Sunday, August 5, 2012

Not All Who Squander Are Lost...


Yes, I realize that you've gone too many days without a fresh dose of Dave. Look, I'm doing you a favor, all right? Too much Dave is addicting, and frankly, you've been showing all the warning signs. It just isn't healthy. I mean, the stomach cramps (from laughing), yellowing teeth (from emulating my coffee habit), the perpetually cracked windows in your office (uh... methane!), and your increasing propensity for finding bad puns amusing. The signs are there. You're not a professional, like I am. Your heart and soul can't take such abuses -- I've trained my whole life to be Dave. You've got to ease up. For your sake, and the sake of those that love you.

Yes, I'm calling for an interdavention.

And part of the recovery process is for me to go upwards of 5 or 6 days without updating this blog. I know the withdrawal pains are hard, but think of your kids. You must endure.

So...

So, what new and exciting things have I discovered and/or explored in the time I've had alone? I'll give you three guesses... and a hint: the answer rhymes with "absolutely nothing, because I'm a pathetic scrub." I work, I come home, I turn the computer on, I try to get myself to work, I play and/or lurk the web until 1am or so. I'm tired of making excuses, and I'm tired of asking why I do it. I just do it, that's all. When it changes, I'll let you know. Short of someone coming over and kidnapping me and taking me on a fun adventure, it doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon by my own initiative.

I did see a movie on Saturday, though, with my good friend Dave McIntosh. We saw Total Recall, and frankly, I'm glad I didn't look at any reviews ahead of time. My take-away was that it was enjoyable, and I'm glad I saw it, and I want to get in shape like Colin Farrell is. It had some eye-rolling elements, but hey, it's Hollywood, what does one expect?  Catch it on DVD when it comes out, you'll like it.

Look, here's a black lion.


There, I've made my point.

So I have something theological (and, as it turns out, greatly practical to me) in nature that I've been chewing on. I'd love some input, but I'll have to phrase it more vaguely than I'd like to. Although it won't take a genius to figure out what I'm referring to.

So, if there's someone in your life that you have to interact with, but it is difficult to deal with that person, is there any benefit at all to creating a version of that person in your mind, and dealing with that version of the person instead, as though that's the way the person is? In other words, sort of pretend the other person was different in certain key ways that would make them more palatable to deal with if they were true? I guess it would be like having filters, so that you see the person how you'd like them to be, and overlook/let go the things that would normally bug you.

I think I've subconsciously done that, with a lot of things/people in my life. On the one hand, it strikes me as lazy/cowardly - in that I should have the backbone to accept and deal with a person as he/she is, whether he/she is offensive/frustrating or not. On the other hand, why frustrate myself unnecessarily? "Oh, don't let him bother you, that's just the way he is. He doesn't mean it when he does/says that." Do you think everyone hand-crafts certain versions of the people in our lives like that?

The verse I thought of was the one where it says "God sees things that are not as though they were," or some such. Doesn't He do that with us? He overlooks certain things, puts them "under the blood" while we change, etc.? Or is that something else all together? Doesn't He see us the way He wants us to be?

Our pastor said this morning that God "finished us" from the foundation of the world. I'm having a hard time getting my brain around that. What we will ultimately be was already in His mind before He created us? That doesn't make sense. Then why struggle to change? Or struggle to keep from sinning? That seems to say that whatever circuitous route we take that lands us in the Kingdom once this life is done, God will point at us and say "That's the version of you I had in mind from before you were born."

So if I craft a version of someone and deal with that person as though that version was legit (even though I know it's not), just so the person is easier to deal with, is that a bad thing or a good thing? Isn't that what we do when we forgive someone? We forget what they've done and try to believe they'll never do it again?

OK, enough theology. The head and the heart, goin at it again...


By the way, you know you're having a hard time focusing on work when the phone rings and you agree to do a political survey on the phone instead of working. That... is sad...

The Olympics are on. They don't interest me in the least. I am sorry.

