Stretching Question Four...of Five

Every day in the shipyard workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch". Along with dozens of other fitters, and a contingent of invading welders, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  A QUESTION FIVE always comes to my mind on these occasions.  I will get to that in good time.

Please read QUESTIONS ONE ,TWO and THREE before going on.

QUESTION FOUR:

"How can I waste time and effort today?"

This may seem like a no brainer for most of us who use Facebook!  Trolling through line after line of other people's timelines and photos and status updates; watching YouTube and WIMP videos; posting dumb jokes and leaving inane comments.  What?  That's just me?  OK, but you know what I mean.  It is so very easy to waste time online.

But it is not much harder to misspend valuable time in the shipyard.  A lot of the lost time is management's idea.  Like the "rollback" we had Friday morning.  For the sake of "slips trips and falls" prevention, hundreds of guys spent the first hour or so of the day rolling up every gas line, air line, welding lead, extension cord and  CO2 hose in the yard.  Fine.  And nobody was hurt in the process.  Then what?  You guessed it.  We then took all of those nice coils off the rack and once again, stretched out the lines we needed to get back to work.  I do appreciate the effort to keep us safe, but probably 80% of the gear went right back where it was .
Yesterday I went through a hundred yards of tunnel grinding off stars, as per orders.  I thought I'd be extra efficient as long as I was dragging the airline, by bringing a needle gun and prepping for a brace plate install (wouldn't you?) at the same time.  I even got a nice "atta boy" when I told the leadman what I had done.  So this morning I was told that I had to go through the same tunnel again because the mouseholes needed attention with a pencil grinder too!  I coulda woulda shoulda done that yesterday as well!

So much for management's contribution.  But none of us really need their help in wasting time or effort.  The attitude of workers everywhere (that I have been) is generally very self-interested, and not so much company-interested.  We find excuses to take walks up to the tool room.  We plead "safety" to get some one more "qualified" to move something or install a string of lights, when we could easily manage the task ourselves.  And each man knows exactly how many minutes he can quit early without getting in trouble, or where to hide out while waiting for the break time whistle to blow.

The instruction in the picture was meant for the object in the box.  It should not be "hidden" in the back of some rack.  But I took the picture, in a building frequently used as a hiding place.

How many months or years of our lives do we squander by pursuing pointless goals?  I like to challenge myself as much as anybody, and in a wide variety of ways, but can I really afford the countless hours it would take to excel at chess or singing or...writing, when there are real needs being left unmet all around me?

Jesus said one thing before He ascended.  "Go and make disciples."  Maybe he actually said "Go and watch Andy Griffith reruns till you have them all memorized" but something was lost in the translation?  I'm afraid not.  If there was something else He might have added to supplement His instruction, perhaps "Do Not hide" might have been it.

So while we reach out an arm and pull back on our fingers, let's think about QUESTION FOUR, and soon we will get to my very own QUESTION FIVE.


How can I waste time and effort today?

I could need a bathroom break, again.

I could stop and talk to everyone I pass.

I could do everything the way it's always been done.

I could always do things the easy way.

I could just do what I want to do.

I could think only of myself.

I could make sure I'm always "entertained".

I could trust that someone else will do the important stuff.

I could be careless.

I could be a perfectionist.

Spending time badly is probably worse than misusing resources.  There may even be a tipping point beyond which a certain amount of recycling is counterproductive (there, I said it) for that matter.



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Stretching Question Three of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day. A QUESTION FIVE always comes to my mind on these occasions.  I will get to that in good time.

Please read QUESTIONS ONE and TWO before going on.

QUESTION THREE:

"How can I hurt any tools or equipment today?"

Yes, things are people too! Or something like that.  Ok so it's people first and THEN things.  But you will notice that things do have an important place in the pecking order.  They come third.  People are second, right after GRANDKIDS!

