DARING TO BE DIFFERENT –

Many of the psalm writers found that it provided a great opportunity to teach life’s lessons through the lyrics of a song. In many cultures that’s how children learned the alphabet. For such psalmists, the best way to become wise was first by recognizing and reverencing the LORD Eternal for who He is and what He’s done. In this song the writer outlines the finer traits that a wise man chooses in developing the spirit of generosity. He also teaches how to discern between those fears based on reality and those predicated on unproven thoughts of our imagination. In other words, False Expectations Appearing Real. While genuine fear makes us cautious so that we take steps to promote our safety, unfounded fears created by phobias, lead to anxiety and actions difficult to justify. In any case, it’s hard to imagine anything nobler than emulating God’s goodness.

“Let the person who reverences the LORD Eternal and takes great joy in following His Word, count their blessings. By living right, their children can become leaders in the community, because people with good hearts will be blessed. Their acts of kindness will result in blessings filling their own homes with prosperity and abundance. Their graciousness and compassion will shine like a bright light in the darkness. They will be considered good because they share generously with others, while managing their own budgets properly. They will be the image of success, and will long be remembered. They won’t panic just because of adverse financial forecasts; they have determined in their hearts to fully trust the LORD Eternal to get them through. Yes, their hearts are steadfast because they do not allow fear to overcome their faith; they are willing to wait until conditions change for the better. I’m telling you, those who give unconditionally to the unfortunate, will see their acts of kindness continue to bless the needy; and their legacy will be commemorated with honor. Now, closed-minded people watch this and ridicule such giving, and get all upset because of the attention paid to it, but they will end up seeing their selfishness lead to a dead end.” Psalm 112:1-10

Reflection: One night in 1891 a middle-aged couple entered the lobby of the upscale Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, looking for extended-stay accommodations. After the manager told them all the suites were taken, he added that they could stay in his personal suite. The older gentleman said, “You are the kind of man who should be managing the best hotel in the United States”. Two years later, in March 1893, this manager received a letter from that man, with a round-trip train ticket enclosed asking him to come to New York for a meeting. After the manager arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5^th Avenue and 34^th Street, where this man’s mansion once stood. “That,” said the man pointing to a magnificent new building, “is the hotel I want you to manage.” This elderly gentleman turned out to be William Waldorf Astor, owner of the original Waldorf Hotel – on the site now occupied by the Empire State Building. That young manager, a Prussian immigrant named George C. Boldt, was its first manager. He later became the millionaire owner of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia (now the Park Hyatt), and a trustee of Cornell University. What a wonderful example of someone who believed in doing things right, especially for others. He saw a need and met it, even with personal sacrifice. The psalmist describes these same virtues in his hymn, and shows how God honors such sterling character. While pessimists quote the old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished,” optimists say, “Hallelujah, anyway! The LORD Eternal blesses those who do things His way.” May both the words of the psalmist and the example of Mr. Boldt encourage all of us to be the kind of person described in this psalm, and let all for the glory go to our generous God.