This isn't the first time this blog has quoted Radio Free Babylon's Coffee With Jesus, and it probably won't be the last. Sometimes they make me a little uncomfortable (which isn't always a bad thing), and sometimes the "comic" resonates to the point of shattering fine glass goblets. This is one of those times. We begin with a generic greeting...
...which is followed by a generic response...
...and then an awesome truth sweeps in and makes itself at home in our minds and (hopefully) our hearts.
Truth is...Feelings should always be the LAST things consulted when deciding what to believe, say, or do. Just make yourself available to Jesus, be real, and see where He takes it from there.
My Beloved and I recently enjoyed a concert by Art Garfunkel, the taller half of the folk-rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel, famous for songs like "The Boxer", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
There's a minuscule connection between S&G and this blog. Partly because part of the lyric to "Sound of Silence" is mentioned in the description of our Facebook page, but mostly because I've written about a couple of Simon-penned songs before (found here and here). The playlist for Mr. G's solo concert was mostly Simon & Garfunkel songs, which were mostly Simon compositions, but there was one song he introduced as coming completely from him..."Perfect Moment". I met you once before the first time, Cinema 1 or 2, I noticed you Standing in line, your eyes met mine And I could not look away There we were, In a perfect moment A perfect moment in time For a moment you were mine So later on I knew the first time That it would be alright for us that night Trust in our eyes, We made a bridge of sighs When we crossed over it was day There we were, In a perfect moment A perfect moment in time For a moment you were mine I wasn't ready for the last time, But wasn't I supposed to let you go? Into the blue But still I'm holding you For you're a million miles away There we are, In a perfect moment A perfect moment in time For a moment you were mine In a perfect moment A perfect moment in time Just for a moment you were mine
Truth is...some love songs contain both joy and sadness, and in the grand scheme of things, even a whole lifetime spent with someone you love is just a moment.
Over the years, the "fortunes" tucked inside fortune cookies have dramatically changed. Gone are the days when a person would crack open the crisp treat and read "Tomorrow, you will meet a true friend," or "A big change is about to take place." The modern fortune cookie is more likely to make an attempt at sounding wise with pearls like "Today is yesterday's tomorrow" and "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Once in a great while, humor will be attempted with something like "Help! I'm being held captive in a fortune cookie factory!"
I was pleasantly surprised recently when I finished eating my hibachi-grilled pea pods and shrimp. I opened my fortune cookie, joyfully chewed and swallowed (does anyone else have the "rule" that the cookie must be eaten before the fortune is read?), and began to read: Don't put off till tomorrow... "Oh brother," I thought. "How unoriginal can they get?" And then I read the whole thing. Don't put off till tomorrow what can be enjoyed today. Not "what can be done today" or "what should be done today" or "what is today's duty", but "what can be ENJOYED today." Truth is...it would serve us well to step away from the ordinary and add a dash of positive expectations. What will you be enjoying today?
O Lord my God! I am overcome with wonder and awe when I see the billions of stars and think about all the worlds you have made. I hear the rolling thunder, which is just a tiny part of the power you display throughout the universe, and my soul bursts into a song of praise to you, my Savior God: You are so awesome! You are so awesome! I sing this song when I'm walking through the woods, listening to the birds sweetly singing in the trees, and when I hike in the hills, looking down from a grand peak, hearing the babbling of a nearby brook, and feeling a gentle breeze.
And then, when I think that you didn't hold back your son, but actually sent him to die...it's almost more than I can fathom. Jesus gladly carried my burden to the cross where he bled and died to wipe out my sin forever. When I think of that, my soul bursts into song: You are so awesome! You are so awesome! My heart will be filled with utter joy when Christ returns to take me home, a shout of approval on his lips. When I see him face to face, I will bow, praising him as humbly as I know how with these words: You are so awesome!
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Truth is...How Great Thou Art is a hymn, based on a traditional Swedish tune and a poem by Carl Boberg, with English lyrics by Stuart Hine. But no matter the language, nor whether it's poetry or prose, words cannot come close to expressing the majestic power, creativity, and grace of our Creator.
Truth is...the idea is simple enough to be fully expressed in a single illustration, but profound enough to change your whole year as you spend it on the lookout for things to put in your jar. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
