Isn't it Ironic?

Whilst painting my aunt's home yesterday (to make at least some money) my cell phone rang. It was the company that I had applied for nearly two months ago. Long story short is I'm now employed. Thanks God.

I don't begin until July 11th so I've still got a little time on my hands. When my span of unemployment began I had imagined myself to do some disciplined fasting and praying with an extra sprinkle of Biblical study. Instead what I've found is that I'm lazy dead-beat at heart whether employed or no. My wife asked me as she lay in bed tonight what I had read in the Word. Fumbling through the disorganized files in my cranium I realized that I hadn't been in the Word, but instead read a book about it's importance. Is this ironic? I'm not really sure as I've heard a famous musician sing an entire song called, "Isn't it Ironic?" without many of her scenarios being examples of true irony. Or so my brother said. It's attempted profundity crashing on the shores of ignorance. Perhaps that was the true irony of the song.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about this. One can pretend to have a relationship with another person without really having one. However, if the pretender bumps into someone who really knows that person, the gig is up. Fraudulent claims are revealed. Our relationship with God is just that revealing. When I run into someone who really makes a discipline of cultivating their transendent relationship, I feel like a guy on a commercial saying, "I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on TV." If I'm an actor, when the patient is on the operating table, there is no life at stake. It's all for show. But if I'm the real deal, I've studied the books and put the knife to flesh. I literally use my knowledge and practiced actions to cut away the bad and save the good. Similarly, when it comes time to counsel or to examine even my own self. If I'm not studying and practicing, spiritual well-being is at stake.

So I'm dusting off and organizing the files in my cranium. When It comes time to metaphorically put knife to flesh I don't wish to be unprepared. Sheesh, this wound up more profound than I expected. Is that ironic?

Happiness is unemployment

For the mornings wakies I set two separate alarms. One is just a regular alarm clock alongside the bed. The other is on my cell phone and I place it across the room from me. (You see, I've been unemployed for the entire month of June and need some external motivation to get up.) When the alarm clock by the bed sounds off my wife nudges me (with necessary force) to turn it off. My typical response would be to flail my numb seal arm that I've slept on all night over on the snooze button and be no more roused than before the siren sounded. Ah, but the ace up my sleeve is the simultaneous buzzing of the cell phone across the room. I get up and turn it off only to find myself at 7 AM in the land of the the wakies.

What does one do with such time? I've found enough time to go to http://www.everyvideogame.com. "Mike Tyson's Punch Out" has an insidious draw on me that saps the hours away. Some day I shall indeed defeat Soda Popinski. Countless wasted hours of play would tend to prove otherwise though. Oh, and I've also frequented http://www.desiringgod.org just so you don't think I've viewed only rubbish. On the productivity front, the front porch of my home (or the dreaded cavern of lattice as I liked to call it) no longer has the slightest hint of lattice. I tore it all out. It looks a little bare presently, but I can't put any new woodwork in until I know I am employed. Many other long awaited household tasks have been completed as well. The lovely wife is pleased.

The most interesting turn in my life since I left my job is the upswing in my marriage and spiritual life. It took me about a week, but with all the free time I eventually had to look inward. Not a pretty sight to behold really. I made some sweeping changes to the way I approached the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life. Consistency bore some amazing fruit and here I am now bearing witness of that fruit. Love, peace joy. I love my God, and I love my wife, and I love my church. I just needed the time to remember how much I really did. Thank you God for my span of unemployment.