Dang, Just Lost That Treasure

My new workout contains recycling and up-cycling....take the 12 lbs of RH catalogs to the recycle container in the garage, then take them back into the house, place them on the floor and repeat workout.  It's like doing something good for me and the environment.  I'll repeat this till Tuesday when the recyclables go out for trash day.  

I was feeling a little down about the home we have been thinking about in Asheville going off the market.  Then our spirits revived when our Realtor told us it should go back onto the market once the current owners find a home where they are moving to...with one undecided buyer in the wings, we might still have a chance.  Then yesterday, other homes on our top ten list had price reductions....yahoo!  Only, I wish they could have waited to do so closer to the time we will be there.  Maybe the three other homes that has our attention will go down in price as well.  We were told that homes close in to the center of Asheville are selling at a good pace and the farther out, a slower pace.  Since we are not interested in being part of the scene in Asheville, that works well for us.  

This summer my attention has been drawn into reading Proverbs.  Proverbs is kind of like the OT version of a celebrity how to book, only you know, it is inspired by God not greed.  Because, uh Solomon was the richest and wisest person.  I believe Proverbs was on the best selling scroll list of the New Jerusalem Times back in the day.  The depth of the verses makes it difficult to pick a verse to really give it time and meditation because just when I have chosen the verse for the day, I continue reading and find another really good verse...then it is decision time.  These next two verses are not ones I chose to meditate upon but they got my attention:
"A person who promises a gift but doesn't give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain." Pro 25:14

"Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow." Pro 25:18  Wow Solomon....tell us how you really feel.  Hitting with an ax wasn't enough of a description?

But the verse that got my attention and apparently it has gotten my attention before because it is highlighted in Bible yellow marker, is:

"Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised." Pro 27:21 NLT

    The purity of silver and gold is tested
    by putting them in the fire;
   The purity of human hearts is tested
    by giving them a little fame.  Pro 27:21 The Message



I know there are references in the Bible to being refined like silver and gold.  We kind of feel brave and oh so biblical when we reference our trying experiences as God's refining fire.  Of course this is true.  But here in Proverbs it is saying our refining thus purity is tested in being praised or flattered or having a little fame (Fame!  I'm gonna live forever....Fame!  Little song shout out to the 80's) thrown our way.  There is so much legacy talk going on now...guess it is the season of reflection with graduation and the like, but instead of talking about legacy so much why don't we just let the overflow of the abundant life be our legacy?  We don't have to talk about it, we just live it.  If God uses us that is so fabulous and even more fabulous when we don't even know about it as when we actively curry favor and approval of our legacy leaving antics.  When I played tennis one of the best ways your opponent would try to beat you before even stepping onto the court and playing was just this kind of thing....for example I had a pretty wicked forehand and a rather lethal serve and those opponents experienced in the way of sports psychology...getting into your head,  would compliment and praise your strengths in the game a little too much. I just thought of this, the term getting into some one's head would have a whole different meaning for a brain surgeon.  If you started believing the PR, you found yourself losing the match.  Others used the wow, that is a huge knee brace tactic, making you think about how much you hurt while they commended your bravery to just get out there on the court and try.  Boom, match lost.  If someone started talking about my strengths, I just walked away acting like I was preoccupied with my racquet or getting a drink of water.  When it came to the knee brace and asking how I hurt my knee I'd reply kicking an opponent when they made a bad line call.  That pretty much shut them up.  In church world, we see the same kind of thing.  You know, someone praises you, so you grab your most serious eyes closed, head shaking, point to the Lord look.  Stop it!  Or another posture is after being praised, your next sentence starts with, 'you know... I was....' and you complete the sentence with your most holy accepting praise look with a head tilt.  Stop It!  I mean we have all done both of those things...whether in truth or in jest...so just keep it in mind, be thankful for that refining fire of praise and don't lose your treasure in heaven with a bad response.  

You'll thank me in heaven....dang, just lost that treasure!