LIVING BY THE NUMBER
TEN
2. In the beginning, there were no humans. And
it was good. Then God got this brilliant idea: Why not ruin everything?
3. I have met an angel. She was a waitress at The Waffle House. Those bright eyes and that infectious smile. She must have been about 23. I heard her tell someone she had two children. I didn’t hear her say anything about a husband. She wants to go to college. Pre-med. I think she can do it. An angel can do anything.
4.
You got to have faith. The question would
be: In what? There are plenty of people selling faith nowadays. Faith
requires a
leap into the unknown, the unprovable. Taking that leap is scary. I take
it hesitantly, like when I bunge jumped: I'm worried about the cord,
the distance, the bounce, the wind, will insurance pay. Generally
speaking, I could use a shove.Faith is a hard thing to keep a grip on. I
find it and lose it, find it and lose it, find it…..
5. Don't believe everything you think. There are 6 billion people in the world, many of whom also think. The path's are many.
6. Love comes in a variety of flavors, none
of them violent.
7. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not an armchair slogan meant for the faint of heart. If someone is hungry, she doesn’t need a lecture, she needs food. The homeless don’t need a copy of your ideology, or what religion you subscribe to. They need a place to live.
7. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not an armchair slogan meant for the faint of heart. If someone is hungry, she doesn’t need a lecture, she needs food. The homeless don’t need a copy of your ideology, or what religion you subscribe to. They need a place to live.
8.
Being saved is a whole other number. I could have used saving about 10
times over the years, which may be a conservative estimate. rather than
being saved in a hands on kind of way, I thought it wold be enough to
just change my behavior. No need for a public display.
9. I would not recommend getting religion unless you mean to do
something good with it.
10. No one should fear God. I don't think God would want us to fear him or her. There are plenty of things to fear: spiders, snakes, tornadoes, heights, ingrown toe-nails, the IRS, senators who wear sheets, lightening, The dark, maniacs, religious or otherwise. God should not be one of them.
10. No one should fear God. I don't think God would want us to fear him or her. There are plenty of things to fear: spiders, snakes, tornadoes, heights, ingrown toe-nails, the IRS, senators who wear sheets, lightening, The dark, maniacs, religious or otherwise. God should not be one of them.
11. No, ten are not
near enough. This life is way too complex for such a small number. Too many
wrong turns to be had. Have you ever walked down a road where you can’t stand
the pain? I should be a better husband or wife. What holds me back? Am I as
devoted to being a good father or mother as I am to my career? A better daughter or son. Or is the distance safer. My community
needs me. How about next month? When the road gets painful, am I willing to
keep stepping forward? Or will it burn holes in my shoes?
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