Tuesday Tidbits (Volume 1 Edition 6)

 School Times

This week my newsfeed on FB and Instagram is full of going back to school pictures. I have to admit it's one of my favorite times of the year on social media, because even those kids dreading going back force smiling faces for one day of the year. I'm not going to say it, referring instead to it as Harry Potter referred to him who shall  not be named, but there's a lot of trepidation and uncertainty circling this school year. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the debates so I'm not going to deliberate here. Just know that I'm praying for you and yours. Will you join me in praying for our kiddos, their teachers and administrators and coaches and bus drivers and cooks and janitors and everyone else that makes a school system go round? It takes a village, y'all. 

Speaking of individuals in the school system, this is Caleb's first year as an employee of the Breathitt County School System. He'll be helping with intervention strategies at HTS and also is going to be a bus monitor. The "kid" never rode a bus except for ballgames, but he's excited. 

Kindness

Yesterday I heard this quote on a podcast, "We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or don't do, and more in light of what they suffer.”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It really resonated with me. It is far too easy to make assumptions based on a person's action (or inaction), but everything that we do is a direct result of an experience that we have had. Often, the saying 'hurt people hurt people" is so true. I encourage you to reflect on why a person may be behaving the way they are, without making assumptions, of course. Let's learn to err on the side of grace.

Speaking of kindness, in the last book I read by Karen Kingsbury she talked about her "You Were Seen" movement. You can order little cards to leave when you leave a good tip or notice something that a cashier, etc. has done. It gives them a little recognition and also gives them the message of Jesus. I love this. I've read before that Sunday after church are often the worst tip times and also when some of the rudest customers come into restaurants. Let me encourage you to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are all just trying to hang on here.. Again, err on the side of grace.

AM Routine/PM Routine

I am not a morning person, but I've been trying to set some habits to help my days go better. I've been drinking water as soon as I get up, listening to my Bible on audio, noting three things I'm thankful for, journaling for 10 minutes because I'm a writer and writers write, and stretching for 10 minutes.

Because failure to plan is planning to fail, I've started looking ahead to the next day and making out my to do list before I go to bed. I also write, again, for 10 minutes, and make a note of three things I've been grateful for that day.

I'm trying to get back into good habits at work. I've never been the most organized, but I have started taking the last few minutes of the day before I head out to straighten up my desk and make a list of what needs to be done the next day. I think I'll also start organizing any files and emails before I head out the door. 

What I've Read

I was afraid I'd have to record a zero in this category but I stayed up Sunday night until after 1 AM to finish Every Last One by Anna Quindlen. It was worth the late bedtime, but I had to take an hour long nap yesterday after work! 

Be blessed, friends. Do something special for someone this week. It doesn't have to be anything big. Just be a blessing! <3

Lessons from Sunday School: Samson (Volume 1, Edition 4)

 Today's sermon was about a very abstract concept: Hope. 

My daily Bible reading was the complete opposite- Jeremiah, not the chapter 29 that we all love to think about with the promise of hope, but rather what comes before that... the prophecy that they will be captive and in exile. 

Heavy stuff for a Sunday School story... so I decided to draw some inspiration from my Facebook friends who got me thinking about their favorite Sunday School stories. 

Today, let's talk about Samson. If you'd like to turn to your Bible, which I hope you will... and I hope the sound of those onion-thin pages take you back... 

we'll be in Judges 13-

Samson was born during a period of Israelite history known as the Judges, because God sent a series of judges to help them figure out what they were supposed to do. These weren't judges in black robes with powdered wigs sitting behind large wooden tables with a gavel in their hand. Some of them traveled and one even sat and held court under a tree. The type of court they held isn't really what we are used to, either, although they did offer guidance and help settle disputes. The moral of the story of Judges, though, is just that. There was little morality in Israel. In fact, the very last line of Judges is (my paraphrase, depending on the translation that you use, "And there was no King in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes."

