Calvin Synod Herald, 2011 (112. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2011-07-01 / 7-8. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 11 Again another conversation began when Bill said to Mary, “Thank you for recording so many correct check numbers in the ledger this month. You put down the right numbers 15 out of 16 times. That’s a record.” When Mary responded, “Bill, you’re always complaining about my recording the wrong check numbers. Why stop now?” Upon which Bill said, “No reason. I just wanted you to know I appreciate the effort you’re making.” After a while Mary thought to herself, “What’s gotten into him?” The next day when Mary wrote a check at the grocery store, she glanced at her checkbook to make sure she wrote down the right check number and the proper amount. She thought, “Why do I suddenly care about these dumb check numbers?” Mary tried to disregard the incident, but Bill’s strange behavior intensified. He said one evening, “Mary, that was a great dinner. I appreciate it very much. In the past 15 years you’ve fixed over 14,000 meals for me and the kids. And dear, the house looks spiffy. You’ve really worked hard. Thanks for just being you. I really enjoy your company and appreciate your hard work.” Mary was getting worried, thinking, “where’s the sarcasm, the criticism?” What was wrong with Bill? Had he not noticed what was wrong with Mary? Sure, but he just kept focusing on the positive things, clinging to the good in Mary’s life! And over the week’s Mary found herself changing in her own attitude and thinking. Soon she was saying “thank you” to Bill for the good things in his life. Finally, one day Mary said to Bill, “I want to thank you for going to work and providing for us all these years. I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I appreciate it.” I could go on with the events of these ordinary people, but let me stop and tell you the moral of the story: By clinging to the good in one another’s lives. Bill and Mary grew even more deeply in love with one another and became a blessing to others. Instead of focusing on the bad, they focused on the good and built on that good. If we will do that in our relationships to one another, it will help to make things right when things go wrong! The third lesson of the scripture is: that we are to honor each other graciously. Jesus said: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” Honor one another above yourselves. In the letter to the Philippians 2:3-4 we read:”Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The idea is: What can I do for others? What can I do to help others? What can I do to honor others? I remember a few years ago I was summoned home by my family to discuss what to do with our ailing mother. My sister, and my youngest brother insisted that the best place for my mother would be in a nursing home. I had a difficult choice to make. Since I lived in the United States, outside of the inner family circle for a long time, I had to agree with my other brother who said: “I don’t know about you, but as long as I live, I will not allow mother to be taken to a nursing home.” I have made several visits since that time to the family. I am happy that such a decision had been made and that my brother and his wife have been able to make this commitment. Mother gave birth to us and has seen us through so many ups and downs in life that we can’t even begin to count them. No wonder that throughout the world we set a day aside to honor our mothers. The fourth lesson of the scripture is to: Serve zealously. This is how we read it: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” We must serve the Lord zealously or serve passionately, fervently, eagerly, excitedly. Serving Christ this way is what will make things right when things go wrong! Bret Harte tells a story about the change that took place in a mining camp in California many years ago, during the gold rush. A woman of questionable reputation and the only woman in the camp died. She left behind a small baby in the care of the men. The baby was lying in a box but the men felt it was not fit for a baby’s crib. So they sent one of their men 80 miles on a mule to Sacramento to get a rosewood cradle. When the cradle came, the rags in which the baby was sleeping seemed out of place. So the man was sent back to Sacramento to get some lacy, frilly clothes for the baby. Once the baby was dressed in the lovely clothes and placed in the rosewood cradle, the men noticed for the first time that the floor was dirty. So they scrubbed it. Then they noticed that the walls and ceiling were unsightly. So they cleaned them. Afterward, they repaired the windows and put drapes on them. And because the baby needed sleep, the men remained quiet and stopped their rough language and rowdy ways. When the weather permitted, they took the cradle up to the mines. But they discovered the mining area had to be cleaned and flowers planted to make the surroundings lovely and attractive for the baby. Finally, the men began to improve their own personal appearances. Thus, the coming of a baby, and the sense of responsibility and obligation to it, snowballed to transform a roaring mining camp into a new and attractive place! The coming of a baby was what made things right when things were so wrong. And the coming of a baby into our world is the only answer to making things right when things go wrong. A long time ago, an angel announced, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been bom to you; he is Christ the Lord... You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” That baby who became our Savior is the one who can transform our lives into something good and make things right when things go wrong. Rev. Torok
