Lord, why is this life of mine so messy? I’d like to think that if it were up to me, my life would be neat and tidy. Actually, there is precious little in my life that would pass for neat and tidy. So, what’s this big attraction I have for neatness?
Neatness means no surprises, nothing unexpected. It demonstrates how well one has matters firmly in hand. Master of one’s fate. Living large and in charge.
Neatness is about no uncertainty showing. No rough edges. No turned up corners. No fuss, no muss. Neat may be tidy, but it’s not real life.
Neatness is about appearances. It is all about control, and control of this life is an illusion.
Neatness as a life philosophy may be over-rated.
Why? Because, life is a messy business. You want a clear explanations — a solid understanding of what’s going on around you? So sorry, dude, I can’t help you there.
Dear Lord, keep me humble.
Humble. The root of this is humus, the Latin word meaning earth. From this we get the concept of humility.
Humility. Grounded. Down to earth becomes of the earth. Of the earth means close to the ground, and that would be heading in a direction opposite to those lofty regions where pride dwells. Ah, pride — that high opinion of one self, so richly deserved.
When pride takes a pounding, it hurts. We feel brought low. Grounded. As painful as this comedown can be, when it happens, often it can be a very good thing.
Grounded is where the foundation is. Staying grounded helps keeps one in touch with one’s roots. How is healthy growth possible when one is cut off from one’s roots?
We are born with a desire to ascend to the heights. How are we to cope with the strong desire for upward mobility? We live caught in a pull between the earthy and the heavenly, rising and falling. Riding up and down, living one’s life on a yo-yo string.
In high school, I was taught the lesson that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, and our culture certainly admires and encourages this tendency. But a single-minded focus on ascendency is not in keeping with living a well-balanced life.
Living well requires us to live with tension. Feet squarely on the ground, careful not to get too puffed up. If any part of us is to ascend, let it be our eyes, our prayers and our praise.