PITCHING MY TENT
DAY 112: I don't have a lot of camping experience since my husband owns an RV dealership. For the past two decades, when we go "camping" it is with a queen sized bed, air conditioning and a microwave. But BEFORE we took our mini home with us on vacations I had a few occasions to tent camp. .
Perhaps the most memorable trip was 25 years ago with three girlfriends. We were all newly married and had no kids so we took a weekend girl trip to a nearby national forest area. Our husbands suspected there might be trouble when they noticed that along with the Coleman lantern, cook-stove, and firewood was also a curling iron.
Yet even they could not have imagined we would need the fire department. In an effort to stoke our campfire, I grabbed the can of lantern fuel and poured the liquid into a struggling flames. Catching me off guard, those flames leaped up igniting the stream of fuel all the way to the can. I threw it to the ground in a panic and in a matter of just a minute the fuel spilled and the fire spread to nearby pine tree. Did I mention this was a national forest... in the dry summer?
As the fire climbed a nearby tree, we all jumped in the car and raced to the ranger's station. As we screeched to halt I screamed out to the ranger on duty, "There's a fire, a HUGE fire, on Loblolly Loop! Quick call the fire department." With that we raced back to the campsite to wait.
Strangely, when we got there, there was no fire. It seems that lantern fuel is NOT combustible and a neighboring camper came over when he saw the flames and put it out by tossing some sand on it.
About that time we heard the siren of the firetruck approaching.
Mr. Ranger, who was with them, just shook his 80 year-old head at me and said, "Little missy, maybe it would be best if you didn't go camping anymore."
I learned so many lessons that day - not the least of which is tents are temporary. The next morning we packed up and moved out of that particular forest.
I think it is my camping days that made me see an important truth in today's reading.
Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked will perish, but the tent of the godly will flourish.
It stands out to me that the verse doesn't say the "house" of the wicked AND the "house" of the godly; and it doesn't say the "tent" of the wicked and the "tent" of the godly. The proverb, or truth, is very specific that the wicked and the godly dwell in different kinds of structures.
The "wicked", those people who reject a relationship with God, do all that they can to make their life on this earth as permanent and substantial as possible - a "house". They pour their resources into the here and now. For them, it is reasonable to think that this world is as good as it gets. Why not live for now? Why not spend it all on making the best life for yourself as possible? For those who do not have the promise of eternal life, now really is their best hope.
The godly, those whose hope is based on a relationship with God, are to have a dwelling place described as much less permanent. A "tent" can be picked up and moved. It isn't grand; it's portable. More than that, it is temporary; it is not a structure meant to endure. It doesn't need to, for those whose hope is in God have the promise of a better home in a better place. The stay here is temporary after all.
Reading that little proverb reminds me that having a "tent mentality" is crucial if I am going to flourish by God's definition. What is a "tent" mentality? For me it is remembering a few key things:
Day 112 of 365
Judges 11
Judges 12
John 1:1-28
Psalm 101:1-8
Proverbs 14:11-14
Perhaps the most memorable trip was 25 years ago with three girlfriends. We were all newly married and had no kids so we took a weekend girl trip to a nearby national forest area. Our husbands suspected there might be trouble when they noticed that along with the Coleman lantern, cook-stove, and firewood was also a curling iron.
As the fire climbed a nearby tree, we all jumped in the car and raced to the ranger's station. As we screeched to halt I screamed out to the ranger on duty, "There's a fire, a HUGE fire, on Loblolly Loop! Quick call the fire department." With that we raced back to the campsite to wait.
Strangely, when we got there, there was no fire. It seems that lantern fuel is NOT combustible and a neighboring camper came over when he saw the flames and put it out by tossing some sand on it.
About that time we heard the siren of the firetruck approaching.
Mr. Ranger, who was with them, just shook his 80 year-old head at me and said, "Little missy, maybe it would be best if you didn't go camping anymore."
I learned so many lessons that day - not the least of which is tents are temporary. The next morning we packed up and moved out of that particular forest.
I think it is my camping days that made me see an important truth in today's reading.
Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked will perish, but the tent of the godly will flourish.
It stands out to me that the verse doesn't say the "house" of the wicked AND the "house" of the godly; and it doesn't say the "tent" of the wicked and the "tent" of the godly. The proverb, or truth, is very specific that the wicked and the godly dwell in different kinds of structures.
The "wicked", those people who reject a relationship with God, do all that they can to make their life on this earth as permanent and substantial as possible - a "house". They pour their resources into the here and now. For them, it is reasonable to think that this world is as good as it gets. Why not live for now? Why not spend it all on making the best life for yourself as possible? For those who do not have the promise of eternal life, now really is their best hope.
The godly, those whose hope is based on a relationship with God, are to have a dwelling place described as much less permanent. A "tent" can be picked up and moved. It isn't grand; it's portable. More than that, it is temporary; it is not a structure meant to endure. It doesn't need to, for those whose hope is in God have the promise of a better home in a better place. The stay here is temporary after all.
Reading that little proverb reminds me that having a "tent mentality" is crucial if I am going to flourish by God's definition. What is a "tent" mentality? For me it is remembering a few key things:
- Life here is temporary and brief - I can't afford to waste ANY TIME building the wrong things.
- "Tent" lives are not made for comfort - they are made so that I can follow God whenever and wherever He calls me.
- Living in a "tent" means living a life of humility that doesn't afford the chance to impress other people.
- Those in "tents" have the ability to pick up and flee from danger and temptation when needed.
- Ironically, "tent" living is embracing the kind of life that the Psalm also in today's reading describes, Psalm 101. (It's good stuff; I hope you get to read it for yourself.)
- God has given me a "tent" life here but promised me a "mansion" life with Him one day - and that should keep me longing for that permanent world rather than clinging to this temporary one.
Day 112 of 365
Judges 11
Judges 12
John 1:1-28
Psalm 101:1-8
Proverbs 14:11-14
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