Thought of the Day 02.01.10

Leaving my car this morning, I discovered that I can’t use the fob to lock the doors until after they’re all closed. There are several ways I could have reacted to this minor annoyance.

Reaction 1: Why don’t people design things better? I guess this is about the best you can expect from a world engineered by nincompoops who don’t even bother using their own products.

Reaction 2: Yes, this is annoying. However, it’s a really great car otherwise, and if this is the biggest inconvenience in my life, I should be tremendously grateful to have it so good.

Reaction 3: Perhaps there’s a very good reason why it’s made it this way. Every design feature solves some problem at the cost of not solving or creating others. Since engineers usually are perfectionists, it must be very frustrating for them to have to make those choices, especially knowing judgmental pinheads like me are going to anonymously despise them for it later. If I were one of them, I suppose it would be nice if people offered me a little more grace.

I’ll go ahead and spare myself the embarrassment of telling you which reaction I actually had.

Follow-up: A listener emailed me the following explanation. "As per the locking mechanism on you key fob - it's a security device and the locks don't engage if a door is left open - this prevents you from unknowingly walking away from your car thinking it is locked and secure."--John

Someone else pointed out that this also makes it impossible to lock your fob in the car. Just more evidence that what frustrates you (or me) probably has some sort of explanation.

Thought of the Day 01.29.10

My perception of the Jewish leaders of the New Testament is, to say the least, not favorable. Whenever I think of them, I immediately have a negative reaction (almost a revulsion) to them as the enemies of Christ. And until this morning, I basically thought He was as opposed to them as they were to Him.

But then I read in Matthew 8:1-4 how Jesus specifically instructs a leper whom He has just healed to tell no one but go straight to the priest and “present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Later, in Matthew 9:1-8, after the scribes are bothered by Jesus forgiving a paralytic man’s sins, He specifically heals the man, “ that you may know [about Me].” And again in the same chapter, He went to the home of a Jewish leader to bring his daughter back to life, news which spread everywhere. (verses 18-26).

This means that, although the Jewish leaders hated Him, Jesus deliberately reached out to them to show them Who He was, a view I had somehow missed but which seems pretty obvious in retrospect, given His love of all mankind.

Thought of the Day 01.28.10

What, exactly, might it mean to “forsake all others, so long as we both shall live,” to a person making this vow? Here are some possibilities (as told from the male perspective):

View 1: I’d really rather not give up all other women. Unfortunately, my woman requires this stupid promise, and if that’s what I have to do to have her, okay.

View 2: Getting married is the only way to make sure she won’t leave me for another guy. So, since I want security, I’ll give up some freedom in exchange.

View 3: It’s easy to make this vow, since I don’t want anyone else but her. I’m thrilled to get such a great wife.

Oddly, these three views each seem so different until you realize how similar and selfish they all sound when compared with one final possibility:

View 4: I want my wife to know that I am completely hers. I want to serve and glorify her for the rest of my life, and forsaking all others is the only way to really say that.

Thought of the Day 01.27.10

Imagine for a moment that you have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend an hour over coffee with someone you really admire. It could be a religious leader, a politician, an author, a sports figure, an entrepreneur, or whoever. Just someone you really respect.

Well, naturally you’d be overwhelmed by the opportunity, and you’d think of your dozen or so questions you’re dying to ask him. But when you sit down, something strange happens. Although your hero begins by answering your questions, he quickly maneuvers the conversation so that you’re doing most of the talking…about your life. And he seems to be really paying attention. In fact, he seems to hang on your every word as you describe even the most boring aspects of your daily life. How honored would you feel? How significant would you feel that this amazing person is paying such eager attention to you?

Now what if this person turned out to be more wise, more powerful, more good, more accomplished, and more admirable than any of the people you might have named for such an honor? Imagine that this person is the God of the Universe. And all He wants to do all day long is sit and listen to you, an activity which He finds enrapturing.

So now one question: Is prayer a duty or an honor?

Thought of the Day 01.26.10

When I’m driving, I typically try to thwart aggressive drivers when I can safely do so because I detest the idea of rewarding them. But, after a particularly unpleasant encounter with a tail-gating, cuts-you-off-once-he-gets-in-front-of-you-driver-of-an-oversize-pickup-truck (shock!), I’m trying an experiment. My new ego-crushing course of action is to always yield as much as I possibly can.

This means when people suddenly decide to turn right in front of me without signaling, I’ll just brake instead of passing around them. And I won’t even honk. When someone is coming up behind me on the highway, I’ll pull over one lane to allow them through, even if I’m already going the speed limit. And if someone abuses the merge lane in a construction zone, I’ll give him room to come in ahead of me.

After trying this for only a day so far, I have to admit I’m much calmer and happier. It’s strange, I thought enforcing virtue would make be happy, but it didn’t. And when I simply started giving grace, it did. At least so far. After all, I’ve only been “taking the high road” for a day.