I have a friend who speaks abbreviated English. When we hang up the phone he says, “God bless.” When we part from an actual face to face meeting he says, “Take care.” God bless what? Me? My wife? My dog? Take care of what? Myself? My wife? My credit card? Language is a strange animal. Never say we don’t believe in evolution. Language is constantly evolving. Most sales clerks (store associates) now say, “Have a good one.” A good what?
Years ago the word “caretaker” was used for anyone in a position of responsibility for almost anything or anyone. Now “caretaker” is only attached to inanimate things. If one is responsible for something alive they have become a “caregiver” which I like. There is huge difference between “taking” and “giving.” It most likely evolved because “caregivers” did not appreciate being called “takers.”
By present day usage God is both “caretaker” and “caregiver.” He is our “caregiver” and our planet’s “caretaker.” Adam and Eve were “caretakers” of the Garden and “caregivers” for babies Cain and Abel. If alive today David would write, “The Lord is my caregiver. He leads me to the supermarket and safely down the valley of the interstate.”
Actually I don’t care much what words we use. I do care about and am so thankful that He cares. He cares about all our daily needs, problems and challenges. If not a bird falls from the sky unnoticed by Him just imagine how He feels about our risings and fallings. He is our Father and it’s a great family to be a part of. Enjoy every moment of it.
“Take care” “God bless” and “Have a good one.”
To Be Beautiful
We took our walk this evening after sundown and darkness had settled in for the night. This is a great time of the year. Many of our neighbors have already decorated their homes for the holidays with a vast array of lights. We do not have street lights so the homes are extra beautiful with no competing light. One house has brightly lit angels in the yard.
As we walked along I thought of a passage in II Chronicles 3 talking about Solomon decorating the home He built for the Lord. “He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.”
The luminosity in our neighborhood is beautiful. I also thought of something Paul wrote to Timothy about decorating our lives. Instead of lots of external gold he counseled us to decorate our lives with good works and modesty. Just think about how beautiful people are that are kind and unselfish. In college one of the guys had a large purple birthmark on his face. One year at Thanksgiving he announced that he was having it removed. We were dumbfounded. He was so kind and so Christ-like we saw no need for him to do that. We thought he was handsome because of the kind of person he was. We ceased to see the birthmark because he was so decorated with good works. He was a quality person.
This is the season for decorating. This is the season to be thankful, generous, forgiving and kind. This is the season to be beautiful.