A man can count the number of seeds in an apple. But only god can count the number of apples in a seed.

Jump to: Apple Seeds Leo Needs an Education Danger, Will Robinson Robert Counting Seeds Samson Push the Pillars

Crescent moon calling me, step through my doorway and take a trip.

Bench in memoriam of the unknown set in bronze.

Ten feet of rock river under the boughs of gold while little men cross busily.

Coins hiss and rustle before falling from the sky and make the world rich.

Saving their own lives and ours as well. Unspendable treasures, these.

The little men, with little black helmets. Never stopping, never slowing.

Until death.

Midnight hour same as Midday heat.

Watching it all, lazy legs in his little sling.

And I, No better on this hot summer night.

How desperate we will both be in the coming dearth.

In spite of the breeze, it’s a hot night. As they have been for months. But it’s nothing compared to the daytime.

We started early this morning with the missus headed north with an elderly friend who wanted company on a shopping trip across the Red River. They bought nothing, but it reportedly was worth the time as the older friend needed to vent.

She lives with her sister. They are both widows and in spite of both of them having children, they really have each other. For one reason or another, their offspring see them not as treasures to be guarded, but as resources to be harvested.

And though they really only have each other, they fight like two cats. Sometimes kind and sometimes murderous.

Once she was back, we started prepping to deliver some furniture we no longer need to a new woman in the congregation. I’m not sure what her story is, but she has almost no possessions. So it is very helpful to find a home for this sofa and the table.

Hoping to avoid lifting AT ALL, I call a couple of young friends. The 16yo is game, but the 25yo is just too busy. So, some lifting, I guess.

I hook up my little trailer I have affectionately named Kermit the Towed, load the table and the couch, and head over to pick up Leo.

Leo Needs an Education

His mom didn't name him after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but I like to think she did. It was the only way I could remember his name for the longest time.

Leo wants to be a music teacher. Specifically, instruments.

He has never seen The Sound of Music (1965), Romeo and Juliet (1996), West Side Story (1961), Moulin Rouge! (2001), La La Land (2016), Grease (1978), OR Singin' in the Rain (1952).

Not to mention:

• Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
• An American in Paris (1951)
• A Hard Day's Night (1964)
• Once (2007)
• Cabaret (1972) — Okay, 16 is probably a little young for this weight.
• Fame (1980)

Eeesh. I could be at this all day.

The point is, Leo needs to see the musical landscape.

And get a clue.

When I asked him what kind of degree a HS music teacher needed, he answered:

“Uh, not sure, I guess a masters?”

Seems a bit much.

“How much will that degree cost you?”

Prodding to see if he'd considered all the costs.

“Ummmmm, not sure. Maybe, like $4000?”

He answered ponderously.

I laughed.

“Per credit HOUR?”

I encouraged him to look into those little details while he's catching up on all the glorious music captured on celluloid.

Danger, Will Robinson

Heading out into the heat, I realize I’ve skipped breakfast and lunch, solved by a stop at Luigi’s for a slice of Mediterranean pizza. I’m so glad they started a by-the-slice shop.

Luigi is selling a 2006 version of our poor dinged-up Benz. I neither need nor want a new-to-us vehicle. But the low miles and good price make it very tempting.

I will later go home and get a microfiber and a bottle of Goo Gone. A half an hour later, the car looks positively dignified. Not perfect, but the damage will be hardly noticeable.

After pizza, we make our way to the QT down the street to fuel up.

Walking in to pay, a rough-looking fellow sitting at one of the shaded tables comments:

“I like your shirt! Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!”

It is a design of my own from the MyPopYourPop I did 10 years ago.

TEN years ago?

Christ!!

I’m old enough that 10 years now feels like yesterday. While 10 months ago feels like a millennia.

How. Weird.

I smile at the man. He has the rough edge of a homeless man. But not the complete disarray.

So I go into the store and pick up a drink. On the way out, I make eye contact and nod.

The man then says:

“Say there, Danger, don't have a couple of quarters you could spare, do you?”

Smiling, I say:

“Sure!”

And reach in my pocket and snatch the loose coins flopping around.

Then I used an old trick any time I patronize a panhandler: I ask for more info. I feel like I've purchased the entry fee to a bit of a show. If that diminishes the human, I'm sorry. But it is a public space and they approach me, so I feel no guilt.

Robert

“So,” I begin, “homeless? That must be rough. How long have you been toughing it out here in the raw world?”

“Yeah. It ain't easy. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I've been out on the streets for about 3 years.”

“Three years!” I said. “How on earth do you end up from regular life to no place to live... we're probably about the same age? Maybe I'm a little older.”

