The Optimist Shake
“And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs….And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.” Numbers 13:23, 27
Here in Virginia we are suffering from a very rough winter. Those not knowing the area might question, “But, isn’t it Spring?” The calendar might announce Spring’s arrival, but Old Man Winter apparently did not get the message. It seems like when it’s not snowing or sleeting, it’s raining. Everyone is about to shoot the weatherman if he even mentions one more drop of precipitation.
We were headed out to eat dinner with family. Our grandchildren were with us, which always makes it a special treat. It was raining and miserable outside. Everyone was complaining about the weather. My five year old granddaughter turned to the crowd and said: “At least it’s not an earthquake.”
One of the untapped joys most politicians miss, especially the Presidents, seems to be optimism. There always seems to be some bad conditions they feel the desire to blame the opponent for. Even when times aren’t so bad, most politicians seem more than ready to lift some rock and find some ugly scum which they can smear on those who oppose them.
He was born in a little town that sits on the Rappahannock River called Port Conway. A little church and a Bed and Breakfast now sit on the property where he was born. Farmland is all around. I’m sure he could have traveled a little north on Route 301 and made a left at the stop light on Route 3. Two or three miles up the road, from there, he could have pulled off into the little diner, Howard’s Restaurant, where I sat with my little granddaughter. I really doubt if Howard’s was around then, but the restaurant does have that step back in time feel to it.
When he grew up he would move a little further west to just outside of what is now the town of Orange, Virginia. If you happen to visit his home, the guide may take you to the dining room where there are cutouts of people sitting around the table, who visited him at his home at one time or another. Although not all of them were ever there at the same time it is a remarkable guest list. The odd part about it is that many of the men had very differing views on a wide range of ideas. He believed hearing all sides and discussing all views was a healthy way for a democracy to develop. Differing opinions and working out agreements to satisfy the strongest points of those opinions is what would make us stronger. However, if you were to list ten men who were responsible for us becoming the nation we are today, I don’t know if too many people would even mention his name. But he probably truly does deserves to be on that list.
Way back in the early Biblical history, he was assigned to a group of twelve men. Their task was to check out some land and evaluate its value and the risk of acquiring it. He is probably the lesser known of duo that came back with an optimistic view on the acquisition. He was so excited about the potential. It was so beautiful and so fertile. He could just image the cute little brick cottages going up. Oh, his fellow countrymen would be so pleased!
Sometimes starting a country is quite the task. Whether it is finding the land for future residents or just getting everyone to agree, headaches are bound to evolve. It takes really special people to not give up and to remain optimistic.
James Madison was one such individual. Our efforts to form a nation were really quite trying. Basically, everyone wanted thirteen different nations working within a confederation. Most people opposed a strong central government. They wanted each state to have its own rules and regulations. Sensing a need for protection from foreign lands they developed the Articles of Confederation. The central government just kept them together for that protection. They knew they couldn’t survive alone.
A weak central government presented other problems, though. They couldn’t raise funds for something as basic as an army and they would depend on each independently driven colony to provide troops, if they felt like it. In addition, they couldn’t really issue currency. How many Pennsylvania dollars can I get for a Georgia dollar? Big states, like Virginia, where Madison was from, could probably survive, but what about the little ones? If those little ones fell to a foreign power, how much longer would it be until they all fell, including the big ones?
Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and others went to work trying to convince everyone to give up on the Article of Confederation idea and switch to a centralized government. It was not an easy task. Madison remained optimistic and even compromised on some of his strong beliefs to get the document we call the Constitution passed. One of his nicknames is The Father of the Constitution.
Caleb was one of the twelve that was sent to the Promised Land to scout it out. Although all twelve agreed it was a wonderful place, only Caleb and Joshua were optimistic enough to believe they could conquer the land. Numbers 13:30 (KJV) even states: “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” For their optimism, the entire congregation threw stones at them. God would punish Israel for their negative attitude by not letting any of the adults, except Caleb and Joshua, enter the Promised Land.
Optimism is the unique ability to be able to look past the present and see a much better world despite our condition. It is a determination that there are no roadblocks, just different ways around obstacles. It is a appreciation that, at the very least, it’s not an earthquake.
Prayer: Father, Please help me to always be as optimistic as I possibly can. Help me realize that when things don’t always look sunny it could be worse: It could be an earthquake. Amen.
