"I Must Have Done Something Good"

In recent weeks I have been revisiting the story of the Puritan founders who came to America. They had many admirable qualities and risked their very lives traversing the ocean on less than adequate vessels. As an added bonus, children everywhere get to make construction paper Pilgrim's hats in school for Thanksgiving. The Puritan's also brought their dire Calvinistic faith to America. It can be best summed up by saying, "They only felt good about themselves if they felt utterly miserable." Nothing can make your mornings brighter than to get up and think I am a miserable wretch, not worthy of being saved and today I find myself in the hands of a Almighty God who may do with me as he pleases. And then you say to yourself, "Well, today may be actually good after all."

Along with this contemplation, one evening I was flipping through the TV channels and happened upon the Sound of Music. They were at the garden scene where Maria and Captain Von Trapp sing their sweet nothings to each other. I realized that the Puritan's prevail again - even in the Sound of Music. The song Maria sings is beautiful in voice but the words could not be more dire. Maria sings:

           "Perhaps I had a wicked childhood, perhaps I had a miserable youth,
           but somewhere in my wicked, miserable past there must have been a moment of truth.
           For here you are, standing there, loving me whether or not you should
           but somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good.
           Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could,
           so somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good."

Could any song be more pathetic? Great movie -  bad song - yea Pilgrims! They have even influenced the German immigrants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.  It is sad that people think they can only be loved because they did something good, once, maybe even a long time ago. It is tragic to live by the belief that nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could. That is a repudiation of everything from Genesis to Revelation. Those who believe such a tragic hopeless gospel have the right to their opinion, but when I want to watch a singing, hopeful, love opera where everyone frolics through mountain fields, yodels and gets strudel in the end, all I ask is that you don't rain on my parade.

I have two daughters and of course I think they are the most wonderful girls there ever could be. They are grown but I will always think of them as my little girls. I can honestly say that as they grew up I never thought about what they would be, what careers they would choose, if they would marry, or any of those things. Not that those things were not important, I simply knew from the first day I saw them that I would always love them. Nothing from the day of their birth could make me more happy nor more proud. I knew from that day on that what ever life would bring. I would love them. I also knew that they would accomplish great things not by anyone else's standard but again simply because I would always love them. I am not canvassing for father of the year or advocating that I have always displayed perfect love. But in my own short comings and failures (I am not a miserable wretch but I have enough sense to know that I am not perfect) the one thing I do not doubt is that God has always loved me. Nothing does come from nothing - God simply loves me. And God simply loves you, simply because you are. Enjoy the day!