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Reflections for Oct. 15-21, 2018
Monday, Oct. 15, 2018-“THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO”
If you’ve read any of my previous reflections, you’ll know that I love language and how it has been used and changed through the years. The meanings of some words change, and some words go out of use altogether. In the Bible, for example, we see “thou,” and “hadst” among many others that are no longer in use in modern times.
What has interested ~ and astounded ~ me is the way certain phrases from the Bible have filtered down for more than two thousand years and are still being used today, albeit with some slight differences. I hope you’ll bear with me as I recount just a few of them.
The wisdom they conveyed so long ago is still very valuable even today when we’ve put men on the moon and have discovered how to transplant vital organs. Modern man has invented, built, and accomplished wonders that biblical people could never have conceived of.
What has not changed, though, is man’s basic nature. That’s why the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ are still relevant. As we read in Ecclesiastes 1:9:
“What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what
will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.”
Barbara Stricklin
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018-“OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES”
These words first appear in Psalm 8:2 as the psalmist praises God for creating all the wonders of the physical universe plus the relatively small creatures, His people. As they wisely praise and worship Him, He gives them strength. Thus, the psalmist says, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength.”
In Mathew 21:16 Jesus clears the moneychangers out of the temple, and the children of Israel cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The Pharisees strongly object, but Jesus quotes Psalm 8, referring to the wisdom of this praise coming from God’s children.
In modern times we use this phrase whenever a child makes a statement that shows wisdom beyond his or her years. Jesus advised in Matthew 19, “Let the little children come unto me . . . for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” Children are curious, are not embarrassed to be amazed, and speak what is on their minds.
When I used to take my toddler and my newborn to the pediatrician, we would be put into an examining room where we had to wait alone for 30 to 45 minutes. One day my 3-year-old remarked, “Now I know why they call us patients.” Out of the mouths of babes.
Think for a moment about the wisdom that has come from children you know.
Barbara Stricklin
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018-“A DROP IN THE BUCKET”
The nation of Israel had been conquered and enslaved many times by other larger, stronger nations. They wanted to believe that God would help them, but it was difficult to do after they had experienced so much ill treatment. The prophet Isaiah writes to reassure them in Chapter 40, recounting the many proofs of the awesome strength of God. Of those nations who have conquered Israel time and again Isiaiah says, “Behold, the nations count as a drop in the bucket, as dust on the scales.” In other words, they are insignificant and small compared to the power of Israel’s God.
Today we use the phrase in the same way to show how trivial something is. Once again I am reminded that many of my complaints or aggravations are just “a drop in the bucket” compared to the overwhelming and serious circumstances others endure. My time would be well spent if I were to find a way to help others whose lives are truly difficult. There are so many organized programs to help others: St. Vincent de Paul, Gathering Inn, Loaves and Fishes, Visiting the Sick, and W.W.J.D. are a few listed on our parish website https://www.rocklincatholic.org/serving.
There are many more volunteer opportunities in the wider community, as well; such as, Meals on Wheels, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and volunteering at a local hospital or assisted living facility. An added bonus from serving others is that I remember to give thanks to God.
Barbara Stricklin
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018-“AT YOUR WIT’S END”
First used in Psalm 107: 23-27, these words describe sailors being tossed about on a stormy sea: “they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.”
How many exasperated parents have said to their children, “I am at my wit’s end with you!” Amid the demands of our homes and jobs, we surely feel like we’re being tossed about by forces out of our control.
When our four children were ages four to thirteen years, we had a chart that listed the chores/behaviors that they were supposed to do daily. When they succeeded, they would paste stars in the appropriate squares. Several stars each week would result in a reward of some sort.
One day I was “at my wit’s end” with some especially frowned-upon behavior from two of the older ones, and I sat on the stairs and complained, “I don’t think I want to be the mom anymore.” Our four-year-old looked at me, patted my knee, and suggested, “Maybe we could try the stars.”
This immediately put my frustration into perspective! Stars indeed!
That evening I sat quietly and prayed about this incident. As I breathed calmly, I remembered, “Be still and know that I am God.” I felt my patience and my adulthood return. I believe that quiet prayer can lead to creative solutions ~ not necessarily the precise solution to solve this problem ~ but a frame of mind to become creative.
Barbara Stricklin
Friday, Oct. 19, 2018-“THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND”
This phrase is used in both Matthew 15:14 and in Luke 6:39. Matthew recounts how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for changing God’s commands by creating traditions of their own and requiring the Jews to obey them. When the disciples later reported to Jesus that the Pharisees were angered by His words, Jesus said, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit.”
This phrase is appropriate when people try to explain or demonstrate something they know nothing about. “Fake it ‘til you make it” just doesn’t work!
For example, I have absolutely never had a sense of direction. If someone asks me for driving directions, I myself will say, “Oh boy, this would be a case of the blind leading the blind. You’ll need to ask someone else.”
Another example: “Grammy, can you show me how to use your TV remote?”
I’m positive that you could make a list of your own, and in fact, I recommend it! The beneficial outcome of my own list is that it forces me to learn humility. It isn’t possible to know everything under the sun, and the sooner we forgive ourselves for not being geniuses, the sooner we start to stand comfortably in our humility and “to walk humbly with God.”
Barbara Stricklin
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018-“BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH”
We’re all familiar with the many trials God visited upon Job and that Job retained his trust in God. In Chapter 19, however, Job recounts the ways he has suffered torment saying, “I escaped by the skin of my teeth.” Clearly neither our teeth nor Job’s had skin, but we’ve always interpreted this saying to mean a very, very narrow escape.
I hope you’ve never had to escape a life-threatening experience “by the skin of your teeth”; I thank God that I haven’t. I usually encounter much milder situations: as a child, getting my homework done just in time; squeaking by with a better grade than I thought I had earned. Some adult examples are: avoiding an accident when the cars ahead of me slam on their brakes, or feeling so relieved when I have prepared something just enough to avoid embarrassing myself. Then there was the time when I raced to the hospital to give birth to our third child, and the nurse commented sarcastically as she rushed my gurney down the hall, “Nice of you to drop in.”
On the whole, though, I feel very fortunate that my “skin of my teeth” escapes have been trivial. What is remarkable about Job is that he retains his faith in God despite all that he has endured. From this we’ve derived another phrase: “the patience of Job.” Patience might just be the most important lesson Job teaches us. Be patient; God is with you.
Barbara Stricklin
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018-“THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL”
This is a saying everyone has heard, and maybe you’ve used it yourself. The saying is a dire warning that predicts impending disaster that should have been expected because of clearly seen circumstances.
The original use refers to Daniel 5:5. The Persian king Belshazaar and hundreds of his courtiers were in the midst of a feast, drinking their wine from cups they had taken from the Jewish temple. Suddenly a disembodied hand appeared and wrote words on the wall that no one could understand. Shaking with fear, the king sent for Daniel, who had a reputation for accurately interpreting events. Daniel said that the words written on the wall foretold the destruction of Belshazaar’s kingdom because he had dishonored God and had become too proud. The very next day the king was dead.
Today we hear this saying in business, in sports, and in any circumstance in which the people involved can foresee the outcome. In business “the handwriting is on the wall” when policies are not working and need to be changed before it is too late. In sports a lopsided score signals that different players and/or new strategy need to be used. In my own life I can predict that my being “too busy” to pray and meditate will result in my feeling alone and disconnected. Failing to notice God’s gifts to me will lead me to become ill-tempered and to feel sorry for myself. I need to pay attention to “the handwriting on the wall.”
Barbara Stricklin
Reflections for Oct. 8-14, 2018
Monday, Oct. 8, 2018-The First Day
“Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.” Gn 1:3
We read in the first lines of Genesis that in the darkness “the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters.” No wonder the darkness is scary—it indeed feels like an abyss where there is nothing to distinguish shape! We wander around slowly, unsure of what or who we will bump into. In an unfamiliar space, the darkness often incites fear and anxiety of the unknown.
We recently transitioned our daughters into their own rooms. One of the primary nightly arguments was over whether there should be a night light. In the end, snuggled into her own dark space, the daughter who demanded to sleep in darkness has insisted that maybe she should have a night light after all. Why?
In the darkness, reality is shrouded. But the light, created and gifted to us by God, lifts the veil and reveals truth. Our God who brought light to the world—first through Creation and then through his Son—continues to provide us light to reveal that indeed there is nothing to fear in the darkness.
Do I give thanks to God for the light in my life?
Erin Gallawa
Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018-The Second Day
“Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” Gn 1:6
Have you ever laid on your back and just stared at the sky? Or stood at the edge of the ocean or in a desert where the sky is wide? I spend most of my days looking down—down into the eyes of my small children, down at the ground so I don’t trip while I walk or I run. I look down to see my dog and to pick up shoes. I look down at my computer and down at the pile of laundry. In those moments of looking down, I feel large.
On the second day of creation God gave us the sky. When I think about the sky the first thing I do is shift my eyes up. When I look toward the sky I see different things. There are treetops and birds and planes overhead. There is space and air. There is vastness. When I take the time to look up, my perspective changes and suddenly I feel small. I am a child on the edge of the horizon, staring into the vast sky, recognizing how big the universe is and how small I am in it.
