Prayer is like firing a revolver that I didn’t load—click…click…BOOM… click…
Josiah Bancroft (he was quoting a friend of his)
If you wouldn’t say it on a job interview…
… you might not want to say it online.
I’ve noticed a trend on various social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. I’ll call it “hide-behind-the-keyboardism.”
It seems students (and others, including myself) are willing to say some things online that they would never say in person, or in certain contexts. If it’s too crude to say to your mother, you might not want to post it as a status update on facebook, or as a Tweet on Twitter.
In reality, and for all intents and purposes, you can’t delete something from the internet. As soon as it’s out, it is out. Sure, you can remove the tweet from Twitter, but it’s already been cached and saved somewhere.
The reason I call it hiding behind the keyboard is that it is awfully easy to say something snarky and sarcastic about the guy on stage when you are a safe distance from him. And you come off sounding like a real tough guy. “I like that Ben Meredith… he’s not afraid to tell it like it is…” …when in reality I would be petrified to say what I posted in my status if I were standing face-to-face with the guy. I like a reputation as a straight shooter, without the pesky side effects of shooting straight.
So let’s all agree to not say things on facebook, in our blogs, or on twitter that we wouldn’t say to that sweet old lady at church, or to someone’s face. Don’t use the internet as a crutch. That way, as an added benefit, you don’t have to sit through the painful awkwardness of a job interview where they read aloud and have you justify the 15 tweets you had 5 years ago describing in detail your trips to the bathroom.
Who’s Cutting off your Passy?
Two nights ago, we did it. We stopped feeding our son’s addiction. It’s his earliest addiction. We posted about it over a year ago, and as of two nights ago, he was officially a junkie.
We chopped the end off of all the pacifiers in the house, and forced him (and to be honest, ourselves) to go “cold turkey.” (which, by the way, I’m interested to know where that phrase came from)
What amazes me about the whole thing is how similarly i react when my idols are taken away. If LB could talk in complete sentences, we’d make a lot of money on the TV deal, and he’d probably have told you two nights ago that there’s no way he could make it two days without the passy. It was his best friend, his comforter, his midnight rescuer. He can’t possibly make it without it.
My pacifiers are things like a bank account in the positive, one vehicle per adult in the driveway, a sense of control over situations, etc. Take one of those away, or even threaten to, and I panic. Like my son lamenting and wailing over the loss of his passy, I am convinced I’ll never make it.
And like I did by the side of his crib, God patiently calls out “It’s going to be OK. I am all that you need. Find your rest in Me…”
Like a good Dad, Jesus frequently cuts off the end of my passy, to help me see that He’s all I need.
LB has started having conversations with himself.
Stuck in the Not Yet.
I just got introduced to the song “You Hold Me Now” by Hillsong (thanks, Caleb) as I prepare the music for our Fall Getaway. What a beautiful song to sing as we are stuck here in the “not yet” of our salvation. We live in a unique era, as those between Christ’s coming. On the one hand, we’ve got all the promises, the fact that Jesus has already, once and for all taken care of our great enemies of Satan, sin, death, and hell. The victory has already been won. It is finished.
But on the other hand, there is still much brokenness in our world. Much still needs to be made right. How we long for the day when the not yet becomes truly made the now. “Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll!”
On that day when I see all that you have for me
When I see you face to face there surrounded by your grace
All my fears swept away in the light of your embrace
Where your love is all I need and forever I am free
Where the streets are made of gold
In your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
Chorus:
No weeping No hurt or pain
No suffering
You hold me now, you hold me now
No darkness No sick or lame
No hiding
You hold me now, you hold me now
Verse 2:
In this life I will stand through my joy and my pain
Knowing there’s a greater day. There’s a hope that never fails
Where your name is lifted high and forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name I’m believing for the day
Where the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
Bridge:
For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to your name
Tag:
Your Kingdom come
Your will be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven