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ROBIN'S NOTES
January 17, 2008
I have an awesome family. I’m the baby of five children, and by baby, I mean BABY-baby. My brother next to me is seven years older, and my oldest brother was 17 when I was born. I also have two sisters sandwiched in between. My siblings have been one of the greatest influences in my life. I love them all very dearly. However, my relationships with my sisters are sometimes more fruitful simply because we share so much common ground. My oldest sister is like my second mother, probably because she was 15 when I arrived on the scene. She routinely sends me uplifting notes, letters, and emails; she buys clothes for my children; she helps me clean my house (who wouldn’t love her!); and most importantly, she encourages me in my faith.
One such encouraging email arrived this morning, one that I desperately needed to read. Hidden within it, though, was an interesting bible truth that I had not recognized before. The story of Elisha and the widow in II Kings 4 is a beautiful representation of how we are to extend Christian love to ALL people, no matter their needs. Let me explain.
The widow was not unlike many modern Americans: she was DEEP in debt. She could have been the poster model for Credit Counseling Services! Although it isn’t clear how her debt was attained, or how much she owed exactly, we do know that she had probably owed this debt for sometime, for her “creditors,” so to speak, were ready to crackdown on her. But they didn’t want to repossess her car, or cancel or credit cards, or slap her with enormous late fees. What they wanted was the most precious thing she owned: her sons.
In biblical times, if a woman lost her husband, the only way she had any worth was through her children, especially her sons. If you’ll remember, this was why Naomi (in the book of Ruth) was so distraught after the loss of her husbands and two sons. She had no other family to take care of her. Similarly, this widow in II Kings needed her sons because without her husband, they would become her source of societal worth. Besides that, she loved them! What would we do if we had lost our husbands, and we had creditors breathing down our necks and threatening to take our children if we didn’t pay up?! With no where else to turn, she beseeched Elisha.
This is where the story gets interesting. With an open heart, Elisha gives the woman a miraculous answer to her problem: fill all the containers you can find with what little olive oil you have in your house. Then sell the oil, pay off your debts, and use the rest of the money to support you and your family. Innovative to say the least, isn’t it? Elisha doesn’t miraculously cancel her debt, and he doesn’t pay it for her or even give her a loan toward it (he was probably penniless himself!). On the other hand, he made her actually work to repay her debt (who’d have thought it?!). The interesting part is that he helps her instead of condemning her. So many times in our day, we’re quick to judge people in certain situations who ask for assistance. I personally know several people who, if the widow had come to them, would have most likely said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. You should have thought about it before you went and got yourself into all that debt. You’ll just have to pay the consequences for your actions yourself. Maybe next time you’ll think about it before you buy something that you can’t pay for.” Sound familiar? Maybe some of us, in a feeble effort to seem “Christian,” would tack on a hearty, “Jesus loves you!” at the end. But what about loving them ourselves?
Elisha demonstrated the love of God through his actions toward the widow. He never asked her how her debt was acquired. He never asked her how much she owed. What he did do, however, was show her how a little faith and a lot of love could repay the greatest debt. Which reminds me: someone else did the same.
He paid a debt, He did not owe,
I owed a debt, I could not pay.
I needed someone, to wash my sins away.
And now I sing, a brand new song
Amazing Grace, all day long.
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay!
Love to you all -- Robin
November 29, 2007
I am coining a new term: D-Generation. (Nancy here - go to our Shopping page and look at the D-generation t-shirts we created at Zazzle; they are the COOLEST thing EVER!)
In the past, each group of people has been branded with an age-appropriate misnomer, however correct or unfair, according to their place in history. The earliest with which I’m famliar is the baby boomers. My mother actually belongs to this group. These were the progeny of World War II soldiers in an era where family was of utmost importance. The phrase “baby boom” conjures up images of ladies with perfectly-coiffed hairdos and bright red lipstick in neatlty belted tea-length dresses and stockings pushing big-wheeled carriages down the streets of their neighborhoods, babies cozily and contentedly swaddled in their pristine innocence. This term, though, actually refers more to the parents of these children than to the children themselves, in my opinion. Baby boomers were the result of their parents' love and commitment to each other, even through such atrocities as war.
Another famous group with which I’m familiar is Generation X. My familiarity lies with the fact that I belong to this generation, at least age-wise. My peers and I have been branded with the generalizations that we are lost and searching for meaning in life. Generations Xers, as we’re often called, are usually characterized by grunge clothing, an anything-goes attitude, and a general apathy for life. I personally do not think of myself as belonging to this category; nevertheless, the stereotype has been made.
Finally, the current generation is coming to be known as the “Techies.” These are the children (mine included) who are no strangers to cell phones, satellite television, and self-checkout stands. In fact, they are so technologically advanced that chances are they can probably set up your cell inbox or program your DVR better than you can. As I stated earlier, however, I prefer to call them the “D-Generation.”
Webster tells us that “degeneration” is “a degenerate condition,” or “intellectual, moral, or artistic decline.” Being in the public school classrooms for eight years, I’ve seen firsthand the degenerative condition of this generation of students. Let me give you some examples:
(a true conversation in my 8th grade Reading classroom)
Me: Okay, let’s start today with a question: Is it morally wrong to deny someone help who is in need if you’re able to help them?