Have you looked up today?
Erin Gallawa
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018-The Third Day
“Then God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” Gn 1:11
I have lived in Northern California most of my life. While we don’t have the “traditional” four seasons with a snowy winter, we are certainly blessed with my two most favorite seasons: spring and fall. In the spring, “every kind of plant that bears seed” buds, blossoms and grows into new life. Flowers, fruit and seeds are produced in abundance so that all creation may share in its beauty and reap the fruit. We spend all spring and summer delighting in the foods that flourish in this season. It is also these beautiful seasons of transition when we see how the vegetation created and nurtured by God is subject to death and rebirth. After the fruit is done giving, the turning of leaves in the fall is a reminder of how graceful and beautiful it can be to experience death and change.
Like the plants and vegetation that God gifted us, so too are we subject to the seasons of life. Do you blossom in season and know when to give way to change?
Erin Gallawa
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018-The Fourth Day
“Then God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days and the years, and serve as lights in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth.” Gn 1:14-15
In seventh grade I went to marine biology camp. One of the most anticipated parts of marine biology camp was the night hike and especially the part where they would send each kid each out to walk part of the trail alone. I remember the fearful anticipation of that moment, the fear about darkness and unknown. While I did feel alone, it did not feel dark. In a location far from city lights, there was a moon and stars to light my way.
Since I started trail running a few years ago, I have come to run in the woods in darkness many times. I am always surprised when we stop to look around at just how many stars there really are. On nights or early mornings when there is a full moon, I often turn off my headlight for a few minutes to appreciate the way the moon illuminates the earth. It is a soft light, not meant to reveal all the nights’ secrets. When we run through the sunrise, I feel blessed to witness the changing of the light, from the dull glow of the “lesser” moon to the radiance of the morning sun.
When you look to the night sky, do you see God’s light in the darkness?
Erin Gallawa
Friday, Oct. 12, 2018-The Fifth Day
“Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.” Gn 1:20
As I’ve written before, I have a bit of an obsession with birds. They are so delicate, so perfectly constructed that they can lift their wings and fly. They were flawlessly created to fill our treetops and our skies. I have an equal fascination with sea creatures, the fish and the mammals and “the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures” that make their home beneath the surface of our oceans. But when I looked across the water from the safety of the shore or a boat, I was always cautiously curious about the life below. Unlike the birds above, I long had a fear of the unknown that lay beneath.
I have snorkeled many times in my life, observing the sea creatures from the relative safety of the surface. A few years ago I had a chance to go on a beginner scuba dive and this is where I first found peace in the depths of God’s ocean. Once submerged and part of the landscape around me, I felt calm and connected. I felt like one of God’s living sea creatures, rising and falling with the gentle current. I found a serenity in being part of God’s creation, not just an observer. It makes me wonder if this is how God felt when he took on the human body in the form of Jesus?
Do you look above and below to give thanks to God for his creations?
Erin Gallawa
Saturday, October 13, 2018-The Sixth Day
“Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.” Gn 1:26
The story of creation in the first book of Genesis gives us insight into God’s love for us—a love so great that we are created in imago dei—His own image and likeness. But it is accompanied with great responsibility. We are told that after the creation of humanity that we are to have “dominion” over the earth and its creatures. While we are gifted with such power, we are also responsible to be good stewards of this planets and all the many gifts of creation that grow, live and die here. Just as God’s dominion includes his love and care for us, so too must our dominion require love and action for the resources we are given.
I am lucky that on a daily basis I feel like I am able to reap the benefits of the earth. But I am challenged by the thought that beyond what I see in my daily life, there is a world where we are not honoring our responsibility to care for this planet and its inhabitants.
Do I accept the responsibility of caring for the earth that has been gifted to me?
Erin Gallawa
Sunday, October 14, 2018-The Seventh Day
“On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.” Gn 2:2
At the end of each day’s work, God reflected that his work was good. The work of God is indeed good, both His work of creation and His ongoing work through the work of the Gospel. By the end of a good week’s work, it was fitting that God celebrate that good work with rest.
I go to work every day. Some days are great. Others drag by. There are days where I “wow” customers or employees; sometimes I leave feeling like there is nothing but a mountain of paperwork to overcome. At the end of each day my husband asks me about my day and I mumble out the standard, “It was good” whether it really was or wasn’t. After reflecting on this story for a time, I feel a new challenge to truly make each day a good day’s work. This challenge is for both my personal and professional life. At the end of each day, do I look back with pride for what I have created? Are the fruits of my labor serving God and others? When I get to my day of rest, am I resting from doing the good work of God?
When I reach my day of rest, do I celebrate the good work I have done for the people and earth God created?
Erin Gallawa