The quickest way to be misquoted is to open your mouth and say
anything. Add to that an audience, a few who love to gossip, and those who love
to hear it, and you have a recipe for disaster. Then all it takes to push me
over the edge is some well meaning person to say “I understand,” and even some
rock lyrics make more sense. It is like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, the king
and queen of weird had kids, and taught them to speak. Add a dose of Tom Waits,
words from his signature song, “The Piano has been drinking,” and you can feel
like he did, “I rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.”
Get it? If you do, please don’t try to explain...we sure don’t. And maybe we
don’t want to know...or are better off not knowing! But for years opinions have
been loosely formed on things people said, will say, or never said. It is like
all the so-called political pundits explaining what the politicians say-they
lie. To each other. Let’s just try and define our economic condition. If my
neighbor loses his job, that’s a recession. When you lose yours that’s a
depression. When you can pay all your bills, things are doing fine. I just may
have to rethink my Neil Young opinion, suddenly he makes more sense than the
president!
For years we have been enamored by rock stars, music, and their lyrics. My
friend Bruce thought Paperback Writer was Take a Fast Right Turn, I can still
hear him singing. Herb Alpert had a hit with “This Guy’s in Love with You,”
yet many heard the sky’s in love with you. Heard it through the grapevine?
Marvin Gaye or Creedence Clearwater? Even Steve Urkel was known to say “did I
do that?” And as Agent Mulder seeks the truth, “the truth is out there,” Scully
rolls her eyes, and we have hit show. Or like the prologue to the hit series
SOAP, “confused? You won’t be after watching this episode...” Do inquiring
minds really want to know? OK, repeat it back to me. OOPS.
So being misquoted is not a new phenomena. It has been going on for
years. Centuries actually, and we find it occurring in the oldest book of the
Bible, Job. A story that so many theologians, pastors, teachers, and comedians
have misunderstood for years. To start with, God has everything under His
control. He saw Satan and asked Him if he would consider His servant Job?
Satan tried to twist things, and of course the rest is history. But perhaps the
most oft quoted person in the story is Mrs. Job, whose single line has brought
much wrath upon her for years. Great teachers lambaste her, but very few have
tried to see it from her viewpoint. And then they forget her husband’s
response. Misquoting him of course. Here’s the scene, Job has been afflicted
with boils, sickness, and has lost all his wealth. He was rumored to be among
the richest men at the time. His children have died, and he finds himself
hurting, and alone. Then his wife enters the room. Seeing him in distress, she
utters her famous quote, “give up your integrity, curse God, and die.” Ever
feel like that-don’t. But his answer is often forgotten, or again misquoted.
He simply told her you sound “like” a foolish woman,” he never accused her of
being foolish. He saw her within her situation, for she had lost everything he
did, including her children. Would you talk to a widow that way? But he saw
through her condition, and how she was acting out of character in her distress.
And loved her through it, despite his own misery. A precursor to the words of
Jesus who said “greater love has no man than to lay down his life for another.”
He simply put her first, and cared for her despite his condition!
Last year when I was life flighted and had open heart surgery, my wife
Theresa had to deal with many things. Among them her own emotions, and the fact
her husband was dying, and could be dead. But I find that her greater love for
me kept me going. I never knew how much she really loved me until the worse
part of our vows revealed itself. We all want the better and healthy part of
the vows, she was faced with the worst, and death, with unhealthy included. And
in my situation, I love her even more. She was truly the brave one through
this, I had a staff of doctors and nurses to attend me. She had to run a
household, find transportation, resources, a place to live, and deal with Andrew
having shoulder surgery-all from 1000 miles from home. Now what was your
problem? Do you think she might have some insight to your situation? But she
trusted God, and the end result was miracle after miracle. And just like God
restored Job everything twice as much, He has rewarded us as such. I don’t get
it, but love doesn’t demand of itself, so either should you. Let god be God,
it is hard enough to be me sometimes, even in good situations.
Ragland T. Tiger once gave advice to his friends, “take it on the lam Lefty
before the chicken potters out.” Leave before it gets worse, or worse yet,
someone tries to help and console you, understanding of course. So take my
friend Bruce’s advice, and take a fast right turn, turn to God. This guy Jesus
is in love with you. So let Him. And reconsider Mrs. Job next time someone
tries to help, or you are misquoted. God knows, and will restore you-or even
better. Don’t act foolishly, or even be accused of being a fool. My wife had
to make many decisions without me by herself, and did a great job. Love will do
that to you. Let all your decisions be based on love, no one misunderstands
that. Put others ahead of you, seek Jesus first, and watch as He adds
everything else. And to all the Mrs. Jobs out there, you had a great husband,
who loved you dearly. Make no mistake about that! Wives, and husbands, we
should all be so fortunate. I know I am.
Having a bad day? Like God said, “consider my servant Job.” Now put your
name in there. Maybe God is bragging on you, maybe for others to see Him in the
situation. What you see depends on who you are looking at. Look to Jesus. For
where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. Can I hear an AMEN to that?
And with apologies to the Beach Boys, “she’ll have fun, fun, fun till her
daddy takes her t-shirt away, or was it tuba?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com