to mark off when we are done so we can feel better about ourselves.  Once we get that job done we can go about doing the things we want to do with a clear conscience because we have done our duty.  They even suggest if we aren’t reading the Bible daily we are not engaging with God. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I do try to read from the Bible daily, but not because I feel God will curse me if I don’t.  I actually enjoy reading it.  There are benefits to daily Bible reading but I do not feel guilty on days that it’s not possible.  Reading the Bible is not the only way to connect with God.  We can commune with God through prayer and meditation, which can even be done while driving to work.  There is honoring God through our actions, spending quiet time in reflection, and being in a spirit of worship. 

Just Reading Is Not Enough                                                                                                                                                                       

Here’s the deal – reading the Bible is important but just reading it should not be the main objective for the Christian.  The main purpose of the Bible being written was not to give us moral lessons, but help us look to Jesus, so we can delight in him.  Our motive should be to know God and his son Jesus Christ.  The focus should be on building a relationship with Christ.  It is not enough to merely remember scriptures; they should be internalized, written on our hearts, and lived.  

Christians who approach Bible reading as some project to complete will probably never finish it.  They’ll drop out the minute they hit all those genealogies.  Those who do finish might feel a sense of pride in getting a job done but might not come to know the wonder of Christ. 

People might be more eager to read their Bibles if they looked at it like a spiritual meal to savor and enjoy instead of a duty to perform.  It’s just a thought!   

My favorite high school English teacher once asked our class, “If you were marooned on an island and could only have one book, which one would you choose?”  After we reflected on that question a while she shared her choice would be either The Complete Works of Shakespeare or the Bible.  I thought including the Bible was an interesting choice coming from one who wasn’t a Christian. 

Yet so much of our cultural literacy comes from the Bible.  Phrases like thorn in the flesh, skin of your teeth, my brother’s keeper, bite the dust, salt of the earth, blind leading the blind, going the extra mile, do unto others – the list is endless – are all biblically based.  The Bible has had more influence on literature, music, philosophy, art and even law than we might think.  So reading the Bible for educational purposes would have merit.

However, there are so many other reasons to read the Bible.  Here are a few…

Reading the Bible gives us firsthand knowledge about what it says instead of relying on someone’s interpretation.  So many times scriptures are misquoted.  For example the Bible doesn’t say money is the root of all evil, it says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)  There is a difference. 

Reading the Bible helps with moral dilemmas we face, enhancing our lives.   Whether or not one believes everything it says, the Bible is a tremendous source of wisdom and instruction.  Just reading the Proverbs alone would help one live a better life.  After all, it was written so all could attain wisdom, discipline, insight, discretion, and discernment.  (Proverbs 1:1-6)  Whose life wouldn’t be richer by understanding and incorporating these attributes?       

Much can be learned from the teachings of Christ.  President Thomas Jefferson didn’t like the skewed embellishments of Jesus by the evangelists of his time (some things never change), so he carefully cut and removed the passages he thought reflected the teachings of Jesus from his Bible.  He then pasted them into his own version of the New Testament   In fact this edited Bible is on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. until mid July of this year.  Now Jefferson was not known to be a devout Christian but he learned from Christ’s example and what he taught. 

For Christians, reading the Bible should have even more significance.  After all, they know all scripture is inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16)  So if Christians don’t know the Bible how will they know if someone is teaching truth?  (1 Timothy 4:16)  Teachers/preachers should have sound doctrine.  (Titus 2:1)  How will we know this unless we have a firm foundation of truth which can only come from reading the Bible?

Theologians and scholars not only read the Bible, they study it.  They want to know what each “jot” and “tittle” means.  (Matthew 5:18)  While there is merit in this kind of study Christians miss the mark if their primary goal of reading the Bible is just to gain knowledge about God.  Knowledge is just information.  Knowledge by itself just puffs you, it doesn’t build you up.  (1 Corinthians 8:1)  There is a difference in knowing about God and knowing him personally.  

If we approach Bible reading prayerfully God reveals himself to us through scripture because he is active in our lives.  He guides and motivates us, and meets us where we are.  The Bible is actually a living book.  God meets us where we are with scriptures.  As we grow in grace God reveals more and more to us. That’s why the same scripture we read today may have a deeper meaning than it did a year ago.

