planks 93/366
this last week has been all about the plank
I fancy myself a bit of an expert, but perhaps you are unfamiliar with the term-
thank you Google for this easy to comprehend information:
I am going to start from the bottom and work my way up.
It seems only appropriate to do so since life feels upside down right now.
First topic is inspired by the phrase "walk the plank"
because if I were a pirate it would be a perfect, concise way to express my attitude
"ahoy there maties,
arghhh, ye have left me no choice but to do this:
since ye won't follow the clear guidelines of precautions to protect us
from an enemy that has us surrounded,
me thinks ye should be made to walk the plank fer endangering the whole crew!
Do ye want to keep that blindfold ye have been a wearin'
or as a final request would ye like a new one"
Seriously, though, do any of you know, and perhaps even love, someone who seems to have no clue about the seriousness of what is going on globally? I am not talking about the ones who have to be out and about, the ones who are going about their normal, everyday job that is now anything but safe with this virus. I am talking about the ones who seem to have their head buried somewhere the sun don't shine.
Second, the last definition, but the first one to come to mind for many people.
THE plank-
I am an expert because I have watched my daughters do these.
And this evening I watched an instructional video made by a friend.
I know that being able to hold one,
especially for minutes,
is a huge deal,
a sign of great strength and discipline.
I have zero experience actually doing a plank myself.
My expertise is knowing I cannot do one.
And knowing it would take a lot more than I am willing to give for me to do one.
I'm just not that interested.
Should I be?
Probably.
But I'm not looking to get there.
Kind of like the people I mentioned above-
they know it would be good for them
but the benefits of exercising self control and discipline?
Those are far outweighed by an appetite to do what feels good and is easy.
No denying myself pleasure.
Third-
I will confess my ignorance of almost all things political.
I had no idea.
Fourth:
lumber
a more detailed definition:
plank: a heavy thick board
especially one 2 to 4 inches thick and at least 8 inches wide
(thank you Merriam Webster)
obviously I was familiar with that definition-
I even knew what a plank is good for!
let's send those trouble makers where they belong (myself exempt of course)
Fifth: okay, so there is no fifth thing if you count from the bottom up.
But it is this 5th plank that smacked me right across the face this morning.
And yes, it was painful.
There are some planks I am very good at holding.
One I have grabbed hold of tightly for at least a week now.
One that was so stuck in my eye that I could not see past it.
One that blinded me to what I should have clearly seen.
One that crippled me.
One that rendered me useless to do something that often comes easily.
And this morning God dealt with me on it.
It took about 25 minutes for Him to remove it from my eye.
It took that long because as He loosened my hold,
I saw the other planks I was holding tightly to-
like I was stockpiling or hoarding
and the sad thing is, I didn't realize I was doing it.
Those minutes, and many throughout this day,
were filled with:
wrestling attitudes and thoughts,
revelation of arrogance and pride in my life,
shame over my selfishness,
confession of sins,
(sins of commission and sins of omission)
repentance of those sins
forgiveness granted and received
followed immediately by
restoration
peace
release from the weight of holding onto restlessness, guilt and self righteousness
wholeness
clearer vision
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:41-42
Thank you Lord for opening my eyes to recognize what was right there in front of me but I was too blinded to see.
I fancy myself a bit of an expert, but perhaps you are unfamiliar with the term-
thank you Google for this easy to comprehend information:
- 1.a long, thin, flat piece of timber, used especially in building and flooring.
- 2.a fundamental point of a political or other program."the central plank of the bill is the curb on industrial polluters"
- 3.a physical exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles, in which one performs a press-up and holds the raised position for a set period of time."the session usually include a lot of core work, lunges, planks, and squats"
Phrases: walk the plank — (formerly) be forced by pirates to walk blindfold along a plank over the side of a ship to one's death in the sea.
I am going to start from the bottom and work my way up.
It seems only appropriate to do so since life feels upside down right now.
First topic is inspired by the phrase "walk the plank"
because if I were a pirate it would be a perfect, concise way to express my attitude
"ahoy there maties,
arghhh, ye have left me no choice but to do this:
since ye won't follow the clear guidelines of precautions to protect us
from an enemy that has us surrounded,
me thinks ye should be made to walk the plank fer endangering the whole crew!
Do ye want to keep that blindfold ye have been a wearin'
or as a final request would ye like a new one"
Seriously, though, do any of you know, and perhaps even love, someone who seems to have no clue about the seriousness of what is going on globally? I am not talking about the ones who have to be out and about, the ones who are going about their normal, everyday job that is now anything but safe with this virus. I am talking about the ones who seem to have their head buried somewhere the sun don't shine.
Second, the last definition, but the first one to come to mind for many people.
THE plank-
I am an expert because I have watched my daughters do these.
And this evening I watched an instructional video made by a friend.
I know that being able to hold one,
especially for minutes,
is a huge deal,
a sign of great strength and discipline.
I have zero experience actually doing a plank myself.
My expertise is knowing I cannot do one.
And knowing it would take a lot more than I am willing to give for me to do one.
I'm just not that interested.
Should I be?
Probably.
But I'm not looking to get there.
Kind of like the people I mentioned above-
they know it would be good for them
but the benefits of exercising self control and discipline?
Those are far outweighed by an appetite to do what feels good and is easy.
No denying myself pleasure.
Third-
I will confess my ignorance of almost all things political.
I had no idea.
Fourth:
lumber
a more detailed definition:
plank: a heavy thick board
especially one 2 to 4 inches thick and at least 8 inches wide
(thank you Merriam Webster)
obviously I was familiar with that definition-
I even knew what a plank is good for!
let's send those trouble makers where they belong (myself exempt of course)
Fifth: okay, so there is no fifth thing if you count from the bottom up.
But it is this 5th plank that smacked me right across the face this morning.
And yes, it was painful.
There are some planks I am very good at holding.
One I have grabbed hold of tightly for at least a week now.
One that was so stuck in my eye that I could not see past it.
One that blinded me to what I should have clearly seen.
One that crippled me.
One that rendered me useless to do something that often comes easily.
And this morning God dealt with me on it.
It took about 25 minutes for Him to remove it from my eye.
It took that long because as He loosened my hold,
I saw the other planks I was holding tightly to-
like I was stockpiling or hoarding
and the sad thing is, I didn't realize I was doing it.
Those minutes, and many throughout this day,
were filled with:
wrestling attitudes and thoughts,
revelation of arrogance and pride in my life,
shame over my selfishness,
confession of sins,
(sins of commission and sins of omission)
repentance of those sins
forgiveness granted and received
followed immediately by
restoration
peace
release from the weight of holding onto restlessness, guilt and self righteousness
wholeness
clearer vision
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:41-42
Thank you Lord for opening my eyes to recognize what was right there in front of me but I was too blinded to see.
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