Student 1: What does morally mean?
Me: You don’t know what morally means?
Student 2: I do! It’s something about the bible, or something.
Student 3: Yeah, like what would Jesus do.
Me: Well, that’s part of it, but everyone should have some moral guidelines to live by, even if they don’t believe in the bible or even in God. Morals are the standards of good (and/or bad) that a person uses to govern their actions. So back to my question: is it morally wrong to deny someone help who is in need?
Student 1: It depends on who it is.
Me: Excuse me?
Student 2: yeah, like, if it was somebody I didn’t like, then I wouldn’t help them.
Me: You mean, if someone fell down on the sidewalk going to class, you wouldn’t stop and help them?
Student 1: no, I’d laugh!
Student 2: I wouldn’t, cause then I’d be late for class!
Student 3: I wouldn’t, cause they might not help me if I needed it.
Me: But don’t you think the right thing to do would be to help them?
Student 2: not if it was somebody I didn’t like.
Still not convinced? Then think about this: I have taught 8th grade girls who would check out of school and go to the health unit for their Depo Provera shot – birth control. I have taught 8th grade boys who have seen more R-rated movies than I knew existed. In fact, one of my 8th grade boys once told me his favorite movie was “Scream,” a horror movie where the main character (or criminal, you might say) is a young man who is obsessed with killing his girlfriend. I haven’t seen the movie myself, but from what I understand, that character does succeed in killing his girlfriend’s mother (and maybe even a few others) while stalking her in a chilling white mask and black robe, reminiscent of the grim reaper.
What about this: an 8th grade boy casually remarked once in my class that killing oneself would be the best way to end one’s sorrow and grief (in response to an Edgar Allan Poe poem we were reading). An 8th grade girl that I taught followed another student home one afternoon and threatened her with a knife. This same girl also assaulted a second-grader on the bus one morning because he accidentally stepped on her shoe!
I know there are always exceptions, but degenerate seems to be an excellent adjective to use in describing today’s youth. Remember the students I mentioned above who were discussing the morality issue? Most of them were what you would call “good kids” who are in church at least once a week! It’s not enough anymore, is it? Somehow these children are led to believe that Self is the one we should please. Nothing could be further from the truth! We learned in our study of Experiencing God that truth is not a term; it is a person. Consequently, the closer we are to Self, the further we are from truth – Jesus Christ!
The war within this “D-Generation” rages between what the materialistic, self-pleasing world tells them is accpetable, and what God’s word mandates. We as adults may be paritally to blame for allowing our children to be infiltrated by the world’s definition of what is morally “right.” I have a thirteen-year-old to protect from this degenerate mindset, and I want to do all I can to fertilize the hedge around her and keep the world out. Starting today, I vow to plant the seeds of faith necessary to cultivate moral beauty that will radiate from the D-Generation, growing them into a generation of men and women who will stand for God and His moral absolutes.
Last week 11-20-07
Oh, the woes of a newbie...........I finally get a break as a writer, and I have to print a retraction after my first entry! Did any of you by chance visit the morter.com website that I mentioned in last week's notes? If you did, you may never read what I'm currently writing, because you may think I'm too much of a new-age nut to waste your time reading what I have to say! In the event that you did visit it, please know that I in NO way advocate every topic mentioned there. I only read it for the information on the B.E.S.T. therapy, and I did notice one super-hyped topic that I can't abide: The Secret. Though I haven't read this book, I know from reading Christian reviews that some of the information in it is against biblical truths.
Let me tell you, I worried and fretted about this for a few days last week, because the last thing I want to do is to mislead any of my pms sisters. The burden of that thought became so great that one day as I was walking during my lunch break at school, I cried out to the Lord (why is it that we wait until we're out of options to ask God's help?! Silly ME!) in frustration. "God," I said,"You know my heart. You know that I'm looking to You for healing. I don't believe that I can overcome this problem on my own; I know that I need you! God, I don't want anybody to think that I'm endorsing any beliefs that are contrary to what Your word teaches." Then, I listented. I walked, and I enjoyed God's creation, and I mused, and I listened. "Lord, when the doctor performed that therapy, she didn't say anything that was contrary to Your word. In fact, words that she did say made me think of You, and I prayed during the session, even! Is there anything wrong with simply thinking positively? Aren't we told to 'accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative? That's really what the therapy is,God: just focusing on the positives in my life. Lord, please show me what I need to do."
Guess what?? God heard me, and gave me an answer! Wonder of wonders, huh? Suddenly, Phillipians 4:8 slapped me upside the brain so hard I almost tripped. "Finally brethren, Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virture, and if there be any praise, think on these things.' (KJV) And I thought to myself, "Self, Paul was telling the Phillipians to THINK POSITIVELY! OMGoodness! The bible is an advocate of positive thinking! Who woulda thunk it, to borrow a Southern phrase.
So now, I'm convinced. It's not always necessarily what therapy or format or remedy or method you use, but where your focus lies. I'm choosing to focus on the One who invented positive thinking. His therapy is the BEST of all!
Love to you all, and drink your water -- Rob