The Bible is still one of the bestselling books of all time.  Too bad more people don’t read it.

Christ’s crucifixion and death showed God’s unconditional love for us. Although painful and agonizing, Christ died willingly for our sins. Because of this we are forgiven and no longer condemned. And while that is great news, without Christ’s resurrection what he did for us would be null and void. Christ was delivered to death for our sins, but raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:23,24) In other words his death paid for our sins, but his resurrection is the proof or the receipt for that payment. The resurrection validates Christ and it validates us.

The resurrection validates Christ because what he said would happen did happen. Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed, condemned, mocked, beaten and die, but he also knew and told his disciples that he would be raised to life on the third day. (Matthew 20:18-20) And it took place just the way Jesus said it would. This is good news for us on so many levels, one being that we can trust everything Christ tells us.

The resurrection also validates our faith in Christ. Without the resurrection our faith is in vain and futile. (1 Corinthians 15:14-16) We can believe without a doubt that Christ is the resurrection and life he professed to be and we who believe in him will live – even though we might die, we will live again. (John 11:25-26)

Christ’s resurrection not only declares that Jesus Christ is Lord, but it celebrates the victory of life over death. Jesus conquered what no one could – death! Christ’s resurrection erased all doubt in anyone’s mind. Death can no longer hold us in bondage. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) Death has no victory. Christ has the victory.

Christ’s resurrection was not only his victory, but ours, too. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Because of this victory Christ lives…and because Christ lives, we can live also. (Romans 6:8, 9)

So don’t go looking for Jesus in the grave or you won’t find him. He is not there. He is alive and all around you. He did just what he said he would do. He has risen!  He has given us a great gift – his life!

“And the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid,
for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was
crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said…’”
(Matthew 28:5-6)

Being crucified was the most shameful punishment the Romans had, reserved for the worst criminal offenders. Those who saw the movie The Passion of the Christ were able to visually and emotionally understand just what it entailed. It was a painful and excruciating way to die.

What many may not know is that Jesus’ crucifixion and death was prophesied centuries before it took place. So Jesus was well aware of what he had to face.

Many Old Testament references seem to refer to what actually happened.

• He would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  (Zehariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-4)
• A close friend would betray him. (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:48)
• His back would be beaten. (Isaiah 50:6; Luke 22:63)
• He would be spit upon. (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67)
• His hands and feet would be pierced. (Psalm 22:16)
• His garments would be divided and lots would be cast for them. (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23, 24)
• He would thirst on the cross. (Psalm 22:15; John 19:28)
• He would be given vinegar and gall to drink. (Psalm 69:21; John 19:28-30)
• It was the custom to break the legs of the crucified but Jesus’ bones would not be broken. (Psalm 34:20; John 19:31-37)
• A crucified person was not given a burial, but generally left to rot or be eaten by animals. Yet Jesus was buried in a tomb. (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:59-60)

There is so much more – too much to be coincidence.

Amazingly Jesus himself knew all these ancient texts and what he would have to endure. His destiny was to die in our place for our sins (Isaiah 53:5, 6; 1 Corinthians 15:3). His was not an easy mission. In fact he prayed, “Father, if possible, may this cup be taken from me….” He needed God’s strength for the task ahead. “If it is not possible, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:39-42)

In spite of agonizing because he knew what would happen to him, he willingly became our sacrifice. He died for us – for you and for me – to free us from our sins.

What was his motive? It couldn’t have been to get something from us. We have nothing to offer. It had to be love – unrequited, genuine, unconditional LOVE! The Bible says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16)

It’s hard to believe that someone could love us that much, but God does. (John 3:16) Jesus gave himself for us – totally, willingly, and unconditionally.

What does that mean for us? It means that once we accept God’s love in our lives we no longer feel condemned. Christ was not sent to condemn us, but to save us. (John 3:17) There is no condemnation for those in Christ. (Romans 8:1-2) Jesus’ crucifixion and death has set us free from the law of sin and death. Christ has given us a great gift – his life!

