"Motion Assessment................"

The last few days have had me hopping in one way or another. As I was about to step out the front door Sunday morning, headed for the Youth Detention Center, Beth spoke of being dizzy and, when we took her blood pressure, it was fairly high. A phone call to the others cancelled my participation in that ministry. Toward evening she was feeling much better and opted to visit the night service with me; but, not twenty minutes into worship, she needed to escape to the foyer. Some women gathered round her and entered into prayer. Peace returned and we came home. We’re thinking this mixture of medicine presently assigned her is the culprit, are not simply rejecting doctors’ counsel, but are most certainly not “swallowing” everything they suggest. In middle of such concern, life, of course, keeps us busy with family, grandkids, and commitments otherwise. The church school has me working at least a couple days a week now, most of it voluntary tutoring of younger students, but a few times in the last months substituting for teachers on all levels. Monday afternoon was a last minute request for me to fill in for three classes: Art, Geometry, and a study hall. My last encounter with that particular segment of mathematics was Tenth Grade, if memory doesn’t fail me; but I managed to get the kids through their assignment without appearing too “lost in the woods”. The lesson involved determining the median and altitude of a triangle, repeating the process for all three sides in order to pin-point the exact center of the polygon, and then using a bit of Algebra to assign value of all the intersecting lines created. Fun for a nerd like me! On the wall of the room was an Ernest Hemmingway quote declaring: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self”, though, and it’s had me pondering its message ever since. What, exactly, was the author really trying to say here? Striving to improve ourselves as we go might well be a worthy endeavor to try and instill into our youth; but “nobility” suggests to me, somehow, someone’s nose in the air over a self-professed value on ether end of the statement. I like the idea of “purpose”, of making an attempt to maintain direction while going somewhere. Mostly, however, it seems to me that what we usually get is “this moment” and it all comes down to giving it your best with all you got. Other than that, prayer (and a nap when you can get it) does wonders to keep it all in balance…..