Have you ever played a game of Twister? Our oldest grandchild likes it and this ol’ Nana and Papa try to play it with her but usually only go one round before some body part starts to ache.
Twister is a silly game that first came on the market from the Milton Bradley company in the late 1960’s and I remember thinking it was really fun to play when I was a kid too.
Participants play on a large plastic mat you spread out on the floor. Printed on the mat are six rows of four colored circles – red, yellow, green, and blue – all lined up by color. Players use a spinner which tells you where you must place your right or left hand or foot and on what color.
As the game proceeds, players practically must be contortionists to follow the directions and end up twisted this way and that. It was often advertised as the “game that ties you up in knots.”
Is it just me or do a lot of folks in our current society find themselves tied up in knots? And I don’t mean just trying to utter tongue twisters like “rubber baby buggy bumpers” quickly said several times.
A funny admonishment I’ve heard people say is “Don’t get your shorts in a knot.” Well, today it seems, too many people’s shorts are twisted into knots of anger, plain old meanness, and they are too hasty to spout off loud, divisive opinions when they don’t agree with you.
Don’t like this politician? Scream in rage. Don’t like this or that media’s report? Shout out your wrath. Don’t agree with your neighbor, your co-worker, or your family member’s opinion? Respond with antagonism and name calling.
For heaven’s sake, vitriol was even spewed on social media about the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Hateful, vile things said, wishing her a painful death.
Twisted. It appears to me that our world is more twisted than ever. Not only does it seem people are more infuriated or incensed with resentment, but they’re also more willing to provoke and annoy others to the point of fury. What ever happened to simply agreeing to disagree?
We can’t or won’t because we’re twisted. And so much all around us is twisted as well.
The news is twisted – one source says one thing, and another says the complete opposite and we’re left not really knowing what to believe. Who is telling the truth? Who promotes fabrications? Can we even believe the so-called “fact checkers” because who is checking that they are telling the truth?
Even what we view as “entertainment” is twisted. Movies, television shows, music – so much of it promotes darkness, the seamy side of life. Evil, violence, sick and twisted plot lines.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of it. That’s why I hardly watch television at all and seldom do Papa and I even go to the movies let alone rent a DVD to watch any more.
Just recently, I became aware of an animated series being advertised that appears to really be twisted. And what “gets my shorts tied up in a knot” is that it twists beliefs that I have as a follower of Jesus and promotes evil. Because it’s animated no doubt teens and probably children will view this program. A double whammy against this show in my book.
It angers me when young people, especially children, are subjected to…call it the dark side if you will. Childhood should be a time of innocence. They will learn all too soon how evil permeates this world, so I believe we should protect our young ones’ minds, hearts, and spirits above all.
And It bothers me tremendously when people twist God’s Word. And that is done so much of the time. People who call themselves teachers and preachers can easily twist scripture, take a verse out of context, and make it fit whatever their agenda may be.
It’s not hard to do. You just find a verse and try to make it say whatever you want it to say. That’s why it’s important for me as a believer in Christ to study God’s Word carefully – not just read a verse and try to interpret it however I want. Instead, it’s vital to read the entire passage, chapter, or even the book of the Bible it’s found in to put it into proper context.
The Apostle Paul urged his fellow missionary Timothy to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
If I listen to someone’s sermon or message, it’s my responsibility to make sure what is uttered is accurate and found in God’s Word as Biblical truth.
And even Paul’s words were weighed and measured by a group of believers known as the Bereans to ascertain that what he said was truth. “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11 NIV)
We’ve got to figure out how to untwist ourselves, discern what is true in this world and what is false because even history is being twisted. And what kind of history – true or false – will survive for future generations? How will they know and recognize truth?
“Too often the past has been twisted to fit the visions and agendas of the present.” ~ Thomas Sowell
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2022
Do you ever feel like you’re just all twisted up in knots?
While touring the colonial aged building where Julius Sturgis’ pretzel bakery originated, a tour guide talked us through a hands-on demonstration as so we could shape our own pretzels. First we were given a lump of dough (similar to play-dough).
Have you ever heard or seen something that just goes beyond what you call normal? Often times, we shake our heads and say, “Man, that’s twisted.”
So when it comes to twisted things, it’s all in your perspective, isn’t it? Just like life. Are you going to go through these days on earth you’ve been given with a negative attitude every time life doesn’t turn out quite like you planned (that could be really twisted) or will you embrace each day of life with an upbeat spin no matter what happens?
Mama's Empty Nest 