The Spirit that Watches our Back

Yesterday, Pete told me a story worth repeating. Not so much because we need to hear stories like this during this financial crunch, but because “the way” the story was told was poignant, done with respect.

Before Pete began his story, he was somber—no bragging, no thinking he deserved something special, but courteous to what he calls, “The Spirit that watches our back.”

Here’s the story: A while back, their family car was totaled and the insurance company gave them $4000. Pete stared at the check and wondered, do they use the money to buy a reliable used car or do they use the money to pay off the unpaid bills and then drive the clunker car parked in the back of the house?

The clunker car is not very well suited for their family of 4, but because it felt better to follow the intuition that led them pay off the bills, they quietly paid their bills and pulled out the car that did get them around even though with a lot of moaning and clacking.

Then a check for $1500 was given to Pete for work he had previously done. The same day, a friend from another state called and told him about a 1999 reliable car they had for sell. Pete asked how much the car cost. $1500 was the answer. So, they bought it.

Good things are happening and it is important to share the reasons for our hope because it helps to get rid of despair and complacency. The economy does not have the upper hand. Spirit has infinite resources of wisdom, ingenuity, humility, even health, that can be tapped into and experienced.

From I Peter 3:14, “give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

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Taking Humor Seriously

Paying our bills, jobs, relationships, religion, and so on, are serious matters that require thoughtfulness and attention, however it is also important to take seriously a sense of humor. Without a sense of humor, things become trivialized or over-emphasized, throwing our sensibilities out of whack.

Memo: lewd jokes and sarcasm do not qualify as humor.

Humor is the ability to laugh at ourselves, the ability seriously to recognize when we need to change for the better, and the capacity to appreciate the good sense in others even when it makes us look stupid.

For example, when people find out I drive a motorcycle, they think I am cool. What a hoot. I do everything possible to stay warm, not cool. My daughters tease me, I look like an old-fashion astronaut when I ride in the colder months. If you have a couple of minutes to take a look at the laughable motorcycling mom, here is a video. Or, let me know of something you’ve gotten a good chuckle out of.