Because I think this Romanian folk saying summarizes life under the sun.
The Romanian word for the moon in the waxing crescent phase (top drawing) starts with a letter that looks like the shape of the moon in the opposite phase (bottom drawing) and vice versa. The saying was used to help school children remember to use the word starting with the letter OPPOSItE the shape of the moon when naming it. When I first heard a Romanian say this, it stopped me in my tracks. This statement was inadvertently conveying profound spiritual truth.
The natural world and our natural human inclinations lead us to conclude one thing, but the Spirit of God speaks a better (and radically contrary) Word.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
Jesus said some hard words in the Gospel of Matthew,
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
and...
"Whoever wants to become great among you, must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first, must be your slave--"
and this from I Cor. 1:27 - 29, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
That is why he chose: me, a person who thought she should have a career unincumbered by marriage and family, to be the mother of 11... me, a person afraid to fly in a plane, to travel to places all over the globe to bring home his orphans...me, a person who needs more sleep and is less organized than the average person, to run a household of 13...my husband, who really just wanted to be a gym teacher, to provide for this brood...
That is why: a "throw-away" Romanian orphan, born without arms, plays the cello more beautifully than many with arms...an abandoned Indian orphan is a straight A student in an American school and a leader of youth in his church...
That is why: dear friends of ours, self-professed materialists, caught up in the allure of the world to the point of near self-destruction, are now powerful apologists for the transforming work of God's grace to a needy world...
Yes, the moon is a liar...but God tells the truth.
And as His plan unfolds this little princess named Supranee has been prepared by an royal family who equipped her for directing others with her care that would only be taught in such an environment....and now at an age where she can reason and express herself she is being escorted by the heavenly realm to learn about her place as a sister to the King of Kings in a place and with a family who knows Him so well....
ReplyDeleteSarah Groves sings "You are the Sun" which is another take on your moon theme. In in, she says of God,
ReplyDelete"You are the sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere you are is warmth and light
And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still you have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you"
The moon is also a liar if he does not acknowledge that all of his light is only borrowed from the greater light of the sun.
Blog on, friend. I look forward to reading more!