Anyway, this period sets up a cycle in the history of the Israelite. As a child we wouldn't have grasped that, but it's something I can relate to, because even though I love God and do my best to serve Him, I can understand sometimes falling away. The people would do wrong. God would send a judge to help them do better. They would, for a while, and there would be peace, but then they would "do evil again in the sight of the Lord." (But, they weren't really thinking about what was evil in God's sight. They were only concerned about their own vision, remember, doing what was right in their own eyes.)

Samson is born during this time frame. His parents received a visit from an angel with the promise of a son. His mother was barren, a fate nearly worse than death, so the news was astonishing and hopeful, but also scary, as they had never seen an angel before.  The angel came first to Samson's mom, telling her not to drink strong drink and to follow all that he said, that her son would be a Nazarite from birth. She told her husband, who wasn't sure that all she said could be believed, so God again sent an angel, who relayed the same message, and disappeared in the fire as they offered a sacrifice. Did this mean they would die? 

Samson was born and he was blessed and he grew as young men do. Being the only child of a couple who were sure they were barren, and also being a promise of God, I get the feeling he was a little spoiled. When he was of marrying age, he saw a young woman who was not from his tribe, but a Philistine, the dreaded enemy of the Israelite. You remember David and Goliath? Goliath was the great Philistine? This woman was of that people... but Samson had to have her. 

Lesson number one: Listen to your parents. 

They didn't like her, but Samson was young and in lust (which we don't understand in Sunday School) so marry her he did. We are also told that he killed a lion with his bare hands, and then ate honey from the lion's carcass, which meant he was unclean. Samson was a jokester, telling a riddle relating to honey in the carcass, and we've got some drama from the young woman (just read Judges 14 for the full story). Samson makes the Philistines mad as he taunts them over not being able to solve his riddle, and we see the beginning of the unraveling of his glory. I mean, when you call your woman a heifer, it all has to go down from there... (I'm not making it up. He says, "If you had not ploughed with my heifer...")

Lesson number two: Don't call your wife a heifer. 

These events led to a strong dislike for the Philistines. Samson returned to his father's house, and his wife became somebody else's wife. Samson's anger grew, and he destroyed the fields of the Philistines, catching them afire with torches tied to fox tails. A pretty creative way to seek revenge. The Philistines fight back, and seek to fight the tribe of Judah. The leaders come to Samson and ask him what he's done. He says, "I've only done what they did to me."

Lesson number three: Follow the Golden Rule- do unto others as you would have them do unto you, not as they have done to you. 

The leaders tie him up and hand him over to the Philistines, only to have him break free and kill everyone with the jawbone of a donkey. 

Lesson number four: Be resourceful. Use what you have. 

Young, headstrong Samson became the leader of the Israelites. 

One thing we don't learn about Samson in Sunday School is that he sounds like a little bit of a womanizer. The Timmonite woman that he married, a prostitute, and then Delilah... and those are the women we know about. 

Oh, Delilah... Samson fell in love. He was smitten. She had him wrapped around her little finger. You've heard the story.... she asks him where his strength comes from, and he lies, and lies, and lies again... but she finally gets it out of him. The Philistines cut his long locks and Samson loses his power. He lies, sleeping like a baby in her lap... I can't help but wonder if she had given him something to knock him out or what because I sure don't sleep soundly enough to let someone cut my hair off. 

He wakes when they try to subdue him, trying to fight without realizing he has lost his strength, which came from the power of God. 

Lesson number five, that was far too subtle for Sunday School: Sometimes we can think we are in God's presence, with His power, and not realize we have strayed. This is sobering to me... that Samson didn't realize the Spirit had departed from him. It makes me think of times when I maybe have thought I was being led by the Spirit, only to have been following my flesh. 

Samson is captured, blinded, and made to grind grain at a millhouse. He is taken from being a leader to being a servant. 

But this, lesson number six, might be the greatest lesson of them all. Our God is a God of redemption. As Samson was humbled, grinding at the millstone in prison, his hair began to grow back. I know this is a symbol of God's power. I can't help but think that as he blindly went about his day, he was crying out to the One who could save him, who could comfort him. And God was with him. 

