Monday, August 15, 2011

WHY?...or "The Problem of Evil"

I was probably about six and a half years old when I heard a couple of neighbor men talking.  One asked "Where are you going?" and the other answered, "Down to the devil--wanna go along?"
I went home and asked,  "What is the devil?"  Sounded like some kind of a place, or thing.  I don't remember the answer; I'm sure that at the time it didn't scare me much.  Mother would have tried not to do that.  There was a story in the family that as a child she'd been heard talking to herself and saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan, but don't push me over!"  Whether she'd heard her minister-father preach on temptation,  I don't know.  But teaching children about what Evil is and why people lie and cheat and do bad things may rank right up there with telling them about the birds and the bees (an area where the old "problem of Evil" surely does rear its head, too.)

Many people might say, "Oh, that's old-fashioned, like believing in spooks!  There's no personal devil!"  But usually you'd more often than not find the same person who says Satan doesn't exist would say that GOD DOES.  Does that not leave one with no leg AT ALL to stand on in explaining evil?  Of course, some people simply dismiss all belief in the supernatural except some vague concept of universal energy in a cold, impersonal cosmos that doesn't care about us little ants down here who crawl about and live our short little lives.  In that case, everyone can simply carve out for himself the life he wants, and not consider anyone else
(shudder).

I for one will take my stand with C.S. Lewis in THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS.  That book should be required reading for all young people growing up!  This Oxford professor has written a classic allegory in which Satan assigns his minions to tempt humans and lure them to their own destruction!  With brilliant humor and insight, he shows how the enemy of our souls sews discord in our relationships in society and in homes (i.e., "I simply ask her what time dinner will be, and she flies into a temper!")  Lewis, a towering intellectual, isn't ashamed to take the Bible literally.  We shouldn't be, either.  Why all the cruelty, greed, lust and deception?  Why all the divorces?  Well, there's this fallen angel whose name used to be Lucifer...

One little girl was heard to pray, "Jesus, Satan is knocking again.  Will you please go to the door?"  YES!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

MORE BLESSINGS!

Yes, Granny went to the little girl's wedding!  It was at a place in the Baja Peninsula called the Old Mill (Molino Viejo).  The wedding itself was on a very large deck that faces right onto the San Quintin Bay; then the reception/dinner was in a huge dining room adjacent.  A cousin of Alicia's on her dad's side performed the ceremony; he did a fine job.  Our son Max interpreted his Spanish into earphones for several of us, including the groom's mother, sister and brother-in-law; and yours truly who, though able to speak & understand some Spanish, has slow old ears that quickly fall behind in the normal flow of speech.

An interesting tradition in a  Mexican wedding is the LASSOO!  That's right--while sitting together in two chairs, the young couple is lassooed together with a very pretty double lassoo made by someone, in this case the bride's sister-in- law Destinee, David's wife.  (Our son Max was similarly lassoed to his bride in their very festive wedding in the mission church there thirty years ago.  We couldn't have picked a better girl for him to be literally joined together with than Alicia, our Mexicali Rose!)

As to the "wedding supper," well--that's where my story becomes a "tale of woe"!  While everyone else exclaimed over the main dish, I was very kindly and thoughtfully served by Eli, the wedding coordinator, with a very good baked potato and some white rice.  Why?--because by that time I was in the throes of MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE!  (If you don't know what that is, go ask someone.)  Max had faithfully "doctored" me 'til I was okay for the moment, but didn't DARE eat regular food, especiially Mexican!

But it was a wonderful occasion, one we'll ALWAYS remember.  And the trip down was great, too.  Max and Alicia had BOTH their rather ancient, mobility-challenged moms along; and they took such capable, cheerful and energetic care of us!  Restaurants and motels were carefully chosen, and they took their time
so as not to tire us out.  Juanita, my sweet little counterpart, was so compassionte after I got sick, even getting  out of her bed & trying to cover me up on my return from one of many trips to the bathroom!

When we finally headed home, she wasn't with us, having gone to visit another daughter in Tecate.  My "miseries" had returned, along with a deep-cough chest cold!  When we finally left Alicia's sister's home in Mission Viejo, we just wanted to get home--Max & Alicia took turns & drove straight through!  I was so GLAD to get here!  Papa & Ed were so glad to see me back safe!  My daughter and her family were eager to hear about it...

Know what I was left with?--an overwhelming sense of gratitude for THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE!  God has given me the most amazing and loving group of people to travel this journey of life with!  Kids, grand-kids, great-grands...yes, and in-laws, too--that great clan, descended from Ruben & Juanita Vasquez in Mexico, have enriched our lives beyond description! 

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!