Like a Child

Stop being so childish. Grow up. Act your age…reprimands that as an adult I have both given and received. It is true – there is a time to grow up and learn to deal with things in an adult fashion. In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul makes this observation about himself: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” (NIV) Like Paul, I want to put my childish ways behind me. I have to remind myself that there is no longer a place for foot stomping, temper tantrums or a world view that revolves around ‘me, me me’…as tempting as they may sound.

Chuckling and Church?

Imagine for a moment that we are playing a word game, a game of association. I say a word and you have to say the first thing that comes to mind. Ready?

Sharp. What did you think of? Knife, tongue, needle – or did you go straight to the opposite, blunt?

Ready for the next one…

Sport. Ball, bat, football, basketball…what was your association?

OK, here comes the clincher.

Church. What do you associate with the word ‘church’? Worship, prayer, singing, silence, boredom, God…there would be as many answers as there are people. But I’m wondering if you ever thought of the word ‘laughter’? Seriously.

The Hunter (published 26 April 2008 in the RECORD)

(To see this article in the RECORD please go to http://record.adventistconnect.org/ and click on the April 26 issue.)
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The hunter crouches, muscles tense, watching and waiting, waiting and watching. It is silent, except for the rush of blood pumping through veins and his shallow, rapid breathing. He runs the net through his fingers one more time, rough fibres chafing at his skin. It shouldn’t be long now.

There it is! In a single movement he launches himself from his hiding place and throws the net with such accuracy, such skill, that it is obvious he is an expert. He captures his prey quickly and subdues it. He hands it over to be destroyed. The hunter is victorious once more.

This is not the hunter’s first attempt. At first he was clumsy, unco-ordinated and plain unsuccessful. He has spent many hours honing his craft, practicing in controlled situations – all to prepare him for this moment. He has invested the time, the energy and the commitment to his cause to become a skilful hunter. It was a slow process, but with each catch it became increasingly natural, increasingly automatic – as though the very nerves in his body knew how to respond and when. Now, he could complete a capture with a minimum of fuss and expend a minimum of energy. He is truly the master of the hunt.