8/24/2019
Well, this marks a year I’ve been writing this blog. A year. It has zoomed past. I know my writing is more like that word I used in the first blog when describing what I was going to write about, Prittle-Prattle. That wasn’t in the dictionary then and I’ve not yet written enough prittle-prattle to get it in there. Prattle is and means what I’m saying, but I persist that it has always been called prittle-prattle in my vernacular. I do appreciate you reading it all, anyway.
Writing about the SIMH has been the other almost constant in this blog. (Oh, by the way, today’s SIMH is “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.…” —Charlie Pride.) Charlie had a lot of good songs and I enjoyed most of them. He just sang, recorded, appeared—as far as I know he never played politics or ran into trouble with the law, or became notorious in any other way. He just sang good country. Been married to the same woman for 63 years. Charley’s still going strong: his website shows a strong schedule clear through the end of the year. He’s 84. I like that, and I hope he continues to do what he does because he loves it, not because he has to. He’s also a minor partner in the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.
As you know, we all have unique stories which cover our lives, but Charley Pride has a dandy: he was a minor league baseball player for several years and as his hopes faded, while he played in what used to be called the D League, along with a fellow named Jesse Mitchell, the two of them were traded to the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro League for a used bus! Charley has often told the story, don’t know if Jesse ever told it.
But, along with that SIMH this morning, I began to think about some of our friends in Texas. One couple we love dearly are promising to come by and see us on their way to attending the upcoming Chattanooga Bible Conference at Grace Bible Church next month. We’re so looking forward to their visit and to the conference, as well. Some others in Texas, I have determined to get in touch with and see how they do. There are days when I really miss many folks there. Some I see on FaceBook, but some I just need to hear their voice. I’ll make some calls today…or soon.
We met many people in Texas with whom we were only able to be in fellowship for a short period of time. Some moved, some didn’t like what or how I preached, others,,—who knows. I’m pretty sure there were those who were offended by me, partly because I was abrasive with some. Others, perhaps didn’t understand what I was trying to show them about the Lord and His Word. Still others would have made the choice to believe what they wanted to believe and just stayed in their religion. There were some who left their religion in favor of bible study and fellowship, then later went back to their religion. Most of that would have been my fault for various reasons.
What makes us believe what we believe? What gives us our personality? Once, in a long discussion with another preacher, we engaged in a back and forth conversation which if we had been in the company of other people could have turned into a deep argument, I suspect. It was about these two questions: why do we believe what we believe? and, where did we get our personality? We were friends and alone, so we never let it heat up or become contentious, we just talked about it. I never changed his mind, nor did he change mine. His position was that people believe what they want to because they have an ulterior motive—either good or bad—and they conclude this or that belief will help them reach their goal. I said that would imply they only had one goal, which I don’t believe. Ulterior motives always have an alternate goal (survival instinct, sort of.) I mused that people believe for relief and peace and their cause follows that goal and is (or can be) in many aspects of one’s life. One believes vacation should include time alone, another believes vacations should always be with family. One goes to the beach, another would never go to a beach. One goes to high ritual religions, others can’t stand the rituals, and on and on it goes.
On the personality question, my preacher friend was of the opinion that our personality was formed by the time we were 12-14 years of age and we never changed it. He even went so far as to say we cannot change it! On that, I cannot agree. When I disagreed with him about personalities, he seemed shocked! Why, he said, you can’t show me one person whose personality has ever changed. I said, you’re looking at one. He had not known me as a lost man, he had not known me before age 30. He didn’t know me like he thought he did. Nor I, him.
To clarify what I see as the answer to these two questions (and yes, I’m sure some of you will disagree—sheesh!), I have come to believe what I’ve learned which cannot be shaken or forced by later revelation to be placed into the “I can’t say for sure” category. The sum total of what I believe is that total—if it can’t be doubted nor made to be unsure, it’s in the total belief corner of my mind.
As to personality changes, they come by the change in what we believe. If we doubt more, as a general rule we become more passive. If we gain more proofs of what we believe, we become more adamant which will alter our aggressiveness. Then, time and interaction with people becomes related to these paths. Do many people stay the same? Yes, absolutely. Yet, the trait we see as the same has a beginning point: the point in which we met them. If we met at 10, 20, or even 40, we would not have been the same personality as when we were 60 or 70.
Two forces at work in this world have the desire to be the dominant factor in these two areas of our lives, belief and personality. One is the Lord, whose stated desire is that “all men be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth” The other is the counterpoint, or the devil, whose desire is that people not know the truth because it exposes him for what he is (another bible terminology for him is usurper.) There, is that enough to think about today?
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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