40/40 Day 10 A special day.

okay so today is a special day for many reasons.
1.  it is day 10.  IT's Day 10!!!! I have reached Double digits!  I have been blogging for 10 days straight. At some times I said some profound and interesting things.  other times I have said little or nothing important at all.  but now I can generate a top ten list of blogs, but I won't.  I will wait for day 41 for that one.  As it stands now, I will continue to move forward.  Although I do not always feel like it.

2. Today is also Theodore Geisel's birthday.  For those who don't recognize that name, it is DR SEUSS.  Yes the man who introduced us to Green Eggs and Ham which taught us to try new things...we might like them. He also introduced us to such wonderful characters as the Grinch, the Lorax, a Gato in a Sombrero and Horton, an elephant who heard a Who and hatched an Egg. (not necessarily in that order)

Out of all those characters Horton resonates with me this Lenten season.  Here is an elephant who took on a task of taking care of an egg.  When everything was coming against him, when he was ridiculed for being a large animal tending to such a fragile thing, and was encouraged many times to give up and let it go, he responded by saying my favorite literary phrase:

"I meant what I said and I said what I meant.  An elephant is faithful one hundred percent."

This phrase should permeate our thoughts and our actions as believers and as human beings.  In other words this statement holds within it our commitment and our integrity.  I am fond of saying that the only one that can destroy or maintain your integrity is you.   How do we do this and what does this statement have to do with anything?  Well 2 things:

1.  Only make the commitments you intend to make, and do so fully and completely.  James 5:12 says "..let your yes be yes and your no be no."  When you give someone your word and promise to do something then you have committed yourself to accomplishing that task.  Whatever you decide to do for Lent do not enter it lightly.
and
2.  When you say you will do something then stick with it.  It may be hard sometimes, but in the end the hard times are worth it.  Once we have come to the end then we will have gained a new habit or have lost a bad one.

Horton was faithful.  He completed his mission and fulfilled his obligations. This Lent let us do the same.

Shalom
Hair
the Theolobster


James 5
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation