fill in the blanks

There's always a phrase or two in every language that I consider "fill in the blank" phrases. I suppose you could call them cause and effect clauses. For example:

For every....there is....
Either...or...
But....And.... (kids learn this one early on!)

And I got a new one last week. One that has really made me stop and think. A friend quoted it from the Bible in her blog last week. From Job 13:15: "though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." That is such a powerful statement! In today's language we'd probably say, "Even if he kills me, I'll still trust God." Normally I heard such an extreme statement, I'd chalk it up to someone just running their mouth. But given the circumstances of what Job was facing, I think he meant it. And the construction of that sentence has made me think about all the other fill in the blanks that could be used with it.

Even if God makes me sick, I'll still trust Him.
Even if God makes my Mom suffer for another 30 years, I'll still trust Him.
Even if I daily struggle with His plan for my life, I'll still trust Him.
Even if Bobby loses his job, I'll still trust Him.
Even if the stock market crashes again and we lose what little we have left, I'll still trust Him.
Even if I have to hear of yet another abused child when I have none, I'll still trust Him.
Even if I never lose another pound, I'll still trust Him.

and the list goes on. It is so easy for me to focus on the obstacle or situation and not on the one I trust. Sometimes I also wonder if God has as much confidence in me as He had in Job. Would He be able to allow Satan to fill in the blanks "Even if....she'll still trust me" and me pass the test? It really makes me stop and think.

Comments

Lydia said…

I think of this all the time. Could I handle what Job handled and still trust God?

February 4, 2011 at 11:10 AM

things we do for love

Saturday we had a baby shower for Bobby's niece. As I was making the mints, Bobby asked what else was on the menu. After I recited off the litany of items, he responded with "No peanut butter?! This shower is for Hannah! What's she going to eat?" (Hannah has had stomach problems over the years and has been unable to tolerate many foods, but peanut butter has been her staple.) Despite my assurances that she would enjoy the foods we were having, he was adamant that I needed to make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the shower. Even though I protested that NOBODY took that to a shower, he persisted, and informed me I could make them dainty with my little cutter. And so I did. To my surprise all but 3 were eaten. Who'd a thunk it?

perspectives

A few years ago after a Bible study a lot of the group continued to sit and talk and simply relax. One of the ladies felt like she was being mistreated by her boss. She was always given extra tasks or asked to assume responsibilities that no one else was asked to do. She felt it was unfair. As she was listing off some of the extras (she worked in a cafe for a plant), I was in flashback mode. My last year of college I was a shift manager at a fast food place. One of my many duties was to ensure that certain cleaning jobs (extra duties) was assigned and done properly. We were inspected by company headquarters once a quarter, and 3 of their 4 visits was ALWAYS a surprise visit. When I handed out those extra assignments, I had three things in mind: Who will do this job without making a bigger mess? Who can quickly do this job so we don't impede serving customers? Who will do this without the most drama? In essence, I wanted the best person for the job. Use the teenager who griped and c...

fun...funny houses

We saw the above house in Pittsboro while on our way to the mountains. It was the strangest house I've ever seen. Evidently this isn't a modification, for Bobby remembers thinking it funny as a child. Evidently a governor lived here at one point. I think the sign said it's now a Masonic lodge. And if seeing one funny house wasn't enough, the latest issue of This Old House had a link to their website that had several galleries of funny (or strange houses). Here's my favorites from their collection: Szymbark , Poland This just makes me laugh, and I would love to visit this house in person. Created by a designer who wanted to demonstrate "wrong-doings against humanity". Visitors have stood in line for as long as 6 hours to tour the house, and many come out feeling "sea-sick". Kalambaka, Greece... This 1,000 foot cliff drop has housed monastaries since the 11th century. Six of them are open to the public, " assuming, of course, th...

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