“I'm 53, born April 10, 1973. It's wild. I used to have a job and a family. But then I made a series of bad choices and ended up in prison. While I was inside, my parents passed away. My wife moved on and I lost everything.”

I was flabbergasted.

Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

We talked for about 15 minutes and we exchanged names. I related some of my fears as an aging man in the United States with no retirement plan, savings or substantive possessions of value.

Essentially, we both saw how tenuous our existence is in this world.

Everyone clawing to keep their place and that ledge of place is getting narrower and narrower all the time.

Eventually, I felt comfortable enough to pitch a hope from the Bible.

“You know Robert, I'm a long-time student of the Bible. And I've lived almost every day of the last 40 years expecting the world scene to shift dramatically. Do you mind if I share something from the Bible?”

“Oh, yeah, sure man. I'm a Christian, I'm confident God will fix this eventually.”

Robert said.

I opened my app to Psalm 37:10, 11.

Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there.

But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

“Man, that sounds great... I just wish it would hurry up,” Robert told me.

“I know. Me too. I've been praying for it for decades. And I won't lie, I get nervous sometimes that it won't come soon enough. But you know what the Bible says God CANNOT do?” I asked.

Robert smiled.

“Huh... you know I just always heard everything was possible with God.”

“Two things that are impossible for the Creator, Robert,” I smiled. “He cannot die and he cannot lie. That means if he says the train is coming, it's coming.”

“I guess that's true. I never thought about that.”

My wife was waiting and it was about 105º.

I offered to look for him in the future and explain why we can have so much confidence in God's word.

As a parting farewell, I dug out my last two dollars and offered them to Robert.

His eyes lit up.

“Oh! God bless you, man! That's all I needed to get a slice of pizza! I'll keep you in my prayers.”

Counting Seeds

We're busy counting the one, two, three, four in front of us.

Meanwhile, the Creator is watching not just you and I, but every human ever. And He understands something we cannot comprehend: the complex path that brings all of creation back into its original state.

Eventually all these imbalances will be corrected.

Perfection, the Bible promises.

Maybe I belong where Robert is. Cast into the wild to figure it out for myself.

Samson

I'm suddenly thinking of Samson.

How we all start powerfully and with the best of intent. But with time and a series of questionable decisions, we lose our power entirely.

But not ourselves.

Samson may have been in fetters and blind, but he still had a desire to be the man he was before.

Someone who loved Jehovah.

Maybe that's what keeps us going.

Robert, Samson, me, You...

That desire to be the potential in each of us.

Robert's just living day to day. Hoping for something better. Asking for it. But not always responsive when it comes.

Sounds familiar.

And what I said was true, I've been waiting for the train to come for decades.

Some waited their whole lives.

I might be too.

For some it's harder than it is for others. The right team makes long days short and years fly by quickly as a wink.

Again, choices.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for Robert. And keep him in my prayers. Maybe you can too.

We'll both pray for a man who maybe deserved what he got.

But then again, who deserves this life?

We were created to worship God. To live, to have laughter and warmth and happiness. Peace all of our days.

To be known and seen and valued.

Prized and loved.

Not commodified or treated as decoration.

My life isn't perfect. I've made some critical errors. Some are extremely difficult to live with.

But I can live with them.

I have to.

Push the Pillars

If I got the chance to push those pillars, I'd take it.

Bet you would too.

WHAOAOAOOAO QWERTY

Apple Seeds

We are out for a walk tonight. It is finally the diminishing of a cruel summer. It comes to my mind a wonderful concept of how small we are:

A man can count the number of seeds in an apple. But only god can count the number of apples in a seed.

Crescent moon calling me, step through my doorway and take a trip.

Bench in memoriam of the unknown set in bronze.

Ten feet of rock river under the boughs of gold while little men cross busily.

Coins hiss and rustle before falling from the sky and make the world rich.

Saving their own lives and ours as well. Unspendable treasures, these.

The little men, with little black helmets. Never stopping, never slowing.

Until death.

Midnight hour same as Midday heat.

Watching it all, lazy legs in his little sling.

And I, No better on this hot summer night.

How desperate we will both be in the coming dearth.

In spite of the breeze, it’s a hot night. As they have been for months. But it’s nothing compared to the daytime.

We started early this morning with the missus headed north with an elderly friend who wanted company on a shopping trip across the Red River. They bought nothing, but it reportedly was worth the time as the older friend needed to vent.

She lives with her sister. They are both widows and in spite of both of them having children, they really have each other. For one reason or another, their offspring see them not at treasures to be guarded, but as resources to be harvested.

And though they really only have each other, they fight like two cats. Sometimes kind and sometimes murderous.

