The Radio
I love music in a listening to music basis while something else is going on. Today, I had a couple of appointments which means I had time while driving to listen to the radio. My radio is tuned to a station called The Message.
I have always felt a bond with the Major Winchester character from MASH. In one episode, he operated on a concert pianist and while saving his hand, the patient had nerve damage that would kill his piano career. Major Winchester, trying to convince this pianist that he had other options, explained that his talent lie in surgery but he ached to be able to perform music like he did. To him, music was a mechanical process and while he had gotten better over the years he’d never be a mistro His talent (God given) lie in using the scalpel I feel the same (except for the scalpel).
Anyway, the disc jockey (do they still call them disc jockies in our hard drive music storage day?) has a 4 year old daughter. One of the things I’ve heard her play is a recording of her daughter praying. Today’s prayer, among other things, included raccoons and possums (raccoons, I understand but possums?). As I was listening to this little girl make a sweet prayer for all people, I realized what a wonderful gift her mother was giving her. By being patient and encouraging her to pray at this age, she was giving her the gift of getting comfortable and confident in praying to our God. In a lot of ways, I’m still struggling with getting that comfort in praying, especially our loud in front of other people.
The second thing I heard today was a rehash of a news story I had already read. It seems that there was a mountain climber that got stuck and had to be rescued off Mt Fuji. That wasn’t news worthy but a couple days later he went back up the mountain and got stuck at exactly the same place. The same rescue team had to rescue him a second time. It seems that he went back for his cell phone.
As I said, I had already read this story so that part wasn’t surprising. However, because this was a Christian radio station, the DJ asked if we’ve ever considered how many times God has had to rescue us from committing the same sin over and over again. If I hadn’t have been driving, I probably would have dropped to my knees right there.
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” - Romans 3:10-26 ESV
The next time I hear or see someone doing something I consider stupid, I hope I remember that DJ’s comment and the possum.
