The not-so-delicious irony of human hypocrisy

I like irony.

Literary irony, situational irony, linguistic irony... I like it just about every way I get it.

And you probably know the old saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold?" Well, here's a little twist on that: "Irony is a delicious dish however it's served."

But tonight I am pondering a not-so-delicioius irony: the hypocrisy of humanity.

I've seen several things lately that gave me cause to pause & ponder, but tonight took the cake (since I'm using all the eating analogies... I'm not hungry, I promise!).

I was sitting next to my wife, minding my own business, when I noticed that she was slogging through a "fun" (irony intended there) facebook conversation with someone who... Well... Let's just say the irony was as thick as pea soup (there I go with food again!)

As I watched her get increasingly frustrated, a thought occurred to me:

"Why is it that some people claim to be 'friends', but treat you like an enemy?"

She put it quite nicely: "YOU asked ME to be your friend... But you obviously don't consider me one."

No emotion. No drama. (I would've LOADED that with drama, but not Jen!) No hyperbole.

Just a statement of fact so blunt that if it were a knife it wouldn't cut warm butter.

Then I thought a little more...

"Why is it that some people preach tolerance, but only tolerate people who agree with them?"

Isn't that...

Dare I say it?...

Intolerant?

Maybe it's just me, but I find both of those realities ironic.

But NOT in the way I like it.

Maybe you know exactly what I mean?

Realistically, I'm probably just as guilty as everyone else (probably more) when it comes to this issue.

Oh, wai...! Just got word of another situation...

Oh, how fun!

How delicious!!

How ironic!!!

I'm not listenin' ta yew... You Craaasssyyyy!

Nacho Libre may be one of the funniest movies EVER!

There are SO many great one-liners to pull from Nacho, but this particular one stands out more to me than the rest.

Maybe you're asking, "Why?"

If so, you're either a very hearty soul, feel tremendous sympathy for me, a glutton for punishment, or some bizarre mixture of the three.

Well, it's probably NOT what you think.

Comic wit? Yes... But that's not it.

Hilarious accent? Of course... But that's not it, either.

Jack Black? Absolutely... But no.

So what is it, you ask?

It's because of this: it's my 2-year-old son, Judah's, favorite line... And he quotes it PERFECTLY!

Tonight while I was making dinner, he said to me in perfect "Nacho"...

"I'm not listenin' ta yew... You Craaasssyyyy!"

When Dreams Come True

It seems like most of our life is spent seeking the dreams that burn within us.

Rarely does it seem like we actually experience the fulfillment of those dreams. On those few-and-far-between occasions when do, though, it can seem like a glimpse of Heaven.

I have the incredible privilege of living in one of those small windows of blessing right now. I'm not gonna kid you: it's amazing!

I am not foolish enough to think that it'll last much longer--much less become the norm--but I am enjoying it while I can! After all, once it's gone, it's gone!

I look around & see God doing things that I have looked for & longed for some 10 years or more... and all I can say is, "Wow!"

So, why does God allow these brief, mountain-top views of the world we slog through day-by-day?

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Well, here's my million-dollar answer: idunno.

But I'm willing to take a crack at it, so here goes nothing (you might say "There went nothing" after you read this).

God is the Giver of dreams and the fulfiller of them, too. (Let's face it: if we can fulfill our dream, it wasn't much of a dream to begin with!) In fulfilling the dream, He develops the dreamer, since we are not ready to play our part in the dream until He has prepared us.
Our preparation is like any growth process, involving both expansion & collapse, tearing down & building... Like breathing: inhale & exhale. Both are necessary. Both are critical. Neither is expendable.

Striving for the dream and fulfillment of the dream are the same way... If all we ever do is strive for the dream, we burn out from frustration, longing, & a broken heart. If, on the other hand, all we ever do is live in fulfillment, we get lackadasical, complacent, & a cold heart.

So, there ya have it... My 2 cents. I'll let you judge whether or not that's a fair price.