I've been Skyping with my wife and kids every night for the past week or so. It's fun and awkward at the same time. If you don't know what Skype is, it's a video chat program that lets you use your webcam (if you have one) to have video conference calls on your computer. It's free, too, which is awesome. Saves the cost of a long-distance call. Anyway, I've used it to read bedtime books to Youngest... and my webcam is so clear, I can hold the book up to it and Youngest can read every other page with me. It's fun.

So, three more days of solitude and then the fam is back. I contemplated trading my wife's car in on a new one, and having it in the garage for her when she arrived home. I decided against it. Gone are the days of the $10K Hyundai. We bought both of our Elantras (an '02 and an '05) for exactly $10K each. They're almost double that now. The only reason I considered it was that it's at the point now where paying for the maintenance on her '02 is about the same as making a monthly payment... so why keep dumping $ into a car that's feeling its age when I could dump the same $ into a more reliable car? That was my thought, anyway. That was before I saw how much cars cost lately.

OK, I've dodged long enough. Time to dive back in.

Adios for now,

Dave Double-You

9 comments:

Michelle said...

The car issue is a big deal for me right now. I'm driving a 99 dodge caravan.. We bought it new for 14k and used vans are more than that now :(

I think crafting an idea of how you see someone is kind of like looking for the best in them. I have one family member who can be very difficult. I finally asked myself how I would feel about her comments if I knew she was " mentally challenged" in some way. It makes our relationship better when I believe she lacks the capacity to fully empathize with others. It somehow decreased the negative and allowed me to see the good gestures, even if they were offbeat.

Oh and btw, I'm bummed I missed out on the shoes from the other post...

Anonymous said...

I'm more of a "Keepin' it Real" kind of person. I work with a few bizarre folk, and have some family members that are very difficult. I accept them just the way they are, but I have no expectations of them and consider their bad behaviors as a test that reveal resident sins in my heart, i.e. gossiping about their weirdnesses to others, holding grudges, keeping a list of wrongdoings, unforgiveness, etc...

I "set boundaries" (I know, overused term) so that we can work together but their negative behaviors and effect on me are minimized - less frustrating. Also, if I'm "Jesus in shoe leather," I want to be a good testimony and respond, not react, as Christ would.

I fail at times, more than I want to tell, but I have slowly improved, with much repentance.

As per your other question - "Make your calling and election sure." I don't think that would be in the Bible if it were a done deal.

Beth

Abbie Josephsen said...

I agree with Beth about... all of it :) and to tag on with the last part, it feels like God knows how He wants us to be, how we should be, but we still have to make our calling and election sure and work toward that end product. We still have to subject our will and make the effort to live as if our own desires were dead and only God's desires reign.

David Wagner said...

Thanks for the great input y'all... nice to know I don't wrestle alone with this...

Michelle: so creatively explaining reasons for the negative stuff, letting the negative things go, focusing on the better parts. That about sums it up... my brother told me today he thinks everyone has filters set up for everyone, since it's impossible for anyone to really know what another person is like...

Beth: So, accept a person as they are, but have realistic expectations for them, using their nonsense as a series of teaching moments, where God can show things to me about myself. I like that as well. I may have to try it when I have a bit more strength, lol...

Abbie: I still have a hard time trying to find the balance between the desires/dreams God gives us, and turning them over to Him so He can do what He wants in us instead... in my head, I think I have it... but my heart still can't get it...

Mark Lawrence said...

On a side note ... I love that top photo. That's awesome. Do you know where it is?

Anonymous said...

Confirmation alert: I just plugged in my earphones and started listening to the Sunday service: First thing out of the gate, "Make your calling and election sure!" I love when God does that :)

Beth

David Wagner said...

Mark: It's a photo of Black Falls in Iceland (they call it Svartifoss). Pretty place.

Beth: Good call.

Rug Warrior said...

Dave, you are awesome.

It just had to be said!

Lisa

Paula Titus said...

Skype is totally awkward.