Samson's final act is one that is so sad to me. The Philistines brought him forward in their arena to make fun of him. "Let's let Samson entertain him." Here's this great man of God who has been stripped of everything. He asks the person who led him in to put him between two pillars. He felt God's strength one last time as he pushed against those pillars, bringing down the arena and killing everyone inside. 

As a child, I didn't understand this ending, and as an adult I still think it could have been better. Just yesterday Wallace and I watched a movie with a very abrupt ending, and today, as I'm considering Samson, I thought of how the Hollywood of my growing up would have ended with Samson being rescued from the rubble, falling in love with a chaste young woman who would prove to cure him of the heartbreak of Delilah's deception, because we like things to be tied up in fancy bows...

but that doesn't always happen. Samson's story isn't a happy ending, but we see God's redemptive plan. He doesn't give up on us. And that, my friend is a happy ending in and of itself. 

Tuesday Tidbits (Volume 1, Edition 5)

Sorry, friends, I'm short on thoughts this week. There's a meme circling the internet (or it has been for a while) that says, "This week has been exhausting, says me, on a Tuesday" and that's where I am tonight. 

New "old" job- 

Yesterday I started at HCTC, where I went to school and started my teaching career. It's home, but obviously there have been some changes in four years. I'm teaching LPN, which is new, and it's been a tad bit overwhelming trying to figure out what exactly I need to be doing... but I keep telling myself it's fine. 

"It's fine. It will all be fine." or "It's ok. Everything is ok." 

This quote has been the story of my life for the past year and a half, and even though we were stressed out this weekend I couldn't help but get a little tickled when my sister Kami said this a couple of times as we were moving her. Here are my thoughts on moving: 

It stinks. 

I'm sore. 

It stinks even more when the apartment is on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator, and the new apartment in the new city is on the 2nd floor, also with no elevator. 

My calf muscles are still on fire. 

What I Read This Week: 

Zero. Zilch. Nada. See thoughts on new job and on moving Kami. 

What I'm Listening To: 

Thank You Lord by Chris Tomlin. Go listen. There's a couple of surprise guests in there. I was listening to K-Love in my car the other day and thought, "Well that sounds just like Thomas Rhett..." so I looked it up on you-tube and sure enough... 

What I'm Needing: 

Since it's the beginning of the semester, I'd love to hear your most inspirational quote! I love quotes, and love to share them. 

Be like a sunflower- keep your face to the sun. Snapped this pic on my walk earlier this week and just thought you could use some almost mid-week cheering up, too. I love the brightness of sunflowers. May you shine just as brightly. 

Be blessed, friends! Thanks for reading! 

What I Read in July

I had a pretty good summer of reading. I'm recognizing that most likely I won't meet my yearly goal of 150 books by the end of the year, but I'll keep trying. I was happy to attend a book club meeting tonight. It's good to talk books! (Even if we talked about life, too!)

1.  C is For Corpse by Sue Grafton

This is the third of a series featuring detective Kinsie Millhone. I love mindless mysteries, especially in the summertime, and this is one of those that is a quick read, suspenseful, and with enough of a plot to keep the reader interested but not overthinking. Sometimes I like a good summer read that doesn't cause me to think much. This one involves Kinsie investigating the death of Bobby Callahan, a young man she meets at the gym. His is a tragic story, with dysfunctional family drama making life even more complicated. If you enjoy a good mystery, you'll like this series. 

2. Whitethorn Woods  by Maeve Binchy

St. Ann's Well works miracles; at least to those who believe. When a new road threatens the existence of Rossmore, Whitethorn Woods, and specifically the well, Father Flynn finds himself in the middle of the debate against progress and tradition. Through the telling of community member's interwoven stories, Binchy shares the beauty of a community with the complexity of individuals. A great read! 

3. Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury

I have loved every Karen Kingsbury book that I have read. The Baxter family feels like... well... family. This book centers around a family secret, discovering who you are, and an emphasis that family is more than being blood related. Kingsbury takes on the topic of frozen embryos and infertility, and handles the complexity of family with grace. Written in simple prose, it's an easy read that flows well and left me wanting more. Good thing there are other Baxter books!

4. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Danny and Maeve are affluent siblings raised by a dad with rags to riches story. Their world is turned upside down when tragedy strikes, and the subsequent events follow them for the remainder of their lives. While not explicitly discussed by the author, this book made me think of how we define success. It also centers around relationships and feelings of responsibility. This is one of the better books I've read this year. 

5. The Characters of Christmas 

A Christmas book fits in July, right? I actually started this one in December as a devotional and then got sidetracked. Darling provides character analysis of people who were involved in the Christmas story: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, even Simeon awaiting the Messiah. Retellings of the Biblical story show us how ordinary people were important to the Christmas story. Reflection questions help the reader apply the readings to their own life. 

6. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This is one of my favorite new books. Set in Eastern Kentucky, Moyes tells the story of a pack-horse librarian who came to the mountains from England. The writing was lyrical, descriptions of the mountains made me feel right at home, and there was enough romance and suspense to keep me engrossed. Highly recommend! (I have seen some reviews that compare to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which I am reading now. I don't know about the similarities, but I can say that Moyes had to have done her research because I truly felt like she was in my backyard.)

7. The Island House by Nancy Thayer

I have never been to Nantucket but I love reading books set there, especially in the summer. This book centers around the Vickerey family, following them into adulthood. Courtney is a "summer child", one of several kids who calls the island house home during the summer because of a friendship with one of the Vickerey siblings. Courtney tells the family story through flashbacks, and then we are brought back to the present time, when the family must face their own struggles. This book draws the reader into thinking about relationships (sense a theme here?) but is light-hearted enough to be a good beach read. 

8. First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Giffin is another author that I enjoy. In this novel, she introduces us to two sisters who have grown up in the shadows of the death of a brother. One sister strives to be the responsible. One is known to be more flighty. Both fall into their roles momentarily, until they are forced to admit that these roles may be a facade. As the anniversary of their brother's death draws closer, and the two sisters find themselves looking inward, family drama surfaces, bringing their relationship to the breaking point. I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. There is some inappropriate language. 

9. The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wigg

Loved this book!!! It chronicles the road trip by a mom and her 18 year old daughter who is heading off to college. The book details a quilt the mom is making from keepsakes fabric from her daughter's childhood. It may have hit a little too close to home, even though Caleb isn't actually going away from school, but it was a delightful read with an ending I didn't suspect. 

10. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

This book details the stories of two young men sent to a reform school in Florida at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Describing the lives of those housed in the reform school, it is a difficult read at times. What makes it even more difficult to read is that it is based on a real place, even though the characters are fictional, but I feel like it is an important read, because it made me think. 

11. First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies

I enjoyed this book, which gave inside glances of the women in the White House in modern times. Beginning with Jackie Kennedy and ending with Michelle Obama, with an afterword briefly introducing Melania Trump (it was written as Trump took over the Presidency), it showed the beauty and grace of those women behind our Commander in Chief. It includes quotes from letters and the author also interviewed key members of administrations and a couple of the first ladies themselves. Great read to show another side of American politics. 

What are you reading? I'd love to hear from you! 

Lessons from Sunday School: A Whopper of a Fishing Story (Volume 1, Edition 3)

 Today my Bible reading was from Nahum 1, which was a warning to Ninevah.

Wait... a prophet preaching to Ninevah? 

We learned about that in Sunday School... but it wasn't a prophet named Nahum!

(Or at least I didn't remember it!)

Picture this: God wants you to do something that you don't want to do... so you run in the complete opposite direction.

Kind of sounds familiar to me... and that's just what Jonah, the prophet we may be more familiar with, does. 

Jonah knows Ninevah is evil, and he wants God's wrath to come on them, so he decided he'll hide from God and ignore his instructions. 

He hops on a boat and heads to Tarshish... which may mean "far away"... and thinks he is good to go. 

