Please Friends, ‘Don’t worry. Be happy!’ Many of you will remember that li’l ditty made famous some years ago by the now deceased Bobby McFerrin. Many turned up their noses in disgust when it made number one on the music charts, because in their highfalutin, pretentious belief it was too trite, simple and clichéd. But in reality the music charts today contain so much garbage, it’s not funny. Anyway Friends, though things may be trite, simple and clichéd, nonetheless they are very often true, and that’s what we should always be seeking after; the truth. And our current, whiny, angry, resentful, miserable, unhappy world would be a whole lot better off if we’d simply adopt the saying. The problem though is that what accounts for happiness is different for everyone. And here’s a quote from George du Marier that excellently describes that phenomenon. ‘Happiness is like time and space – we make and measure it ourselves; it is as fancy, as big, as little, as you please; just a thing of contrasts and comparisons.’ Yes my people, that’s why the man with a million dollars can be unhappy, while the pauper trills with happiness. We all set our own standards of happiness, and each one can be different, but still capable of bringing immeasurable happiness to each individual. I’m tending to liken happiness to the song that says the Promised Land is not a physical place, but a state of mind. The same way happiness depends on our state of mind, what we consider it to be. It can be the same for many, yet different for everyone. That brings us to our Bit. Hn! I had to chuckle when I re-read the account of Jacob’s life as a sort of indentured servant to his father-in-law Laban. It would make a great soap opera with all the elements of drama; deceit, infidelity, bigamy, greed, distrust, resentment, envy, anger, and whatever else your li’l ole heart desires. It’s got it all! And there we go with our presumptuous selves thinking that we invented the soap opera! (smile) Anyhow, the gist of the story is that Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, with the promise that he would then be allowed to marry Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel, whom he LOVED. But when the time comes, Laban outsmarts Jacob and he ends up marrying Leah, the older daughter instead. Leah wasn’t bad looking, but apparently Rachel was beautiful and more importantly, Jacob LOVED her. As expected, Laban, the perpetrator of the ruse, had the perfect excuse: ‘It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the first born: Fulfill her week, we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.’ (Gen.30:26-27) So Jacob, finding himself between a rock and a hard place, spent the customary week feasting and partying, then he married Rachel and spent another seven years serving Laban. Wow! As the scholars point out, Jacob accepts both wives without seeking God’s direction in the matter. And characteristically, he was deceived the same way he deceived his brother Esau to get their father, Isaac’s blessing. (Gen.27) ‘The deceiver had been out-deceived at last!’ What goes around, certainly does come around, boomerang style! Mr. Hotstuff Jacob then had not only two wives at the same time, but also two sisters as wives, not always the wisest move, and compounded it by glaringly showing his preference for Rachel. And we all know that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! So from the very start, the sisters tried to outdo each other with all the by-products of greed, enmity, envy and the host of negative stuff that crops up in that kind of situation. The negative seeds of drama and unhappiness were sown from the word go. And Friends, as I keep reminding us, the Lord is the best dramatist ever. Hear this next verse. ‘And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated (UNLOVED), he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.’ (Gen.30:31) Now isn’t that fertile soil for much confusion, especially in a society that prized children, while the barren was despised? Ah mih people, the Spirit is at work here yes. I never intended to get so deep into the story, that’s why I spoke about the gist of it earlier on, but now the Spirit’s showing me that to do it justice, I have to go deeper. And since the Spirit is wisdom personified, and I pride myself on my obedience, I have no choice. (smile) So let’s take it straight from the Good Book. ‘And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben (See, a Son): for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will LOVE me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon (Heard). And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined (become attached) unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi (Attached). And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah (Praise); and left (stopped) bearing.’ (Gen.30:32-35) Ah Friends, haven’t we all seen that kind of thing, even possibly been involved in it too? However, like Leah, we have to stop writing here for today. Come tomorrow though, God willing, we’ll continue this juicy tale. And who says the Good Book isn’t a worthy read eh? Even if you take out the religious aspects, no other book ever written can match it for story telling. It has all the essentials of the craft, and in abundance too. Whatever ideas man has come up with over the years, the Good Book already has them. That’s why it’s still considered the BEST BOOK ever written. But what else would you expect from a great God like ours eh? Much LOVE!…to obtain wisdom and knowledge…don’t watch the tube…read the Good Book..
SCRIP-BITS 