Today, the Winter Quarter at Fuller has begun. As I write this I am in class (I am the TA for Dr. Doug Nason in the basic homiletics course for M.Div. students). I spent the day writing on my paper for last quarter. I am having a fascinating time looking at the historical issues surrounding Erasmus (a contemporary of Martin Luther) and the effects of his work on contemporary issues in preaching. I believe it has implications for creative preaching and narrative preaching for today's preachers. I doubt many others are interested in this, but I am. This afternoon I had several uninterrupted hours of working on the paper. I enjoy this. It is why I am doing what I am doing. I find it a joy. I love to revel in the study and the research. To me, it is fun.
About 3:00 or so, one of our neighbors knocked on the door. She is a wonderful young wife and mother, student and community leader. She just lost her grandmother over the holidays and got back from the funeral in the Midwest yesterday. Frantically, she asked for help. Her son (a 2 year old) had just fallen asleep and she forgot about a doctor's appointment - she is pregnant expecting her second child. She wanted to know if I could take care of her sleeping child until either she or her husband returned. But... I was writing a paper. I really enjoy writing a paper. So, I thought, maybe he will stay asleep and I can take my stuff up to their apartment and keep on studying. So, I said, "Sure!"
Mom left, I went upstairs with computer and books, started working and heard the sound. Maybe it was a child outside or in another apartment. If I pretend it isn't there, it will go away. It didn't. So, I left my table sanctuary and tiptoed down the hall to the child's room. Maybe he would go back to sleep. (I am such an optimist!) After half an hour of attempting food, toys, TV, games, conversation, ignoring, bribing, and praying Dad arrived to release me from my dilemma. It was then that the most interesting thing took place. As soon as Dad arrived and he was safe, I became his friend. He stopped crying and smiled at me and said, "Hi!" repeatedly with joy in his voice. As I left to return to my apartment, I realized several things about what all this means.
About 3:00 or so, one of our neighbors knocked on the door. She is a wonderful young wife and mother, student and community leader. She just lost her grandmother over the holidays and got back from the funeral in the Midwest yesterday. Frantically, she asked for help. Her son (a 2 year old) had just fallen asleep and she forgot about a doctor's appointment - she is pregnant expecting her second child. She wanted to know if I could take care of her sleeping child until either she or her husband returned. But... I was writing a paper. I really enjoy writing a paper. So, I thought, maybe he will stay asleep and I can take my stuff up to their apartment and keep on studying. So, I said, "Sure!"
Mom left, I went upstairs with computer and books, started working and heard the sound. Maybe it was a child outside or in another apartment. If I pretend it isn't there, it will go away. It didn't. So, I left my table sanctuary and tiptoed down the hall to the child's room. Maybe he would go back to sleep. (I am such an optimist!) After half an hour of attempting food, toys, TV, games, conversation, ignoring, bribing, and praying Dad arrived to release me from my dilemma. It was then that the most interesting thing took place. As soon as Dad arrived and he was safe, I became his friend. He stopped crying and smiled at me and said, "Hi!" repeatedly with joy in his voice. As I left to return to my apartment, I realized several things about what all this means.
- If Joy is a function of being and feeling both safe and secure, then Happiness exudes from that to those around us. The poor little guy was OK once he realized that Dad was there. I went from someone he didn't trust to someone he really enjoyed. His experience of Joy at the return of his Dad changed an unhappy situation to one where he exuded Happiness to those around him - especially me!
- It is more enjoyable to be happy than sad. Not a profound thought but one that many seem to ignore as they go through life. I have a friend right now who is determined to be sad and make things miserable for those around her. She has many reasons to choose to be happy but seems content to be sad and angry. Apparently, the obviousness of the idea that is better to be happy than sad is not that clear to many.
- Our perception of others is often flawed because we see them through the eyes of our own situation and our own sin. When we are unhappy with someone (Mom and Dad aren't here) we make life miserable for someone else (me!) who is only there to help. This happens in relationships we have with others all the time. It also is a fact that our relationship with Christ affects our relationship with others. Isn't it amazing how others change once we are in right relationship with the Father? And until that happens in both ourselves and others, there will be kinks in the relational tubes that connect us to one another.
- Life and the relationships surrounding it are more important than being alone and uninterrupted. You can learn a lot from books and writing, thinking and studying, but eventually it all has to find its way into the real world of people and relationships.
- Its better to study alone than just listen to someone else cry. Hmmm. That doesn't sound very pastoral. Well, that's OK. Its still true, especially if you are a student.
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