Something Is Not Right

Have you ever had that funny feeling that something is missing.  My late uncle Clifton, my favorite, had one of those moments.

Uncle Clifton lived in Beloit, Illinois for years and moved down the road to Rockton.  After several years, he decided to add another room to his house.  He took his time to measure and plan out his new addition.  He dug the footing, poured the concrete, and pulled string to designate where to place the cinder block addition.

Uncle Clifton laid two rows of blocks and took a satisfied look at his handiwork.  Something did not look right.  He checked and the blocks were level, the corners were square, and the walls were straight.  Still puzzled, he knew that something was not kosher, but laid another couple of rows and stepped back to admire his artisanship.

There was something wrong, but he could not put his finger on it.  Once again, he checked, the walls were straight, the corners were square, and the blocks were level.

Sensing something was wrong, he asked an old Jewish friend to give a second opinion.  This old Jewish man took uncle Clifton in and loved him as the son he never had.

The old man studied uncle Clifton’s construction with the eye of an inspector.  He told Uncle Clifton that something was wrong and asked if the walls were straight.  They pulled a line and they were.  He asked if the corners were square.  They placed a square in the corners and found them to be perfect.  He asked if the blocks were level and after placing a level atop the block walls, found them almost perfectly level.

As they both stepped back with a puzzled look, the Jewish friend asked my uncle, “Where are the doors and windows?”  There were none.  Uncle Clifton and the Jewish man entered the addition from the house.  Uncle Clifton had to remove blocks to have windows and doors.

Failure to see something is missing happens to all of us.  If you remember, one year I grew a mustache and beard to play Santa.  I had several people say that it made me look younger, some said older, and some said I looked like a college professor.  I had several lady friends that said I looked handsome, I think they need glasses, but I was not married to them.  The wife hated it.

Hating to shave, I liked the new look for a while.  Folks said I looked like the late country singer Charlie Rich.  Others said I looked like Kenny Rogers.  I always asked, “Kenny before or after the facelift?”

Before long, I was spending as much time trimming the beard and mustache as it took to shave.  The wife was persistent in wanting me to shave so I did.  You know what?  I did not say anything for three days to see if she noticed.  She did not.  In fact, we were headed out of town when I asked if she noticed anything missing.  She responded with “nope.”  I said I shaved three days ago.

Last week’s blog I said that if I received a vicious letter, I would check to see if the letter writer was bold enough to sign his or her name.  If a signature is missing, I will not read it.  Well, something was missing originally.  When I write an article, I email it to Pam the Bethel Baptist Association Secretary.  She cuts and pastes it from my Microsoft Word program to her Publisher program where the Alabama Baptist can print it for you the faithful reader.  Pam and I will proof it, but mistakes are made and things are left out as we try to fit the article into the limited space that becomes the back page.

As Paul Harvey would say, “Here is the rest of the story.”  The suggestions for dealing with vicious people were not there:

 Dr. Andy Westmoreland, former president of Samford University makes these suggestions for dealing with vicious people.

Boldly Resist:  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproaches us also.  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Luke 11:45-46

Negotiate:  Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.  Matthew 5:25

Turn the other cheek: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:38

Oh, another thing.  I did receive a note to shave that silly beard of my face.  It was signed, but I did not shave it until I was ready.