Thought for Today
Job 5:6 For misery does not come from the earth, nor does trouble sprout from the ground;
Psalm 119:153 Look on my misery and rescue me, for I do not forget your law.
Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
1 Corinthians 10:12 So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.
I’m trying to decide whether or not I find any consolation in a news story I saw yesterday about how overcrowded all the local emergency rooms and urgent care centers are due to the rash of folks slipping on all the ice. Evidently breaks, fractures and strains are epidemic in New England. Can I take solace in knowing that I am not the only one? Yesterday, despite Greta’s urgent warnings and advice to the contrary, I went out to battle the ice on our driveway. The ice won! Fortunately, all I received is a nasty scrape over my left eye, a contusion on my leg (from the smart phone in my pocket) and every muscle in my back trying to cramp at the same time. I should really learn to listen to Greta (Note to self: don’t let her proofread this today.)
“The phrase ‘misery loves company’ is thought to have originated in the 16th century. It is first recorded in the play "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" by Christopher Marlowe. In the play, the demon Mephistopheles says, "Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris" which translates to ‘It is a comfort to the unfortunate to have had companions in woe.’ This phrase was later shortened to ‘misery loves company.’
But Marlow isn't the original author of this Latin phrase! It was penned down by a 14th-century Italian historian, Dominick de Gravina. You can find it tucked away in his fascinating work, ‘Chronicon de rebus in Apulia gestis.’" (usdictionary.com)
It’s been a very long time since I studied Latin. I don’t think I will ever try to read that 14th-century book. But, this morning, I am wondering whether or not misery does love company. Can I find solace in knowing that I am not alone in my inability to remain vertical on an icy driveway? As I go about my daily routine, will I find that my back hurts any less from knowing that others are in even more discomfort than am I? So far, in showering and shaving, and now in typing, I do not notice any less pain when I ponder that others are suffering even more. Mostly, so far, I merely want to argue with Job about whether the earth and the ground cause misery and trouble.
For me, most of the times I have found myself in misery and pain have resulted from my own actions or my own carelessness. It doesn’t make me feel any better to know that had I merely listened to Greta and heeded her warnings, nothing would be hurting. (Again . . . don’t let Greta proofread this!!)
I do find some solace in those words above from Jesus. Knowing that God is aware of my situation does help. The pain and discomfort are no less. The embarrassment is no less. Thankfully, as far as I am aware, only God and I saw my slip and fall. Regrettably, I bear the badge of that fall on my face for all to see. But, it is comfort to know that my Creator God knows me even better than I know myself, to know that God watches over me every minute of every day.
We sometimes casually bandy about words like omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, without thinking about exactly what they mean, much less what they imply for each of us. God is all powerful, all knowing and always present everywhere. God follows everything about those sparrows, but even more importantly, as Jesus next said, “Matthew 10:30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted.” God knows everything, even the smallest detail about the least significant person or thing . . . because nothing in God’s Creation is small or insignificant in the eyes of the God who loved us so much that God sent the Son to us to show us the way home.
Equally important, while God would certainly prefer I listen to Greta’s sage advice, God thinks no less of me because I did not. God knows that I do my best not to forget God’s law and to pattern my life on the life and words of Jesus. God understands when I sometimes slip and fall on my face, whether on ice or anything else. God forgives all my slips when I come to God in prayer. And, God is right along side of me while I heal from my own falls.
Stay safe, avoid the ice on the sidewalks and the perils of temptation, trust God,
Pastor Ray