The shipyard has an important interest in the tools and equipment they supply. And they let us know. On his first day each man is issued a basic set of tools necessary for the completion of his duties.  I remember feeling like I had won the jackpot!  I walked into the North Tool Room (NTR) in my brand new shiny red helmet and was assigned a fancy set of long blue fire retardant gloves, another pair of leather gloves, a flashlight, a striker, a hammer, a torch, a green face shield, a 9"grinder and a 4"grinder, ear plugs, a clear face shield, a welding whip, a welder's helmet, a stick ruler, a tri-square, a center punch, green sleeve protectors, a fairing lens, a paint marker, a soapstone, knee pads, a jitterbug, a needle gun, and a great big steel tool box in which to stash it all.  I stood there waiting for my very own fork truck to haul this pile awayfor me but they just laughed meanly and bade me go find a couple of old steel 5 gallon buckets.

These were all mine?  I love tools!  But my euphoria quickly turned to a watchful dread when I was told "Oh, by the way, if ANYTHING is missing when lay off time comes, you'll be charged twice the going price for each item, so don't let anything out of your sight."  Oh.

This deliberate policy transfers care of each toolular item from the company to the worker. Consequently, while some important work is accomplished every day, among the average shipyard worker, very little supersedes tool-watching!  The good care of each tool is easily measured by the amount that might be removed from a future paycheck.  Who wants to hurt or lose any tools?  I sure don't!

Some of "their stuff"

The other category of inanimate object that we are expected to protect from harm is the company's own equipment.  This is not supplied directly to any one worker, but is simply available for general use whenever or wherever it is needed.  Hoses for air powered tools, gas lines for torches, power leads for welding and electric extension cords fall into this department.  Such lines are dragged out and left running across decks, around sharp corners, and subjected to major streams of molten sparks.  Hoses are driven over, walked on, pinched and cut in two on a regular basis.  But who cares?  They just belong to the company and such abuse gives old Chuck, the hose repair guy, work until he's 105 just to get through the current mountain of broken, burnt and battered hosiery.

I might suggest, though it would be very impractical, that each man be assigned a number of hoses in each category.  The repair pile would disappear and Chuck would have to find another job.  All because people gladly take care of stuff that they have to pay for, or have paid for; but care very little about what has been given them cost free.

As you lean forward and slowly pull that hamstring, ponder QUESTION THREE.

How can I hurt any tools or equipment today?

My Tools
I could make sure I have no ownership.
I could stop guarding my stuff from thievery.
I could lend out my tools without regard to past delinquencies.
I could use whatever is in my hand as a hammer.
I could give and give and give and give...and never receive anything back.

Their Equipment
I could actually care less, and be careless.

I could remind myself that "this ain't mine!".
I could let the next generation of shipfitters pay the bill.
I could pretend that the rich company can afford anything!
I could simply imagine that nothing I can do will save the company resources.
I could go get a new pair of gloves every day.


Good stewardship, the Bible calls it, is essential for the maximum use of all important resources.  Whether it be heating oil, drinking water, electricity, jobs, hoses or even a pair of big blue fitter gloves; every item should be preserved and fostered and used to meet its utmost potential.  And whether something is "mine" or "theirs" must not matter; let everything we have or use be considered as a gift to be appreciated and cultivated.


Please leave a comment.

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Stretching Question Two of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  I have come up with an additional QUESTION FIVE to ask myself every day, but first...

You might want to read about question one here before going on.

QUESTION TWO:

"How can I hurt my partner today?"

This question can more readily be taken wrongly by those who do not get along with their assigned partner!  But there would be SO much paperwork required, so I might as well go along with the spirit of the question and see what I can do to protect him from an accident.

Many jobs in the shipyard could be done by one person working alone, but we are almost always paired up.  Two heads are better than one, they say; two backs are stronger together than separately, has been said much more eloquently in the Proverbs; and most importantly, if one guy is on fire the other guy can put him out or at least let him know so he can put himself out.  Just the other day I put out a very small fire that was growing on my partner's shoulder.  He did not know (yet), because he was wearing his welding helmet, that a hot spark had landed in a cozy spot on his new sweatshirt.  Several times I have let people know that the frayed cuff of their jeans was ablaze, and at least once, I was kindly informed that my boot needed no more kindling.

