Quotes from the Bible

As I read through the Bible, I always smile when I stumble across phrases that I recognize from other sources, whether it be music, books or movies. The easiest are the ones used in the popular choruses sung at church. Next would be learning the words from Handel's Messiah. Then there are popular movie titles like "Inherit the Wind" or "The Quick and the Dead," which I wonder if people even realize came from the Bible. 

I found another quote this week. Let me give you a backstory here. My best friend is a retired English teacher who is an avid reader. She called me about 6 months ago when she found out that a new book by Harper Lee was to be released. She wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird" which was published in 1960, and if you graduated from high school in the last 40 years you probably read it. Ms. Lee is 89 years old and has now published her 2nd novel entitled "Go Set a Watchman," also written during the 1950s. 

I ordered the book for my friend and it came this week. The very morning of the day I was delivering the book, I was reading a chapter in Isaiah and there was the title of this new book.

Isaiah 21:6 For thus hath the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees."

So, as I delivered the book and revealed my discovery, my friend got super excited. I'll be interested to see what kind of connections she makes between Isaiah and this new book. 

Swimming Lessons

This summer I decided that my 9 yr old should learn to swim. I looked at the local summer swim programs, but I didn't think she would really participate. My son was once on a swim team, but I didn't think she would listen to him either. Finally, I found an individual who was perfect for the job. She lives nearby, is a Red Cross certified swim instructor and, here's the best part, she was my daughter's Pre-K teacher. 

For the first few lessons, I heard about how I was ruining her summer and she did NOT want to take swimming lessons. I looked at her and said, "Sorry, you're taking lessons." She cried, she complained, and my Mom took her to the pool for each lesson. (Thanks Mama!)

After having a lesson once or twice a week since the summer began, my child was so excited on Thursday because she swam in the deep end of the pool. She was thrilled and so was I. It's been hard insisting that she take lessons, but I knew she would be happier and I would be more comfortable when she visits friends to go swimming.

Ezekiel 47:5 Again he measured one thousand cubits, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 

We all face 'deep water' in which we must swim, even though we are not born knowing how to make it through. But then God uses our life lessons to prepare us for the crossing. We look back and say, "We made it!"

The Door

I was home two extra days this week in an effort to make a dent in the seemingly unending projects at my house. I'm now attempting to finish the last downstairs room by creating a laundry/utility room. My Dad helps me with all of these major projects, so Thursday he arrived with the various tools needed to put in a new door. Not just put up a door, but cut a hole in the wall and insert a door.

As always, Daddy did a great job and I was the assistant. It's kind of like assisting in surgery when the nurse hands the next instrument to the doctor before being asked. That's the way we've operated for years because I couldn't possibly do these projects on my own. Hours later, being very careful to be sure everything was as square and balanced as possible, we had a new door where one had never been before. 

Ezekiel 41:21a The doorposts of the temple were square.

I often skim over the detailed descriptions of the building of the temple, construction of the ark, etc. I mostly can't relate because I don't understand the references to cubits and other measurements. When I think about the levels, squares and other tools that we used to make a single door hang correctly, it amazes me that thousands of years ago these expert builders were able to take God's blueprint and create a temple that today could probably not be duplicated. 

The Turtle

Yesterday I observed an unusual sight while stopped at a traffic light. The driver in the car next to me was on her smart phone, which isn't rare. However, in her other hand she held a turtle. That's right, a live turtle, about 6 inches in diameter, was being held by its shell, with its belly up, head moving and feet grasping for anything solid. My reaction was laughter, then many questions. Why did she have a turtle? Why was she holding the turtle while driving? How was she going to drive with her hands full? Was the turtle uncomfortable? Why couldn't she put the turtle in a box? Was it a pet or a turtle she found along the road? Would she have an accident while holding the turtle? Would the turtle survive a car accident? Why wasn't she putting aside the turtle and the phone to concentrate on driving?

I wonder how the Lord looks at us sometimes, with our hands full of random things, distracted by irrelevant stuff, and unable to focus on the job at hand.

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind in things above, not on things on the earth.