I sat in a staff meeting today with some fine colleagues discussing how our organization could show its value to others and what we would need to do to really have a compelling place in our world. Of course technology is part of that. One of the older guys, commenting on those who tweet too much, said, "I really don't think the world wants to know what I had for breakfast.
Tonight my wife and I were watching a television program (Touched By An Angel - incomplete theology at best couched in great stories) and I picked up a tweet by another in that same meeting give a sentence about what he was doing. So I immediately hit reply and asked, "What I want to know is what you had for breakfast?"
I forgot that tweet also goes to my Facebook as an update. Thus, for the FB people, there was absolutely no context.
However, in two hours time there have been 15 comments and the discussion has been fun. One friend commented that it is surprising what people are interested in - the everyday things of life. Indeed.
In a more spiritual moment I would likely ask, "So how does this apply to context in biblical interpretation?"
But I am not feeling too spiritual tonight. In fact, I am feeling pretty well ragged out, out of gas, and dealing with what appears to be disappointment - again.
But wait! Remember that phrase from all the TV infomercials? Yes, wait - here's a two-fer.
In this non-spiritual moment, I am experiencing both disappointment and joy. And, my daily Bible reading plan has me in Job. So I could be a really pitiful sad sack, if you know what I mean. But joy and disappointment? How?
I won't go into the disappointment. You don't need that. But the joy?
Well, I got on another blog and saw a picture of my grandchild. I held that little fellow just a few days ago. I have beside me the pictures of two more of my grandchildren and a fourth sent me an instant message tonight on FB. The fifth? Well, can't leave him out so I have been thinking of him as well. The joy these little ones have brought to my life is beyond description.
You see, there was a time I realized I was not going to succeed Billy Graham. It was a sobering moment. So in that spurt of growth I asked God: "Lord, I can't do much and I'm not going to have a big following. I will serve you and I ask one thing. Please let me be a successful husband and father." I never thought of grandchildren in those days or I would added that.
So in a world that discards as irrelevant and useless those 60 and over (actually 50 and over in some places), I'm not too worried about it. John Piper is right - retirement is not in the Bible. So I will work my part time gigs and do what I can for the Kingdom of God.
But make no mistake about it. I know who will cry at my funeral. They are the ones who matter, and each of them bring intense joy to me. Thanks, family, for giving me an evening of delight because of a question that wasn't supposed to make it's way to Facebook!
I love God's "incidentals"! Maybe it is a spiritual moment after all!
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