This isn't some Carnival Cruise, though, and we all know you can't hide from God, so sooner rather than later there's a storm that brews. 

If you've ever been at the ocean when a storm is brewing off the shorelines, you know the power of the wind and the waves... the angry tide crashing against the shoreline... 

even on a lake, which is normally relatively still, it doesn't take long for the wind to whip up a pretty strong current which can push a boat against the shoreline. 

So the winds are howling, the rain is pouring, and Jonah.... is snoring. 

Yes, that's right. He's sleeping as the boat is tossed to and fro. The captain comes to him and says, "Are you crazy? How can you sleep like that? We are looking at death! Get up and pray to whatever God you believe in!"

So Jonah gets up and goes above deck, where he joins in the casting of lots to determine whose fault it is that the storm has brewed. I'm reminded here about how so much of Biblical life is different. If it storms today, we don't automatically blame each other... we understand weather patterns. In fact, I can sometimes predict storms because the humidity triggers migraines... but in this case... we know it was God. 

And the lots prove that. Jonah explained that he was on the run from his responsibilities. Jonah tells them to throw him overboard, but the sailors value life too much, so they try to take things in their own hands and keep trying to row to shore. 

Does that remind anyone of anything in their own lives? Not us, grasping at the wheel, white-knuckled, just trying to keep it between the lines as all hell breaks lose around us. Nope, we've got it under control...

but the sailors soon become exhausted, so they realize they will have no choice but to throw Jonah overboard. Here's the part I never got from Sunday School. Even though they did not serve God, they prayed to Him that He wouldn't hold them accountable for being the means of death for Jonah. This tells me they respected the Hebrew God. 

So they threw Jonah overboard, and the sea became calm... the end. 

Not. 

God wasn't done yet. He still needed Ninevah to hear a redemptive message, and for whatever reason, He wanted Jonah to be the one to preach it. Hear this, friend. It doesn't matter what you have done. How you have ran. God has a purpose for you. He has a plan for you. And He'll use whatever means it takes to get your attention and get you on the right road to where you are supposed to be. 

In Jonah's case, it was a gigantic fish. (Cue the Sunday School teacher with the flannel board with the gray whale bobbing in the blue sea). Swallowed Jonah right up... I wonder if it was in one gulp. 

And there he stayed for three days and three nights... that sounds familiar, too? Maybe some foreshadowing of death being defeated? 

So Jonah doesn't just lay there in the belly of the fish. He cries out to God. Can you even imagine? I'm pretty sure that, knowing my disposition, I'd be a little angry, even though I asked for it.  We can read  part of Jonah's prayer in Chapter 2, but 3 days is a long time to say just a few words. I'm thinking that there were some things Jonah had to say to God... and God had to say to Jonah... that we just don't need to know. 

At the end of the prayer, Jonah is praising God and recognizing his salvation. The fish spewed him out of his mouth onto dry land... and Jonah went on his merry way. Straight to Ninevah. Where he preached a fire and brimstone message, doom and gloom and destruction, so passionately that he convinced the king, who declared a fast and a time of repentance. God saw the city citizens turn their heart away from evil and decided not to destroy them. 

And then, chapter 4. My favorite part of the story that I never focused on when I was young, probably because my mind was trying to work around the whole logistics of living in the belly of a whale and also because a eight year old only pouts at their parents. 

Jonah gets mad. He sees the good God has done and it displeases him. "See! I knew you'd save them! That's why I didn't want to come here!" 

Not because he was afraid that when he was preaching a negative message that he'd be in danger. 

Nope, but because he KNEW God was good and KNEW Ninevah didn't deserve grace... but that grace is who God is. He was so mad he wished that he would die! 

So he went and sat and pouted, just as I probably would, because our flesh likes the thought of karma and people getting what they deserve until it is us that deserves punishment. God sent a little tree or vine to cover up his head when he got hot, and used it as an illustration of how God cares about all living things, and says, "Shouldn't I have spared Ninevah, and the residents?"

And then it ends, y'all. We don't see Jonah's response. Did he sit and stew or did he realize that we all need grace? 

