The Knee-Jerk Truth

When we are born, our human nature hands us an invisible yard stick. Unfortunately, we spend most of our lives measuring ourselves against others. We compare physical things like hair, body type, facial qualities, etc. We also compare our worth, our talent and abilities. I look back on photos from 30 or 40 years ago and I want to jump into the picture and tell the young Jamie that he's just fine. I have spent way too much time comparing myself to other imperfect, fallible human beings when I should be measuring myself to an Almighty God. It was He who told me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

When I was in college I took the obligatory literature class. I was introduced to many genres of prose and poetry, one of which was classified as knee jerk writing. In this genre the authors use shock to get their point across. The poem that still reverberates in my head and heart is Richard Corey, written by Edwin Arlington Robinson. In it we are introduced to a man who seems to have everything. The onlookers in the poem measure themselves with Mr. Corey and seem to come up lacking in comparison. The shock we discover at the end is that Richard Corey was, in fact, contrary to what we imagined.

Richard Corey

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean-favored and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good Morning!" and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine -- we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked and waited for the light,
And went without the meat and cursed the bread,
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet in his head.

God gave us this very fragile, short life to live. Let's toss that yard stick and stop propping up our ever-fading pseudo glory. I want to get into the business of spending my life being His wonderful creation and living out my unique calling in His kingdom.