Thursday, January 26, 2006
WHY
I am feeling much better. I was able to hold out for two hours of intense tennis drills. My arms and hands are quite sore, and yes, now that I have left the courts my throat has started hurting again. But, it is nothing serious, just one of life’s little inconveniences.
Terri posted today about how going to the Doctor all the time was about “following the rules” for her. She stated that she trusted the Doctors and if they said come every year then she would be there. She also said that she would do anything someone asked her to do if she trusted them. (It is obvious to all that she has never learned to trust anyone in the Department of Transportation.)
I approach things a little differently. Since the fifth grade when I had to write the word “why” as many times as I could fit it onto a page as punishment for asking “why” too much, I have realized that I have a “need to know”. Not just do I need to know the “what’s”, I want to know “why’s”! If I am not having any problems, if I stay in tune with my body and take fairly good care of myself, why do I need to go pay a Doctor $99.00 plus lab fees just to tell me that I am healthy? (Don’t give me a lecture folks, I am just telling you about my personality.)
It don’t matter how much I trust someone, I must understand why I am doing something before I can do it. Now I do believe that if I was in the middle of a crisis of some sort that would be explanation enough, but otherwise I am going to need to know why I am doing something. I have never seen this as a flaw in my personality. However, I am sure that many people who have tried to train me to do something would disagree. I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard “we have just always done it that way” flung at me in a desperate attempt to get me to shut up.
I think this character trait (flaw if you must) may be what is feeding into my current state of discontentment. I simply cannot accept tradition as a good enough explanation as to why we do something. This “need to know” can also fuel frustration. There are some things God chose to keep from us. I’m cool with that, as long as I am sure he didn’t really want me to figure it out. One positive thing is that this “need” drives me to study. I read as many books as some ministers out there. I try to stretch my brain and at the same time keep my heart open.
Perhaps this tiny glimpse into the way I view things will help you understand me a little better. Maybe you can even understand my “flat-world” analogy. I do realize that if you don’t have the same “need to know” you won’t even care how, what, or if I think....
Terri posted today about how going to the Doctor all the time was about “following the rules” for her. She stated that she trusted the Doctors and if they said come every year then she would be there. She also said that she would do anything someone asked her to do if she trusted them. (It is obvious to all that she has never learned to trust anyone in the Department of Transportation.)
I approach things a little differently. Since the fifth grade when I had to write the word “why” as many times as I could fit it onto a page as punishment for asking “why” too much, I have realized that I have a “need to know”. Not just do I need to know the “what’s”, I want to know “why’s”! If I am not having any problems, if I stay in tune with my body and take fairly good care of myself, why do I need to go pay a Doctor $99.00 plus lab fees just to tell me that I am healthy? (Don’t give me a lecture folks, I am just telling you about my personality.)
It don’t matter how much I trust someone, I must understand why I am doing something before I can do it. Now I do believe that if I was in the middle of a crisis of some sort that would be explanation enough, but otherwise I am going to need to know why I am doing something. I have never seen this as a flaw in my personality. However, I am sure that many people who have tried to train me to do something would disagree. I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard “we have just always done it that way” flung at me in a desperate attempt to get me to shut up.
I think this character trait (flaw if you must) may be what is feeding into my current state of discontentment. I simply cannot accept tradition as a good enough explanation as to why we do something. This “need to know” can also fuel frustration. There are some things God chose to keep from us. I’m cool with that, as long as I am sure he didn’t really want me to figure it out. One positive thing is that this “need” drives me to study. I read as many books as some ministers out there. I try to stretch my brain and at the same time keep my heart open.
Perhaps this tiny glimpse into the way I view things will help you understand me a little better. Maybe you can even understand my “flat-world” analogy. I do realize that if you don’t have the same “need to know” you won’t even care how, what, or if I think....
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I have one of you in my class. Everything I said to her today was promptly responded to with a "Why, why, why, why?" Maybe she will be a great scientist someday...if she ever learns to read and write!
I have the need to know sometimes but because it seems to land me in hot water, I try to curbit a bit. But for onstnace I hated Allgebra becasue i didn't get why you had to use certian formulas or why those formulas worked. I remember one of my teachers slamming her book down and saying "Because I am your teacher and you will fail this class if you don't do it this way." I don't think she knew "why?" Have you ever noticed that it completes unnerves some people if you even dare question "why?"...These people tend not to like me.
Trust me, you need to play tennis all the time. It sounds like your throat didn't hurt while you was playing tennis.
Oh yeah, trust me again, the world isn't flat.
Oh yeah, trust me again, the world isn't flat.
Maybe sometimes we limit ourselves to our own little universe. Isn't our God bigger then the _____________ (put you fellowship here).
The Jesus thing is your life imitates your faith. That can happen in any fellowship. Now my concern and probably many others is the people who hold back others from seeing God(I guess this is a theme theme throughout scripture). There in lies the conundrum.
The Jesus thing is your life imitates your faith. That can happen in any fellowship. Now my concern and probably many others is the people who hold back others from seeing God(I guess this is a theme theme throughout scripture). There in lies the conundrum.
Luke 11:9 - 10
"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."
James 1:5
"If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking."
"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."
James 1:5
"If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking."
I am usually skeptical of someone's "why" explanation and seldom patient enough to listen. Just a little quirk of my own.
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