Daily Reflection Aug 24, 2009

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

August 24, 2009

Guido Climer

 Hosea 2:8

Israel, she has not acknowledged that I was the one
       who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
       who lavished on her the silver and gold—
       which they used for Baal.

Background:

Hosea is the first of twelve minor prophets.  They are minor not due to their importance, but due to the length of their books.  These 12 prophets starting with Hosea and ending with Malachi are the last twelve books of the Old Testament.  Hosea is called by God to marry a prostitute, because God says Israel is a whore.  God wants to have a holy theatre of sorts to prove his point, so Hosea obliges.    His life will mirror God’s life.  Hosea and Gomer, his wife have a son Hosea calls Jezreel.  This is more holy theatre to remind the people of Israel God will punish them for an action done in the valley of Jezreel.  They have a daughter and she is named ‘Not Loved,’ because God does not love Israel anymore.  Today, we punish awful parenting like that, but this is ancient history.

Reflection:

Then this line, I find the most painful story, Hosea 2:8.  Have you ever given a gift and then somebody use it a way that you find repulsive?  Give a child an heirloom of an old leather bomber jacket from the Korean War and he leaves it a high school dance.  Frustration courses through the body.  A college student graduates and takes his graduation gifts the envelopes stuffed with money and spends it in Vegas.  Is that why the money was given?  Bring a nice cheese as a gift and you find it two weeks later molded on your friend’s counter?  Have you ever received a gift without respect or charity?

It was the last day of classes my senior year.   We had two options that night to go out to the University Pub and drink bad beer as we had all year or we could go to the Texas Rangers’ and watch Nolan Ryan pitch.  We had seen Nolan pitch before and it was awesome.  But this was the last day of classes and it was a time to party!!!  We arrived at a friend’s room and heard the final two outs of Nolan Ryan’s complete game no hitter.  Given the gift of free time, guilt free, we chose to offer to seductive Baal our treasure.  When people talk of Nolan Ryan’s no hitters, I am reminded of my foolishness.

There are moments when I do this all the time.  I choose not to make a phone call, because it might be difficult.  I choose to avoid people out of fear.  I choose what is tangible over the wildness of the unexpected.  I choose to miss opportunities to enjoy life because of the fear of something different, the anxiety of inconvenience, or the security of familiarity.  Do you miss opportunities to enjoy God’s blessings because you take comfort?

Question

How have you wasted the gifts God gave you?

How will you live this week fully embracing opportunities to delight in God’s creation, nature, people, and your life?