Spring Peepers

A couple of weeks ago, snow filled the air and the temperatures plummeted to below zero.  Crazy weather for the first week of March in southern Indiana.  Then, scarcely a week later, it was sixty degrees and my children and I were running around outdoors without any jackets on.

That's when I heard the sound.  High pitched.  Fluctuating a little.  It is a sound that always brings a smile to me face.

The sound of spring peepers.

It is no bird that sings so loudly.  This sound is produced in the throats of many, many tiny frogs, barely an inch long.  Sitting in the mud, they raise their voices to say that yes, spring is on its way.

These are tiny creatures.  Each one with its little voice that has very little impact.  And even though it is swallowed up in the sounds of a huge Universe, each one still sings.

They are not singing to impress me or, other humans.  They are not even singing to other frogs.  They are singing because God made them with that one talent and they will use it to their utmost, for Him.

There are many times that I feel my voice is weak and far from beautiful.  There are times that I feel that my talents aren't very useful.  And yet, I still would praise my Maker, while I've breath.

It isn't for the other humans around me or, even to lift myself up on some emotional high, that I sing.  Rather it is for an audience of One, who is my focus.

It is a huge Universe and I am small.  No one has ever yet paid to hear me sing.  Still, God hears and hears the thought and the love behind my song.

And He accepts it.

That's why the Spring Peepers sing.

That's why I sing too.

The Wages of Dieting

The man sitting across from me cleared his throat uncomfortably.  "Well...” he said in a grumbly sort of voice that told me that he didn't like the subject of our current conversation.

We were talking about his diabetes and how he was following his diet, which I could tell by his reaction, he wasn't.  I flipped open his chart to look at the lab results that it contained. They told the story themselves.  His blood work had consistently increased since his diagnosis of diabetes 3 years previously.  The medications had initially made a big impact, but now, they seemed to be doing very little.

Kenneth cleared his throat again and began telling me the story about some man who came over to his house every evening to eat supper.  I couldn't see what it had to do with everything else that we were talking about, but I didn't want to cut him off either, so I listened, less than raptly.

"Yup," Kenneth was saying  "He comes over every evening whether I invite him or not.  He's an old guy and just as cheap as they come.  Why he wouldn't even pay to have his wife get a proper head stone.  Just got the cheapest thing they would give him and stuck it in the cemetery...” I wondered idly if it was worth saying anything more about Kenneth's diabetes or if it was a lost cause.

Kenneth continued "Last night I made a cake..."

"With real sugar?"  I asked.

"Yes,” he answered brazenly enough. "But I only had two small pieces and then Bill came over and wondered if I had any sweets in the house.  Well, I told him I did and showed him the cake.  Well, do you know what he did?"

I could guess easily enough.  "He finished the cake."

"Yes, he did! How did you know?"

"I just guessed.  Does Bill have diabetes?"  I asked, innocently enough.

"Oh, yes. But he doesn't follow his diet at all.  He'll eat anything, particularly if it's sweet.  He just doesn't stop."

Now I could see it all.  Kenneth was telling me this story, not to distract me from scolding him over his diet, but to pardon himself. "See," he was saying.  "I know someone who is much worse than myself.  I'm really not so bad."

This of course is human nature.  It is difficult to change our actions and so, we find people around us who are "worse" than we are and point at them.  Someone is following their diet worse than we are, or someone is exercising less than we are.  It makes us feel better about ourselves, without our really having to change a thing about ourselves.

Unfortunately, when it comes to sin, it is not enough to point to someone worse off than us. The Bible tells us "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  There is no question that there are plenty of others around that are full of sin, but the question is whether we personally have made an attempt to make things right with God.  Until we are willing to do that, we will be stuck with the wages of sin -- death.

Simple Fun

Somehow this week, we were hit by another six inches of snow.  It was pretty late for such weather here, but it gave my children and me one more chance to go sledding

I've always wondered who came up with the idea of sledding.  Who decided to take a board and smooth it out and shape it, just so they could climb to the top of a high snowy hill and try slide down?

Even now, sleds are pretty ancient technology.  Other than the fact that most are now made of plastic, there isn't much that has been updated.  There are no shock absorbers, no brakes, and no safety features like seat belts or, air bags.  Not that you would really want to be strapped to one of these thin plastic toboggans anyway, in case of a wreck.

The biggest thing about them, is that they are fun.

Watching my children careening down our hill on these sleds makes me remember what fun is.  Genuine fun is simple, contagious, and shared.

I am afraid that too many in this world have forgotten that.  With all of the high tech devices out there and the complex game worlds that have been designed for them, the simplicity is gone and the shared aspect is left behind.

I would hope that for a few moments people would put away their phones, grab their kids and a sled and share a little winter joy together.  And when they are tired, come inside and drink hot chocolate together and pull out a board game and have more fun.

In the midst of this simple fun, something greater happens.  Relationships are formed, memories are made, and joy is kindled in eyes and hearts.

It doesn't really matter who was the first person to sled.  It is just important that we experience fun as a family.

Make it simple.

Make it shared.

That's what your children will remember.