Knowing When to Say and What

I read a lot, and as a writer, I am often asked to give reviews. Because I understand how important those can be, I won’t write one unless it’s worthy of 4 or 5 stars.  Often (not surprisingly) my choice of books to read are faith-based, but I’m open to most genres.

When I wrote Simple Things to Make This World a Better Place, the Biblical annotations were unobtrusive and it was written not to be preachy. This wasn’t done to hide my faith, but to reach audiences beyond those who are Christian because I think we all have a part in making this world a better place. So why “preach” just to the choir? The addendum containing the referenced Biblical verses can be viewed by broader audiences, and that just might encourage others to explore a little more.

I’ve often said I’m not a zealot, but I have a deep faith so it’s a bit disconcerting to me when I read a well-intentioned, but too over-the-top, in-your-face, contrived “religious” novel. If I found it to be too preachy and sanctimonious, what must others think? I also believe that such methods do more harm than good in trying to gain others to your way of believing. Besides, actions really do speak louder than words.

So here is the dilemma – do I write a review as a possible warning to others? From an author’s standpoint, I can appreciate what it takes to write a book, but when the work is simply too “out there,” should that just be a discovery for someone else? Then again, not everybody likes the same thing, so maybe there are some who will respond positively to what they read in this book. After all, not everyone likes what I write, but my words do occasionally touch something in others.

After finishing the book in question, I checked to see if this was the author’s first book and it is not. I’m not inclined to read the others because of my negative response to the one I’ve read. Part of me would like to encourage and offer a few suggestions, but it’s uncertain how that would be received - a lot like other dilemmas we have in life.

So maybe I shouldn’t be so critical or judgmental, although I think my dislike of the book is really because it is geared toward the latter of those two.  I certainly don’t have all the answers, and therefore, it bothers me when others presume to know what God wants or is thinking. Personally, my belief is the best way to know that is to seek answers through prayer, and try to do the one thing we know God wants us to do – love one another.

Taking my own advice, I guess I’ll pray for the author and hope God sends him a little more wisdom on how to “tone it down a notch” for his next book. After all, if you can’t say something good…you know the rest.

What's Your Favorite?

I recently recalled a question not often asked, but was put forth in my Stephen Ministry training – “What’s your favorite part of the Lord’s Prayer?” That is one that most of us have to think about. And then there is the sometimes asked, “What is your favorite Bible verse?”

Strangely, I have no problem answering either one of those questions.

My favorite part of the Lord’s Prayer is “thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Wow! Can you imagine how much better the world would be if God were totally in charge? I imagine there would be justice; there would only be good things. Heaven is supposed to be ideal so what could be better than for things to work the same on earth as in Heaven?

Now, do I think that is possible? Not in this currently broken world, but I do think we can and do have an obligation to work toward making this world a better place. It’s not unfathomable that we could do God’s will by trying to exercise a little less judgment of our fellow man. And certainly, we could all probably be a little more charitable just to name a few things.

As to my favorite Bible verse, I love Hebrews 10:24, “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds.” Just as bad things can influence us to do other bad things, the same is true for good things. In fact, the feeling is so great when we do something that we know is good that there is a desire to do more. It fits well with my favorite part of the Lord’s prayer and doing what I believe is God’s will.

So what are your favorites? Even if you aren't Christian, I know that you have books of worship and prayer from which to choose. People of faith know there is something better than what we now have. My only question is whether we ourselves are trying to do God's will or merely repeating words.

Idle (not idol) Worship

We’ve all the heard negative things about idleness. Ecclesiastes 10:18 states: “Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.” And who hasn’t heard that idle hands do the work of the devil? We even have a law again against it …loitering. So what happens when we are just quiet?

Most of us have experienced times when we simply “veg” out. There were times after losing my husband to cancer when I sat on the edge of the bed and stared straight ahead. Thoughts were impossible to form and I couldn’t get past the pain of emptiness. But then finally, I came to understand Psalm 46:10 : “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;’”

I think it’s in those moments when we don’t know what to say or do that idleness can become something more. It can be because of sadness, lost hope, or even thanksgiving and gratitude. For me, such a moment occurred recently.

An evening thunderstorm brought the darkness a little sooner than expected. As I sat in my chair, I decided it would be enjoyable to turn out the lights, turn off the TV, and just sit in my leather recliner chair and "be." As lightning flashed against my walls and patio doors, it was a time to just kickback and simply bask in the present. It also evoked memories of a similar night last winter when I decided to light the gas fireplace, open the blinds and draperies to my windows, and watch the falling snow. 

Those quiet moments of idleness are the ones that bring serenity and gratitude to my soul. It’s then that I know that God truly "is."