Shade Tree Wisdom 1/8/11

Since I crossed the line into my ninth decade, I have been doing lots of thinking about many and various things. One always stands out, and St. Paul says it well in Colossians 3, 16.17.10.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual song, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord."

“And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

“For you have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”

I always come back to this truth when I see all the changes that have happened during my lifetime.

Radio was the big thing, and just listening was a marvel. Programs such as The lone Ranger, General Hospital, Private Eye, The Shadow, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Bob Hope, and others were entertaining and sometimes even edifying. But they did call for us to use our imagination to picture what was going on.

And I heard what still stands as the longest laugh ever generated by any program. It was Jack Benny. He was pictured as a real penny pincher, my grand father would say he was “near with the dollar”. In this program he has gone to his vault and there a stickup man puts the pistol to his back and growls, “Your money or your life”. Silence, prolonged silence, finally the man says again, “I said, your money or your life”, Another pause, then Benny says “I’m thinking, I’m thinking”.

Then came the first TV. What a wonder, to actually see the people talking and acting. Reception was often spotty, and they even invented a rooftop antennae which turned with a motor to set it for the best reception. And one had to leave the chair to change stations and adjust the picture.

All changed.

Now we have tweeters, face book, text messaging, phones that do many things, even send and receive email messages. And experts keep reminding us that our privacy is pretty well gone because what we put on our face book or internet stays forever on the servers, even when we delete it from our machine.

Some of this may be good. For instance, if you have car trouble in Texas and need assistance, there is a phone number on the back of your drivers license that will bring a Trooper to your aid in often less than 3 minutes.

Plus, you have a GPS system that will lead you to any destination you ask it for.

Change and decay, growth and improvement. It brings to mind
“Change and decay in all around I see,
But Thou who changes not, abide with me.”

And I find comfort and peace.

GPD 1/8/11