Job 17:14
To the pit I call, ‘You are my father.”
To the worm, “Mother, Sister.”
One of my recent time wastes has been trying to figure out where a new hobby like painting, playing the guitar, or even writing a novel fall in the category of “I ought to do that.” Each of these are hobbies that I have pursued before, but each seemed to be beyond my abilities. I have learned that I might be able to pick up these abilities with enough practice, but I fall back on the question of how much benefit could any of these hobbies bring that would be worth the effort? My main hobby takes up time and money, but I have always seen it as worth the happiness it brings or at least the chance at fellowship.
Three sources had ‘The pit’ as corruption, but I see it more as a thing than a concept. ‘Call’ was ‘say’ every time but once. Three sources had this first stitch start with an if as if it were a question.
‘Worm’ was also ‘maggots’, but I think the idea was after being buried, not just dead. I never did figure out why sister was tacked on from a conceptual matter.
Our church put out a senior survey and I was thinking it was about spiritual issues like another Sunday School class at 8, or 4, or extra bible studies during the week, or small groups at people houses, or any of the church like activities I might like. Instead, it was about old people things like quilting. I have a dear friend who quilts, but mostly I associate it with old people who do not have the drive to love others in person. That would probably offend old people, but the ones who are probably deserve it. Isn’t that how our culture teaches us to treat others?
I read an article about the German media responses to the assassination in our country this past week. One of the many reasons their allies did not want the Germans to ever have a strong military again was the belief they would fall for ‘us vs them’ governing again seem well founded as the underlying current in their politics right now. Many in our country are trying to paint Trump with that German picture right now. The only thing wrong with having rule by a certain person is that certain person is human, and therefore fallible, and by that I mean any one person.
When the little kid was younger, she did Tae Kwon Do. I could have done it with her, but I was a little put off by the mystic of ‘martial arts’ having a non-Christian vibe, and I had (and still have) no desire to spar with anyone. We saw her old leader last night, and when I say old, he is only 67. He is super high up in US Tae Kwon Do and has been a follower/teacher probably all his adult life, and I assume he is super fit. But he looks like he could drop dead any second and has the last several times I have seen him. I know I am not super fit, but I expect to not look like I am dying in ten years.
All this to say that as Job is as unhealthy as most any person has been, it was reasonable for him to despair of death. We, however, should never have a goal of wanting to die. Every day should be an opportunity to share the love of Christ with others and to glorify God. If we believe this in out hearts, then the only thing standing in our way of being fit and outgoing as seniors is our own failure to lead ourselves. I want my mind to work, I want my body to work, and I want to be in a position to engage others. Any new hobbies have to align with that vision or why bother?
Written 9/14/25, Posted 10/7/25, Job 409/~1070