what's up?

The word “up” has more meanings and connotations attached to it than any other word found in the English language.  So next time someone asks “what’s up?” you may consider what is up before you answer.  The sun came up this morning, it is time to wake up, and shower up before show up at work.  You lathered up in the shower, while your wife put on her make up, waited for your toast to pop up, and had trouble with your car starting up.  Maybe the battery needed charging up, or the car needs a tune up.  Or maybe it is time to trade up.  Your first stop is to pick up your coworker, then get stuck behind a Prius in the fast lane.  After being held up, you try to make up time by passing the Prius, only to see a cop catching crooks in a hold up, they are with their hands up, up against the wall.  I guess the jigs up.  Stop for a coffee for a pick me up, and you are glad you took your pick up, so you can pick up your dirt bike after work.  They were fixing the upper shock towers.  You finally arrive at work, where your secretary is going through a break up, needs extra make up, and can’t seem to keep up.  Your wife later calls you up, and asks you if you are up to tonight’s plans?  You are tired, you were up late watching football, the game almost over and your team marching up the field, when they had to review a play, and the decision was upheld, not in your favor.  “It’s up to you honey,” you say.  And she says she is tired too, one of the kids was sick and throwing up.  Seems in gym he had to do too many sit ups, and push ups, and now can only throw up.  But really it started because he was told to hang up his clothes, put his shoes up on the shelf, and his story Is not quite on the up and up.

The playoffs are on, and as you listen on the way home, you hear batter up, then who’s up next, and how the champs have their backs up against the wall after losing the first two games.  It is up to their star lefty to get them going, but most fans have given up.  Stopping quick, you spill your latte, wishing you had a Bounty, the quicker picker upper, and wish you could just pick up and leave on vacation.  Maybe the Upper Peninsula, taking a train, sleeping in the upper birth.  When the low fuel light goes on, reminding you to fill up before you run out.  Up ahead is a station, you fill up, and then get home.  But overall it had been a good day, the Dow was up, your stocks were up, but so was the price of gas.  You were tired, but feeling up beat, despite being beat up all day, maybe you would go out tonight, after all it is up to you.  So it is upstairs to change, call up for reservations, and hope there are no further hold ups.  Saturday is here, the temperature is up, your spirits are up, but your bike won’t start?  Again what’s up?  Didn’t I fill the tank up?  Is the oil filled up?  Going through a mental check list, are all the blanks filled up?  Then you notice your green sticker is expired, the year is up, time to renew.  Meanwhile the Fifth Dimension sings in the background “up, up , and away” and you just can’t get up the energy anymore.  If only the guy at the shop had been up front with you about the condition of your ride, now you’d just like to shoot up the place.  Maybe a 7-Up to calm you down, and you remember their old tag line “make 7-Up yours.”  Up to now it has been a rough couple of days...

The a neighbor stops by, he just got a call from his CO it is time to re-up, and he wonders if he is up to another tour?  His last one led to a break up of his marriage, they made up, but he doesn’t know what to do.  With the upheaval in the Navy, he rather have a job in the upper echelon than below the decks.  Fed up, he won’t re-up, averting a breakup.  His blood pressure was up, maybe it all will change now.  But he wants you to have a burger with him, do you want ketchup on it?  Or is it catsup?  You watch as your kids play flies up,  thinking your time is about up, when up comes the burger, and up until now you didn’t know how hungry you were.  Better than going through the drive-up at McDonald’s.  “Order up,” he calls jokingly to you.  This is better than warmed up left overs you think.  You brighten up, maybe time to polish up the car, lock up the house, get dressed up and go out.  But then he realizes the drain is stopped up, and he is about to crack up!  He is so mixed up, that when it starts to rain, the gutters fill up, and he can’t wait for the sun to dry up the sidewalks. 

Maybe it is time to wrap up now, before I crack up.  Before I am told to shut up!  And heading for bed, I am reminded of the first thing you do when you wake up, and the last thing before going to bed-U P!  So many uses for up, if you don’t believe me, look it up!  I didn’t make this up!

Up was no stranger to the Bible either.  It is only mentioned 2134 times in the King James!  From creation when a mist went up from the earth, and then there was an upheaval in heaven.  To Noah being sealed up in the ark, to the waters drying up.  Then Abram went up to Egypt, Lot was told to get up and out of Sodom and Gomorrah, and finally Abraham giving up the ghost at an old age.  God desired to bring the children up out of bondage, while God reminds us he lifts us up.  Oh, have mercy upon us Lord.  And when enemies rise up against us, he lifts us out of trouble.  He is able to burn up the chaff in our life.  But the best is still to come... Jesus.

The wise men looked up for a star to guide them, God was up to something.  He was about to give us a heavenly treasure, reminding us not to store up our treasures here on earth.  He fed 5000 after looking up to heaven and giving thanks, picking up 12 baskets when they were done, and someday we will be caught up in the clouds to meet him.  Meanwhile we are to take up our cross and follow him.  Knowing we will be given up to councils to share our faith, but he will give us the words.  Peter’s nets were full up with a catch, but we would be fishers of men, fulfilling a prophecy.  And later he met with them in the upper room, before being taken up in a cloud for all to see.  And so we are to lift up our voices in praise and worship, for it is all up to him now.  We are to be built up in the faith, and lifting up holy hands to him.  And finally we know of the day, where he told John to “come up hither and see the things which are to come.”  And while the unsaved will call up from hell forever and ever, the devil will be shut up there forever and ever, while we are up in heaven with Jesus. For the time is upon us, and we should be ready for that upward call any day.  How can you feel down now when you can lookup and see what is ahead for those that believe?

So don’t keep your light under a basket, or shut up about the things of God.  In the upper room things changed, but they all changed that day when Jesus was up on the cross.  Upheld for all to see, and since he is lifted higher, we shall all live in glory when we get up there.  So what’s up?  Maybe it can be defined in just one word-JESUS.  Accept him before time’s up.  He knows what you are up to, the rest is up to you.

love with compassion,

Mike

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