What I learned in recapping this story

-You can't run from God. 

-God has a plan for each of us. He wants to use us in His story.

-Nobody deserves grace, but God is so very merciful that He longs to give it to all. 

I'd love to hear your takeaways!

"Who did, who did, who did, who did swallow Jonah?" Jonah and the Whale song - YouTube (I don't own rights to this song but I sure did sing it when I was little in the basement of the church, probably wearing a frilly polyester dress with patent leather shoes and itchy tights, dancing along and looking forward to cherry koolaid!) 

And, going back to my reading today... well, Ninevah didn't learn it's lesson, kind of like the people of Israel and also kind of like me, sometimes, so 150 or so years later Nahum is telling them the same message, and this time, the great city does see destruction... 

So let's keep looking for lessons in our lives and not make the same mistake twice (it's not a mistake if you learn something). 

Tuesday Tidbits (Volume 1, Edition 4)

 Swing your partner- Caleb recently went to an event sponsored by the Applachian Arts Alliance in downtown Hazard and came home with plenty of tales regarding all things Appalachian... well, some things Appalachian, anyway. His description of squaredancing took me back to LBJ and the Virginia Reel and Heel Toe Polka (I think is the name of it). There is such a thing as muscle memory and even thirty years later I can close my eyes and see myself "right right right". I wanted to dance right then! 

The Olympics came a year late and I've been so excited. 

Last week I watched the Opening Ceremony and the Parade of Nations made me a little teary-eyed. Thinking of what so many in the world have gone through in the past year... what so many are going through. Some athletes exuded joy, some appeared so solemn... I thought of what it must mean to represent your country. I loved the unique costumes during the Parade, how each one symbolizes something about their country. My favorites:  Aruba (that bluish-green is just what I picture the water to look like!), Uganda's dresses on their women, the orange of the Netherlands, the flowers of Krgystan (spellling?), Haiti's patchwork dresses, Luxembourg's shiny silver coats... and it always amazes me that I forget there are so many countries! 

When I was growing up, I always imagined being an Olympian. Not because I was particularly athletic, but I loved to pretend to walk the balance beam and any motel swimming pool was an Olympic lane. One time my aunt Lisa E. took me to UK's Aquatic Center where there really was an Olympic size pool with lanes and everything and I was in awe. I guess that's why I've always loved the Olympics... but as kids we don't think of the pressure that comes with carrying your country on your shoulders. 

Today I watched as Simone Biles has been debated across social media channels for opting out of team competition. Simone's life story is one of resiliency, and she stood up in the face of sexual exploitation of a whole slew of girls... went on to form her own gym and embrace pouring confidence into younger athletes. Today, she decided enough was enough. For whatever reason, she felt she needed to step out of the competition. I found myself thinking how we all cheered on Kerri in 1996 when she landed a vault in Atlanta on a badly hurt ankle. The picture of Bela holding her as she waved to the audience went viral for that time period... but as I've sat and thought about that, I see the sadness in it, as well. Today, I'm applauding Simone for recognizing that sometimes, admitting you are weak is really the greatest strength. 

There has to be a balance between just giving up because you are afraid and recognizing when you've had enough, but this is a conversation that we need to be having, and mental health matters! 

Looking to the future- Cheerleading is an Olympic sport! Cheerleaders everywhere are cheering! 

I've been thinking a lot about cats and dogs lately. I automatically think of cats as females and dogs as males. I'm not sure why... anyone else? 

What I Read This Week

1. The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs

2. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

3. First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Bower

Speaking of books...Tonight I went to a book signing with Caleb in Hazard. The book was Twilight in Hazard. I haven't read it but will be doing so. As I sat and listened to the author interact with the audience, I was reminded of the importance of using our own voices to tell our own stories. Try to do that sometime... don't let others define you! 

Lessons from Sunday School- Double Trouble (Volume 1 Edition 2)

 Today our sermon was from Genesis 25-27.... the story of Jacob and Esau. 