We are told to "SLAM" our jobs every day.  Stop, Look, Assess and Manage the work in order to accomplish each task with safety.  This goes for myself and for my partner.  Oftentimes, the other perspective on a job is vital.  Standing back while he climbs or reaches or is buried behind a dark shield, I can see a potential danger before it goes kinetic on him.  (But what if I don't like my partner and I want to actually SLAM him?  Oh, never mind.)

How dependent on you is your "partner"?  Or your neighbor?  Or maybe a sibling that nobody in the world knows like you do?  Even that stranger texting and walking off the curb so carelessly.  The little girls playing on the dock without life preservers on.  Have you overheard someone say that they "just don't care anymore" and then stood by while their desperate apathy overpowers your otherwise caring heart?

Pull your left arm across your chest (one of our stretching exercises) while you think about QUESTION TWO.

How can I hurt my partner today?

I could stop paying attention.
I could focus on myself.
I could be careless.
I could neglect my duty.

I could ignore his pain.
I could do my own thing.
I could stop listening to her.

I could be rude.
I could be mean.
I could be unjust.

I could slander him.
I could accuse her.
I could abuse him.
I could hate her.

I could settle for enduring.
I could settle for waiting.
I could merely tolerate.




Even if we live alone, we do not live in isolation.  Someone depends on you.  Your kindness to a stranger, your encouragement to a close friend obviously weary and burdened, even your rebuke and your strong boundaries to those most intimate, are needed desperately by the people in your circle.  Ask Question Two this way: How can I help, and NOT hurt, my partner today?

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Stretching Question One of...Five

Every day in the shipyard, workers gather in manageable groups of a few dozen, generally separated according to the various trades, and "stretch." Along with dozens of other fitters, I stand outside in whatever weather is beholden and go through a series of ligament warming, muscle waking, and bone bending exercises designed to prepare our bodies for a safe and productive day.

During this grind, one of the leaders begins to ask us some of the FOUR questions we should ask ourselves throughout the day.  I have come up with an additional QUESTION FIVE to ask myself every day, but first...

QUESTION ONE:

"How can I hurt myself today?"

I know; this question sounds suspicious.  "Why should I be looking for ways to hurt myself?" I wonder.  But the real meaning of the query is not really too far hidden.  Our supervisors want us to ask ourselves again and again, "Will the job I am about to do hurt me in some way, and if so, how can I avoid such an unfortunate consequence?"  Less suspicious, but harder to say when you're trying to touch your toes (WITHOUT bending your knees!).

This is in fact a very good question to ask in the shipyard where a guy like me might step off the deck of a ship and fall 40 feet to the concrete bottom of the dry dock, or inadvertently walk into an open manhole, or even klunk my head going through a tunnel.  I could easily forget to flip my welding shield down before striking an arc and thus burn my little retinas, or potentially leave off my protective sleeves and catch some hot slag on my left forearm a few inches below my wrist on a Tuesday morning...for example (The burn would certainly be healed and resolved by now, thank you for asking.).

More importantly, we should all consider such a question outside of the ship yard's chain link gates as well.  Stuff happens. And we must pay attention. As adults we appreciate the lessons our parents taught us so long ago don't we?   I know I still look both ways before I cross the street because this issue of potential danger was so well ingrained in me by their realistic and protective tutoring. But there are so many more dangers, not so readily identified as those we learned of as toddlers, that we must be prepared to counter every day.

There are many terrible hazards we modern folk have trivialized.  We have dangerously dismissed the idea that anybody can actually be hurt by the choices they make.  Those who dare to give warnings are mocked.  Those societal pesks who spend their lives suffering from the dire consequences of bad decisions are ignored or minimized or judged to be weak.  Some spend years rationalizing the harm done by bad parents, and end up repeating the awful pattern.  Others resist following such trails but gird themselves with bitter hatred, and live their lives linked to perpetrators by chains of unforgiveness.