Once she was back, we started prepping to deliver some furniture we no longer need to a new woman in the congregation. I’m not sure what her story is, but she has almost no possessions. So it is very helpful to find a home for this sofa and the table.

Hoping to avoid lifting AT ALL, I call a couple of of young friends. The 16yo is game, but the 25yo is just too busy. So, some lifting, I guess. I hook up my little trailer I have affectionately named Kermit the Towed and, load the table and the couch and head over to pick up Leo.

His mom didn't name him after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. 

Not to mention:
Meet me In St Louis (1944) An American in Paris (1951) Hard Days Night (1964) Once (2007) Cabaret (1972) – Okay, 16 is probably a little young for this weight Fame (1980)

Eeesh. I could be at this all day.

The point is, Leo needs to see the musical landscape. And get a clue.

When I asked him what kind of degree a HS music teacher needed, he answered, 'Uh, not sure, I guess a masters?'.

Seems a bit much.

'How much will that degree cost you?' Prodding to see if he'd considered all the costs.

'Ummmmm, not sure. Maybe, like $4000?' He answered ponderously.

I laughed, 'Per credit HOUR?'.

I encouraged him to look into those little details while he's catching up on all the glorious Musi captured on celluloid.

Heading out into the heat, I realize I’ve skipped breakfast and lunch, solved by a stop at Luigi’s for a slice of Mediterranean pizza. I’m so glad they stared a by-the-slice shop.

Luigi is selling a 2006 version of our poor dinged-up Benz. I neither need nor want a new-to-us vehicle. But, the low miles and good price make it very tempting.

I will later go home and get a microfiber and a bottle of goo-gone. A half an hour later, the car looks positively dignified. No perfect, but the damage will be hardly noticeable.

After pizza, we make our way to the QT down the street to fuel up. Walking in to pay, a rough looking fellow sitting at one of the shaded tables comments, ‘I like your shirt! Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!’

It is a design of my own from the MyPopYourPop I did 10 years ago.

TEN years ago? Christ!! I’m old enough that 10 years now feels like yesterday. While 10 months ago feels like a millennia.

How. Weird.

I smile at the man. He has the rough edge of a homeless man. But not the complete disarray.

So I go in to the store and pick up a drink, on the way out, I make eye contact and nod.

The man then says, 'Say there, Danger, don't have a couple of quarters you could spare, do you?'

Smiling, I say, 'Sure!' And reach in my pocket and snatch the loose coins flopping around.

Then I used an old trick any time I patronize a panhandler: I ask for more info. I feel like I've purchased the entry fee to a bit of a show. If that diminishes the human, I'm sorry. But it is is a public space and they approach me, so I feel no guilt.

“So,” I begin, “homeless? That must be rough. How long have you been toughing it out here in the raw world?”

“Yeah. It ain't easy. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I've been out on the streets for about 3 years.”

“Three years!” I said. “How on earth do you end up from regular life to no place to live... we're probalby about the same age? Maybe I'm a little older.“

”I'm 53, born April 10, 1973. It's wild. I used to have a job and a family. But then I made a series of bad choices and ended up in prison. While I was inside, my parents passed away. MY wife moved on and I lost everything.”

I was flabbergasted. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. We talked for about 15 minutes and we exchanged names. I related some of my fears as an aging man in the United States with no retirement plan, savings or substantive possessions of value. Essentially, we both saw how tenuous our existence is in this world. Everyone clawing to keep their place and that ledge of place is getting narrower and narrower al the time.

Eventually, I felt comfortable enough to pitch a hope from the Bible.

“You know Robert, I'm a long time student of hte Bible. And I've lived almost every day of the last 40 years expecting the world to scene to shift dramatically. Do yo u mind if I share something from the Bible?”

“Oh, yeah, sure man. I'm a Christian, I'm confident God will fix this eventually.” Robert said.

I opened by app to Psaml 37: 10, 11.

Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there.

But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

“Man, that sounds great... I just wish it would hurry up.” Robert told me.

“I know. Me too. I've been praying for it for decades. And I won't lie, I get nervous sometimes that it won't come soon enough. But you know what the Bible says God CANNOT do?” I asked.

Robert smiled, “Huh... you know I just always heard everything was possible with God.”

“Two things that are impossible for the Creator, Robert,” I smiled “He cannot die and he cannot lie. That means if he says the train is coming' it's coming.”

“I guess that's true. I never thought about that.”

My wife was waiting and it was about 105º. I offered to look for him in the future and explain why we can have so much confidence in God's word.

As a parting farewell, I dug out my last two dollars and offered them to Robert. His eyes lit up.

“Oh! God bless you, man! That's all I needed to get a slice of pizza! I'll keep you in my prayers.

