I had known Greg for over 14 years when we began dating. We went to high school together and so I knew him to be a talented athlete in the areas of basketball and football. When we began dating, I was living in Atlanta and had begun playing a bit of tennis in the local Alta league. Now, please understand, there is not an athletic bone in my body, yet it was the social thing to do and so I tried. To label my tennis playing as ‘passable’ might be stretching things a bit but we will assume that to be an accurate label. Greg and I began dating and although he had not played any tennis in at least 10 years, he joined our mixed doubles team and did so well that he went to the city finals. Me? I was right there on the sidelines cheering him on! He just excels at whatever he does!!
I am a decent cook. Actually, perhaps I am a bit better than decent. Right now, however, I am having major issues with one particular cake which I have made for YEARS. The stinkin’ thing has begun to stick and fall and just generally be gross to look at. It tastes good, but looks UGLY!! Apparently, although I did not realize it until Greg told me, I am also having issues with homemade biscuits. They taste fine but are not the beautiful ‘stately’ biscuits that one gets in the local mom and pop restaurant when you order a big country breakfast.
Yesterday morning, Greg and I made biscuits together. He had told me the night before that he wanted to roll them out and cut them after I mixed the dough. “Ok,” said I, thinking secretly that there was no way that his biscuits would be prettier and more ‘stately’ than mine. What was I thinking? I should have known better. His biscuits were perfection!! Beautiful! Flakey!! Stately!! They mocked me.
Greg also believes he has the solution to my cake woes. It’s the baking powder!! I, on the other hand, think the solution might be for him to make the cake.
Anyhoo, all this led me to ponder how I respond to correction or rebuke. NOT TOO WELL!! When I looked up the words correction and rebuke in my NKJV concordance, here is a small sample of what I found and it causes me to cringe:
Psalm 141: 5: “Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness.(really??) And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it.” (emphasis mine)
Proverbs 9:8: “Do not correct a scoffer; lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”
Proverbs 10: 17: “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.”
And the final word to my soul:
Proverbs 12: 1: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is STUPID!! (emphasis, mine)
