391 Indecisiveness

Gentle Reader, this operation of paint selection by shooting in the dark, so to speak, can repeat itself multiple times before the painter throws up his hands in disgust and goes out and buys white paint or satisfaction is achieved.

Regardless, no one can blame indecisiveness for the failure to secure that perfect paint.

To be continued . . .

390 Mental Paralysis

Gentle Reader, everyone knows even a short run of being stymied in situations in general and practical matters in particular can lead to a form of mental paralysis, a breakdown of the ability to choose, and then to a habit of being unable to decide.

The only way through these situations and  practical matters is for one to simply pray then make a choice and go with it. If that choice turns out ghastly, well, one prays and tries again.

To be continued . . .

389 Chronic Bewilderment

Let’s think about the wall paint quandary.

Anyone with experience with wall paint knows there is no way to predict whether or not that tiny sample, or even a 4’ x 4’ sample painted on one of the very walls intended to be refreshed, is going to be great when the whole room is slathered with the color selected.

Ergo, in that situation, it is imperative not to develop hand-wringing habits and indecisiveness. These practices give way to chronic bewilderment in the face of practical choices of any consequence.

To be continued . . . 

388 Bewilderment

Gentle Reader, it is important to realize that the phrase do something even if it is wrong was only ever meant to apply (in exclusion of any other modifier—that is solely on its own) to practical or functional situations of which there are limitless examples.

One such example is the dilemma of choosing between wall paint colors, a practical matter, by which most of us have more than once been bewildered.

To be continued . . .

387 Moral Rectitude

Solomon’s handling of the women’s dispute over the child is riveting to me, Gentle Reader.

Solomon’s pairing of a functional imperative, as a way to discern hearts, with immutable moral rectitude displays an adroit application of the key Scriptural construct of principle above all else in moral matters.

Being able to rightly integrate and subordinate various decisive strategies simultaneously vividly manifests Solomon’s consciousness of and great mastery of complicated issues, in short—of wisdom.

To be continued . . .

386 Knowledge & Understanding

Gentle Reader, Solomon used a practical imperative—divide the child between them—perhaps even thinking that sometimes one must say or do something even if it is wrong. 

He used this practical thinking, full knowing (a key element of wisdom) it was wrong and an immoral action, in order to discern which woman would rightly respond in compliance with Scriptural principle and which would ignorantly and mercilessly respond inappropriately. 

King Solomon's understanding (an intrinsic part of wisdom) of how the proposal could activate and precipitate responses enabled him to use such an approach, while never having any immoral intention of sacrificing the child.

To be continued . . .

385 Wisdom

In one display of wisdom recorded in Scripture, Patient Reader, Solomon judged between two women, both claiming rights to the same infant. 

One woman agreed to his horrific proposal to share the child by cutting it in half, allowing each woman to receive part. 

The other woman refused such an immoral proposition and surrendered rights to the child. 

By so doing, the second woman also revealed her true mother’s heart and dedication to the Scriptural principle of self-sacrifice for the good of another (the infant). 

The former woman had no such scruples and was quite satisfied with self-gratification. 

Instantly, Solomon knew to whom to give the child.

To be continued . . .