Reflections by the Pond
June 18, 2003

Making Lemonade

Spring, in Iowa, is the time of thunderstorms. With thunderstorms comes wind--and sometimes wind at a gale force. Then too, the spring can just be windy because that is its normal temperament.

Perched atop a valley, the wind gets a good cut at us straight out of the northwest, the direction from which most of our weather comes. City-dwelling visitors customarily remark at how much more windy it is out here, compared to what it is in their town.

My good wife and I have differing opinions on the wind. The harsh, persistent wind bothers Linda's ears, and its relentless onslaught shortens her temper and makes her just a little crazy. In contrast, while I may have to struggle to keep the hat atop my head when the wind blows, I welcome it as a friend--primarily because it keeps the bugs away from my face and neck. (Now those little guys can really make you crazy.)

Perspective is all. To this writer frogs and toads are rubbery nuisances that leap out and startle, but Linda delights in them for their consumption of bad bugs in the garden. Finding one in the drive, or out in the yard, she will lovingly transfer it to a new home in one of the gardens. The other evening as I was about to pull an imposing weed, Linda stopped me by explaining that it should remain in place because it attracted beneficial bugs to the garden.

Go figure.

I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. Philemon 1:10-11 nasbu

To Philemon, Onesimus was nothing more than a runaway slave, but to the apostle Paul he was a friend and brother in Christ. Same person, two perspectives.

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. Acts 15:36-39 nasbu

To Paul, John Mark was a disappointment, someone who had let them down by bailing out when things got tough. But Barnabus saw the potential in the young disciple, and chose, instead, to encourage him.

And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. Acts 28:15-16 nasbu

His friends and comrades bemoaned his imprisonment in Rome, chained to a soldier under house arrest. But the apostle Paul saw the jailing as an opportunity to spread the gospel to the gentiles of Rome--even into the emperor's palace. What would have been to many intolerable company, was to Paul a captive audience for the Good News.

It's up to us, really. Perspective is all.

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Copyright 2003, David S. Lampel. All rights reserved.
Reflections file: pond0376.txt