There are certain themes that run through God's Word. As a child, we may miss them, because our teachers focus on the stories and we can't often recognize the undercurrent... but as an adult, when thinking of application, we begin to see them emerge. 

The Bible is a love letter to each of us, yes. It's a roadmap for direction, and a source of comfort in difficult times. But recently as I have attempted to get back into a habit of reading His Word daily, I have been reminded by others that ultimately, the Bible points to God... and to Christ. It is a redemption story that allows us to come to know our Redeemer intimately. It shows us and teaches us about God, because He desires a relationship with His children, and before you can truly have a relationship, you have to know the other individual. 

I write all that to say this- one of the themes that is interwoven through Scripture is that the first will be last. What we see about God's character, what we come to know about Him, is that He loves us with no respect of person or status. 

The simple story you may  have heard as a child: 

Rebekkah is married to Isaac. Isaac is the son of promise, but that may be too complicated for you to understand, except maybe it makes you remember, "I am a promise. I am a possibility. I am a promise, with a capital P..." Rebekkah wants to have a baby. As a child, you don't understand the significance of children, that it is only through the children that women find their worth in this society... so Rebekkah is hopeless when she can't have a baby. 

Chances are, depending on when you grew up, you didn't even really get into that whole conversation, because pregnancy and babies weren't something that you talked about in polite companies. 

Anyhow, Rebekkah is going to have not one baby... but two... and they struggle in her womb. You probably didn't hear that part of the story, either... but the grown-up in me thinks this is a perfect picture of how we all act in tight spaces. Stuck somewhere with someone else that is different than you? There's going to be a struggle. 

Chances are, as a child, you probably started the story with two babies. Two twins. Not identical. In fact, as different from one another as they could be. They grow up with different interests. The older, Esau, is a hunter. The younger, Jacob, sticks to the tent. One is a Mama's boy... and it isn't the masculine hunter. 

So, one day, Esau comes in from working outside and is famished. Surely you can relate. He's not just hungry. He's HANGRY. He demands that Jacob gives him some of that red pottage like he did before, only Jacob sees his desperation and decides that he needs something from him. 

Because Esau is the firstborn, he's slated to get the birthright. The blessing. The inheritance. 

But Jacob knows Esau. He's grown up with him, and he knows his impulsive personality. He tells him he will only share his food if Esau gives him his birthright. 

For a child, you may not know what a birthright is... but your teacher may have compared it to your mom or dad's baseball card collection, only on a much grander scale. 

Esau, in his desperation, says, "I'm so hungry I'm going to die anyway, so what good will it do me?" The Bible doesn't tell us, but I'm pretty sure that Esau is a teenager, because I can hear that statement in a surly teenage voice, cracking from hormones. 

And that one decision... an impulsive one that he doesn't even consider... sets the ball in motion. This is a good time to point out that we shouldn't make impulsive decisions. We should prayerfully consider each action and avoid making a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

Fast forward a couple of years, and Isaac is on his deathbed. He is preparing to give the blessing, a blessing that Esau should receive... but remember how I said that theme about the first being last? In this family lineage, the younger brother tends to get the blessing. This story involves some trickery. Isaac wants some venison. Esau goes to hunt it. Rebekkah dresses Jacob up in a goatskin (can you even imagine??) and cooks Isaac a tasty food. Isaac, who can't see, says, "It smells like Jacob, but it feels like Esau"... so he blesses him. 

In our adult application, this is a good time to point out that how we feel or what we feel can be deceiving... 

So Jacob gets the birthright through Esau's impulsive action, the blessing through his own deception, and Isaac dies. Jacob goes on the run because Esau is an angry man, and no amount of pottage is going to satisfy his anger... 

And Jacob, the deceiver, is a patriarch, a key member in the lineage of Jesus, because he goes on to become known as Israel and have 12 sons who birth a nation. 

God can take our mistakes and redeem them. 

God sees past our deceptions and uses all things for good. 

This story shows us that God's character is full of mercy, forgiveness, and redemption. 

We don't always understand that as kids, but as adults, when we mess up on the daily, we can appreciate it fully.