Appropriate Behavior!

Today is one of those days where I am sitting kind of haphazardly at my desk, with my legs positioned at strange angles… so that I can accommodate the dog who is curled up under my desk.  But before you wonder why I don’t just tell him to move… let me explain…

You see, from about the time I turned off the light last night until and including right now… and for pretty much the entire day ahead… we have been, and will continue having rain, more rain, heavy rain and the accompanying booms of thunder and flashes of lightning that is common during the spring in Oklahoma.  The good news is that the Tornado Watch alert has expired... for now!

As I have mentioned before, Fiver, my almost 70-pound Aussie/Great Pyrenees mix, does not like loud noises and out here in Oklahoma, thunder can be VERY LOUD!  I can remember a time back in 2006 when I was attending school out here, when Piper and I were in the front room looking at a spreadsheet on my computer and talking about our finances when out of nowhere “BOOM!” and the whole house shook and Piper and I literally jumped with the peel of thunder.  Once we got our voices back, we looked at each other and burst out laughing together!  We never had that experience back in northern California.

But in Fiver’s case, I know what to expect with severe thunderstorms.  And I know him and his needs well enough to encourage him to find refuge under the desk and feel a bit of security there… even if it means that I have to be uncomfortable for a while.  The other alternative is to give him some medicine from the Vet, but he tends to get too lethargic with it… so I save that course of action as the last alternative if he starts shaking.

My point is that over the almost five years that we have had Fiver, that I have got to know him and his needs, his characteristics, his triggers for both positive and not so positive behaviors and how and when he might need a nudge away from something (or some other dog) that may cause him to become anxious!

I’ve also mentioned before, that although it was difficult for us when Piper stopped verbally communicating somewhat early in her fight with Alzheimer’s, that I knew her well enough to understand what she needed, what gave her enjoyment and/or comfort, and basically what she would want concerning the many decisions I was having to make in her behalf.

What totally caught me off-guard was how some people whom I thought would and should have known us, demonstrated through their words and actions that they really knew very little about who Piper and I really were and where we stood. 

These thoughts came up this morning as I studied a verse of scripture found in between the two that I was actually seeking to study today!  Sandwiched between Paul’s encouragement to “rejoice in the Lord always” and to “be careful for nothing” (Philippians 4:4,6 KJV) is a short little verse that packs a big punch when you take the time to study it out.

Philippians 4:5 simply states, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (KJV)  The key words in this command of the Lord are “moderation” and “known.”  Moderation in the original Greek is explained as behavior that is “appropriate, seemingly, suitable, equitable, fair, gentle, reasonable and/or patient.” (Strong’s/Thayer’s)  According to Dictionary.com, appropriate behavior is that “which is fitting for a particular purpose, person or occasion.”  

When used as a verb, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it as an action “to take or make use of (something, someone, or some situation) without authority or right.”  From our experience, it was someone taking liberties that were not theirs to take!  In Idioms by The Free Dictionary, “taking liberties” is defined as “To alter something (especially by making it inaccurate or untrue) in order to benefit from it or accommodate one's own needs or interests.”  Or in terminology we see being used in our political world today, one could say it is, falsely changing the story to fit the narrative that another is comfortable with.

The other key word from our verse that puts the thought all together is the word “known.”  This in the Greek, is our old friend “ginosko” which describes one having a deeply personal and/or intimate relationship with someone.  So, in my simple way of thinking, the Apostle Paul is telling us to take the time to get to know and understand what is really going on with someone, and to appreciate their experience or point of view before jumping into their situation and give advice or criticism and/or pass on false accusations or stories… In other words, to do your homework and then act with an appropriate behavior that accurately fits the situation, and offers the best, loving help possible to meet the other people’s needs… and not necessarily yours!

For me… it means to keep my mouth shut, to listen, ask the right questions, and then pray before I offer input into another person’s life.  I guess that’s why God gave us two ears to listen… but only one mouth to speak!

The Passion Translation of Philippians 4:5 tells us to, “Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.”   I like that.  If one enters a situation with “gentleness” as their motivation, then selfishness, fear or anger will have to take a back seat and a Godly APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR will prevail!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best!