Shade Tree Wisdom 7/2/07

It was raining hard this morning when I wanted to take a walk, so I didn’t. And so I also waited to pick up the paper. Fortunately, the people who throw it had the smarts to throw it on the grass, not the walk. Water wicks, and when it lands on a wet walk or driveway, it always gets wet. On the grass it doesn’t.

But while I was waiting for the rain to slow down – you know how it rains in Texas – gushes, and then slows to a dripping drizzle for a while – I started thinking about stress and tension. Tension is good. Tension is beneficial. Tension is what keeps a watch and clock running. It is only when there is an excessive amount of tension that we suffer stress.

Stress is simply too much of something that causes us to be anxious or worried, often about things we can’t control. The TV commercials give the impression that the entire population suffers from jitters, indigestion, raw nerves, headaches, and complete inability to sleep. And that simply is not true.

But we do live in a time when everything seems to be as bad as it ever gets. Satellites bring the world news to our living room that day. Unless we have a real understanding of history, nothing has ever been this bad. We get steeped in stuff, and do not see anything but that. And that brings stress.

There is a saying that we should live in “day tight compartments.” In short, remember the word of the Psalm, “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice, and be glad in it”. Savor life that lies before you.

Maybe the story of the dinner at Bethany should give us a clue. Remember Jesus was invited, and two sister were the hosts. One bustled about seeing to the pots on the stove and the cake in the oven and the setting of the table and to the comfort of the guest, while the other sat quietly, listening to his words. Till finally, Martha (really suffering from stress), bursts out, “Lord, ask her to give me a hand here”. Now here comes our lesson, “Martha, you worry about many things. Your sister, Mary, picked up on the right thing here, she is hearing My words, and that will not be taken from her.”

See, the rain has already slowed to a halt, freshened up the countryside, dusted off the trees, cleaned roofs, and is waiting to do it again later on. Meanwhile, my roof doesn’t leak, no rain flooded my living room, and I sit here, safe and dry, writing this.

God bless your day.

GPD 7/02/07