Musical Chairs

My sister and I came off of 3 glorious days in Chincoteague, cavorting with wild ponies to visit my folks in NY. We were ready to work! Dad set Amy to work on his computer woes, and Mom asked me to clear the overgrown dead growth and weeds from their front yard island.

But first, Dad wanted me to move some chairs. Last summer, all of us progeny had contributed to a beautiful island of plants and trees that the folks wanted, and the centerpiece of the island was a bench. Dad wanted to start a neighborhood movement to put benches near the curb where walkers could sit and rest as they walked about the development. After a year, no one else in the neighborhood has set out benches and only one group of people has ever sat on his bench. Dad is convinced this is because there are not enough chairs on his island. He wanted me to move two plastic lawn chairs from the back yard to the island.

"Are you sure?" I asked, "It is such a beautiful, classy island. I think the plastic chairs will cheapen it. Besides Dad, I doubt the reason no one is sitting on your bench is insufficient seating."
"I want the chairs on the island," he insisted.
Who was I to argue? I moved the chairs to his island.

A few minutes later, my mom came outside. She quietly picked up the chairs and carried them back to the back yard. I was busy with my other yard work, so smiled and chuckled but said not a word.

A few minutes later, my Dad came out. He went and retrieved the chairs from the back yard and carried them back to the front yard. I thought for sure he was about to put them back on the island, but fortunately he veered off to the side front yard and placed them by a little wrought iron table there.

 I thought it was amusing that my daily bible reading began with this verse:
But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. (Jeremiah 1:17)

In other words, our job is not to pay attention to any of the contention or turmoil around us. Our job is to "dress for work", to do God's will, and to obey to the nth degree what He tells us to do. It is very easy to be distracted by the world with all its skirmishes. Don't be. Pay attention to what God is commanding and don't deviate.

I continued my work and wondered who would burst out of the house next and where the chairs would end up. However, the door remained closed, and the chairs remained where they were. I breathed a sigh of relief. No one else emerged from the house and détente was achieved.

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Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

1 Thessalonians 1:6 

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Romans 14:1-23 

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.