Linus and That Stupid Blanket

On my way to work one day this week, I spotted a woman in the carpool lane re-entering the lanes with those of us stuck in traffic. Whenever I see drivers zig-zagging in and out of the carpool lane, I always check to see if they are alone. In this case, this woman was alone and in my rightness-oriented mind, I couldn't help but shake my head. I've always wanted to go in the carpool lane as a single driver, but never have done so outside of the hours I am allowed to. As I drove alongside this woman, I noticed that she had a blanket up to her nose and she kept re-adjusting it which then triggered a sense of curiosity and suspicion on my part. As I passed her, I kept watching her in my rearview mirror and I thought that perhaps she was changing her shirt. However, this blanket-up-to-the-nose thing continued and I purposely slowed down so that she could drive alongside me again. I couldn't believe what I saw: she was sucking her thumb while holding her tattered blanket! 

If you asked Freud, Jung or Maslow to analyze this woman's odd habit, they'd all probably say she had an oral fixation, that she was insecure and that she didn't bond to her mother when she was an infant. All of the answers may be a possibility, but it got me thinking about an even deeper issue of her heart. We all know that babies either have a pacifier, thumb, blanket or all three and those are a source of comfort that bring about security. I remember when I sucked my thumb until I was six and oh, it was so hard to give up. However, when an adult sucks their thumb, it seems odd because they "should've" given that up when they were kids. The fact of the matter remains in all our hearts: we all long for security. 

I've talked about this before but with today's economy, there is no better time to focus on the want of security. Many of those who thought that they had a forever job have experienced downsizing in their company, loss of business and paycuts. Businesses, small and large have closed. Many homes are going into foreclosure or residents are short selling. I recently read that 49% of the population that live in a household, are on some kind of government assistance. Families can't even fill their gas tank to capacity because gas prices are egregiously high. And you know what is the only security? gold. The price of gold per ounce has risen and yes, we should all trade in any gold that we have for cash. 


I remember a time when I naively thought that cutting hair will always attract customers despite the woes of the economy because everyone has hair. Ha! There are so many people who have learned to cut their own hair so that they can save instead for their groceries or gas. 

What gives you security? A husband? A wonderful marriage? A job with benefits? A good relationship with your kids? Your friends? Your bank account? Your hobbies? A bar of gold? Love? Politics? Your family? Your talents? Happiness? Satisfaction? Pride? Confidence? Belief in yourself? If only I...fill in the blank.


I'm not perfect and while I would like to be, I sometimes find my security in things, in people-temporal, fleeting and failing. I'm not sure why I do this because I know the truth and the Source of security. As a Christian, I must daily remind myself that all my hope is in Christ. My security AND satisfaction must be bound in Him alone. 

You can't have security unless you find satisfaction in something. I'll even go further and say it: you can't have security unless you have satisfaction in Christ. What does it mean to have full satisfaction in Christ? It means that your joy is made complete because you relish Him. You delight in His ways and your devotion is fully to Him. John Piper says,  "The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God." 

I love what George Mueller says about happiness: "The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distress, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit."*

Sometimes life is mundane and it laborious to always desire God. However, we are called to cultivate our relationship with the Lord by reading His Word, praying and worshiping Him. My heart needs to be molded to His will (not to my busy schedule) and as John Piper says, "He is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him". To write such words are not cliche, I earnestly seek this. God will never disappoint and His security is top-notch!

         On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God-Psalm 62:7 

         Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.-Psalm 1:1-3 

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days-Psalm 90:14 



Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!-Psalm 119:36


if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail-Isaiah 58:10-11 




*(Autobiography of George Mueller, compiled by Fred Bergen, [London: J. Nisbet Co., 1906], pp. 152-154].

My Soul Belongs To God, I know

With every new class that I teach, in my introduction, I always explain in the end (as if it was an afterthought), that I'm available and looking for a husband. Usually, my students get a good laugh because it's not expected on the first day that they meet me. And then of course, I also make it known that I am not open to dating their single dads. Well, now it's my students' mission to either find me a husband, get me involved in the dating world or set me up with some guy they know. "Miss Csider, we need to get you on eHarmony.com or Christianmingle.com or plentyoffish.com" or "Miss Csider, we'll make a profile for you on Christianmingle.com".


Since this subject comes up with friends or acquaintances quite often, I thought I would explain why I'm not interested in online dating---at this time. I realize that times have changed and more singles have used the internet as a means to put themselves out there to increase their chances of meeting their soul mate. I've met several couples who've had success with online dating and have even married. Yes, I'm an old-fashioned girl and if I did get married, I might even wear a long-sleeved wedding gown because I'm traditional. However, being an old-fashioned girl is not what keeps me from online dating. I simply don't feel called to by God. I realize that for some, this is such a foreign concept-to be called by God. However, I am confident that God has me just where He wants me. I could be wrong, but I don't have a compelling urge to join any online dating services right now. I'm not saying that I am committed to this stance forever because I always want to be open to whatever God has in my life. 


I realize that there are some who lack the same kind of faith I have and I know this faith is not my own. In other words, I believe that God has given me the spiritual gift of faith and so this is nothing in which I can boast as my own accomplishment. No matter how foolish the Cross may sound to an unbeliever, it makes perfect sense to me. Even if I may question God and His ways, I am reassured that His ways are not my ways and there is no need for me to be in the know about everything. For whatever reason, trusting the Lord in everything is almost natural for me. 


There are some people who doubt God and who He is and there are even some Christians who struggle with unbelief. George Mueller defined such faith as follows: "Faith is the assurance that the things which God said in His Word are true; and that God will act according to what He has said in His Word. This assurance, this reliance on God's Word, this confidence, is Faith." My heart aches for those that struggle with unbelief and trust. 


I get it, there are some who don't believe in God or rest in the fact that pulling yourself up by your bootstraps  will guarantee satisfaction and success. But, what happens when those bootstraps become worn from all that pulling? I only know for myself that when I march to my own drum, I end up tooting my own horn and don't give the Conductor the credit that He deserves.


And these are the times where I've had to remind myself of God's truths, His attributes and His ways and not to continue putting faith into my own ways.  I've learned to find satisfaction in His ways and where He has me in life at this time-no online dating is needed-for now. As Jean Valjean sings in Les Miserables, "My soul belongs to God I know", not any soul mate at this time. And, I'm okay with that.


For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls-1 Peter 2:25 


For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope-Jeremiah 29:11 


His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire-2 Peter 1:3-4 


And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus-Philippians 4:19


Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,


for those who fear him have no lack!-Psalm 34:9 


For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
 the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
 from those who walk uprightly-Psalm 84:11