The Buranova Grannies (Photo: Buranovskie Babushki/facebook)

Here’s a little news you may have missed this week. A gaggle of grannies, The Buranovskie Babushki, from a remote Russian village won first place and will represent the country in Eurovision, the world’s biggest song contest. They even beat previous Eurovision winner and top Russian pop star Dima Bilan. The group’s average age is 75 and they wowed judges singing and dancing to a catchy tune called Party for Everyone.

I say, “Go Grannies Go!”

These grannies spend their days doing farm chores such as sewing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and tending goats before they meet in the evenings for rehearsals. If they win Eurovision in late May, the prize money will be used to build a church for their village of 650. Granny Galina Koneva feels they have already won something special. “We want to have a longer life,” she says. “They say that those who move, who sing, they live longer.”

I think she’s right. Years ago I saw the inspiring documentary Young@Heart (http://www.youngatheartchorus.com/) about a Massachusetts based senior citizens chorus who delighted audiences worldwide singing modern songs. Members ranged from their early 70s to well into their 90s. They are still going strong!

Perhaps it’s my age showing, but I love it when older people accomplish things. There is an old adage that still rings true: Just because there is snow on the roof doesn’t mean there isn’t fire in the furnace. Staying active as long as you can is a better anti-aging formula than any Botox, cream, potion, vitamin, mineral, or antioxidant on the market.

The Bible gives us insight into the aging process from God’s perspective. Long life is considered a blessing or even a reward (Deuteronomy 5:33; 1 Kings 3:14). Abraham died at a “ripe old age, old and contented” (Genesis 25:8), David died at a “good old age, full of days, riches, and honor” (1 Chronicles 29:26, 28), and Job died “old and full of days” (Job 42:17).

Gray hair is described as a “glorious crown” (Proverbs 16:31), which I’m hoping is a metaphor since I am a “natural” light brown thanks to Ms. Clairol. Older men should be “self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance” (Titus 2:2-3). Older women should “encourage the young women” (Titus 2:3-5). In Biblical times the aged were respected (1 Timothy 5:1-2; Leviticus 19:32, Proverbs 23:22) and shared their lifetime experiences with others (Joel 1:2-3; Deuteronomy 32:7).

Biblically speaking, it sounds as if the aged should remain active and involved in life as much as possible.

Consider these senior citizens:

• Colonel Sanders began franchising his restaurants at age 62.
• Grandma Moses began her painting career in her 70s.
• Granny D. Haddock walked across the continental United States at age 89.
• Sadie and Bessie Delany were over 100 when they wrote their book Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years which was made into a movie and play.
• Mother Jones was an active Irish-American labor organizer well into her 90s.
• Maggie Kuhn founded the Gray Panthers when she was 66 and championed for rights of the aging until her death at age 89.
• Clara Peller coined the catch phrase “Where’s the beef?” for Wendy’s commercials when she was 81.
• Bob Hope and George Burns were still performing until they reached 100.
• Benjamin Franklin was a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.
• Golda Meir was 71 when she became prime minister of Israel.

These people remained as active as they could, for as long as they could.

As for me, when my time comes to go to that great party in the sky, I’m hoping to go out singing and dancing. My grandkids can cheer me on saying, “Go granny, go granny, go granny go!”

Negativity abounds. We live in a “put-down” society – one that is eager to point out our short comings. We are not thin enough, smart enough, or good enough and probably never will be in the eyes of this world. This negative input gives one a flawed perspective of how they really are. People who feel they are fat and stupid will gladly drown their sorrows in a super-sized burger meal while spending all their time watching reruns of Sponge Bob.

And let’s face it; we are all prone to be influenced more by the negative than the positive. Ten positive comments can be quickly overshadowed by one negative. In fact we will tend to forget the ten positive comments and obsess over the one negative. So we must work all the harder to maintain a positive frame of mind. According to the Mayo Clinic those who practice positive thinking decrease stress, improve overall health, and increase coping skills.

Norman Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Thinking was written in 1952 and has sold over 20 million copies in 41 languages. I’ve had my copy for over forty years and still read parts of it every now and then. Although a bit outdated the overall principles still ring true. Peale was convinced there was a connection between the mind and the spirit – a very biblical concept.