We're busy counting the one, two, three, four in front of us. Meanwhile, the Creator is watching not just you and I, but every human ever. And He understands something we cannot comprehend: the complex path that brings all of creation back into its original state.

Eventually all these imbalances will corrected. Perfection, the Bible promises.

Maybe I belong where Robert is. Cast into the wild to figure it out for myself.

I'm suddenly thinking of Samson. How we all start powerfully and with the best of intent. But with time and a series of questionable decisions, we lose our power entirely.

But not ourselves. Samson may have been in fetters and blind, but he still had a desire to be the man he was before. Someone who loved Jehovah.

Maybe that's what keeps us going. Robert, Samson, me, You... that desire to be the potential in each of us.

Robert's just living day to day. Hoping for something better. Asking for it. But not always responsive when it comes.

Sounds familiar.

And what I said was true, I've been waiting for the train to come for decades. Some waited their whole lives. I might be too.

For some it's harder than it is for others. The right team makes long days short and years fly by quickly as a wink. 
Again, choices.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for Robert. And keep him in my prayers. Maybe you can t0o. We'll both pray for a man who maybe deserved what he got. But then again, who deserves this life?

We were created to worship God. To live, to have laughter and warmth and happiness. Peace all of our days. To be known and seen and valued. Prized and loved. Not commodified or treated as decoration.

My life isn't perfect. I've made some critical errors. Some are extremely difficult to live with. But I can live with them.

I have to.

If I got the chance to push those pillars, I'd take it. Bet you would too.

Oh! Delilah... if only you had truly loved him.

One time, Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. He spent the night with her. When the people of Gaza heard that Samson was in town, they surrounded the place and waited to ambush him at the city gate. They stayed quiet all night, saying to themselves, “At dawn, we’ll kill him.”

But Samson lay there only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate—along with the two side posts—and tore them out, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill facing Hebron.

Afterward, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines came to her and said, “Trick him. Find out what gives him his great strength and how we can overpower and tie him up to subdue him. If you do, each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength comes from and what could be used to tie you up and subdue you.”

Samson replied, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that haven’t been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So the Philistine rulers brought her seven fresh bowstrings, and she tied him up with them. While men were hiding in the inner room, she shouted, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of flax snaps when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength remained unknown.

Then Delilah said, “You’ve made a fool of me! You lied to me. Now tell me, please—how can you be tied?”

He said, “If they tie me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up, and again called out, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But again, he snapped the ropes from his arms like threads.

Delilah said to him, “You’ve made a fool of me again and told me lies. Now tell me—how can you be tied?”

He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and fasten it with a pin, I’ll become weak like any other man.” So she did exactly that while he slept, and shouted, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke, pulled out the pin and the loom, and freed himself.

Then she said, “How can you say ‘I love you’ when your heart is not with me? You’ve mocked me three times and still haven’t told me what gives you your great strength.” Day after day, she nagged and pressured him until he was sick to death of it.

Finally, Samson told her everything. “A razor has never touched my head,” he said, “because I have been dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If I’m shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will be as weak as any other man.”

When Delilah saw that he had opened his heart to her, she sent word to the Philistine rulers: “Come back one more time—he has told me everything.” So they returned, bringing the silver with them.

She lulled Samson to sleep with his head on her lap. Then she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair. As his hair fell away, so did his strength. She began to subdue him, and he was helpless.

She shouted, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He woke up and said, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize that the Jehovah had left him.

The Philistines seized him. They gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze shackles, and he became a grinder in the prison. But in time, the hair on his head began to grow back.

Meanwhile, the Philistine rulers assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their god, and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands!” When the people saw him, they praised their god and said, “Our god has given into our hands the one who laid waste to our land and killed so many of us.”

In their merrymaking, they called for Samson to be brought out to entertain them. They brought him from the prison, and he was made to perform before them. They placed him between the pillars.

Samson said to the young boy who was guiding him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars that support the temple, so I can lean against them.” The building was packed with men and women. All the Philistine rulers were there, and about three thousand people were on the roof watching as Samson entertained them.

Samson now called out to Jehovah: “Sovereign Lord Jehovah, remember me. Please strengthen me just once more. Let me, with one final act, take vengeance on the Philistines for one of my two eyes.”

He braced himself between the two central pillars, one with his right hand and one with his left. He said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people inside. In his death, Samson killed more than he had during his life.

Later, his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to retrieve his body. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.

#biblereading #judges #samson #thefall #confession

A couple of points of note: Samson was fine until she began to nag him to the point of wishing for death; a little pressure over a long time can create tremendous damage Until he opened his heart to her, he was fine, that was his end He had seven braids. Had she cut only three or even six, he likely would have endured