Stretch yourself a little and let's answer QUESTION ONE as if it were meant the way it sounds.

How can I hurt myself today?

I could disobey my parents.

I could ignore my teachers.

I could hate cops.

I could refuse to vote.

I could "experiment".

I could embrace pornography.

I could start smoking/drinking/gambling/using drugs.

I could drop out of school.

I could quit my job.

I could move back home.

I could marry carelessly.

I could disdain my vows.

I could commit adultery.

I could divorce my spouse.

I could abandon my kids.

I could believe whatever I wanted to.

I could listen to fools.

I could dismiss God.



Better to work in the shipyard blindfolded, than face life without heeding good instruction.
By not listening to important warnings, I have often "hurt myself," but thankfully, have found that God can, and wants to redeem what I have lost.

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The Inner Bottom

Have you ever taken a nose dive?  Come to the end of your rope?  Gone off the proverbial edge?  Is it yet to come, or have you already, hit rock bottom?  Perhaps that trauma at least gave you the comfort of thinking that "it can't get any worse".  Well I have some news for you, and it may not be good to hear.  There is a place below the bottom, and I have been there.  It is called "THE INNER BOTTOM"!

Working as a "shipfitter" requires much flexibility (in more ways than one, but more about that later).  Every morning in the shipyard we men gather outside at 7 AM, no matter what the weather is doing and no matter what the season, for the daily stretching routine.  Then we meet with our various foremen to be assigned a job.  This is the daily moment of truth.

I never know with whom I will be partnered, what I'll be doing, how long the job might take, which part of which ship (and whether I'll be inside or outside), or even (and don't tell my boss) what in the world I'm doing!  But seriously, the quality of the day, or at least the drudge factor of the day, comes clear in that moment. It's either an "All right!  I'll working with my buddy Ryan putting in exhaust supports in the generator room!", or "Oh crap!  I have to work with _____, while he complains all day as we climb around in ballast tanks cleaning up welding rod stubs and cigarette butts!  But whatever the assignment, I have learned to make the most of every day by getting to know a new partner, by being intrigued with a new part of the ship, or by learning and practicing another set of skills I've never known before.

It wasn't very long ago that I had no experience with cutting torches, air powered grinders, welding whips, dry docks, cargo holds, bulkheads, crops or conveyor actuators.   I have since worked on upper decks, main decks, quarter decks and even under the ship's shell in the dry dock.  I have been ordered to carry steel, cut steel, wash steel, tack steel and stitch steel.  I have worked in cargo holds, generator rooms, ballast tanks, engine rooms, conveyor tunnels and escape tubes.  I have had to chip ice, shovel ice, melt ice and slip on ice,  as well as fire watch, shower in sparks, burn steel, take the heat and nearly melt.

So far, so good.  So far, I have avoided being sent to crawl into the INNER BOTTOM!  The inner bottom is a small dark muddy place running along the very center of the cargo ship (in my case), that separates the very outside shell from a work space above, usually the "tunnel" where a cargo unloading conveyor belt runs the ship's length.  It is barely 2 feet high inside and is accessed either by crawling through the narrow manhole from the muddy bottom of the wide open ballast tank, or by dropping down through a manhole in the floor of the tunnel.  Either way, physical flexibility, and some bodily dimensional limitations (height and/or girth) are required to avoid getting stuck half way in.

No place to spend eternity.

Most often the work on a cargo ship is required elsewhere.  But once in a while someone is sent in to install a crop, snipe a bracket, or simply to meet their maker (I heard a rumor about a skeleton found...).  The only time I ever had to work inside the inner bottom was in dry dock, and the shell of the boat had been removed. At least part of the job could be done from standing on a short ladder, but then I had to crawl up and roll over the angle iron ribs dragging my torch line, air line, extension cord and lights, welding lead, grinder, various helmets and shields, fire blankets and other miscellaneous tools with me.  Only then could I begin to work all crouched and twisted and trying to keep flying molten steel from being strewn across my person.

