Be-boppin'.

I was be-boppin' around a few days ago.  Everyone's be-boppin' looks a little different; so if you're interested in what mine looks like, next time you see me just ask.  Anyway, whilst doing so, a memory came to me out of nowhere of something that happened to me a couple years ago that was rather staggering.  When it happened, I told a friend about it; but now that I have a blog, and the memory is fresh on my mind, how cool would it be to share it with everybody?

First a little bit of stage setting.  I was working for Capital One at the time.  There was a video that was shown to us called "Art of Possibility."  It was of the motivational-faire as the title does a great job of suggesting.  In it the musical conductor Benjamin Zander and his wife use the craft of directing a symphony to show a lot of elements that exist that are related to leading a group of individuals no matter what setting you're in.  It was shown to us obviously as a motivational tool to do just that: to help us see the ways they were sharing and how they can be used in our setting at the bank.  I liked it, personally.  I can picture anyone reading this stifling laughter as you read this next part because you know me even just a little bit.

I liked it because it talked a lot about thinking positive and teaching others to do the same thing.  I liked it because it introduced some neat insight and philosophy that were, on the surface not terribly earth-shattering; but to me....uh, earth-shattering.  Things like--and I'm paraphrasing here--the orchestra with all the noise it's making between the multitude of individual parts coming together for the audience's enjoyment and what you have is a guy standing in front of the whole group waving a stick around who doesn't make a sound.  And I also liked it because of the different ideas that spoke to my life and the things I know I'm weak at.

Another prop on the stage of this story:  I've always loved Micah 6:8.  You know the, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God," one.  I love it because of the way it contrasts the extreme notion of what the people thought God wanted in the immediately preceding verses to the simplicity of what He actually wants in that verse.  I'll let you read those on your own, but suffice to say they were even under the impression that God wanted them to kill their own kids!

Okay back to my story.  I watched this video as Mr. Zander told a funny tale about Rule #6: Don't take yourself too seriously.  For me it was like when you watch a movie and out of the entire two hours there's one scene in it that you can't let go of.  I mean, I took.  That line.  With me.  For the next week.  EVERYWHERE.  I'd wake up in the morning with that line ringing in my ears.  Rule #6: Don't take yourself too seriously.  Rule #6:  Don't take yourself too seriously.  Over and over and over again.  Two reasons why:  First, I tend to take myself too seriously.  And second as great as that line was, I felt there was something missing from it.  Something crucial.  But I just didn't know what.

I started to forget about it.  Not altogether, just a little bit.  One day I had a training class that I had to go to in Longview and I got there super early for some reason.  So I sat in the parking lot catching up on my reading and out of nowhere, Micah 6:8 came to mind and I wanted to read it again.  So I went there, read it, and was all, "Yup, it's still an awesome verse." (As if that would ever change, right? Riiiiight.)  I just so happened to have The Message with me as well; and one of my favorite things to do is take a verse that I like and see how Eugene Peterson thought it should sound in his famous paraphrase.  Here's what I read:

"But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple:..."

When I got to the "act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God" part of this text, for some reason I started reading in slow motion; I guess because of the impact I knew it would have on me.  The severity of the impact is what I had no idea of but was about to find out:

"Act justly...'Do what is fair and just to your neighbor.' "

"Love mercy...'Be compassionate and loyal in your love.' "

"And walk humbly with your God...'And don't take yourself too....' "

WHAT?!  You have GOT to be kidding me!  I had just started to forget that idea and now for it to show up of all places it's here?!  And I was even a little glad that it wasn't replaying over and over because of that crucial missing part that I still haven't a CLUE what it's supposed to be.  This is just lame!  Lame, lame, lame, la.....

"...too seriously--take God seriously."

The crucial missing part.  My bottom jaw was in my lap as I sat in my car.  So there I was for the next however long with it once again replaying over and over and over in my head.  This time I didn't mind, though.  This time it was complete.