In fact Peale applied Christianity to everyday problems. Peale said, “through prayer you … make use of the great factor within yourself, the deep subconscious mind … [which Jesus called] the kingdom of God within you … Positive thinking is just another term for faith.” He also wrote, “Your unconscious mind … [has a] power that turns wishes into realities when the wishes are strong enough.”

I’m not sure about making wishes reality, but I do think positive thinking enhances our lives. Paul gave us this advice in Philippians 4:4-8: rejoice always, be thankful, guard your mind, pray, don’t be afraid, and think about what is true, noble, lovely, good, virtuous and praise worthy.

How people choose to do that is up to them. Here are a few things I find helpful:

1. At the end of the day I try to think about what I got done, not what I didn’t get done.
2. During the day I try to focus on the good qualities of my family and co-workers instead of the things they do that   drive me crazy.
3. I count my blessings – not just mentally, but I actually list them on a piece of paper that fits in my wallet. Then I take them out and look at them several times a day.
4. I also write scriptures like Romans 8:28 and Philippians 4:8 on a slip of paper and carry them with me to look at, too.
5. I try to fill my prayers with more thanksgiving rather than making it a “give-me” of things I want God to do for me.         
6. I ask God to help me recall all the wonderful things he’s done for me that I’ve forgotten.
7. I ask God to change my outlook so I can be a more positive person, not just for my sake, but for all those who come into contact with me for I profess to be a Christian.

Now I’m not saying I’ve perfected this positive thinking thing, but I am a lot happier when I do these things than when I’m watching reruns of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

All right, I admit it! I’m not the most optimistic person you will ever meet. How I envy those who naturally see the glass half-full, look for the good in others, walk on the sunny side of the street, look for the silver lining or any other irritating positive cliché you want to use. I’m not really a pessimist but I have to work hard to focus on the part of the glass that’s half-full. I think it’s in man’s nature to be somewhat negative.

This was even true in biblical times. For example, remember the story of the twelve spies who were sent to survey Canaan? (Numbers 13)

God told Moses to send twelve spies to spy out the land God had promised the Israelites. One man was chosen from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These men would have been considered leaders. They were to survey the land and see what it was like. Was it fertile or barren, full of forests or open fields? Were the people strong or weak, few or many? Were the cities strongholds or camps?

So they went to do their duty. They even brought back some fruit of the land – figs, pomegranates, and grapes. When they returned, everyone gathered together to hear their report. Joshua and Caleb said the land flowed with milk and honey. There were a few problems but nothing they couldn’t handle with God’s help.

The other ten spies basically said, “Are you out of your mind? You are crazy. We can’t take these people. They are stronger and bigger than us. They are like giants and we are like grasshoppers. And you know what? The land isn’t all that great either.”

Now, all twelve had seen the same land and people. The difference had to be their perspective. The ten spies with the negative report could only see obstacles that needed to be overcome. They felt inadequate and did not want to tackle it. Joshua and Caleb looked at the task ahead and knew nothing was too difficult for their God to handle. After all, had God not brought them out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea. Okay, so we might have a little trouble but God will make up for their lack.

Here we have a classic half-full/half-empty scenario. What was the result? (Numbers 14)

The people chose to side with the ten negative spies over Joshua and Caleb. They wept and murmured. They assumed they would be killed if they took this land. Instead of focusing on all that God had done for them, they wanted to find a new leader other than Moses and go back to Egypt. God was not pleased.

The Israelites had not believed God’s promises, so they were doomed to wander the wilderness for forty years and die without entering the Promised Land. Only their children could enter. And thus we have references to this event throughout the Bible.

Of course, God allowed Joshua and Caleb to enter when the time came because they did believe God. I often wondered how Joshua and Caleb felt about having to wander in the wilderness all those years when they have given the good report. Being positive fellows, they probably didn’t harbor any ill will towards the rest of the Israelites – especially after the first twenty years or so.

So here’s a little secret on this half-full/half- empty thing: Those who don’t look to God will tend to see the glass half-empty, never be satisfied, and feel lacking. Those who truly trust and believe God will tend to see the glass half-full. They know God has the ability to fill the glass to the top and overflowing. After all, only God can supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19)