But, it was heavenly!  People complain about being assigned such jobs, yet when confronted with an eternity in hell, they shrug and scoff and glibly claim that at least they'll be there "with all their friends", as if there could be ANY degree of comfort in a place chosen by rejecting the free gift of ALL comfort.  No.  The ultimate INNER BOTTOM will be faced alone.  No friends, no coworker just outside the manhole to drag you out if you are overcome by fumes or injured by accident.  No manhole or escape hatch.  No connections with power or light..  No satisfaction from facing a challenge or from completing a difficult task.  Not even a chance to shake a fist at God; the opportunity to get real with Him is given, and limited to, today.

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.                                                              2 Corinthians 6:2

A ship's inner bottom is a protective void.  Its upper deck provides the flat space needed to accomplish important work, while its floor is a structural resistance to the sea's intrusive power.  Hell was intended to be a place to separate Lucifer and the other fallen angels from God's presence forever.  Only those people convinced to join him in his rebellion need go there.   God's open home (all are invited to enter by the work of Jesus Christ, offered by God's amazing grace!) is the best place to meet friends, to enjoy God's presence face to face, to enter into meaningful and pleasurable work, and to live eternally, ever maturing and growing more and more "in His image".  Nobody will ever be glad they chose the ultimate inner bottom.



















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Already Seen Deja Vu

"Already seen" is the English translation of the French term "deja vu" we commonly use to describe that weird feeling most of us have had, that tells us something just happening has happened before.  Out of the blue, you suddenly experience the moment you are in but not in a normal way; it seems to filter through the memory and so you think you can just about predict what will happen next.  But, since it only seems to be a memory because your current perception is somehow pouring through your memory banks, you can't ever really make that prediction.

Have you ever had a deja vu experience?  I have many times, and always enjoyed that moment of realization and mystery.  Every time, I attempt to make it last; to try to use it to peer around the corner of time as I make the effort to "remember" what was about to happen.  You would think that by now I would remember that it never works.

Deja vu is one of those things that unites disparate members of this human race.  Two thirds of the population  say they have had the experience.  What's the first thing you say when it dawns on you that you have "seen this before"?  If you are like me, you announce your status (in French!) to anyone in range, knowing full well that they can not enter the mindset with you, but that they can definitely relate.



Now this assignment has me thinking, however, about the times in my life when an experience was actually experienced earlier and seems to be repeating.  I should, in such a case, be able to make valid predictions about what will happen next.  You would think.

Here are a few examples.

Buying a car.  Since I bought my first car about 33 years ago (a cool 1973 Maverick with a fuzzy shag white carpet glued to the doors and rear shelf under the rear window (what DO you call that?)) I have "already seen" myself buy about 33 cars and trucks!  Will I ever learn to buy a decent vehicle?  I did see myself buy a brand new 1990 Isuzu trooper once, but then I saw my darn kids grow out of it so fast we had to get a mini-van!

Saving cool scraps.  My wife still laughs at the giant wooden firewood box I made out of strips of mahogany I brought home from a job.  They were 3/4 by 1 1/2 inches by 5 or 6 feet long,  and I just could not see them thrown into the burn pile!  But at least I did make something out of them, AND sold it!

This wall cap (here not yet installed) was made with "scrap"!

Last week I installed a sink for a lady and she saw potential in the laminate cut out.  "What can I make with that?" she said.  I was repulsed!  I backed away and crossed myself, as I automatically deja vu'd the dozens of even larger examples I used to bring home, and store, and move, and restack, and even haul when our family moved across town.  Managing to leave it there when I finished that bathroom job was a victory for this old scrap collector, and I can assure you that the scraps I still do have in my garage, and my basement, are really really cool scraps that I really really will use some day.

