Jessica Latshaw interview

Continuing in my role as a member of the Jessica Latshaw fan club, here is an interview that Jessica gave to Joan Dylan at radio station WRCH.

Thankful

For the first time in ten days, I slept through the night and got woken up by my alarm clock. You might not think that being woken by your alarm clock is something to be thankful for, but what has been happening is that I have been waking up from my throat hurting or from coughing and going downstairs to sleep sitting up somewhere. Last night I slept all night in my own bed through the whole night. I feel like a parent with a baby, except, of course, I'm the baby.

So, I'm thankful that I was able to sleep the whole night.

Mindful of him

A verse for my birthday:

Job 7:16 I loathe [my life]; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity. (ASV)

You may laugh, but there was a time when this was the type of thoughts that I used to have on my birthday. In those days, my birthday was a day of mourning and sorrow.

But I digress. I found this verse in the ASV because I was looking for the word "vanity" in Ecclesiastes. The verse above is followed by these verses:

Job 7:17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him, 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

The NIV puts it thus:

17 "What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, 18 that you examine him every morning and test him every moment? 19 Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant?

This put me in mind of another Scripture:

Psalm 8:4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (NIV)

I found this remarkable - that the same idea ("what is man") led to two different expressions, one of despair, and one of awe:

What is man that you, God, make so much of him, that you pester him so?
What is man that you, God, make so much of him, that you lift him up so high?

David redeemed Job's thought. He took the same idea, and changed it from a reason to despair to a reason to rejoice. A good reminder that perspective and attitude matter.

Even concerning ones' birthday.

Jessica on Washington DC Local News!

I found two cuts of this video, this one is a little longer but the other has the sound drop out at one point.



Here's the link.

Ill again

This week, I am ill. I felt it start Saturday, but foolishly decided to go to the church work day anyway.  Last Sunday I got a sore throat and lost my voice. Monday morning around 1AM I woke up with my throat in so much pain that I couldn't sleep - it hurt all the time, and when I swallowed it was like swallowing razor blades.

(Swallowing became this mean little game for me. On the one hand, I didn't want to be in pain. On the other, I became very conscious of a need to swallow, and of an obsessive little curiosity about the pain - was it still there? Will it decrease if I swallow a lot? Gulp. OWW! I guess not.)

Tuesday wasn't any better, and so I called my doctor - or, rather, had the wife call, since I couldn't carry on a conversation. First opening was Wednesday morning, so I got over there.

"Yup, you're ill. Might be strep. If it is strep, here is a prescription for antibiotics - you can take it now, or wait for the strep test to get back. If it isn't strep, not much to do besides numb the pain, lower the fever, drink fluids. Strep test should be back Friday."

Wednesday night I developed a cough - my throat was so raw, it tickled all the time. Then I couldn't sleep because of the cough.

Finally, here, on Friday, I feel like I am getting better. I am still running a slight fever (about a half degree), but the pain when I swallow is tolerable, and I can sleep without waking myself up from swallowing or coughing.

But what is it with this illness? I don't normally get this ill. I was also ill for 10 days over the last Christmas holiday as well. It's just weird - I feel like a little kid again, with these long illnesses.  It's also a little nerve-wracking to be out of work this long these days. Fortunately, I got a lot of big projects out of the way just before this happened.

I often feel distant from God, but when I am ill I have little interest in spiritual things, other than to throw up a "please make me well" prayer. I pull in, just wanting to be by myself, conserving resources, comforting myself.

I'm glad that he sticks with me anyway, though I don't understand why.

Submission

I have about three posts-in-progress, but I've been so busy that none of them have gotten to a stage where I can actually post them.

So, instead, I will submit this thought.

I've been reading the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. I first read it about 25 years ago (yes, I'm old).  One thought that came to me as I'm reading it is that one of the greatest dangers to the soul is that we are able to function quite nicely without being submitted. Rather than be afraid of a God who is too tyrannical, we should be concerned lest we take his lax and distant rule too much for granted. Because one day our unconditional surrender will be demanded of us, and we will need to be able to give it.  And not just "yes, you are Lord" - but true surrender, acknowledgement of His headship over every aspect of our lives. No sin held onto, no pride allowed to stand, no unforgiveness retained. Give it all up, in a moment.

I guess, in one sense, that is why it is good to work on that submission here and now.

But maybe we will get a second chance, like in the Great Divorce.