ALPHA (21JUL18)
There's a humorous story that Bill Nye (yeah, the Science Guy..good luck getting the theme song out of your head) tells about how he came to wear his trademark bow ties. In his own words:
"I started wearing bowties when I was young, in high school. My father showed me, and my grandfather showed him. There's a story behind this that I find remarkable. My grandfather was attending a convention in Philadelphia, and even in those days you rented tuxedos, and the tuxedo came with a bow tie; an untied bow tie.
He didn't know how to tie the bow tie, so he took a chance and went to the hotel room next door and asked 'Excuse me, can you teach me to tie my tie?, and the guy says 'Sure, just lay down on the bed.'
My grandfather wanted to have the tie on, but wasn't sure what he was getting into. He is said to have laid on the bed and the guy tied a perfect bow tie knot. Quite reasonably, my grandfather said, 'Thank you, but why did I have to lay on the bed?' The guy replied, 'I'm an undertaker...it's really the only way I know how to do it'
-
Like the helpful undertaker, we are all creatures of routine; sticking to what we know when there's usually an easier way. Most recently, I've noticed that the same is true in matters of faith. We all have certain issues that we feel a particular way on, or feelings that we find comfortable that we really don't want to mess with or ruin. We like what we believe for the most part. To each of us its like our favorite sweater that we can't wait to break out on the first cold day that comes around and brings us a sense of warmth. Or the iconic hat that is worn everywhere, shows up in every photo and defines who we are. We wear them so the world knows who and what we are.
Our beliefs are not too different, if we're honest. Perhaps we approach God in a certain way, because its the only way we know how. Maybe we were taught to pray or worship by the way our parents did, who learned from their parents, who learned from someone who only knew one way to do it. it may not necessarily be wrong, but there's something special about learning a new outlook on beliefs we always assumed were only a certain way. Or conversely, maybe we avoid God because it would cause us to learn something new about ourselves or trample the nice cardboard box that we had placed God in. Far too many of those who believe and those who don't have been hurt by things said and done in the name of God, and we use those as our excuse for avoiding the lesson on how to properly tie the bow tie knots of our faith, belief and convictions.
Simply put, life is too short and our perspectives too narrow. Chalk it up to us being creatures of habit and convenience. Maybe you don't feel like seeing or trying something different...but God does, and He's asking for you to come along:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? - Isa. 43:19
I don't know your story, dear reader. But I do know that we were never meant to spend our lives going day-to-day the same way. If familiarity breeds contempt, then it might be we hold the gift of existence and the miracles of every new sunrise with far too little gratefulness. Wouldn't it be amazing to see something new? To be surprised by things unknown or taken for granted? God is asking if you see what He's doing, but more importantly, He's asking you to join in.
You've got all the tools you need; its time to stand up, look in the mirror and learn to tie a knot.