Playing chess.  When my son Josh joined the chess club some 10 years ago and immediately excelled (filling our house with dozens of trophies (some gigantic)), my interest in the game was rekindled.  My childhood experience included continual losing to my genius brother and finally giving up.  As a mature adult it was more of continually losing to my brilliant but nonchalant son and then finally finding someone else to play.  Heidi, our Dachshund, has never beaten me yet!

But there is a pattern I still "see again (and again)" in my chess experience.  Win a game easily.  Win another game handily.  Get cocky.  Make a stupid move and lose my queen.  Turn red.  Repeat.

Maybe I should play the cat!






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PS
After watching two baseball players hit consecutive home runs, twice, Yogi Berra made the term even more surreal by proclaiming "It's like deja vu all over again".

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting July 10th on Proverbs 10:15-19

Got 31 days in the month?  

God's got 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs! 

What a coincidence!

For each date then, again this month, you will find commentary on a few verses from the corresponding chapter. There are 7 months in the year with 31 days, so I divided each chapter into 7 parts and spread them out so that each verse will be reviewed on the date related to its chapter by the same number name.  No, I am not deliberately trying to make this explanation complicated! (But, if you can explain my system any better than I have tried to do in the past three 31-day months, there is probably a proverb proclaiming your wisdom, and you will be recognized here for your high achievement!).

Below this introduction you will find the whole chapter representing today's date, with this month's verses highlighted in red, and my amateur comments for today low lighted in blue. Enjoy!

PROVERBS 10

Proverbs of Solomon

1 The proverbs of Solomon:


A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.


2 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,
but righteousness delivers from death.


3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.


4 Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.


5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.


6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.[a]


7 The name of the righteous is used in blessings,[b]
but the name of the wicked will rot.


8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.


9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.


10 Whoever winks maliciously causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.


11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.


12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.


13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.


14 The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.


15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

15) I sometimes fear for the rich.  Even in my simple life, I have recognized the tendency to rely on what I have: the furnace, electric power, batteries, gas stations, grocery stores, insurance.  These basic elements of life are so important, but so tenuous.  Things go wrong, and seem more likely to go wrong in recent years than in previous times.  But the rich get used to so much more going so much better that when it all falls in, how will they cope?  Poverty ruins the poor, but when it hits the rich, it will hurt all the more.  As a back-slidden Christian is so much more badly injured than a steady unbeliever, because he knows what he has forsaken.

16 The wages of the righteous is life,
but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

16) Why do the righteous get one thing (life) but the wicked get two (sin and death)?  Because the wicked include sin in an otherwise pure gift of life, and it is the sin that cancels life, leading to death.  We are all born into sin (as a fallen race) but if we do not repent and forsake the sin, it stays intact and does its deathifying work.  

17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

17) It is interesting that accepting discipline shows promise and benefit in a passive manner, but declining correction has an active, corrupting result in the lives of others.  Might one say then that God the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, and that the Devil is a bully?


18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips
and spreads slander is a fool.

18)  It must be better then, to reveal and even declare one's hatred as an exercise in truth telling.  At least then the air is clear and the hatred can only go as far as the subject of the hate.  But if it is hidden, hatred morphs into other perversities like gossip, slander, blackmail or murder.  It's import is lost and its potential justification is never tested.  Valid, but concealed hatred will be ineffectual in righting wrongs, and wrongful, undeclared hatred will go unchecked. 

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues.

19) Another proverbial indicator that speaking too much is a bad sign.  If not of plain foolishness, then perhaps of deceitfulness or some other sin.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.


21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of sense.


22 The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
without painful toil for it.


23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,
but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.


24 What the wicked dread will overtake them;
what the righteous desire will be granted.


25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.


26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so are sluggards to those who send them.


27 The fear of the Lord adds length to life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.


28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.


29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.


30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.


31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be silenced.


32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
[Anyone willing to author an explanation of my system, let me know, and if it makes more sense than my attempts (how could it not?) I will use it in October.]


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