Cut the Baby in Half

Cut the baby in half.  That was the declaration of Solomon, the wisest king in Old Testament history.  His only request from God was for wisdom and discernment as ruler, and his first test was the case of two prostitutes fighting over a baby.  Cut the baby in half, he said, and the real mother stepped forward with this distraught plea...Give her the baby.  Solomon knew at that moment who the real mother was, and the little one was placed in her arms.  (1 Kings, Chap. 3)

I never tire of reading and re-reading the stories, proverbs, and parables in the Bible that illustrate wisdom.  You can't close the Book without knowing thoroughly the difference between a wise man and a fool. 

The world hates biblical wisdom because it cramps its style.  I struggle with it, too, because it brings all the blackness to the surface and I can see the stain of sin in the mirror.  But I treasure it, this Wisdom, because it reminds me I am not what I used to be and I am rescued by a Miraculous Grace.

Human wisdom sometimes sees the immediate cause of a problem but it does not see the root, which is always sin. It may see that selfishness is a cause of injustice, but it has no way to remove selfishness. It may see that hatred causes misery and pain and destruction, but it has no cure for hatred. It can see plainly that man does not get along with man, but it does not see that the real cause is that man does not get along with God.  -John MacArthur

A quick read-through of the first section of Proverbs paints a wonderful picture of wisdom personified as a woman, calling through the streets, "People, you are eating the fruit of your ways!  How long are you going to live this way?" (paraphrase)

She's talking to the depraved, wicked people, right?  The mass murderers, the drug addicts, the greedy politicians.  Or is she talking to me?  Is she getting down deep in the marrow of my bones and saying, "Jill, have you ignored my advice?" 

"Why, of course not, I'm a good person."

"Oh?  Have you gossiped lately? (Prov. 11:13)

"Um, maybe..."

"Have you withheld unduly?" (Prov. 11:24)

"Withheld what?"

"You tell me," is Wisdom's reply.  "Have you watched your tongue?" (Prov. 10: 19)

"Well, my kids might have an opinion about that.  Sorry." 

The longer I walk this road of faith and seek Wisdom, the more I am enchanted with her beauty and long for her peace and security...and the more I am aware of my own complacency.  The dingy froth of foolishness bubbles up in parenting choices, relationship foibles, and a million other decisions that could have been better had I sought Wisdom's way.

Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right. -C.H. Spurgeon

Let us consider together where best to seek wisdom.  It's so much easier to open O Magazine than the Bible.  The modern talkers will tickle our ears and stir up our passions, but the Word WAS, IS, and WILL BE, long after columnists, talk show hosts, and "experts" turn to dust. 

So I choose to join Wisdom in the public square, seeing the world through her eyes, listening to her instruction, and living in her circle of blessing.

Paddling in a Storm on Bluewater Lake

Bluewater Lake at sunrise with steaming coffee in hand and loon cry lifting.  Heavenly.

In the distance, I detect a little dot of a canoe where father and daughter are learning to synchronize paddle strokes.  They rose before dawn to share this moment; a curly-haired girl tiptoeing around the cabin with anticipation and a devoted dad stumbling over duffel bags in the dark. 

I can see through binoculars that she is more interested in gazing at gathering storm sky and rippling water than paddling.  Her daddy is steadily stroking his princess toward shore as her oar balances on her little knee.  That is, until the streak of lightening and sharp thunder clap disturbs her revelry.  At once, her paddling accelerates and that blue canoe nearly lifts out of the water cartoon-style, barreling toward the beach. 

Cold plops of rain drop in my coffee as I move to shelter.  The sky flashes and grumbles.  The two finally slide smooth onto the sand, shore up the canoe, and race toward me, wet hair plastered down like a swim cap.  Nature Girl runs, dances fairy-style toward the family camp gathering hall and Soaked Adoring Father hoofs it across the beach, grinning, catching my eye.

And this will be another summer moment to memorize.  Electrified canoeing.  Father and Daughter wrapped in towels, drinking hot chocolate, with a story to tell.

Here are some more pictures from our annual trip to Bluewater Covenant Family Camp...

Dave took Noah on a 5-mile storm-free canoe trip the next morning. 

Something News

Somehow this crafty, musical, not-so-interested in politics momma agreed to teach Civics to middle-schoolers this fall at our homeschool co-op. 

If you're unsure what Civics is, it's the study of government with an emphasis on personal rights and responsibilities.  If you're unsure what a co-op is, it's a bunch of homeschooling families coming together to offer their kids special group classes, taught by hired (albeit not expert) instructors.  This year's classes for my kids include art, speech, gym, science fair project, and health, in addition to Civics.  www.cchomeschoolers.org

Suddenly I'm reading every political current event article, writing my legislators thank you notes, surfing the web for lesson plans, and relearning the difference between a democracy and a republic...oh, and LOVING it!  Here is the question I will present on the first day of class as we explore rights vs. resposibilities.  It was inspired by a recent Rochester Post-Bulletin article:  should a person be allowed to use a toilet as an outdoor planter? 

Something new.  There is so much joy in it.  It's what I try to teach my children:  don't ever stop learning something new.

I observe the current something news of my little family, as they spend their loosely structured summer hours.  For Noah at age 13, it's delving into sports statistics, navigating the new world of Facebook, developing his acting and singing skills, and pushing through a challenging piano piece. 

At almost 11, Megan has to have her hands busy creating something new if her nose isn't in a book.  And 8-yr-old Grace wants to learn and master games, perfect her musical theater jazz hands, and see how many ways she can write her name in bubble letters.  Dave is learning how to play his new homemade Irish whistles and figuring out our complicated new recording equipment so he can teach me in Kindergarten language. 

OK, so there's plenty of Netflix streaming and Wii playing, too.  The kids have made it through multiple seasons of The Brady Bunch and advanced many game levels.  I have wasted too much time blindly scanning Facebook when I should be cleaning.  I have chosen to eat more ice cream and run less miles.  Nothing new there.  (weak sigh)

Pastor Tim reminded me of one of my favorite verses in Psalm 16 last Sunday. 

You have drawn boundary lines in pleasant places. 

With each something new, the boundary lines expand, wisdom deepens through joys and hardships, and a mind set on gratitude and faith calls it all a pleasant place.